NASHVILLE, TN, Feb. 19, 2009 — The Tennessee Titans slapped the franchise tag on tight end Bo Scaife on Thursday, just a couple hours before the league deadline.!
Tight end Bo Scaife will remain a Titan after being tagged as the team's franchise player for 2009.
Scaife was the Titans' leading receiver in 2008 with a career-high 58 catches, a number that ranked him seventh among NFL tight ends.
The franchise tag means Scaife will earn $4.46 million for 2009, the average salary of the five highest-paid players at his position.
Another team can attempt to sign Scaife, but the Titans would have the chance to match any offer or receive two first-round draft picks as compensation. The Titans also have until July 15 to reach a long-term contract with him.
Scaife's agent, Kevin Roberson, had said recently that Scaife intended to test the market once free agency starts Feb. 27. Roberson did not immediately return a telephone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.
A sixth-round pick in 2005 out of Texas, Scaife had 561 yards receiving and two touchdowns in 16 games for the Titans last season. He led the team in catches seven times.
He's also proven durable, missing only two games through his first four seasons. He has 170 catches for 1,625 yards with seven touchdowns in his career.
The move came an hour after general manager Mike Reinfeldt said at a news conference to discuss kicker Rob Bironas' new four-year deal that he preferred to wait until close to the deadline before making any move on tagging a player.
"It's a big decision. You need to analyze all the possibilities. Again, I'm of the opinion you wait to the last moment to do it. I don't see the advantage of doing it early,'' Reinfeldt said.
