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Saints designate Howard as franchise player
Feb. 23, 2004
SportsLine.com wire reports

NEW ORLEANS -- Defensive end Darren Howard was designated the New Orleans Saints' franchise player on Monday.

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/7112825

The tag comes less than a day before the deadline for protecting players with franchise and transition tags. It guarantees Howard $6.5 million next year in a one-year deal, the average of the five top-salaried defensive ends.

Free agency begins March 3 and the team has until March 17 to agree to a long-term deal with Howard to avoid losing the franchise tag for next season.

Howard, a second-round draft pick in 2000, has played in 56 games with the Saints, starting 55. He missed eight games last season with a wrist injury and registered five sacks in the final seven weeks.

As a rookie he set a club rookie record with 11 sacks and has recorded 202 career tackles and 30 sacks.

"Placing the franchise tag on Darren today is a step in the process to getting him signed to a long-term deal," said Saints general manager Mickey Loomis.

NFL rules require teams to pay a "franchise" player the average of the top five players at the position or 120 percent of the player's salary cap number from the previous year, whichever is higher. According to figures provided by the NFL Players Association, the average of the top five defensive ends would be $6.5 million.


In 2003, Howard suffered a right dislocated wrist in Week 1 at Seattle and missed the following eight games. He returned to the lineup in Week 10, against Atlanta, recording 25 tackles and five sacks in the final seven weeks. He has recorded 202 career tackles and 30 sacks.

I love this guy. I hope the Saints sign him soon.

CatfishDan

I like this move.
Now it\'s time for me to buy a Howard jersey, knowing he will be around a while.