Jones named Seahawks’ franchise player

For the third time in as many offseasons, the Seattle Seahawks will place their franchise tag on Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones today.

The move signals once again that the two sides have been unable to come to an agreement on a long-term deal, although Jones’ agent believes negotiations will pick up sometime in the five months before training camp.

“We’d like to get a long-term deal done, but it’s up to the Seattle Seahawks,” agent Roosevelt Barnes said Monday, echoing a statement he has made countless times over the past three years. “I’m always optimistic that something can get done.”

By placing the franchise tag on Jones, the Seahawks will retain his rights for the 2004 season at a salary somewhere between $7 and $7.1 million.

Barnes originally asked for a long-term contract somewhere in the neighborhood of seven years and close to $60 million before the 2002 season, and he is still looking for similar parameters even though Jones is now 30 years old.

“He’s a left tackle, so he’s still got a good 10 years ahead of him if he chooses to play that long,” Barnes said. “We’re not concerned about (wear and tear). He can play a long time. If he were a running back or a wide receiver, that’s different. A cornerback, that would be different. But he’s a left tackle; he’s just now starting to begin his prime.”

Jones has been invited to the Pro Bowl following each of the past three seasons. His original contract expired at the conclusion of the 2001 season, at which time Barnes asked for a deal similar to the one signed by Pro Bowl left tackle Jonathan Ogden of the Baltimore Ravens (six years, $55.7 million, including a $16 million signing bonus).

Because the two sides have been unable to agree on a long-term deal, Jones has skipped the past two training camps. Barnes said it is too early to predict whether Jones will sit out another camp.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen this year,” the agent said.

Still seeking Jackson: With eight days left before free agency, the Seahawks are hoping to pull off another 11th-hour deal like they did last year with linebacker Anthony Simmons.

This year’s target is wide receiver Darrell Jackson, who will become a free agent on March 3 unless the team can get a deal worked out before then.

“Everything is up in the air right now,” said Brian Mooney, Jackson’s agent. “We’ve had discussions, but obviously we haven’t reached a deal with them yet.

“It’s still possible that something could get done, and it’s also possible that he’ll become a free agent. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Mooney said that Jackson would prefer coming back to Seattle, but he also envisions a big payday if the 25-year-old goes into a free agent market that will include San Francisco’s Terrell Owens, among others.

“Darrell is pretty well positioned,” Mooney said. “In my opinion, he is the most marketable (free agent) wide receiver in the NFL. Some of the other fellows have some teams that are excited about them and others that aren’t so excited. There is not a team out there that wouldn’t be excited about adding Darrell.”

Cap friendly: The Seahawks should have plenty of salary cap space with which to work, as some published reports have them realistically getting close to $20 million under the $80.5 million cap.

That would depend on a number of factors, including the likelihood of safety Reggie Tongue voiding the final year of his contract and the possibility of 36-year-old defensive tackle John Randle retiring.

Two other defensive tackles, Chad Eaton and Norman Hand, could restructure contracts that are scheduled to pay them a combined $5.4 million in 2004. Eaton, 31, missed all of the 2003 season following two surgeries on his left knee. Hand, also 31, played in just six games last year because of toe and bicep injuries.

Seattle currently has a reported cushion of $10.5 million under the salary cap.

If the Seahawks prefer to look ahead, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and running back Shaun Alexander are among the players scheduled to be free agents in 2005.