The Facts: Hanson is set to be an unrestricted free agent Feb. 27. But if the Lions can't sign him to a long-term deal by Feb. 19, the deadline to use franchise tags, they will designate him their franchise player to effectively keep him off the market. "Frequently, a deadline kind of moves things along, and the franchise deadline's coming up next week," GM Martin Mayhew said Thursday. "I think we'll get something done prior to that. If we don't, then we'll franchise Jason."

Diehards Line:The franchise tag would come with a one-year offer for $2,483,000, the average salary of the five highest-paid kickers in 2008. The Lions would have the right to match any offer Hanson receives. If they declined to match an offer, they would receive two first-round draft picks. Hanson made $2,080,000 in 2008.