The Facts: The Seahawks have named Brown their franchise player. This means he receives a one-year offer worth about $2 million, the average of the top five salaries for punters and kickers. NFL teams had until today at 1 p.m. PST to name franchise and transition players.

Diehards Line:As a franchise player, Brown is free to negotiate with other teams once free agency begins March 2. But the Seahawks would retain the right to match any offer. If they chose not to match, they would receive two first-round draft choices from the signing team. The Hawks are expected to work toward a long-term deal with Brown before free agency.