Cowboys Place Franchise Tag On Safety Ken Hamlin

The Dallas Cowboys have placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on safety Ken Hamlin, guaranteeing him a one year salary of $4.396 million for 2008. Hamlin finished 2007 with 62 tackles, 5 interceptions, 14 passes defended, and made it to his first Pro Bowl. He arguably would have been the top unrestricted free agent safety on the market, so the Cowboys thought it wise to lock him up for at least one more year.

Hamlin came to the Cowboys last offseason after signing a 1 year $2.5 million contract. He spent most of the 2005 season watching from the sidelines after an altercation outside a nightclub in Seattle left him with a fractured skull, after being hit over the head with a street sign. He returned from the injury in 2006 and played all 16 games with the Seattle Seahawks, notching 96 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.