Patriots place franchise tag on kicker Stephen Gostkowski

The New England Patriots have placed the franchise tag on kicker Stephen Gostkowski.

"Stephen has been extremely productive and a vital component to our success since joining our team in 2006. Utilizing the franchise designation allows both sides more time to try to reach an agreement, which is the goal." 

While the decision to use the one-year tender on a kicker may come as a surprise given the impending free-agent status of standout safety Devin McCourty, the Patriots have found value in the specialist franchise-tag salary of $4.126 million.

Using the designation on Gostkowski ensures that one of the league's most reliable kickers returns to the Patriots for at least another season, and the two sides will be able to continue negotiations on a long-term deal in the coming weeks.

The drawback, of course, is that the Patriots' only remaining option to keep McCourty from the free-agent market is to re-sign him before the official start of the new league year on March 10.

If McCourty remains without a deal when free agency opens, the bidding process could push his value well out of the Patriots' range.