Jaguars Franchise Kicker Josh Scobee, Prepare for Free Agency

Last season, the Jacksonville Jaguars lost their punter, Adam Podlesh, as the free-agency period began. The fallout from the loss was disastrous as the team made a "quick" move and signed then-43-year-old Matt Turk to replace him.

The replacement turned out to be more than a nightmare. Turk was cut in the middle of the season and replaced by Nick Harris. But the damage had already been done. Field position in the NFL is crucial, as the Jaguars found out when they realized Turk was not the answer.

Now, the Jaguars, who were facing a similar situation in possibly losing their second-leading scorer on the team last season, have placed the franchise tag on kicker Josh Scobee, tendering him a one-year deal with the team.

According to a report in the Florida Times-Union, the one-year deal is said to be about $2.65 million.

While the deal is on the table for Scobee to sign, the kicker, who has been with the team since the beginning of his career, wants a long-term deal. According to his agent, Ken Harris, the deal will not immediately be signed with the hope that a long-term deal can be reached before free agency or the beginning of the training camp.

The move may prove to be a good one for the team, in that Scobee is as reliable a kicker as there is on the NFL. He connected on 92 percent of his kicks over the past few years and remains one of the best long-range (40-50 yards) kickers in the league. Two seasons ago, Scobee connected on a 59-yarder to beat Indianapolis in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars will go into free agency with many players who played a significant role on defense without a contract, including the team's leading sack artist, Jeremy Mincey. Team general manager Gene Smith will have to find a way to keep Mincey, as well as possibly Matt Roth, who, until he suffered a concussion against Indianapolis on the road, was worth every penny of the $3 million one-year deal he signed in the offseason.

Mincey has stated he will not give the Jaguars a "hometown" discount, but wants to remain in Jacksonville and part of the team. Negotiations with Mincey were said to have started in February.

After the 2011 season where the Jaguars finished 5-11 and were awarded the seventh overall pick in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft, the team was approximately $38 million under the new salary cap based on the new CBA signed in the offseason.

The move to franchise Scobee shows the Jaguars' hand and that they believe losing him would be a true detriment to the success and growth of this team. Scobee was second on the team in scoring to running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who led the NFL in rushing with 1,606 yards and was responsible for over 46 percent of the team's offense last season.

Teams have until 4 p.m. today to tender franchise tags to players. After that, they can negotiate with their current teams and on March 13 will be free agents.