Atlanta Falcons to franchise punter Michael Koenen

February 9, 8:40 PMAtlanta Falcons ExaminerDaniel Cox

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AP Photo/Rob Carr 

NFL.com's Adam Schefter is reporting on Monday that the Atlanta Falcons will place the franchise tag on punter Michael Koenen. 

In the first move of what is sure to be an interesting offseason for the Falcons, general manager Thomas Dimitroff has decided to place the tag on the fourth-year punter from Western Washington.

The franchise tag is traditionally used on more high-profile free-agents, so it's unusual for a team to tag a punter, but Dimitroff has begun to prove himself to be far from typical.

A player receiving the franchise tag earns the average of the top five highest-paid players at his position for the season.

Dimitroff perhaps believes applying the tag this year is a wise move instead of locking up the punter for a longer-term deal and possibly opens dollars elsewhere to spend on other players. The tag carries a $2.48 million salary for Koenen, which is high for a punter, but is clearly worth it for Atlanta.

He's the only punter in the NFL that kicks off in addition to punting duties. In 2008 Koenen led a record-setting punt team, allowing only 20 returns (out of 63 punts) for only 49 return yards.

Bringing Koenen back to the special-teams squad was a high priority for the Falcons this off season and with the application of the franchise tag, they've proven just how much they value his services.

Koenen is only the second punter in league history to receive the franchise tag. Carolina Panthers' punter Todd Sauerbrun was tagged in 2003. While other teams can talk to Koenen, they must forfeit two first-round draft picks if they choose to sign him to an offer sheet, which would be unprecedented.  

The Falcons surprised much of the league last year when they signed the best running back on the market in Michael Turner in what proved to be a savvy move as he burst onto the scene, finishing second in the NFL in rushing and leading the Falcons on an unexpected run into the playoffs.

Dimitroff doesn't appear to be the type to ever show his next move, holding his cards close to his vest and wearing a great poker face. This move, unique as it is, is conceivably the first in what could be another successful offseason for the Atlanta Falcons--they will need it to be as they face the league's fourth-toughest schedule in 2009.