It was a move that was out of character for the Pittsburgh Steelers but, fearing they would lose a player who represents the character of the team's top-ranked defense, the club on Thursday used a "franchise" designation to keep strongside linebacker Jason Gildon off the unrestricted market.

The move all but ensures that Gildon, who had 12 sacks in 2001 and was named to the Pro Bowl, will return to the team. Had the eight-year veteran reached would have been one of the most coveted players in a thin pool.

The Houston Texans, who will deploy a 3-4 defense similar to that used by the Steelers, likely would have make a strong run at Gildon. Texans coach Dom Capers was defensive coordinator in Pittsburgh when the Steelers chose Gildon in the third round of the 1994 draft.

The "franchise" tag for a linebacker is the equivalent of a one-year qualifying offer and has a value of $5.515 million. Gildon joins Jeremiah Trotter of the Philadelphia Eagles as linebackers who drew the "franchise" tag this year.

Gildon, 29, is a prototype 3-4 linebacker and, with teammate Joey Porter, forms one of the NFL's best outside tandems.

The former Oklahoma State star is an explosive and athletic rusher and has posted 62½ sacks for his career, including 25½ over the past two seasons.

Chiefs designate Pro Bowl tight end Gonzalez
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Three-time Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez was designated the franchise player by the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday after he and the team failed to agree to contract terms.

The status means Gonzalez can be retained another year at the average salary of the top five tight ends in the NFL, or $2.3 million according to the NFL Players Association.

Gonzalez, a first-round draft pick out of California in 1997, could still sign a multiyear contract, however. If he is signed before March 15, the team gets back the "franchise" designation to use again.

A starter on Cal's basketball team and an avid player in the California summer leagues, Gonzalez had hinted he might pursue an NBA career if the Chiefs did not give him an offer that exceeded normal money for a tight end, one of the sport's lowest-paid position groups.

But a late-season knee injury shelved that plan.

"We put the exclusive franchise player tag on Tony because we respect him and think he is an outstanding football player," said Chiefs president and general manager Carl Peterson.

He said he would meet late Thursday with Tom Condon, the agent for Gonzalez.

At the end of the season, Peterson said he would not yield to the demand that Gonzalez be paid at the level of a wide receiver.

"He's a tight end," Peterson said.

But the 6-foot-4 Gonzalez might be the best tight end in the game. In 79 games, he's made 334 catches for 30 touchdowns and almost 4,000 yards. He's already seventh in receptions and sixth in receiving yards in team history. He has more catches and receiving yards than any other tight end in team history.

Gonzalez has repeatedly said he wants to finish his career with the Chiefs.

Also on Thursday, the Chiefs agreed to a two-year contract with free agent safety Lyle West.

Elam gets franchise tag
Under pressure to restructure several contracts and to release a few players to get under the salary cap for the 2002 season, the Denver Broncos ran out of time to strike a deal with standout kicker Jason Elam, and instead designated the ninth-year veteran a "franchise" free agent on Thursday.

Elam, 31, became the second kicker on Thursday to be locked into the designation, joining Adam Vinatieri as a "franchise" free agent. It is the first time since the current free agent system went into effect in 1993 that two kickers have been so designated.

"I think you have a case where two teams didn't really have any other player to 'franchise' and they weren't about to allow these kickers to get onto the open market," said Jack Reale, agent for Elam. "It really is a unique situation."

The Broncos have been negotiating with Elam and Reale for nearly two months and it seemed, at one point in the discussions, that a contract agreement would be reached. Despite the exchange of several offers and counterproposals in the past week, though, an accord could not be reached.

Like the Patriots, it's clear that Denver officials feared that the expansion Houston Texans might attempt to sign away their kicker. The Texans are said to covet a quality kicker and rumored to be willing to pay market value or above to get one. Both Elam and Vinatieri would have become eligible for unrestricted free agency on March 1.

By using the "franchise" designation, the Broncos severely limit the mobility of Elam, who ranks among the NFL' top performers at his position, and who earned his third Pro Bowl berth in 2001.

The designation, in essence, means that the Broncos have made Elam a one-year qualifying offer for $1.241 million. It is likely the team will eventually sign Elam to a long-term deal. Clubs have until March 15 to sign "franchise" players, then there is a negotiating moratorium until mid-July.

Elam converted 31 of 36 field goal attempts and all 31 extra point tries in 2001. For his career, he has connected on 235 of 297 field goals and 368 of 369 field goals.

Cardinals designate Lassiter
For a guy who started his career as a "nickel" defender, free safety Kwamie Lassiter certainly has appreciated in value, and the Arizona Cardinals confirmed that on Thursday by designating their seven-year veteran as a "franchise" free agent.

Lassiter, 32, finished second in the NFL in 2001 with nine interceptions and the former undrafted free agent from Kansas reinforced his position as one of Arizona's key players.

The "franchise" designation for a safety is the equivalent of a one-year qualifying offer and has a value of $3.342 million. Lassiter can solicit offers from other teams but the Cardinals retain right of first refusal and can match any offer. Another club would have to compensate Arizona with a pair of first-round draft choices if it signed Lassiter and the Cardinals didn't match the offer.

One of the league's most unheralded interior secondary defenders, Lassiter notched a career-high 169 tackles in 2001. In addition to his nine interceptions, he had seven passes defensed, one sack, and a forced fumble. He had 10 or more tackles in 10 games.

Over the past three seasons, Lassiter has averaged 151 tackles and four interceptions.

Cowboys pick Adams
In what represented a fairly dramatic reversal from where the team stood a few months ago, the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday used a "franchise" designation to keep offensive left tackle Flozell Adams off the unrestricted In what represented a fairly dramatic reversal from where the team stood a few months ago, the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday used a "franchise" designation to keep offensive left tackle Flozell Adams off the unrestricted free agent market.

The team had indicated even late in the season that it would not retain Adams, a four-year veteran who has emerged as one of the league's best young tackles, and would permit him to go into the free agent pool. But the Cowboys worked hard in recent weeks to negotiate a new contract with Adams and, after failing to come to an agreement, instead used the "franchise" label.

The designation for an offensive linemen is worth $4.92 million on a one-year qualifying offer.

Adams, 26, was a second-round choice in the 1998 draft.

The former Michigan State standout has played in 64 games and started 60 of them.

Adams is the third offensive left tackle designated as a "franchise" player this year, joining Tarik Glenn of Indianapolis and Seattle's Walter Jones.

Colts designate tackle Glenn
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts are trying to keep Peyton Manning's protection in place, and at the same time are parting ways with one of Manning's favorite targets -- tight end Ken Dilger -- and three other veterans.

The Colts terminated the contracts of Dilger, cornerback Jeff Burris, safety Chad Cota -- all starters -- and defensive tackle Mike Wells on Thursday.

Indianapolis also placed the franchise designation on left tackle Tarik Glenn and gave starting center Jeff Saturday, a restricted free agent, a $1.227 million offer, said Ralph Cindrich, Saturday's agent.

The moves cleared room under the NFL's $71.8 million salary cap, and gave the Colts the opportunity to match any offer for Glenn or Saturday.

"He does want to stay in Indianapolis if it's at all possible," Cindrich said of Glenn.

By having the franchise player designation, Glenn, who was to become an unrestricted free agent on March 1, will be guaranteed a 2002 salary of $4.92 million.

By making offers to Glenn and Saturday, the Colts assured themselves of keeping three key players together on an offensive line that has been among the NFL leaders for fewest sacks allowed each of the last three seasons.

Glenn has started all 90 games since joining the Colts as a first-round pick in 1997. Saturday, an undrafted free agent, has started every game the last two seasons.

Seahawks select OT Jones
KIRKLAND, Wash. -- The Seattle Seahawks on Thursday designated two-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Walter Jones as a franchise player.

The Seahawks have been trying to re-sign Jones, 28, to a multiyear contract since the end of last season.

In the 2001 season, Jones voided the final year of his contract by meeting playing-time incentives, becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency March 1.

By using the franchise tag on Jones, a five-year veteran, the Seahawks must tender a one-year qualifying offer of $4.92 million. That's the average of the five highest salary-cap figures at his position last season.

Jones still could sign an offer sheet with another club, but the Seahawks would have the option of matching it or receiving two first-round draft choices as compensation for losing Jones, the sixth pick overall in the 1997 draft.

ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli and The Associated Press contributed to this report.