The Tennessee Titans exercised their option of placing the franchise tag on DT Albert Haynesworth, thereby restricting his status when unrestricted free agency opens February 29. NFL teams have until 4 P.M. EST tomorrow to designate any player as their "franchise player." "This is a step in the process with Albert. This designation gives us more time to work on a long-term contract with him," said Titans' General Manager Mike Reinfeldt. "He was a dominant player for us this past season and one of the key components to our success on defense."