Renton, WA -- (Sports Network) - The Seattle Seahawks have dropped the franchise tag they placed on linebacker Leroy Hill on Sunday, making him a free agent.

The move will give the team an extra $8.3 million in cap space, the value of the guaranteed contract the team would have had to give Hill.

It also comes just the day after the team drafted linebacker Aaron Curry with the fourth overall pick of the draft.

Hill, a Clemson product, registered 84 tackles, one sack and three passes defensed in 12 games last season for Seattle.

Over his four seasons in the NFL, all with Seattle after being picked in the third round of the 2005 draft, he has appeared in 56 games and has 330 tackles and 13 1/2 sacks.