CLEVELAND -- The Browns arent letting Alex Mack walk away freely. Shoes Canada Shop . The team locked the free agent Pro Bowl centre into a one-year, $10.039 million contract on Monday by designating him as their transition player. By using the transition tag instead of the franchise tag, Cleveland will have five days to match any offer to Mack made by other teams when free agency opens on March 11. If the Browns had used their franchise tag, Mack would have made $11.654 million next season. In the meantime, the Browns are expected to try and sign Mack to a long-term contract. The 6-foot-4, 311-pounder has been one of Clevelands best and most dependable players since the Browns drafted him in the first round in 2009. He has not missed one offensive play in five years, a run of 4,998 consecutive snaps. Mack may want to play elsewhere. He could draw serious interest as a free agent and he may be dismayed with the teams direction following another coaching change and front-office purge this winter. The Browns have gone just 23-57 since Mack arrived. The decision to make Mack their transition player also means Pro Bowl safety T.J. Ward is now a free agent. Ward had a solid 2013 season. He started all 16 games and made a career-high 129 tackles with two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. With Ward seemingly no longer in their plans, the Browns could pursue Buffalo free safety Jairus Byrd, who was not tagged by the Bills. A three-time Pro Bowler, Byrd could be reunited in Cleveland with new Browns coach Mike Pettine, who spent last season as Buffalos defensive co-ordinator. Byrd turned down a multiyear offer from the Bills. He played under a one-year, $6.9 million franchise tag last year. The Browns have over $55 million in salary-cap room. Shoes Canada Sale .The ruling takes effect on Jan. 1 and stems from the debate surrounding Paralympic champion Markus Rehm, an amputee who won the national long jump title competing with a carbon-fiber prosthesis. Shoes Canada Nike . The Montreal Canadiens goaltender has won three of his four games since returning from a lower-body injury that kept him out from the end of the Olympic break until March 15. https://www.shoescanadaonline.com/ . Hawkins severely sprained his left ankle while making a diving catch during training camp and went on injured reserve with a designation he could return midway through the season. He was back at practice Wednesday.ATLANTA -- The Hawks are discovering that strong defence makes winning possible, even against quality opponents, after Al Horfords season-ending injury. Kyle Korver scored 20 points, including four free throws in the final 16 seconds, and Atlanta fought off Houstons late comeback to beat the Rockets 83-80 on Friday night. Paul Millsap also had 20 points for Atlanta, which earned its second straight impressive home win following a victory over Indiana on Wednesday night. The two victories were important following a three-game losing streak and Horfords torn right pectoral muscle in late December. "Its a real good win for us because it really shows we played some good teams and we actually played some good defence," Millsap said. "It started with the defence and if we continue to keep that up, well be fine." James Harden led the Rockets with 25 points. Dwight Howard had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Houston coach Kevin McHale said his players "were just stuck in the mud offensively." Aaron Brooks had 13 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, and Jeremy Lin added 11 for Houston. "I think they took the game in the second half with how hard they played on defence," Lin said. The Hawks overcame Houstons 11-0 run to start the game. The Rockets then battled back from an eight-point deficit with another 11-0 run to regain the lead at 76-73. Korvers 3-pointer tied the game. Following a basket by Harden, DeMarre Carrolls 3-pointer gave Atlanta a 79-78 lead. The Hawks didnt trail again. "I think the group is really starting to trust each other defensively," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "The competitiveness that theyre putting out there, it starts on the defensive end of the court. ... Its just good to see that trust being built up." The strong defensive effort came against one of the highest-scoring teams in the NBA. Entering the game, the Rockets ranked third in the league with their average of 105.8 points. Harden, who had seven assists and five turnovers, was unable to extend his streak of three straight games with at least 37 points. "Guys just couldnt get into a rhythm," he said. "Guys were just sluggish tonight, including myself." It was a disappointiing start to Houstons four-game road trip. Shoes Canada Free Shipping. "We talked about it before the game," Harden said. "We just came out flat." With Atlanta leading 79-78, Korver made two free throws to push Atlantas lead to three points. Following a timeout, Harden drove toward the basket and passed to Lin, whose foot was on the 3-point line as he sank a jumper with 6.5 seconds left, cutting the Hawks lead to 81-80. The Rockets quickly fouled Korver, who made both free throws. Houston couldnt get off an attempt at a last-second 3. The Hawks matched their season low for first-half points but trailed only 41-39 at the break. Official reviews confirmed Atlantas first basket and last shot from the field in the half came after the clock expired. Millsaps layup, which initially was approved for a 2-all tie, was disallowed when the review showed it came after the 24-second clock expired. Jeff Teagues layup at the end of the half, which would have tied the game, came after time expired. Korver made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions midway through the third period for the first tie at 57-all. Millsaps driving basket gave Atlanta its first lead at 61-59, and the Hawks stretched the lead to 73-65 with 8:32 remaining. Mistakes by the Hawks, including a 24-second violation, a missed layup by Pero Antic and a turnover by Millsap, helped the Rockets close the gap. Brooks 3-pointer cut Atlantas lead to 73-72. Harden made two of three free throws with 3:50 remaining to give Houston its first lead of the period at 74-73. Rockets forward Chandler Parsons missed his second straight game with a sore right knee. Ronnie Brewer was the fill-in starter. Korver extended his NBA record of consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer to 106 when he made his first of four 3s with 9:03 left in the first half. NOTES: NBA great Julius Erving had a front-row seat. ... Howard, an Atlanta native, purchased 35 tickets for the game. ... The Hawks 10 first-quarter points set a season low for any quarter and was the low allowed by the Rockets in any quarter. ... Houston C Omer Asik (right thigh, knee) missed his 18th straight game. ... F Greg Smith (sprained right knee) returned and had four points after missing the Rockets previous game. ' ' '