The Washington Redskins didn’t let cornerback DeAngelo Hall get to free agency, reaching a deal with him just as dozens of other NFL standouts reached the market.
Hall got a six-year, $54 million contract early Friday, including $22.5 million in guaranteed money. It was the 25-year-old cornerback’s second big payday in as many years. Hall was guaranteed around $24 million in a seven-year, $70 million contract he signed a year ago with Oakland, but he struggled to adjust to the Raiders’ man-to-man defense and was waived after eight games.
Hours before free agency began, the spotlight, for once, was on linemen.
Colts star center Jeff Saturday, a three-time Pro Bowler, agreed to a three-year deal to remain in Indianapolis.
Saturday’s agent, Ralph Cindrich, confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on Thursday night. He didn’t disclose financial details, but said the deal will make Saturday one of the highest-paid centers in the NFL.
llion to $127 million. It was also a day after the Colts officially released Marvin Harrison, freeing up $6 million under the salary cap.
Getting the opposite treatment was Derrick Dockery, who was released by Buffalo. Two years ago, Dockery, a run-of-the-mill guard, left the Washington Redskins for a seven-year, $49 million deal with Buffalo. He was one of several interior linemen who got record-breaking deals that season.
When he was cut by the Bills, Dockery was $28 million short of fulfilling the contract. He was a casualty of both his so-so play and the current economic climate, in which only the top free agents are likely to strike it rich.
“If the money doesn’t go to one particular player, it should go to getting one or two or three players who make your team a better club,” said Tennessee general manager Mike Reinfeldt, sounding as though he might be resigned to losing one of the premier free agents in this year’s class – All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth.
The Dolphins were in a spending mood, though.
Miami re-signed Yeremiah Bell on the eve of free agency and acquired Gibril Wilson, who landed a big contract for the second year in a row.
Wilson, a five-year veteran released last week by the Raiders, signed a $27.5 million, five-year deal. He’ll receive $8 million guaranteed and $16.5 million in the first three years of the contract.
five-year career with Miami, signed a $20 million, four-year contract rather than testing free agency. His deal is worth $10 million guaranteed.
The Jaguars said they will release veteran defensive end Paul Spicer on Friday. The 33-year-old Spicer has been with the Jaguars since 2000, playing in 115 games with 63 starts.
There is plenty of money available – on paper. But Super Bowls aren’t necessarily won with free-agent pickups.
Pittsburgh, for example, won this year after losing Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca and adding only low-priced returner Mewelde Moore. In 2007, the New York Giants won the title after adding only linebacker Kawika Mitchell.
The increase in the cap comes through a mechanism in the collective bargaining agreement that was triggered to add about $4 million because for the past several years, cash spending on players has been below the 59.5 percent of total revenue specified in the contract.
But will the money be spent with an uncapped 2010 a possibility if the league and union do not agree on a new deal before next year’s free-agent period? The minimum a team must spend remains at $107.7 million and in this economy, many teams don’t seem inclined to spend too much more.
s less to save money than make the Bucs younger.
Still, the Bucs may use some of that room to make a push for Haynesworth.
So might Washington, but the Redskins, have far less cap room because of previous moves for big-name free agents.
Another player likely to get big money is Cincinnati’s T.J. Housmandzadeh, who has 204 catches the past two seasons, although he averaged just 10 yards.
Two others who could cash in aren’t stars: Giants running back Derrick Ward, who backed up Brandon Jacobs the last two seasons but rushed for 1,025 yards last season and offensive lineman Jason Brown of Baltimore, who is just 26.
Then there are the older big-name players.
The centerpiece is Ray Lewis, who will be 34 next season and is a classic example of the kind of decision that teams must make.
In his case, do the Ravens re-sign him for sentimental reasons and hope he can give them another year or two at the brilliant level he’s been at for 13 seasons? Or is it better to save money and spend it by re-signing the younger Bart Scott? Or will Lewis shun the Ravens to rejoin Rex Ryan with the New York Jets or head to Dallas to join Jerry Jones’ stable of big names?
e receiver Laveranues Coles, who basically asked for his release and was granted it.
Taylor, who was released early, already has visited with Buffalo and New England and is realistic about the chances a 33-year-old running back has to be a big-money regular.
“At the end of the day, my No. 1 objective is to get somewhere and compete,” he said. “Nothing is going to be given to me. I don’t expect that.”
The quarterback class is rather barren unless a team in desperate need is willing to negotiate a deal with New England for Matt Cassel, who was made the Patriots’ franchise player with a tag of $14.65 million in case Tom Brady doesn’t recover from a serious knee injury.
Beyond Cassel is a nondescript group of career backups, first-round failures and the nondescript: Dan Orlovsky, Jeff Garcia, Rex Grossman Kyle Boller, Patrick Ramsey and Ryan Fitzpatrick.
That doesn’t count two aging QBs who revived their careers last season: Arizona’s Kurt Warner and Tennessee’s Kerry Collins. Warner is likely to re-sign with the Cardinals for at least $10 million or retire; Collins will probably remain with the Titans.
One player who will not be a free agent – at least for now – is LaDainian Tomlinson, the 2006 Most Valuable Player who at age 30 has been plagued by injuries the past two seasons.
deal.
“All I can tell you is everything’s ongoing,” Smith said. “I’ve got nothing more to add at this time. But I will add this – we’d love to have him. We hope he returns.”
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