Free Agency: Tracking the Moves

If you haven’t yet, do yourself a favor and sign up for Twitter. It makes following Free Agency so much easier. Instant news, just use your head and check out the source to make sure it’s reliable.

Finally, we’ll try to update with the most recent moves on top so you don’t have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to look for updates. We put a Steelers section at the beginning of the post so you don’t have to dig through everything to try to find Steelers news.

For those of you who might be following the Free Agent market for the first time, here is a brief rundown on how it works: teams are not allowed to negotiate with Free Agents until 12:01 on March 5, 2010. After that time, any player who is an Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) is free to negotiate and sign with any team they wish. Players that are Restricted Free Agents (RFAs) have a tendered offer – meaning that if they get no offers from other teams in Free Agency, their prior team will retain them for the tendered contract amount. If another team signs an RFA, they have to give up a draft pick (the amount of the tendering offer determines which round the draft pick is in). Since teams can not negotiate with players until after midnight, it is typical for the majority of moves to be made during the day on Friday, after teams have had a chance to fly players in and meet with them face-to-face.

RT Willie Colon – offered 1st round tender

TE Matt Spaeth – offered 3rd round tender

P Daniel Sepulveda – offered 4th round tender

CB William Gay – offered 5th round tender

The mass exodus from Arizona continues — Safety Antrel Rolle signs a 5-year, $37 million deal with the Giants with $15 million guaranteed.

Baltimore traded a 3rd and 4th round draft pick to Arizona for WR Anquan Boldin and a 5th round pick. This is definitely the biggest move of Free Agency thus far. This is a definite upgrade to the Ravens passing game and a big hit to Arizona’s offense. Steve Breaston moves into the #2 role in Arizona. Boldin signed a new deal with Baltimore – 4 years, $28 million with $10 million guaranteed.

The Dolphins signed LB Karlos Dansby to a 5-year $43 million deal with $23 million guaranteed.

The 49ers appear to have worked out a deal with QB David Carr. Not sure what this means for backup QB Shaun Hill, who has been shuffled around. This gives the 49ers 3 mediocre QBs in Alex Smith, Shaun Hill, and David Carr. Of them, Hill actually has a winning record as a starter. None of them are exactly fear-inducing for opposing secondaries though. Smith and Carr, both #1 overall picks in the draft, are considered two of the biggest draft busts of the past decade.

Green Bay re-signed OT Chad Clifton to a 3-year deal. This makes it highly unlikely that the Packers would take a run at Willie Colon.

Be thankful we were able to re-sign Casey Hampton when we did. The Patriots had to shell out huge bucks to keep NT Vince Wilfork around — 5 years, $40 million with $25 million guaranteed (including an $18 million signing bonus). That makes Hampton’s 3-year, $21 million contract look fantastic.

WR Brandon Marshall, a restricted free agent with first round tender, will be visiting Seattle on Saturday. If he comes to terms with the Seahawks, the Broncos can either match the deal within a week or surrender Marshall to the ‘hawks and receive Seattle’s first round pick (#6 overall). Seattle has two first round picks in the draft this year, and may be willing to put one on the line for a player like Marshall.

The Colts re-signed LB Gary Brackett to a 5-year $33 million deal.

Atlanta signs former Texans CB Dunta Robinson to a 6-year contract.

The Rams sign QB AJ Feeley to a 2-year deal. This doesn’t mean they’re out of the Sam Bradford sweepstakes, it just means they have no trust in Marc Bulger. With Feeley as a backup, Bradford is looking more and more appealing.

The Bears signed RB Chester Taylor (4 years, $12.5 million with $7 million guaranteed) and DE Julius Peppers

DE Kyle Vanden Bosch agrees to a 4-year, $26 million deal with the Lions. With their trade last night, the Lions could have an entirely new D-line this year, assuming they draft either Suh or McCoy to play the other DT spot.

The Eagles agreed to terms with FB Leonard Weaver. Weaver went to his first Pro Bowl last year, and cashed that into a 3-year, $11 million deal with $6.5 million guaranteed. No doubt Shady McCoy was glad to hear his blocking back would be back.

The Lions signed WR Nate Burleson to a 5-year, $25 million deal with $11 million guaranteed. This is a good move for the Lions, as Bryant Johnson was a disappointment last year, and they need another receiver who can take the double/triple teams away from Calvin Johnson.

The Bears signed TE Brandon Manumaleuna to a 5-year contract.

Houston re-signed punter Matt Turk. This is good news for the Steelers with Sepulveda being an RFA, this is one less team that might try to pry him away.

The Broncos re-signed RB J.J. Arrington. Arrington isn’t much more than a 3rd down back. Moreno is the real deal, everyone else there is just depth.

LB Karlos Dansby will visit the Miami Dolphins tomorrow. This is a good move for Miami. Their top 2 tacklers last year were there safeties (they got essentially nothing from their linebackers in run defense). They already cut Joey Porter on the outside, and they need someone to shore up the run defense on the inside. Dansby is versatile and would be a good fit in a Parcells defense.

The Falcons re-sign QB Chris Redman to a 2-year, $5 million contract to remain Matt Ryan’s backup. This is a good move for Atlanta. Redman knows their system and played well when he came in last year when Ryan was injured.

The Bears will bring in DE Julius Peppers and RB Chester Taylor on Friday to meet with team representatives. With only 5 picks in the upcoming draft, Chicago is hitting the Free Agent market early and often to improve their roster.

Cleveland sends DT Corey Williams to Detroit for a late-round pick in this year’s draft. No word yet on what round the pick is in. Don’t think this takes Detroit out of the Suh/McCoy sweepstakes at the top of the draft though. They run a 4-3 and could use 2 DT’s.

San Diego traded CB Antonio Cromartie to the Jets for a 3rd round pick in the 2011 draft. The pick could become a 2nd rounder depending on playing time/performance. With Revis at one corner, the Jets might have the best CB tandem in the league right now. Cromartie is a great fit for Rex Ryan’s aggressive defense.