Lot of talented players already spoken for in NFL free agency
By the time NFL free agency starts at 4 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, many of the key free agents will be spoken for.
The NFL gave up the facade that specific terms couldn’t be discussed during the pre-free agency period, telling teams they can negotiate contractual terms during the two-day window before free agency officially starts (we can’t come up with a better term than “legal tampering period,” people?). Contracts can’t be officially executed but can be negotiated. And plenty of top-level free agents have taken advantage of that and agreed to terms already. Any agreements can be broken, technically. But a lot of the mystery of the free agency period has already been removed.
[Shutdown Corner’s free agency coverage: Top offensive players • Top defensive players/specialists • Top needs for all 32 NFL teams • Five potential bargains • Five potential busts]
Here’s a rundown of the key deals that have already been agreed to, well before free agency officially starts:
DE Malik Jackson to Jacksonville Jaguars: Oh, Jackson got paid a lot. He got up to $90 million over six years with $42 million guaranteed. But the Jaguars had a ton of cap room, Jackson was arguably the best free agent on the market, so they did what they had to do to get their top target.
RB Chris Ivory to Jacksonville Jaguars: This move was a bit odd. The Jaguars drafted T.J. Yeldon in the second round last year and looked OK as a rookie. Now he’ll be splitting time, at best, with Ivory. Connor Hughes of USA Today said Ivory got a five-year, $32.5 million deal, and that’s not the type of deal you give to a backup running back.
OT/G Kelechi Osemele, DE/OLB Bruce Irvin to Oakland Raders: The Raiders were aggressive out of the gate. Osemele got a deal that is reportedly about five years and $60 million. He might end up at left tackle. Irvin to Oakland wasn’t on anyone’s radar before this week, but he’ll pair well in Oakland’s pass rush with Khalil Mack.
CB Janoris Jenkins to New York Giants: Jenkins wasn’t franchise tagged by the Los Angeles Rams, and that turned out to be a blessing. Jenkins’ Giants deal was for five years and $62.5 million according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That’s elite cornerback money, and a fairly big gamble by the Giants.
DE Mario Williams to Miami Dolphins: Are the Dolphins getting the double-digit sack machine Williams, or the one who was a malcontent and utterly unproductive last year with the Buffalo Bills? At $8 million per year over two seasons, the Dolphins are obviously betting on Williams being motivated.
WR Marvin Jones to Detroit Lions: Jones isn’t exactly going to replace Calvin Johnson’s production, but Detroit needed someone to go alongside Golden Tate. At $8 million per season, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Jones will be expected to be a big producer for the Lions.
WR Travis Benjamin to San Diego Chargers: Philip Rivers gets a nice deep threat. Benjamin will benefit from playing with Rivers, and Rivers will enjoy having him as a legitimate No. 2 option alongside Keenan Allen.
C Ben Jones to the Tennessee Titans: This move helps stabilize the Titans’ line, and it hurts the Houston Texans, who lose their center. There are not a ton of great centers in the NFL, and it’s a smart move by Tennessee to grab Jones.
QB Chase Daniel to the Philadelphia Eagles: This is no big shock, since new Eagles coach Doug Pederson was Daniel’s offensive coordinator with the Kansas City Chiefs and talked Daniel up the past few weeks. If they like Daniel so much, it makes you wonder why they spent $36 million over two years for Sam Bradford.
G Alex Boone to the Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings wanted to upgrade the offensive line, and it’s a smart move to sign the massive Boone away from the San Francisco 49ers.
DE Jason Pierre-Paul re-signs with New York Giants: Risky? Sure. But it’s just a one-year deal worth $10.5 million according to multiple reports. If Pierre-Paul can’t get all the way back from that serious hand injury, the Giants can just move on next year. If he plays well, they can consider a long-term deal next offseason.
G Richie Incognito re-signs with Buffalo Bills: What a crazy story. Incognito looked to be out of the NFL after the Miami Dolphins’ bullying scandal, but the Bills gave him a chance and he made a Pro Bowl. Now he’s back with the Bills on a three-year deal.
OLB Tamba Hali re-signs with Kansas City Chiefs: Hali will be back with the Chiefs, and he’s as consistent as they come rushing the quarterback. It does bring into question the future of Dee Ford, a 2014 first-round pick.
CB William Gay and G Ramon Foster re-sign with Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers made two key moves to retain their own free agents. The Steelers need to improve in the secondary, and at least they won’t have to worry about replacing Gay. Foster is an up-and-coming guard, and getting him under contract was big.
DT Ahytba Rubin re-signs with the Seattle Seahawks: Rubin a huge tackle in the middle of the Seahawks defense, and bringing him back is a nice move for Seattle.
K Adam Vinatieri re-signs with Indianapolis Colts: Not that it was a surprise, but Vinatieri will be back with the Colts. He is as good as ever, aging like a fine wine.
S George Iloka re-signs with the Cincinnati Bengals: Iloka got $30 million over five years to stay in Cincinnati, per the NFL Network. That’s a lot of money but the multi-talented Iloka had a lot of interest on the market.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
