The first day of free agency is winding down, though there usually is plenty of activity late in the night that most won’t see until morning. Still, the day was incredibly busy, which isn’t unusual, but there was no lull in the action at any point, which was a little surprising.
NFL free agent tracker: Desmond Bryant, Jared Cook, Isaac Sopoaga among those finding new teams
Some big names have signed with new teams as the first day of the 2013 NFL free agency period winds down.
Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE
Teams have been plenty active this year, and there's a whole lot to talk about. Below, we'll touch up on some of the big signings thus far. Check out our earlier post for some of the big names that signed, including Mike Wallace, Andy Levitre and Paul Kruger.
Bryant was the biggest signing after the initial flurry, and he is getting some good money. Bryant signed a five-year contract with the Browns and will earn $34 million over that period. That's big money for Bryant, who was arrested this offseason. Still, he's been one of the top defensive tackles over the past few seasons and would have remained with the Oakland Raiders had they actually had any cap room to keep him.
Jared Cook, TE - St. Louis Rams
Cook was almost franchised this offseason but, due to potential issues regarding which position he is listed as under the tag, he hit the open market. Plenty of teams seemed interested in him, but the Rams were the team that got a deal done. Cook will reportedly play under a five-year deal for the Rams.
The San Francisco 49ers weren't willing to pay Sopoaga what he wanted as they get further and further away from their base 3-4 defense, and the Eagles benefited from the decision. They got Sopoaga for relatively cheap, as he'll make $12 million over the next three years, with $5 million guaranteed.
While the Jets are strapped for cash during this free agency period, DeVito hit the open market. He visited with the Kansas City Chiefs and left with a contract. It was rumored that the Jets really wanted to get DeVito re-signed, but cap contraints held them back.
Bradley Fletcher, CB - Philadelphia Eagles
As part of their day-one spending spree, the Eagles also signed Fletcher. He’s been with the St. Louis Rams for the past four seasons, and has been considered a player who might benefit from a change of scenery. It’s a crowded cornerback market and Fletcher wasn’t among the top names, but the Eagles likely consider him a starting candidate going forward.
Sam Baker, OT - Atlanta Falcons
The move was expected, but the Falcons managed to re-sign offensive tackle Sam Baker to a contract. Baker is the franchise left tackle and many feared he might be gone along with some of the other big names like Dunta Robinson and John Abraham, but the Falcons were expected to concentrate on getting Baker signed.
While Butler has been an underachiever since being drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, he picked up the pieces and played well for the Colts last season. The team re-signed him to a two-year deal and likely considers him a starter heading into 2013.
Of course, Henderson has been with the Vikings since joining the NFL in 2008, but he did briefly test the open market on Tuesday. In the end, it seems like the Vikings had the framework of a deal done and they brought Henderson back on a two-year contract.
Vickerson, like Henderson, likely had something of a deal agreed upon prior to the start of free agency. But the young defensive tackle seemingly wanted to at least see what kind of market was there for him. Eventually, though, he re-signed with the Broncos for two years.
Aaron Ross, CB - New York Giants
Ross was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars after a disappointing 2012 season. It was especially disappointing given the big contract they gave him. Now, he'll return to the team that drafted him, as the Giants have brought him back. He'll be depth going forward, but not likely a starter.
Jerome Felton, FB - Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings re-signed Adrian Peterson’s lead blocker to a three-year contract worth $7.5 million. Felton wasn’t likely to go elsewhere, though his re-signing didn’t come until after free agency opened.
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