NFL free agency roundup: Alterraun Verner, Eugene Monroe sign deals

We're well into the new league year and free agency news has not slowed down as of Tuesday night. We already saw Karlos Dansby, Donte Whitner, Vontae Davis, Branden Albert and others sign with new teams. To catch up, you can find our roundup from earlier in the day and, of course, visit our free agent tracker.

The Chicago Bears made a whole lot of cap space available on Tuesday, releasing veteran defensive end Julius Peppers. At one time, Peppers may have been the most coveted defensive player in the NFL, but his cap hit of $18.1 million for 2014 was too much for the Bears to carry. He won't be getting anything close to the six-year, $91.5 million contract the Bears gave him in 2010, but he should be one of the most sought-after defensive players on the open market going forward.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made another splash in the free agent market by grabbing the best available cornerback, Alterraun Verner. The team announced the signing already, and will pay him $26.5 million over the next four seasons, with $14 million in guarantees. This actually seems like a relatively small amount given the money that's been thrown around thus far in the secondary. Verner was expected to earn more than that, so it looks like the Buccaneers got themselves a deal.

The Tennessee Titans signed former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver/kick returner Dexter McCluster. He signed for three years, $12 million over the course of the deal. It comes with $4.5 million guaranteed. It's unclear what his role will be with the Titans, but it's expected he'll be a primary return man. As for what he's going to bring to the offense, that's anybody's guess. He has not been a consistent weapon on offense thus far.

As expected, the Baltimore Ravens were able to retain the services of left tackle Eugene Monroe. It was originally reported that Monroe and the Ravens were far apart on a deal and that he could take his talents elsewhere, but the Ravens emerged as a favorite to re-sign him close to the start of the new league year. It sounds as though Monroe will be getting five years at $37.5 million, with $19 million guaranteed. Those numbers are somewhat lower than expected.

The Dallas Cowboys also released a big-name player on Tuesday: outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware. Ware had a base salary of $12.25 million for 2014, and a cap hit of $16 million. The Cowboys only recently became cap compliant for 2014, and they need room to sign free agents and draftees come May. Ware has been arguably the best player on that team for many years now, but has slowed down somewhat in recent seasons. Still, there have already been and will continue to be plenty of teams picking up the phone for Ware.

The Chicago Bears made a follow-up move to the release of Peppers, and executed their backup plan when Michael Bennett remained with the Seattle Seahawks: they signed Lamarr Houston. Chicago gave Houston a large $35 million contract over five years. Houston and Bennett are similar players and he should be a good fit in Chicago.

Eric Wright signed a new contract to remain with the team in 2014. San Francisco released Carlos Rogers, lost Donte Whitner and signed Antoine Bethea on Tuesday, so some stability in the secondary can only be a good thing. Wright hasn't seen the field much for San Francisco, but he should get an opportunity to make something happen next season. How much of a chance will depend on what happens with Tarell Brown, who hit the open market on Tuesday as well.

The New York Giants signed offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz on Tuesday. Well, the move is not yet official as Schwartz is expected to sign his contract on Wednesday, but it sounds like it's a done deal. Schwartz plays guard, and should be a starter for the Giants next season. New York is working hard to re-vamp a poor offensive line, and still is in need of a starting-caliber center.