2008 Off Season (Official Thread)

[MD Buckeye]

Jaguars sign former first-round draft pick Kennedy, three others

Jaguars sign former first-round draft pick Kennedy, three others

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars signed defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy and three other free agents to contracts Wednesday.

They also signed offensive tackles Pete McMahon and Ryan Gibbons and long-snapper Brett Goode.

Kennedy, drafted 12th overall by St. Louis in the 2003 NFL Draft, spent the 2007 training camp with Denver before being released in final cuts. He was signed by Chicago in mid-December, played in the final three games and recorded three tackles.

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[MD Buckeye]

Suggs files grievance against Ravens - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Suggs files grievance against Ravens

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP)?Terrell Suggs filed a grievance against the Baltimore Ravens over whether he should be classified as a defensive end or a linebacker, a dispute in which $814,000 is at stake.

Suggs wants to receive the $8.879 million one-year salary for the defensive end franchise tag designation. The Ravens assigned Suggs the $8.065 million franchise tag for linebackers, the average of the top five linebackers? salaries in the NFL.

An arbitration hearing before an NFL special master to resolve the issue hasn?t been scheduled.

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[MD Buckeye]

Eagles release LB Takeo Spikes - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Eagles release LB Takeo Spikes

PHILADELPHIA (AP)?Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Takeo Spikes was released by the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, the second high-profile player cut by the Eagles in a week.

Defensive end Jevon Kearse was let go last Thursday after playing four seasons in Philadelphia. Releasing Spikes saves the Eagles $5 million under the salary cap.

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[MD Buckeye]

Titans bring DE Jevon Kearse back to where he started - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Titans bring DE Jevon Kearse back to where he started

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)?The Tennessee Titans agreed to terms on a multiyear contract with Jevon Kearse on Thursday, and coach Jeff Fisher said they plan to play the 31-year-old defensive end as much as possible.

The Titans had a hole at defensive end after losing free agents Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy. On Thursday, they found at least one big replacement by bringing back Kearse to the team where he started his NFL career.

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[MD Buckeye]

Broncos sign Champ Bailey's younger brother - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Broncos sign Champ Bailey?s younger brother

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP)?The Bailey brothers are teaming up in Denver.
The Broncos on Thursday signed free agent linebacker Boss Bailey, the younger brother of perennial Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey.

?I?m excited to have the chance to play with my brother, and I know that Boss? speed and versatility will have a great impact on our defense,? Champ Bailey said. ?I can?t wait to get on the field with him.?

Agent Jack Reale said Boss Bailey signed a five-year deal worth $17.5 million that includes $8 million in guarantees over the first two seasons. Escalators in the last two years of the deal could make the total package worth $20.5 million.

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[MD Buckeye]

Patriots add Lewis Sanders and Tank Williams to secondary - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Patriots add Lewis Sanders and Tank Williams to secondary

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP)?The New England Patriots continued rebuilding their secondary by signing cornerback Lewis Sanders and safety Tank Williams on Thursday.

Since losing cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Randall Gay to free agency, the Patriots have added three defensive backs.

Sanders is an eight-year veteran who played five seasons in Cleveland, followed by two seasons in Houston and one in Atlanta.

He played 12 games for the Falcons last season before being placed on the reserve/injured list with a chest injury.

Williams, a six-year veteran, played the past two seasons in Minnesota after spending four seasons with Tennessee.

The teams did not disclose terms of the deals.

 

[MD Buckeye]

Ravens sign Ayanbadejo, special teams free agent - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Ravens sign Ayanbadejo, special teams free agent

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP)?The Baltimore Ravens agreed to terms Thursday with Brendon Ayanbadejo, a special teams star who played for the Chicago Bears.

Ayanbadejo agreed to a four-year contract worth $4.9 million, including a $1.9 million signing bonus, and will sign the deal next week, Ravens officials said.

Ayanbadejo, 31, chose the Ravens over the New York Jets in part because of the opportunity to be a backup inside linebacker in addition to his duties in kick coverage.

Named the Bears? special-teams captain last year, the 6-foot-1, 228-pound former UCLA standout ranked second in the NFL in special-teams tackles over the past two seasons and was named to the Pro Bowl twice.

Brendon Ayanbadejo is the younger brother of former Ravens fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo, who played for Baltimore?s Super Bowl championship team.

 

[MD Buckeye]

All Transactions for 3/6/08

Yahoo! Sports

Cardinals- Signed P Dirk Johnson
Ravens- Signed LB Brendon Ayanbadejo
Broncos- Signed LB Boss Bailey & WR Edell Shepard
Lions- Signed S Kalvin Pearson
Jaguars- Re-Signed T Maurice Williams
Chiefs- Signed RB Boomer Grigsby
Dolphins- Re-Signed CB Michael Lehan
Patriots- Signed CB Lewis Sanders & S Tank Williams
Giants- P Sean Landeta Retired
Jets- Signed RB Tony Richardson
Eagles- Cut LB Takeo Spikes
Rams- Re-Signed T Adam Goldberg
Titans- Signed DE Jevon Kearse

 

[MD Buckeye]

Lloyd signs 1-year deal with Bears, stirs quarterback pot - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Lloyd signs 1-year deal with Bears, stirs quarterback pot

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP)?Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears and inadvertently stirred a quarterback controversy Friday.

?Rex Grossman is the starter,? Lloyd said during a conference call.

Well, not exactly.

The Bears have said that Grossman and Kyle Orton will compete for the starting job next season, and Lloyd apparently jumped to a premature conclusion. When asked who told him Grossman would start, the receiver backpedalled.

?That?s what I?m assuming,? said Lloyd, who was released after two disappointing seasons in Washington. ?That?s what ??

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[MD Buckeye]

Giants reward Coughlin with 4-year contract after Super Bowl win - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Giants reward Coughlin with 4-year contract after Super Bowl win

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)?Tom Coughlin cashed in on the New York Giants? improbable run to a Super Bowl title, agreeing to a four-year, $21 million contract that will make him one of the NFL?s highest-paid coaches.

The 61-year-old will earn about $5.25 million annually, according to a person with knowledge of the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because the contract hasn?t been signed. The person said the team will announce the deal on Saturday. The two sides had the outline of the deal in place for weeks.

The contract represents a $2 million increase over last season and what Coughlin was to have earned this year. Seattle?s Mike Holmgren is the NFL?s top-paid coach at $8 million a year.

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[MD Buckeye]

Saints sign former Panthers LB Dan Morgan - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

Saints sign former Panthers LB Dan Morgan

NEW ORLEANS (AP)?The New Orleans Saints made another move toward strengthening their linebacker corps, signing former Carolina Panthers player Dan Morgan.

A team spokesman confirmed the signing but did not disclose the terms of the contract. Morgan?s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not want to discuss the contract with the media, a person answering the phone in his office said Friday.

The 29-year-old Morgan, made the Pro Bowl after the 2004 season but was sidelined by serious injuries for most of the past two seasons before his release from Carolina.

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[MD Buckeye]

KR Cartwright agrees to $3 million, 3-year deal with Redskins - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

KR Cartwright agrees to $3 million, 3-year deal with Redskins

ASHBURN, Va. (AP)?Kick returner Rock Cartwright and the Washington Redskins agreed to a $3 million, three-year contract Friday that keeps the free agent with the only NFL team he?s played for.

The deal includes a $300,000 signing bonus for Cartwright, whose 25.8-yard average on kickoff returns ranked second in the NFC last season.

?I think he was happy being a Redskin. Didn?t want to go anywhere else,? team executive vice president Vinny Cerrato said. ?Said he wanted to take a look at free agency. He took a look?and decided to re-sign with us.?

It?s the second re-signing in what has been an uncharacteristically quiet free-agency period for Washington. The Redskins? only other move so far was to keep backup quarterback Todd Collins, who got a $9 million, three-year deal.

Cartwright has played six NFL seasons since the Redskins drafted him out of Kansas State in 2002. Over his career, he has 146 carries for 647 yards, along with 31 catches for 320 yards?but he had only two runs for zero yards and no receptions last season. He has a career average of 23.9 yards on kickoffs.

 

[MD Buckeye]

All Transactions for 3/7/08

Yahoo! Sports

Atlanta Falcons- Signed DT Rashad Moore, DE Simon Fraser & DT Kindal Moorehead
Buffalo Bills- K Steve Christie Retired, Re-Signed G Jason Whittle
Carolina Panthers- Signed LB Landon Johnson
Chicago Bears- Signed WR Brandon Lloyd
Detroit Lions- Signed DT Chuck Darby
New Orleans Saints- Signed LB Dan Morgan
Pittsburgh Steelers- Re-Signed LB Andre Frazier
St. Louis Rams- Re-Signed T Brandon Gorin & Signed TE Anthony Becht
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Signed TE Ben Troupe & Re-Signed CB Sammy Davis
Tennessee Titans- Cut CB Kelly Herndon
Washington Redskins- Signed RB Rock Cartwright

 

[MD Buckeye]

Seahawks land another back, sign Jones

Seahawks land another back, sign Jones

For the second time this week, the Seattle Seahawks have landed a free agent running back. NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports the team reached an agreement Friday night with former Cowboys running back Julius Jones.

Details of the contract's length and terms are still unclear. Both the Jones camp and the Seahawks are being tight lipped due to the sensitivity of the deal. This week, the Seahawks have signed former Lions running back T.J. Duckett and have now landed Jones, leaving less room in the backfield and on the team's salary cap for former NFL MVP Shaun Alexander and/or Seahawks running back Maurice Morris.

 

[MD Buckeye]

ESPN - Kelly agrees to deal with Lions, becomes 4th ex-Buc to land in Detroit - NFL

Kelly agrees to deal with Lions, becomes 4th ex-Buc to land in Detroit

Cornerback Brian Kelly, who voided his contract with the Bucs, became the fourth former Tampa Bay defender to join Rod Marinelli in Detroit.

Kelly agreed Saturday to a three-year deal with the Lions, the terms of which weren't immediately available. Kelly joins defensive tackle Chuck Darby, safety Dwight Smith and safety Kavlin Pearson, who signed a restricted free agent offer sheet, to work out deals with the Lions.

Marinelli was a former Bucs assistant head coach and defensive line coach from 1996-2005, before taking over as head coach of the Lions in 2006.

Kelly, a former second-round pick, started 73 games in his 10 seasons with the Bucs.