Free agency, Day Two.

Day one was busy, and there’s still of lot of signing to do. Let’s get to the new deals coming out.

The Buccaneers sign CB Eric Wright, OG Carl Nicks  

The Buccaneers signed cornerback Eric Wright to a five-year contract worth $37.5 million with $15.5 million guaranteed and offensive guard Carl Nicks to a five-year contract worth $47 million dollars including $31 million guaranteed on Wednesday.

The Buccaneers clearly made it a priority to make a splash in free agency and add some experience to their extremely young team. They made and excellent choice in grabbing Carl Nicks, who is a strong all-around guard. He should pair well with Davin Joseph and give the Bucs one of the best guard tandems in the NFL, which should help the offense tremendously. In a related move, the Bucs are likely to move last year’s guard Jeremy Zuttah (who recently signed a contract extension) to center to replace the recently released Jeff Faine.

The Eric Wright signing both makes sense and doesn’t make sense. The Buccaneers definitely need to address the cornerback position with Ronde Barber on the edge of retirement. Wright has solid skills, but has been up and down in his career. Given the importance of having cornerback depth and the questions surrounding Barber’s return, the money can be justified. But it still seems like a lot for a guy who has been as inconsistent as Wright has been.

The Lions extend WR Calvin Johnson

The Lions signed wide receiver Calvin Johnson to an eight-year contract extension worth $132 million dollars, including $60 million guaranteed. This move was no real surprise. The Lions had to extend Johnson before or shortly after the beginning of free agency in order to clear some cap space to re-sign their own players, let alone pursue free agents. Now, they’ll have some space with which to pursue other pieces. As to whether or not Johnson was worth the money, it’s hardly necessary to comment. Johnson is arguably the best receiver in the game today and he may not even be at his best yet. He’s amazing and everyone who follows football saw it last year. He’s worth every penny he gets. 

The Cowboys sign QB Kyle Orton, CB Brandon Carr, FB Lawrence Vickers, OL Mackenzy Bernadeau

The Cowboys signed quarterback Kyle Orton to a three-year deal, cornerback Brandon Carr to a five-year deal worth $50.1 million dollars and recently released fullback Lawrence Vickers to a two-year deal. They also signed offensive lineman Mackenzy Bernadeau to an undisclosed contract.

The Cowboys essentially traded Terrance Newman for Brandon Carr. Newman was released because of his contract and the Cowboys turned around and gave that money to Carr. I like Carr. He’s been very consistent and healthy over the course of his career. There’s one thing that makes me scratch my head though. Will he fit in the Cowboys’ defense? Carr has been at his best when he played it tight man coverage, so I just wonder if the Cowboys are going to shift their defensive philosophy to fit Carr’s talents. Not a bad signing, just a thought.

The Cowboys signing of Kyle Orton makes sense, on multiple levels. On the one hand, he’s a solid quarterback who can start for more than a few games if the need arises. In addition to providing great insurance, Orton also offers a bit of trade bait. After a year or two with the team, especially if he plays well during his time with the Cowboys, the Cowboys could trade him for draft considerations next offseason. Keep an eye on that, because Jerry Jones could easily pull it off.

The Cowboys also got very nice value in grabbing the recently released Lawrence Vickers. Vickers is arguably the best blocking fullback in the league, but because he doesn’t run or catch the ball well, he’s not considered the value player that other fullbacks are. That’s always been an opinion that I never shared. Vickers can eliminate potential tacklers and spring free any running back. He should help get Demarco Murray free in the open field and get the Cowboys running game back on track.

Mackenzy Bernadeau is a versatile offensive lineman who has started at multiple positions along the Panthers offensive line and should bring value at those positions. Good idea to bring him in.

The Eagles extend DE Trent Cole, WR Desean Jackson  

The Eagles followed up their extension of Todd Herremans with a four-year contract extension for Trent Cole. The deal is worth a maximum of $55.25 million dollars with $15 million guaranteed.  They also signed wide receiver Desean Jackson to a five-year contract extension worth between $48.5 million and $51 million depending on source you listen to (NFL.com’s Jason La Confora says the former while ESPN’s Adam Schefter says the latter).

The Eagles are handling this free agency in exactly the right way. They’ve not gone out and busted the bank to bring in replacements for guys they already have and have made it a point to keep the pay makers they have. Cole is one of the best defensive ends in the game, ranking third in Eagles history in sacks. With a new system in place to help the production of the pass rushers and a new running mate to help him out, the Eagles should have this defensive star locked up almost until his career is over.

Jackson, for all his off-the-field problems, is a playmaker like no other. In addition to being perhaps the best deep threat in the NFL, he also is a frightening presence as a punt returner. Should he keep his head in the game, a likely event now that he’s been paid, this should prove to be an excellent move by the Eagles.

The Vikings sign TE John Carlson, re-sign DT Letroy Guion

The Viking agreed to terms on a five-year, $25 million dollar contract with tight end John Carlson and re-signed defensive tackle Letroy Guion to a three-year deal worth $9 million dollars with $2.5 million dollars in guarantees.

I like Carlson. He was a great pass catcher in first two years, but injuries limited him the past two years. So I understand why he’s available and why he got the money (I’m assuming it’s constructed to protect the Vikings in case of injuries). What I don’t understand is why the Vikings would be the ones offering it. The Vikings spent a second round pick on another Notre Dame tight end, Kyle Rudolph last year. Are they just expecting that second round pick to be the second tight end on the roster or did the see something this year that made them think he’s not worth what they spent on him? I just don’t get the logic. I definitely think one of these payers will help Christian Ponder develop, but the other one is just going to wither on the vine.

Letroy Guion has spent the vast majority of his career as a backup and he’s not going to be more than that with the Vikings. However, the importance of defensive line rotations has increased over the years and having a solid backup defensive tackle can be as important as having a good slot corner.  Guion may not be that, but he should be fine where he is. Good signing.

The Jaguars signed WR Laurent Robinson, QB Chad Henne, re-sign DL C.J. Mosley

The Jaguars signed wide receiver Laurent Robinson to a five-year, $32.5 million dollar deal. They also signed quarterback Chad Henne to a two-year contract and re-signed defensive lineman C.J. Mosley to a three-year contract worth a maximum of $10 million dollars with $2 million guaranteed.

The Jaguars have thrown a bunch of money at wide receivers in the past and they do it again here. I think part of the reason Robinson was so successful this past season as because he developed a good chemistry with quarterback Tony Romo. He’s also played on two other teams before he joined the Cowboys, not making a big impact at either place. I don’t think he’s going to change the face of the Jaguars passing game, but we’ll see.

They also picked up Chad Henne to backup Blaine Gabbert and brought back defensive lineman C.J. Mosley. Henne has starting experience and could start in place of Gabbert should Gabbert struggle or get hurt. Given all the problems the Jaguars have had rushing the passer; they needed to hang on to whomever they could. Prudent signings.

The Chiefs sign RB Peyton Hillis

The Chiefs signed running back Peyton Hillis to a one-year $3 million dollar deal.

This makes a lot of sense for the Chiefs. Hillis is a versatile, but extremely tough runner. That’s the kind of runner the Chiefs really need to complement the speed rushing of Jamaal Charles while not giving anything up in the passing game. They also didn’t overpay for him, since he’s only had one great year, but they still got the guy they wanted. Good signing at a good value.

The Bears sign WR/Returner Eric Weems, re-sign QB Josh McCown

The Bear signed wide receiver/return specialist Eric Weems to a three-year contract. They were also able to re-sign backup quarterback Josh McCown to a one-year deal.

I’m not sure how much the Bears really needed a return specialist or how they expect to use Weems in the receiving game, but I really can’t fault this move. The Bears may consider moving Devin Hester to being strictly a punt returner and using Weems more as a kick returner. Beyond that, there’s just not a ton of value in Weems beyond special teams play. The McCown signing doesn’t make much sense to me, strictly because of the Jason Campbell signing yesterday. The only thing I can see is that the Bears want to have insurance in case Campbell’s arm strength has been sapped by his shoulder injury last year. Otherwise it just doesn’t make sense from the team perspective for me.

The Browns sign DE Frostee Rucker

The Browns agreed to terms on a five-year deal worth $21 million dollars with $8 million guaranteed.

This deal felt like a bit of a surprise because the Browns have not be incredibly active in free agency in the past few years, but when you think about it it’s not all that surprising.  Rucker is coming off his most consistent and productive season with the Bengals but has never been a great defensive end. He’s more a complementary end who works well as a top backup in a rotation or as a second starter. With the Browns, he would be a starter, but clearly playing second fiddle to Jabaal Sheard. He’s also getting middling money, so it’s not going to hurt the Browns cap wise that much. This move also allows the Browns to address the defensive end position in later rounds of the NFL draft and continue to focus on their offensive problems in the higher rounds. I like the signing.

The Colts sign DE Cory Redding

The Colts signed defensive end Cory Redding to a three-year contract worth $10.5 million.

At base, this decision doesn’t make a lot of sense, because Freeney is still with the team and they have Robert Mathis signed for the next four years. The only thing I can imagine is that new Colts coach Chuck Pagano is going to try and install the 3-4 and wanted to bring in a defensive end that is familiar with the system and terminology. Otherwise, Redding is just going to be stuck behind two superior players. If you want, you could read it as the Colts are going to cut Dwight Freeney and have Redding replace him, but I don’t think that Jim Irsay would get rid of Freeney and get nothing back. This is a puzzling, but potentially good move if they end up switching to a 3-4 defense.

The Chargers re-sign OT Jared Gaither, sign OLB Jarrett Johnson, FB Le’Ron McClain

The Chargers re-signed offensive tackle Jared Gaither to a four-year contract, signed outside linebacker Jarrett Johnson to a four-year contract and fullback Le’Ron McClain to a three-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed at this time.

The Chargers has to re-sign Jared Gaither. It was only his solid play that allowed the Chargers to let go of Marcus McNeil and his huge contract, so if they had lost him in free agency, they would have been in big trouble. For Gaither, it was just the sensible move to make, sense they gave him a chance and he played well within the system. This was a sensible move on both parts.

Getting Le’Ron McClain and Jarrett Johnson are probably not going to be moves that are widely heralded, but both were good decisions. McClain is a dominating power back with strong blocking ability and decent pass catching ability. He wasn’t used to his fullest potential in Kansas City and I think the creative mind of Norv Turner should be able to make the most of his talents.

Johnson was not a big name in Baltimore, mostly because reigning defensive player of the year, Terrell Suggs, was playing opposite him. But Johnson is a solid all-around 3-4 outside linebacker. He sets the edge against the run well in addition to being a good, though not dominating pass rusher. He should help keep the Chargers 2011 sack leader, Antwan Barnes, fresh and healthy to rush the passer. This was a good signing.

The Jets re-sign K Nick Folk

The Jets re-signed kicker Nick Folk to an undisclosed contract. Consistency in special teams is an under-rated aspect of free agency and in this case, the Jets don’t need to be thinking about finding yet another kicker. They have enough problems as it is.

The Patriots sign DL Jonathan Fanene, re-sign WR Matt Slater, LB Tracy White

The Patriots signed defensive lineman Jonathan Fanene to a three-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed. They also re-signed special teams ace and backup receiver Matt Slater and reserve linebacker Tracy White. White’s contract was for one-year worth $990,000 dollars with $300,000 guaranteed.

The Patriots are addressing free agency with their normally strategy of re-signing their special teamers and signing unheralded free agents. Fanene is a guy who hasn’t been highly heralded because he’s coming off his best season as a backup with Cincinnati. He’s only ever played in a 4-3 defense and I’m not exactly sure how well he’ll fit into the 3-4 system the Patriots play. I know they like to use multiple fronts, but I think they expect him to play on both fronts. This just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.

Matt Slater was a Pro Bowl special teams player last year so it made complete sense that they wanted to have him back. The same (minus the pro bowl part) can be said for Tracy White. Neither offers a ton of value on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, but both are familiar with the system and can step in if needed. They were typical Patriots moves.

The Giants sign TE Martellus Bennett, re-sign QB David Carr

The Giants agreed to terms with Martellus Bennett on a one-year, $2.5 million deal. They also re-signed backup quarterback David Carr.

In the case of the Bennett signing, I like it a lot. They got an athletically gifted tight end at a relatively cheap price. I know that Bennett hasn’t lived up to expectations with Dallas, but I blame that more on the Cowboys continuing to use second round picks on tight ends who are stuck behind Jason Witten. These tight ends, (because Anthony Fasano was in a similar position when he was with the Cowboys) couldn’t beat Jason Witten to be the starting tight end and Witten’s chemistry with Tony Romo sapped any chance of them getting a lot of targets. I’m not saying Bennett is going to be great with the Giants, but this will be the potential is there and with no clear number one tight end I front of him, we could actually see how good a players he is. If he’s not that good, it wasn’t a big risk. The David Carr signing makes sense. He’s familiar with the system and can play if called upon, though he’s not likely to be called upon for much more than a few kneel downs. Both of these signings were good.

The Panthers re-sign QB Derek Anderson

The Panthers re-signed quarterback Derek Anderson to a one-year contract.

I actually think this was a bad move. While I understand that Derek Anderson is familiar with the system and the Panthers don’t expect him to play, they should be aware that there is a good possibility of him starting about half their games. Regardless of what the national media says, Cam Newton is far from a complete (or great) quarterback. I fully expect him to miss at least a game or two because of an injury, and maybe actually get benched at one point for his poor decision-making. The Panthers needed to pursue someone like Kyle Orton or Jason Campbell more aggressively so when Newton does go down, they wouldn’t be missing much (if not up-grading).

Cardinals sign Adam Snyder

The Cardinals signed offensive lineman Adam Snyder to a five-year contract.

I liked this move by the Cardinals. Snyder has started at a variety of positions along the 49ers offensive line and has played well at all of them. He could easily solidify one of the tackle spots or be kicked inside to a guard position. This will definitely be one of the under-rated moves in free agency and was an excellent decision by the Cardinals.

Dolphins re-sign DT Paul Soliai, sign CB Richard Marshall

The Dolphins re-signed defensive tackle Paul Soliai to a two-year deal worth about $12 million dollars. They also signed cornerback Richard Marshall to a three-year, $16 million dollar contract with $6 million guaranteed.

The Dolphins made two very good moves here. Soliai was gone from being a disappointing rookie to one of the better nose tackles in the NFL. A lot of what the Dolphins want to do defensively relies on the nose being able to tie up interior blockers while the edge rusher. Soliai has been great at that and run stuffing. He would’ve gotten a lot of money had he began talking to teams like Kansas City or San Diego, but he clearly wants to wok something big out with Miami. This contract seems like an extended and less confrontational version of the franchise tag. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Dolphins and Soliai agree on a bigger contract next year.

Marshall is an underrated corner. He doesn’t wow anyone with his numbers, but he goes out and competes with everyone he plays against. He’s also versatile, playing well in the slot and the outside as well as being able to shift to safety if need be. I think they plan to have Marshall compete with Sean Smith for a starting job and have the loser of that play the slot. Personally, I’d like to see them compete for the starting job, but have Marshall cover the slot receiver in nickel situations regardless, but that’s just me. This was a great signing.

The Seahawks re-sign OT Paul McQuistan

The Seahawks re-signed offensive tackle Paul McQuistan to an undisclosed contract. He’s purely a backup who has some versatility. It was only sensible to re-sign him.

The Eagles trade OT Winston Justice and a 6^th round pick to the Colts for a 6^th round pick.

The Eagles traded offensive tackle Winston Justice and swapped sixth round picks with the Colts.

On paper this looked like a very good trade on both sides. The Colts got a tackle who is experienced on the right side without losing a draft pick while the Eagles moved up in the draft and off-loaded a big contract. While whether or not Justice will solidify the right tackle position is yet to be seen, he’s experienced and can play well, though he’s inconsistent. He’s an upgrade there and should help the Colts at least in the short term. This was a good all-around trade.