[Chief Rum]

Day Seven

Big Signings

CB Bobby Taylor signs with the Ravens The Ravens replaced McAllister with a corner who is almost as good, while the Eagles supplied their second top notch corner to another team, leaving their own secondary in somewhat of a shambles. Taylor was one of the last top players left in this class. Taylor was the #5 CB coming into this free agency. He signed for $13.22 M/3-years. But I haven't gotten to the best part. Taylor received a lot of attention. He chose his offer over not one better deal, not two better deals, but ALL better deals! That's right, Taylor turned down more money (and in on case more years as well) from every single other offering team (there were six others) to go to the Ravens. Wow, what's going on there? All six teams must be disappointed, of course, but Atlanta in particular must be annoyed, since not only were they the only team to offer four years, they also offered by far the highest salary per year, at over $5 M. The Eagles did not make an effort to retain Taylor, their third major free agent loss on defense this season.

RB Eddie George signs with the Patriots After losing so much, we're down to small steps for the Pats as they try and recover from a horrible free agent season. George is the #2 RB available, and first back overall, to come to terms with a team, although this is not a surprise given that the running back class is not very strong, but provides a lot of options that are no doubt keeping offers down. George signed for $1,56 M/2 years, and will replace the tandem of Antowain Smith and Kevin Faulk, both of whom were let go to free agency. No one else, including George's only previous NFL employer the Titans, made the former star an offer.

T Orlando Pace signs with the Jets The Jets may be losers on the field, but they certainly know how to play the free agency game. Pace becomes the Jets' third big signeee, after DT Sapp and CB Bryant signed earlier in free agency. Pace, of course, is by far the biggest free agent they signed--both literally and figuratively. He was easily the best of the remaining free agents, and he may have been the top ticket to be punched from the very beginning. The #1 tackle, Pace, like Jones before him, can drive an entire line with his massive skills. All in all, Pace didn't really sign for that much ($42.16 M/5 years), and as it turns out, he pulled a "Taylor" and also signed his name to the least contract being offered to him! And he had some doozies, too. The big one he turned down was from the Texans. They offered him no less than $71.11 M/6 years, for almost $12 M a year. He signed for a little over 8. That's just disgusting, at least if you're a free-wheeling capitalist. I have no idea what drove the man to sign a cheap deal with the 1-15 Jets, when he could have had more money and played with Buffalo, for instance, a playoff team. With the signing of Pace, the true big names of this class are now pretty much signed.

S Donovan Darius signs with the Falcons The Falcons made up for failing to sign Taylor by landing Darius, the #3 S in this class. And Jacksonville continues to run its free agency like the defense will fix itself, despite the loss of two major secondary performers in Darius and Bryant. Darius and previous signee Bailey now give the Falcons two very nice big guns in the defensive backfield. Unlike the Jags, the Dirty Birds seem to realize it was their defense which kept them out of the playoffs, and which needs to be improved. Darius signed for $11.07 M/4 years, and did not receive an offer from any other team.

DT Cornelius Griffin signs with the Cowboys Dallas is really making noise now, with its third major signing of the offseason. Griffin isn't quite the big signing that Kearse and Jones were, but he was the #6 DT in free agency, and the best remaining DT available. He and Kearse should make for a fine combo in Dallas's defensive front. Griffin, who played with the Giants last year (ouch, double blow, lost 'im to a division rival), signed a $13.60 M/4-year deal. Unlike Pace and Taylor, Griffin definitely chased the money, as the Cowboys offered far more ($3 M more actually) than any of the other teams bidding on Griffin. The Bears, Pats and Skins were on the losing end of this bidding war. The Giants did not make an offer.

Other Signings

The Browns signed CB Kevin Mathis away from the Atlanta for $1.78 M/2 years.
The Skins signed DE Eric Hicks away from Kansas City for $3.14 M/3 years.
The Bears signed T Barry Sims away from the Raiders for $2.93 M/2 years.

NOTES FROM DAY SEVEN

Nothing to add, really. BTW, if you're wondering Pace and Taylor are represented by different agents.

CR