Jaguars Sign Jermey Parnell (OT)
Deal: 5 Years, 32 Million (13 Million Guaranteed)
I had no idea who Jermey Parnell was. Upon research, he was a backup tackle for the Cowboys who stepped in for Doug Free. The line was good and he wasn’t a liability, but 6.4 million for five years for that? Wow. I know the Jaguars have to spend a lot this year due to the CBA, but this is far too long of a commitment for them.
Texans Re-Sign Ryan Mallett (QB)
Deal: 2 Years, 7 Million
Considering how Mark Sanchez got more money from the Eagles, and Josh McCown got more from the Browns, this isn’t terrible. 3.5 Million per year for a 2nd string QB isn’t bad, and he already knows the system in place. If Mallett is a starter and a capable one, this is great. If he’s a backup… this is still pretty good.
Chargers Sign Orlando Franklin (OL)
Deal: 5 Years, 36.5 Million (20 Million Guaranteed)
Franklin is a pretty good lineman with a lot of versatility. He blocked well for Peyton Manning and should form a solid tandem with King Dunlap. Not an elite player though, but all things considered the Chargers are filling a need with a good player.
Bills Re-Sign Jerry Hughes (ROLB)
Deal: 5 Years, 44.5 Million (22 Million Guaranteed)
The Bills have been slinging around big contracts for the last few days. Hughes will be the most explosive rush linebacker that Rex Ryan has worked with since Terrell Suggs, and if he can sustain his production, this is a good deal. But are we getting the Hughes we saw in Indianapolis, or the one in Buffalo? The contract is big enough to warrant those questions.
Bears Sign Pernell McPhee (ROLB/DE)
Deal: 5 Years, 40 Million (16 Million Guaranteed)
John Fox is a capable defensive head coach, so perhaps he’ll know how to deploy McPhee properly, but otherwise this seems to have shades of Paul Kruger. A rush linebacker from the Ravens who wasn’t in a featured role finding a large deal elsewhere? Last time it didn’t end so well for his new team… not sure if it’ll be any different this time around.
Raiders Sign Rodney Hudson (Center)
Deal: 5 Years, 44.5 Million
It isn’t the contract itself, or the player being signed that bother me. This isn’t a bad contract for Rodney Hudson who’s a pretty talented center. However, Stefen Wisniewski was one of the few talented free agents the Raiders had, who… also plays center. Continuity is a pretty strong factor for an offensive line, so disrupting it for a minimal upgrade in Hudson (Not a knock against him, but Wisniewski is in the same ballpark) doesn’t seem to be worth it. Even paying this for a guy who knows the locker room culture and the scheme would seem to be a better option.
Cardinals Sign Sean Weatherspoon (ILB)
Deal: 1 Year, 4 Million
This is a short contract that’s basically buying a lottery ticket. If Weatherspoon is back and healthy, he should form a solid tandem with Daryl Washington (if he isn’t suspended again). Then again… his injury history means that this was probably the best contract he could have signed this year.
Patriots Re-Sign Devin McCourty (S)
Deal: 5 Years, 47.5 Million (28.5 Million Guaranteed)
This is a ton of money but will likely be worth it to retain one of their top free agents. He isn’t quite as dynamic as Jarius Byrd (last season) or Earl Thomas, but he’s definitely in the discussion for the top overall safeties, and is on par with Eric Weddle from the Chargers. This isn’t a brilliant contract, but a top flight safety like McCourty is worth a contract this size.
Eagles Sign Byron Maxwell (CB)
Deal: 6 Years, 63 Million (25 Million Guaranteed)
For comparison, Richard Sherman’s contract he signed was a 4 year, 57.4 Million extension. So Maxwell, who was the #2 CB across from Sherman, just got a bigger contract (Although not as rich per year). Still, 10.5 million for a guy who’s never been asked to be the main guy is pretty insane. This is a huge gamble for the Eagles, who might know something we don’t, but there’s a huge chance that this will just collapse on them.
Eagles Sign Frank Gore (RB)
Deal: 3 Years, 7.5 Million (7.5 Million Guaranteed)
No details are known about the third year or the total compensation for Frank Gore at the moment, but 3.25 Million a year for a running back is at the higher end of the market. Frank Gore is pretty old and his carries will have to be managed carefully, but he has some mileage left in the tank. 10-15 carries a game for him coupled with Darren Sproles and possibly a third player (Chris Polk?) might mean that he’ll be able to make meaningful contributions for the Eagles for the duration of the contract.
Chargers Re-Sign Brandon Flowers (CB)
Deal: 4 Years, 36 Million (Unknown Guaranteed)
Brandon Flowers performed quite well for the Chargers this year on a bargain-bin contract. He won’t be cheap, but he’s a solid player that will team up with Jason Varrett for a pretty solid CB duo. This is about market value, and a far better contract than Byron Maxwell’s.
Dolphins Sign Ndamukong Suh (DT)
Deal: 6 Years, 114 Million (60 Million Guaranteed)
Wow. This is a pretty huge contract, and one that’ll eat up a lot of Miami’s flexibility from here on out. Is Ndamukong Suh worth quite this much money? No, but he’s close. He’s maybe half a step behind JJ Watt in terms of defensive impact, and Watt commanded 2.33 Million per year less than what Suh just got. The real concern is that with so much of the cap eaten up by Suh, that the Dolphins can’t build a roster around it. I don’t think there’s any questions as to if he’ll be productive and disruptive at the line, it’s just a matter of how badly he’s now hamstrung the payroll of the Dolphins.