Falling



Bryant McKinnie, Minnesota left tackle. Julius Peppers‘ arrival in the NFC North is another hit in a tough offseason for McKinnie. In a nationally televised matchup last December, Peppers dominated McKinnie so thoroughly that the Vikings eventually benched him. In that game, Peppers notched one sack, had three quarterback hits and also batted down a pass. As Chicago’s top free-agent pickup, Peppers will now face the Vikings — and potentially McKinnie — twice a season. Peppers has played on both the right and left side of the defensive line in his career, but the Bears are sure to be tempted to match him up on McKinnie when the teams play in 2010.



Rising



Gunther Cunningham, Detroit defensive coordinator. Good players make for good coaches. So you can expect Cunningham to be a better coordinator in 2010 after an overhaul of the defensive line that might not be done yet. The Lions already are better at two positions, with Kyle Vanden Bosch taking over for defensive end Dewayne White and Corey Williams succeeding nose tackle Grady Jackson. If the Lions draft a defensive tackle No. 2 overall, they will have pulled together a more-than-competitive defensive front that will create more havoc in the backfield and get more heat on the quarterback. The first place to address any woebegone defense is up front, and Cunningham will be the beneficiary in 2010.

We’ve had some early evening developments that merit a mention before morning:

• Minnesota re-signed cornerback Benny Sapp, its primary nickel back last season who also started seven games for in place of an injured Antoine Winfield. Sapp could figure as an Opening Day starter in 2010 if cornerback Cedric Griffin (torn anterior cruciate ligament) is not fully recovered. Sapp signed a two-year contract worth $4.2 million, according to Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune.
• Chicago released running back Kevin Jones, a predictable outcome after the signing of free agent tailback Chester Taylor. Jones missed all of last season because of torn ankle ligaments.
• I hesitate to post this bit of information, for fear of Packer Nation reaction. But here goes: Green Bay signed free agent receiver Charles Dillon, who spent time in Indianapolis’ 2008 training camp. Dillon played last year for Spokane of af2. (That’s arena football for the uninitiated.)

ESPN’s Adam Schefter has the annual breakdown of the six-year contract Chicago gave defensive end Julius Peppers.



If he plays the entire length of the deal, Peppers will receive at last $84 million. The base salaries in each of his first three seasons are guaranteed, for a total of $40.5 million. He’ll have a chance to earn an additional $7.5 million in incentives, for a possible total of $91.5 million over the length of the deal.



Here are Peppers’ annual base salaries:

2010: $20 million

2011: $11.5 million

2012: $9 million

2013: $13 million

2014: $14 million

2015: $16.5 million

TOTAL: $84 million



As Peter King of Sports Illustrated points out, it’s key for Peppers to receive his highest salary this season, the year before a possible NFL work stoppage.

It didn’t take long for @EricStangel, Twitter’s resident sports funnyman, to start poking at Chicago’s free-agent spending spree. A sampling:

• “Julius Peppers signs w/ Bears. Was looking for team w/ QB who throws lots of INTs just like in CAR. That way he plays more!”
• “NFL Free Agency Update – The Bears are getting carried away. They just signed the groundskeeper to 6yr/$72 million deal”
• “The Chicago Bears just signed Quinton Aaron who played Michael Oher in The Blind Side to 5 yr/$50mil deal”

Yes, it was downright hysterical to see the Bears dole out $121 million in free-agent contracts Friday, let alone the $42 million in guarantees they gave Peppers. And by “hysterical,” I mean it has generated a new round of Bears hysteria in the NFC North. I visited with ESPN 1000 listeners Sunday morning, and already the question is being asked: Have the Bears done enough to win the division in 2010?



My colleague Gene Wojciechowski addressed that question earlier Monday. (His answer: Not yet.) For the purposes of this post, I’d like to look at why the Bears stepped out of their previous financial constraints to lure Peppers. It’s the same reason Detroit coach Jim Schwartz was on Kyle Vanden Bosch’s doorstep the moment the market opened, and it illustrates once again the seismic change the NFC North has witnessed over the past 12 months.



The influx of elite quarterback play transformed the Black and Blue into a pass-dominated division, a trend that helped direct Chicago and Detroit to the bottom of the division standings. Although every NFL team covets a strong pass rush, you could argue it will be a necessity to compete in the NFC North moving forward.

(Read full post)

We have been tracking guaranteed money on this blog ever since Detroit committed quarterback Matthew Stafford to an NFL-record $41.7 million on the eve of the 2009 draft. Finally, it’s time for Stafford’s deal to take a back seat.



But as it turns out, the record remains in the NFC North family. (Would you have expected anything else?) Chicago guaranteed defensive end Julius Peppers $42 million on Friday, putting Peppers at the top of our list:



Chicago defensive end Julius Peppers: $42 million

Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford: $41.7 million

Washington defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth: $41 million

San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers: $38 million

Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick: $37 million*

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger: $36 million

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning: $35 million

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan: $34.8 million

Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning: $34.5 million

Oakland quarterback JaMarcus Russell: $31.5 million

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo: $30 million

*Vick’s deal has since been terminated.



It will be interesting to see how long Peppers’ record stands. If a quarterback is drafted No. 1 overall next month, you would think his guaranteed money would overtake Stafford. With only a $300,000 difference between Stafford and Peppers, there is a chance the record could soon fall. Other candidates include Manning and New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, both of whom are expected to receive contract extensions this offseason.

Two down with one (big) name to go in Chicago.



ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Bears have agreed to terms with free agent running back Chester Taylor on a four-year contract worth $12.5 million. The deal includes $7 million in guarantees, which was more than enough to convince Taylor to jump from the Bears’ NFC North rivals.



(By the way, it appears to be a matter of time before defensive end Julius Peppers follows Taylor and tight end Brandon Manumaleuna by signing on the Bears’ dotted line.)



I’m sure the Vikings aren’t thrilled to have lost Taylor to a division rival. But I just don’t see how they could have guaranteed a player $7 million for 150 touches in 2010. That’s what Taylor averaged the past two seasons while playing behind starter Adrian Peterson, and the only way that figure would have changed next season is if Peterson gets hurt.



This was simply a matter of Taylor being more valuable to the Bears than he was to the Vikings. The Vikings will have their pick of veteran replacements for Taylor, from Brian Westbrook to LaDainian Tomlinson, or they could elevate youngster Albert Young. They wanted Taylor back, but they can navigate his loss.



The Bears, on the other hand, had justifiable reasons for throwing elite cash in Taylor’s direction. Starter Matt Forte slumped in his second season and is far from the long-term lock that Peterson is. Assuming Forte maintains his starting job, Taylor fills a role the Bears have been trying to address for two years: A change-of-pace back who can reliably spell the starter. And Taylor has all the skills necessary to succeed in Mike Martz’s offense, from his soft hands to his discipline against the blitz to his open-field running ability after the catch.



The Bears have added a legitimate offensive weapon who will land in a compatible system while surrounded by teammates who will afford him the limited role he can succeed in. The Vikings bid farewell to a part-time player who would have been an awfully expensive insurance policy. I can’t argue with either decision.

The Chicago Bears appear to be way out in front in the race to land pass-rusher Julius Peppers, but the New England Patriots reportedly are somewhere on the track, giving them a chance to close.

Peppers

NFL Network reporter Jason La Canfora writes the Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles have offers on the table for Peppers.



Peppers is in Chicago on Friday and there’s a strong belief he won’t make another visit, that he will leave with a signed contract. Bears coach Lovie Smith was with Peppers in North Carolina shortly after midnight and flew with him to Chicago.



“Of the teams that have called us, there are two other possibilities that could be worth visiting,” Peppers’ agent, Carl Carey, told La Canfora earlier. “When the Bears called, they said enough to entice us to get on a plane to Chicago. Beyond that, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

I was still at 104.5 The Zone in Nashville, where I contribute three mornings a week, when Kyle Vanden Bosch called it to say he had signed with Detroit and say a goodbye to Nashville.



He was classy as they come, as usual, and shared good details of Jim Schwartz’s late-night visit with Mark Howard and me.



KVB lives in a gated community, and said Schwartz called him from the gate at 11:01 CT, and visited with Vanden Bosch and his wife until about 2:30.



The deal was finalized Friday morning. Jim Wyatt says the four-year package is worth $26 million with $10 million in the first season.



“[Schwartz] said, ‘I could be anywhere in the country right now and I’m on your front step because you’re the guy I want,’” Vanden Bosch said. “…He’s a great coach, and last night he was a great salesman.”



While KVB talked to no one else, he said Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Chicago and Seattle had made inquiries.



He goes from Nashville, a vibrant, growing city to Detroit, which has been hard hit by the bad economy.



“If we come out and play well next year, that city is going to go crazy,” he said. “I’m a blue collar guy and that’s the people of Detroit.”



As for the Titans, he said “silence told me they weren’t going to try to keep me.” But he graciously thanks fans and franchise before the interview ended.



I’m heading into my 16th season covering the league and have never dealt with a better guy. But that’s not why a team decides to sign him or not.



He was not near the player he’s been in the past in 2009. He will give the Lions incredible effort and leadership. He’ll have to prove those qualities can still help produce an effective rush that will knock down some quarterbacks.

I’m spending some time on the East Coast this week and obviously missed out by passing out Friday morning at 2 a.m. ET. So let’s catch up on the moves and news that occurred literally in the middle of the night. I’ll be back with analysis on all of them and more throughout the day. (“Black and Blue all over” is moot at this point.)

• Detroit signed free agent receiver Nate Burleson to a five-year contract worth $25 million, according to ESPN’s John Clayton. Burleson was an excellent No. 2/No. 1 receiver for Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan when the two were in Minnesota earlier this decade. From the top, I can tell you Burleson is an upgrade over Bryant Johnson, that he is sure-handed and runs precise routes. He’s also a more-than-willing downfield blocker and a really decent guy. I like what the Lions have done in the past 24 hours.
• Washington has scheduled a Friday visit with Green Bay left tackle Chad Clifton, who failed to reach an agreement with the Packers before Thursday night’s deadline. As we’ve discussed before, first-day visits usually lead to agreements. If that’s the case, the Packers will not have an obvious replacement at left tackle (sorry, T.J. Lang), with Julius Peppers apparently entering the division via Chicago. Yikes.
• The Bears have reached agreement with the first of their three Friday visits, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Tight end Brandon Manumaleuna has agreed to a five-year contract, calling into question the Bears’ plans for veteran blocking tight end Desmond Clark. Manumaleuna is more of a blocker than a receiver. We’ll keep you updated on progress with Peppers and running back Chester Taylor.

The Chicago Bears are bringing in tight end Brandon Manumaleuna for a visit on Friday.



Chicago may offer Manumaleuna enough make him sign while on his visit. He is a blocking specialist, who the Chargers would want back, but at the right price. San Diego may be preparing for Manumaleuna to depart.



ESPN’s John Clayton has reported that the Chargers have re-signed tight end Kris Wilson to a two-year contract worth $1.7 million.



The Denver Post is reporting that the Broncos are lining up several visits for Friday. Most of these visits are for interior linemen on both sides of the ball as Denver tries to get bigger.



Expect Friday morning and afternoon to offer more news about visits and signing around the division.