This page will be updated throughout the week with free agent signing news, completed trades and other information:
Monday, 8:20 p.m.
Some quick thoughts on cornerback/safety Kareem Jackson, who agreed to a three-year contract with the Broncos tonight:
1. Jackson has missed only two games in the last three years. He’s played at least 12 games in all nine years. That’s how you get a three-year contract entering your Age 31 season. Three of Broncos four CBs missed at least three games in ’18.
2. Against the Broncos last year in Week 9, he had four tackles and two pass break-ups, but was a dominant player. He “factored” in 12 plays out of 66 snaps, very good rate for a corner.
3. He moved inside to cover the slot receiver in certain formations when #Broncos ran 2WR or trips to one side. Gives Vic options in how to deploy Chris Harris, chiefly if he wants to match him against team’s WR1.
4. A common theme among Bears players I talked to at Pro Bowl about Fangio: He doesn’t run a ton of stuff on Sundays, but he’ll drastically change his game plan from week to week so football IQ critical. Jackson has seen just about every scheme.
5. Addition of Jackson should still mean looking at cornerbacks in rounds 1-3 of draft. At Combine, Broncos were poking around on Day 2 guys but not guys like Greedy Williams.
Monday, 3:38 p.m.
Free agents are flying off the market … just not to the Broncos.
As they used to do back in the day, the Redskins went crazy in free agency, signing safety Landon Collins to a reported six-year, $84 million contract. Some in the league thought Collins’ average would end up being $9.5 million. Well, somebody is going to be wrong and judging by the Redskins history, I’ll go with our experts.
Collins set the safety market for the likes of Adrian Amos, Tyrann Mathieu and Earl Thomas.
*The Jaguars also appeared to be bidding against themselves for quarterback Nick Foles. No other team was connected to the former Super Bowl MVP but that didn’t stop the Jaguars from agreeing to a four-year, $88 million contract. The more than $50 million guaranteed is a Jaguars franchise record.
Both numbers were surprising. Four years: Because the Jaguars had no competition, we thought they would offer a short-term deal (two years max?) for something in the $18-$20 million per-year range.
But the Jaguars went above that. Imagine how high they would have bid had there been publicly-disclosed competition.
The four-year deal for Foles takes the Jaguars with the seventh overall pick out of quarterback consideration and a candidate to trade down.
The Broncos made their quarterback move with Joe Flacco (trade will be announced Wednesday).
Monday: 11:27 a.m.
*The negotiating period began at 10 a.m. when the rules state no deals can be agreed upon until 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
Well, um, not quite.
ESPN reported moments into the negotiating window that the Oakland Raiders will sign Trent Brown to a four-year, $66 million contract ($36.75 million guaranteed) to make him the league’s highest-paid offensive lineman.
If Brown plays left tackle, that moves 2018 first-round pick Kolton Miller to right tackle.
New England will turn to 2018 first-round pick Isaiah Wynn (who missed last year because of injury) to replace Brown.
The Raiders have a trade in place for receiver Antonio Brown and if they stick with Derek Carr at quarterback, they have no excuse to not be more competitive in 2019. They have three first-round picks.
*The Broncos, as expected, picked up the contract options on receiver Emmanuel Sanders and cornerback Chris Harris.
At the Combine, general manager John Elway said Sanders’ option would be picked up. But that includes only $1.5 million of guaranteed money. The Broncos are making a low-risk bet on Sanders to see how he progresses from last December’s Achilles injury.
Harris was an assumed move. He is entering the final year of his contract. Once the Broncos get through the first few waves of free agency, they are expected to pursue an extension with Harris.
*The Broncos players who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday and whose representation is free to speak to other teams: Center Matt Paradis, cornerback Bradley Roby, linebacker Brandon Marshall (option not picked up), nose tackle Domata Peko, right tackle Jared Veldheer, tight end Jeff Heuerman, cornerback Tramaine Brock, defensive end Zach Kerr, guard Max Garcia, guard/tackle Billy Turner, center Gino Gradkowski, cornerback Jamar Taylor and outside linebackers Shane Ray and Shaq Barrett.
Paradis, Roby, Ray, Heuerman and Garcia are Broncos draft picks.
— Ryan O’Halloran, The Denver Post
