At this point in free agency, no big names are left. The best teams are going out and finding value deals. You know it is late in free agency when Green Bay is finally making a move. One signing is discussed below and, as always, the rest of the transactions are down below with some of the more significant ones highlighted in red.
New Orleans Saints sign DT Nick Fairley
One of the best free agents left on the market, the Saints signed Fairley, 28, adding much need depth to their defense.
Due to a tight salary cap situation, New Orleans got creative with the contract. The contract is basically a one-year contract worth $3 million with another $1.75 million in incentives. However, the contract is a three-year deal, but it voids next year if he is still on the roster. This allows the Saints to spread out the cap hit of his signing bonus.
The Lions selected him in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft and paired him with Ndamukong Suh to form a top-tier defensive tackle tandem. In 2012 and 2013 he recorded 11.5 sacks.
After four seasons in Detroit, Fairley spent the 2015 season in St. Louis, as part of the Rams’ elite defensive line. He recorded 29 tackles and 0.5 sacks, but was a disruptive force in his part time role.
There has never been any doubt about Fairley’s talent, but playing time has always been an issue. He has never played a full 16 game season and has only 30 starts in five seasons.
New Orleans desperately needed an upgrade on the defensive line, so adding Fairley is a good move in that regard. Still, expect them to add more in the draft.
The downside of the move comes from the Saints’ cap situation. They had to use a creative contract structure and they’ve been restructuring contracts all season. This has been going on for years and leads to the Saints consistently leading the league in dead money.
Other Moves:
The Atlanta Falcons sign LB Courtney Upshaw.
The Chicago Bears sign S Chris Prosinski.
The Chicago Bears re-sign LB Sam Acho.
The Chicago Bears sign OL Manny Ramirez.
The Chicago Bears sign G Ted Larsen.
The Chicago Bears sign CB Omar Bolden.
The Cincinnati Bengals sign WR Brandon LaFell.
The Cincinnati Bengals sign LB Karlos Dansby.
The Dallas Cowboys sign OL Joe Looney.
The Detroit Lions sign CB Darrin Walls.
The Detroit Lions sign G Geoff Schwartz to a one-year contract.
Free agent S Husain Abdullah announced his retirement from the NFL.
The Green Bay Packers sign TE Jared Cook to a one-year contract.
The Indianapolis Colts waive CB Josh Mitchell.
The Indianapolis Colts sign TE Mike McFarland.
The Indianapolis Colts waive OT Pierce Burton.
The Kansas City Chiefs sign RB Spencer Ware to a two-year contract extension.
The Kansas City Chiefs sign RB Charcandrick West to a two-year contract extension.
The Miami Dolphins sign RB Isaiah Pead.
The Miami Dolphins sign RB Daniel Thomas.
The Miami Dolphins sign TE Marqueis Gray.
The Minnesota Vikings re-sign LB Chad Greenway.
The New England Patriots sign CB E.J. Biggers.
The New England Patriots sign TE Clay Harbor.
The New England Patriots sign DT Terrance Knighton to a one-year contract.
The New England Patriots sign S Patrick Chung to a one-year contract extension.
The New Orleans Saints match the Chicago Bears’ three-year offer sheet for TE Josh Hill.
The Pittsburgh Steelers sign LB Steven Johnson.
The Pittsburgh Steelers sign DT Ricardo Mathews.
The San Diego Chargers sign QB Bryn Renner.
The Tennessee Titans sign S Rashad Johnson.
The Washington Redskins sign TE Vernon Davis.
The post NFL Weekly Transaction Tracker appeared first on Fanspeak NFL Blog.