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Free agency gets off to quick start

By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com

The NFL's annual free-agency period began with a bang Wednesday as teams began contacting, making plays for and -- in some cases -- quickly adding new talent to their rosters, while others made the cuts necessary to comply with the league's $80.582 million salary cap.

The NFL stove is definitely hot.

In case you missed it, all three potential trades outlined in last week's column became official this week. Clinton Portis was sent to Washington (where he became the highest-paid back in NFL history) for Champ Bailey. The Dolphins announced the acquisition of A.J. Feeley from the Philadelphia Eagles for a second-round pick in 2005, and the Redskins introduced veteran signal caller Mark Brunell, acquired from Jacksonville in exchange for a third-round draft pick.

Another potential trade reported last week -- Keyshawn Johnson to Dallas for Joey Galloway -- is halfway done after Johnson reportedly agreed to a contract with the Cowboys. The latest word out of Dallas says Johnson will remain a Cowboy, even if Galloway's reluctance to work out a deal with the Bucs forces the teams to take an alternate path.

Given the recent flurry of activity, I thought it might be a good idea to put off my annual, position-by-position free agent overview for week in order to keep you on top of the more significant moves made this week and offer a little analysis of how they're likely to impact your 2004 fantasy season.

Ravens take a T.O.

Terrell Owens has 51 TD receptions the past five seasons. AP

We'll start off with a whopper that came down Thursday afternoon, when four-time Pro Bowl receiver Terrell Owens was traded to the Baltimore Ravens by San Francisco after a paperwork error prevented him from becoming a free agent. Owens was given permission by the 49ers to seek a deal after his agent failed to file a document voiding the final years of his contract.

He gives Baltimore the top receiver it has been lacking for years, even in 2000, when it won the Super Bowl.

It's not known at this point whether the Ravens intend to renegotiate or force him to play under his current contract. The veteran wideout is due to make $17.7 million in base salary over the next three seasons, including $5.3 million next year -- a relative bargain for one of the NFL's best receivers. Owens had been hoping to land a signing bonus of more than $15 million from Baltimore, Philadelphia, Atlanta or a handful of other teams with the cap space.

This one could easily go south on the Ravens, especially if Owens fails to live up to his Pro Bowl numbers and becomes a disruption -- a development that might force the team to bail on him after one season.

When asked about the risk of adding players with conduct issues, Ravens head coach Brian Billick told the Baltimore Sun, "Any player you bring in, you have to be concerned about team chemistry. It's not necessarily the guy may or may not be a bad apple. It's just in terms of demeanor and work ethic. We have very good team chemistry. This team has been together for a while and has developed a certain camaraderie. You don't want to disrupt that."

Owens disruptive? C'mon now.

The fact that Baltimore doesn't have what I'd call a proven quarterback almost guarantees disruptions. After all, if you're not sure what T.O. thinks of mediocre passers, just ask him.

Moss on the move?

Rumors of a potential trade involving Randy Moss gained considerable steam Wednesday when sources told the Pioneer Press of St. Paul, Minn., and the Miami Herald that team officials in Minnesota initiated trade talks with the Dolphins that would send the star wideout to Miami for a package that might include some combination of defensive end Adewale Ogunleye, cornerback Sam Madison, receiver Chris Chambers and draft picks.

Vikings director of football operations Rob Brzezinski would not comment on whether the Vikings made the first call but did say the team had received inquiries about Moss. However, asked Monday whether the Vikings were shopping their top playmaker, Brzezinski said, "Randy Moss is not for sale."

Head coach Mike Tice said he knew nothing about trade talks for Moss.

"It's ridiculous," Tice said. "There has been so much talk about Randy. Randy's under contract. He can't go anywhere unless we want him to go somewhere."

Nonetheless, subsequent reports indicate the Vikings also talked with the Arizona Cardinals about Moss, who'd be reunited with former coach Dennis Green. A source close to Moss told the Herald he would not mind being traded but would prefer to play with the Jets and quarterback Chad Pennington, a friend and former college teammate at Marshall.

For the record, the Vikings continue to deny that a deal is imminent -- a sentiment his agent seems to share.

"Randy just called me a half-hour ago," Dante DiTrapano told the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Wednesday. "He's down in Florida and he's been hearing all of the rumors. People are calling him and asking what's going on. So he called me.

"I told him the same thing I've told everyone else: It's a joke. There's absolutely nothing to it. Randy Moss will be playing for the Minnesota Vikings this fall."

Rattay suddenly on the spot

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Tim Rattay will take over as the 49ers' starting quarterback next season, which means taking over a job unlike any other in sports. He follows in the footsteps of three-time Pro Bowl selection Jeff Garcia, who followed in the footsteps of future Hall of Famer Steve Young, who followed in the footsteps of Joe Montana, arguably the best ever.

Rattay has three starts since being drafted in the seventh round in 2000. Last season, he completed 73 of 118 passes for 856 yards and seven touchdowns with two interceptions. He apparently impressed his bosses enough that when the team released Garcia on Tuesday, the quarterback competition already was over. Rattay gets the nod over second-year player Ken Dorsey.

"This will now become Tim's team," general manager Terry Donahue said.

Head coach Dennis Erickson said: "Tim is very smart. He understands the game and has a good arm. He does a lot of the things I like to do offensively. How good is he going to be? I don't know. We'll have to coach him up and find out."

Rattay threw at least one touchdown pass in 32 of his 33 collegiate games at Louisiana Tech. As a senior, he led the nation with 4,943 passing yards and 46 touchdowns.

But I still wonder how effective Rattay can be this coming season. Owens is already gone; if Tai Streets also leaves, the most experienced receiver on the roster will be Cedrick Wilson, who has 50 career catches.

And if you ask me, the fact Rattay comes to the forefront only because Garcia refused to take a pay cut from his scheduled $10 million base salary is somewhat worrisome. Garcia will still count $10.3 million against the 49ers' 2004 salary cap, but then he'll be off their books. His departure saved the 49ers $1.7 million in much-needed salary cap room.

Speaking of that much-needed cap room, the Niners' offense could begin the 2004 regular season minus as many as seven starters from last year. Garcia, guard Ron Stone, running back Garrison Hearst and left tackle Derrick Deese all have been released; Owens was traded; Streets and tight end Jed Weaver are unrestricted free agents.

Asked if he was aware of the 49ers' salary cap perils before he took over as coach a year ago, Erickson replied: "Obviously not."

If money talks, Manning is screaming

Peyton Manning agreed in principle to a new contract with the Colts on Tuesday, a deal totaling $98 million with a $34.5 million signing bonus. The contract reportedly contains no incentives. It reportedly also calls for an extra $19 million in bonus money in the form of roster bonuses of $9 million in year three and $10 million in year four.

By reaching a deal before March 17, the Colts can remove the exclusive franchise tag they placed on the league's co-MVP last week. The structure of the deal helps the Colts by dropping Manning's cap number for the 2004 season from $18.4 million to $8.3 million.

The signing bonus is $14 million more than the previous high paid a year-and-a-half ago to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.

Filling the hole

Former Raider Charlie Garner is reportedly a candidate to fill the opening left at tailback when the Broncos shipped Portis to Washington.

According to the Denver Post, Garner, a threat as a receiver and a runner, plans to visit Denver next week and is welcoming the opportunity to play for his primary rival.

"Charlie is so pumped," Garner's agent, Brian Levy, said after the Broncos contacted him Wednesday. "He loves coach [Mike] Shanahan, admires his offense. He loves how the Broncos take care of their running backs.

"That would be an amazing marriage. With Denver's system, it would be scary what type of numbers Charlie would put up."

To procure Garner's services, the Broncos will have to outbid the Bucs and Lions, teams that have coaches with ties to the free-agent running back. Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden worked with Garner in Oakland, and Detroit's Steve Mariucci worked with Garner in San Francisco.

There is also a medical question mark. Garner is scheduled to undergo knee surgery Friday for a meniscus tear that he played with last season. Levy said the surgery would sideline Garner two to three weeks, but would not jeopardize his client's chances of being ready for training camp.

For what it's worth, I still like the notion of a trade that would allow the Broncos to bring Cincinnati's Corey Dillon to town as their feature back. But I suspect Garner or just about any of the other top free-agent backs -- Duce Staley, Hearst or even Antowain Smith -- would have a legitimate shot at posting serious fantasy totals in Denver.

A-Train derailed

Thomas Jones averaged a solid 4.6 yards per carry last year. Eliot J. Schecter/Getty Images

The Bears reached an agreement in principle with unrestricted free-agent tailback Thomas Jones Wednesday, an acquisition that some observers view as the beginning of the end for Anthony Thomas.

After three disappointing seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, who selected him as the seventh overall pick in the 2000 draft, Jones was traded to Tampa Bay last spring and resurrected his career with the Bucs. He rushed for 627 yards and three touchdowns on 137 carries, taking over as the Tampa Bay starter late in the season, and positioned himself as one of the top free-agent running backs in a lean market.

In fact, he positioned himself well enough to land a four-year contract worth approximately $10 million with a signing bonus of about $3.5 million. Considering the numbers involved, it's not hard to figure out which way this one is heading.

But SI.com's Don Banks says that general manager Jerry Angelo believes there's enough room on the roster for both players.

"There is a place for [Anthony] Thomas,'' Angelo said. "But we just needed a fit for our offense. We needed to get some type of big-play dimension. We didn't have that last year, at any position.

"You can always play two backs. Anthony Thomas is a good back and we like him. But there's room for both.''

In four NFL seasons, Jones has carried 499 times for 1,891 yards and 12 touchdowns and also has 97 receptions for 652 yards.

"Everybody else saw him as a role back,'' Angelo said of Jones. "But we saw him as a featured back and our money stood behind that assessment.''

This, of course, is the same Angelo who as recently last year offered an eerily similar assessment of Kordell Stewart.

Speaking of Slash, the Bears released Stewart on Monday, ending a disappointing one-year run. Stewart signed a two-year, $5 million deal as a free agent nearly a year ago. He began the season as the Bears' starter, struggled and then lost the job to Chris Chandler before getting it back. Chicago then turned to rookie Rex Grossman as its starter and he's the Bears' quarterback of the future under Lovie Smith's new coaching staff.

"We decided to release Kordell because it was in the best interest of all parties," Angelo said. "Our recent philosophical changes on offense ... do not fit [his] skill sets as well as the previous [system] did."

Sure. And we all saw just how well Stewart's skills fit that previous system.

In a related note, the Bears also reached an agreement with unrestricted free-agent quarterback Jonathan Quinn, who spent the last two seasons in Kansas City, where he appeared in just one game. A six-year veteran, Quinn is familiar with new offensive coordinator Terry Shea's offense and could challenge for the primary backup job.

Other tidbits of interest

• Steve Smith agreed to a five-year contract extension with the Carolina Panthers on Monday after leading the NFC champions in receiving last season with 88 catches and 1,110 yards. He also had 19 receptions for 424 yards and three touchdowns in the playoffs, including a game-winning 69-yard grab against the St. Louis Rams in double overtime and a 39-yard touchdown catch against the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Smith said his next goal is to make sure he lives up to his new contract.

"I want to be considered a productive player and not just a one-hit wonder," he said. "I think I've had three pretty good seasons here and I want to add on six more."

The Panthers also re-signed Kris Mangum on Thursday. The veteran tight end will return for an eighth season in Carolina after signing a four-year, $3.24 million contract.

• In Minnesota, tight end Jim Kleinsasser agreed to a five-year contract Tuesday night, keeping a valued part of the top-ranked offense with the Vikings.

Kleinsasser, Minnesota's second-round draft pick out of North Dakota in 1999, has become one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL. The 6-foot-3, 270-pounder set career highs in receptions (46), yards receiving (401) and touchdowns (four) last year. He's used as fullback and an H-back in certain sets, as well as his primary duties as tight end.

• Jerome Bettis, the sixth-leading rusher in NFL history, agreed Monday to take a significant pay cut to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers. According to The Associated Press, Bettis and the Steelers worked out a one-year contract that will pay him $1 million, with the chance to earn an additional $1 million in incentives.

Bettis was to have made $3,757,000, plus a $750,000 roster bonus, as part of the $30 million, six-year contract he signed in 2001. That deal included a $6 million signing bonus, but there is no signing bonus in his newest agreement.

"I still think I can get it done. I still think I can play this game," Bettis said.

Bettis, coming off a 666-yard season in 2002, began last season on the bench behind Amos Zereoue but regained his starting job at midseason and finished with 811 yards.

Zereoue, who ran for 433 yards at a 3.3-yard per carry clip, is expected to be traded or released before training camp starts.

• The Dolphins ended a flurry of moves over the past five days by restructuring Jay Fiedler's contract. Fiedler's return gave the Dolphins at least one experienced quarterback going into next season.

According to published reports, Fiedler, after meeting with head coach Dave Wannstedt last week, is comfortable with assurances regarding his salary and whether he will be given a chance to compete with Feeley, who only has five NFL starts under his belt, for the No. 1 spot.

• The Titans agreed on a multi-year contract with receiver Drew Bennett on Monday as the Titans worked to keep two top receivers from leaving as free agents.

The 6-foot-5 Bennett, who has started 15 games over the past two seasons, caught 32 passes for 504 yards and four touchdowns last season. He had been scheduled to become a restricted free agent on Wednesday.

The Titans also made a tender offer to Justin McCareins, who becomes a restricted free agent. It was high enough that the Titans would get a first-round draft pick for McCareins if they don't match another team's offer for him. McCareins was second on the team with 49 receptions. He had an average of 17.3 yards per catch and had seven touchdown catches.

The Titans also reached an agreement on a long-term contract with tight end Erron Kinney, keeping him from becoming a free agent yesterday. The team couldn't afford to let him leave because veteran Frank Wycheck announced his retirement last month.

• Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey made it official Monday when he announced his retirement from pro football after 13 seasons, the last nine with Denver.

• The Lions released running back James Stewart and wide receiver Bill Schroeder on Tuesday in salary-cap moves.

Stewart replaced Barry Sanders after the superstar retired and had his best season with Detroit in 2000m when he rushed for 1,184 yards and 10 touchdowns. He missed last season with a shoulder injury.

Schroeder, who signed as a free agent in 2002 to fill the void left by Herman Moore and Johnnie Morton, never had much success in Detroit. In two seasons with the Lions, Schroeder caught 72 passes for 992 yards and seven touchdowns.

•Veteran tight end Dave Moore was released by the Bills on Wednesday as they continue to clear cap space for free agency. Moore, a 12-year NFL veteran, spent the past two seasons in Buffalo, where he had 11 starts in 29 games. He had only seven catches for 82 yards last season.

• The Saints signed former Tampa Bay halfback Aaron Stecker to a four-year contract on Wednesday and will use him as the primary backup to Deuce McAllister. Stecker reportedly agreed to an incentive-laden deal worth $4.4 million, with a $650,000 signing bonus.

"We went into the free agency period aiming to improve our depth at running back, and we have accomplished that goal with the signing of Aaron," general manager Mickey Loomis said. "He is a proven player who we can depend upon to take over at running back if needed or just to give Deuce a rest during a game."

• And finally, for you IDP fans, the Eagles signed Tennessee's Jevon Kearse to an eight-year, $66 million deal Wednesday while New England defensive tackle Ted Washington is heading to Oakland after reaching an agreement with the Raiders.

That's all for now. Check back next time when I start my comprehensive position-by-position overview of the 2004 free-agent class.

Bob Harris is Editor and Webmaster of the TFL Report and Senior Editor for Fantasy Sports Publications.