The Baltimore Ravens are paying the price for winning a Super Bowl.
The
NFL champions lost two key components of their defense, linebackers
Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe, as free agency began Tuesday. On
Monday, they traded star receiver Anquan Boldin, a key to their title
run, to San Francisco — the team the Ravens beat 34-31 to win the
championship.
Kruger went north to division rival Cleveland for a
five-year, $40 million deal, while Ellerbe headed south to Miami for $35
million over five years. Steelers receiver Mike Wallace joined Ellerbe
in choosing the Dolphins.
The 49ers didn't go untouched, either.
After giving up a sixth-round draft pick for Boldin, they saw tight end
Delanie Walker leave for Tennessee.
San Francisco also confirmed
the trade of backup quarterback Alex Smith to Kansas City, a deal that
was known for weeks. The 49ers will receive the Chiefs' second-round
pick, 34th overall, in this year's draft and a conditional pick in next
year's draft.
The 32-year-old Boldin expressed surprise that he was traded.
"I
thought this was the last stop of my career but regardless of the
circumstances I came here to win a Championship ... and in February we
came home Champions," he said on Twitter.
Ellerbe also tweeted as he moved on to the Dolphins.
"Just
wanna take time to THANK GOD for being in this position I'm in! Before I
make da BIGGEST DECISION in my life I just wanna thank him!!!" Ellerbe
said.
Kruger led the Ravens with nine sacks and added 2½ in the
playoffs and two in the Super Bowl. But he was too expensive for
Baltimore to keep.
Wallace will give Miami the speedy receiver it
has sought after getting just three touchdown catches from its wideouts
last season.
Denver ensured that Peyton Manning will be the Broncos' quarterback through at least 2014.
The
four-time MVP's contract called for a guaranteed salary of $20 million
in 2013 and 2014 if he was on the Denver roster Tuesday. The final two
years of his contract are worth $19 million each, but are not
guaranteed.
Coming off multiple neck operations, Manning threw for
4,659 yards and 37 touchdowns last season and was the NFL Comeback
Player of the Year. He turns 37 on March 24.
Kansas City was busy
finding support for Smith on both sides of the ball. The Chiefs agreed
to a four-year, $16 million deal with tight end Anthony Fasano, a
three-year, $12.6 million contract with defensive tackle Mike DeVito,
and a three-year deal with Saints backup quarterback Chase Daniel.
Teams also made cuts Tuesday. The biggest were Ryan Fitzpatrick in Buffalo and Nnamdi Asomugha in Philadelphia.
The
Bills' starting quarterback was released 1½ years after getting a
six-year, $59 million contract extension. Fitzpatrick struggled after
signing the new deal, and the Bills went 6-10 in 2011 and in 2012.
Buffalo
has not made the playoffs since 1999, the longest active streak in the
NFL. For now, the Bills' No. 1 quarterback is Tarvaris Jackson.
Bills
general manager Buddy Nix said: "Difficult decisions often have to be
made and so we are moving forward. Our focus remains on adding another
quarterback to our roster and we will continue to explore every option
available to us."
Philadelphia released cornerback Asomugha, who
two years ago got a five-year, $60 million contract with $24 million
guaranteed when he left Oakland as a free agent. Asomugha was a flop in
Philly, often victimized in single coverage.
Asomugha was scheduled to make $15 million next season, with $4 million guaranteed.
Earlier, Tony Gonzalez changed his mind and decided to return to the Falcons.
The
NFL's career leader among tight ends with 1,242 receptions and 103
touchdowns said he was 95 percent certain he would retire after 2012,
but the other 5 percent won out.
Hours before free agency began Tuesday, Gonzalez tweeted:
"The lure of being on such a great team and organization, along with unbelievable fan support was too good to pass up."
Also Tuesday:
—Defensive
end Will Smith and linebacker Jonathan Vilma, both implicated in the
Saints' bounty scandal, agreed to restructure their contracts to remain
with New Orleans.
The 31-year-old Smith and 30-year-old Vilma,
both veteran defensive captains, would have taken up about $23 million
combined in salary cap space without the redone deals.
—Minnesota
finalized the trade of receiver Percy Harvin to Seattle, released
14-year veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield and re-signed right tackle
Phil Loadholt. The Seahawks are sending their first-round and
seventh-round draft picks this year plus their third-round selection in
2014 to the Vikings for Harvin.
—Tennessee agreed to terms with
Buffalo guard Andy Levitre and Walker. Levitre, one of the top offensive
linemen on the market, got a six-year deal worth nearly $47 million. He
will replace Steve Hutchinson, who announced his retirement earlier
Tuesday. Walker will help replace Jared Cook, whom the Titans declined
to tag as a franchise player because he wants to be paid more like a
receiver.
The Titans waived safety Jordan Babineaux and guard Mitch Petrus.
—Pittsburgh
re-signed linebacker Larry Foote and wide receiver Plaxico Burress, and
tendered offers to four restricted free agents: receiver Emmanuel
Sanders, running backs Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman, all of whom
could be starters in 2013, and nose tackle Steve McLendon. Burress
should provide depth with the Steelers losing Wallace in free agency,
but Burress struggled to get onto the field after returning to the
Steelers last November.
Foote also came back to Pittsburgh last
season and will stay at inside linebacker, where the other starter,
James Harrison, was released this week. Foote got a three-year deal.
—Denver
agreed to terms with guard Louis Vasquez, late of San Diego. According
to STATS, he has allowed just 11 sacks and had one penalty during his
time with the Chargers.
—Tight end
Martellus Bennett agreed to a four-year contract with the Bears, leaving
the Giants after one season. Defensive tackle Henry Melton signed his
franchise tag tender at $8.45 million.
—Cincinnati re-signed
defensive ends Robert Geathers and Wallace Gilberry. Geathers enters his
10th season with the Bengals, the longest tenure on the current roster.
"Robert
brings us not just fine and consistent play, but leadership and
experience," coach Marvin Lewis said. "He's a big part of our success
with his own play, and I know our younger guys have talked about how
he's made them more effective players."
—Houston cut receiver
Kevin Walter, who was due to make $2 million in salary. Walter never
became the threat opposite Andre Johnson that the team hoped for. He
caught 41 passes for 518 yards and two touchdowns in 2012.
—Carolina cut linebacker James Anderson, a seven-year veteran who set a franchise record in 2011 with 174 tackles.
—San
Diego released 11-year veteran tight end Randy McMichael and signed
kicker Nick Novak to a four-year contract; the New York Jets cut nose
tackle Sione Po'uha and restructured the contract of receiver Santonio
Holmes; and Arizona re-signed safety Rashad Johnson to a three-year
contract.
—Indianapolis agreed in principle on contracts with
tackle Gosder Cherilus, linebacker Lawrence Sidbury, guard Donald
Thomas, cornerback Greg Toler and linebacker Erik Walden. Each of the
deals is pending a physical.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
