This move will likely hurt San Diego fans more than it will help the Denver Broncos. Jamal Williams -- one of the great all-time Chargers -- is now a Denver Bronco. He just signed a three-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Chargers cut Williams last week because he was due a hefty bonus. Continuing its focus on revamping the defensive line, Denver's acquisition of Williams is intriguing. The 6-foot-3, 348-pound Williams was one of the game's premier nose tackles. He was a great run-stuffer and anchor to a fine defense. Denver defensive line coach Wayne Nunnely is no stranger to Williams' greatness. He coached him in San Diego. Williams was known as a big-time Bronco killer. He ate up Denver's small offensive linemen. The Denver line was usually effective using its zone blocking schemes, but Williams always had success against Denver. Still, there are plenty of risks in this deal. Williams will turn 34 next month and he missed all but one game last season with a triceps injury. He has also had knee issues. But if Denver uses Williams in a rotation and limits him 15 to 25 snaps a game he could be effective. Denver has also added defensive linemen Justin Bannan and Jarvis Green. With all of these additions, the Broncos likely will not be looking for defensive linemen in the early stages of the draft. The Williams deal can help if he can stay healthy. Even if Williams' better days are behind him, the sight of him in blue and orange will likely be crushing to San Diego fans.

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Jim Sorgi will continue to back up a Manning next year. But he'll hold a clipboard behind Eli Manning of the Giants. Brei said Sorgi, who's played with the Colts since 2004 but ended last season on IR, was "very excited" to join the Giants. The Colts cut him last Friday.Sorgi's agent, Matt Brei, told the Newark Star-Ledger on Tuesday that the Giants' concerns about Sorgi's shoulder were allayed by Dr. James Andrews, among other doctors.

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Thomas Jones signs in Kansas City: two years, $5 million.

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The Cleveland Browns released former Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Anderson, the team announced Tuesday. The move comes just one day after the team acquired Seneca Wallace in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. New team president Mike Holmgren said it would be a "long shot" that both Anderson and Brady Quinn would be on the roster. A major reason for choosing Quinn was Anderson's contract required a $2 million roster bonus this month and a $7.45 million salary in 2010. "I want to thank Derek for everything that he gave to the Cleveland Browns organization over the last five years," Browns coach Eric Mangini said in a statement. "He did everything we asked of him and it was a pleasure to coach such a competitive person. I want to wish him all the best in the future." Anderson had his best season with the Browns in 2007, when he threw for 3,787 yards and 29 touchdowns and led the team to 10 victories. He received a three-year extension with Cleveland but never lived up to expectations after that point. Cleveland remains unsure of its starting quarterback for next season. The team has been very active in searching for potential trades and will likely continue to do so.

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Like they did last year, the Raiders are trying to right past financial wrongs. The Raiders just cut receiver Javon Walker and defensive end Greg Ellis. Neither release was a surprise. Both players are aging and expensive. But it is a reminder of past mistakes, especially in Walker's case. Walker will go down as one of the biggest free agents mistakes in the history of the league. Denver cut Walker after the 2007 season because he has major health issues with his knees and totally lost his ability to separate from defenders. Many league observers thought Walker could get a one-year, $1 million deal at best. Stunning the league, Oakland jumped on Walker, giving him a six-year, $55 million deal with $16 million in guaranteed money. What a bad decision that was. Walker's injury issues continued in Oakland. He never made an impact. Walker, 31, played in a total of 11 games for the Raiders in two seasons. He had 15 catches in 2008 and none in 2009. The Raiders still owe him more than $2 million. This signing was a disaster. There was no chance Oakland would bring him back for 2010, but his release still stings, because it is a reminder of how little he gave the Raiders. Ellis is simply a case of Oakland trying to make something happen with a player who was too beat up. Ellis, 34, battled injury problems last season. He managed to get seven sacks, but is probably too hurt to continue playing. His release probably doesn't bother Ellis too much. The former Cowboy repeatedly questioned his Oakland teammates' desire and approach during the team's 5-11 2009 season.

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Among 10 players Washington released last week on the eve free agency, Randle El was the first former Redskin to find a new job when he agreed to terms Monday night with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Randle El began his career with Pittsburgh, which was among the reasons he re-signed with them instead of continuing contract talks with several of the other teams that pursued him. Pittsburgh signed Randle El to a 3-year deal. The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots were among the teams that expressed interest in signing Randle El.

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As suitors for wide receiver Antonio Bryant began to gather Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took their first step toward replacing the dispatched playmaker. In their first move of the free-agency signing period, the Bucs traded a sixth-round draft pick in 2011 to the Philadelphia Eagles for former starting receiver Reggie Brown. Brown, 29, has 177 catches for 2,574 yards and 17 touchdowns in his career, but only nine of those catches came last season as Brown was edged out of the Eagles lineup by rookie Jeremy Maclin and second-year pro DeSean Jackson. Brown comes to the Bucs with four years remaining on a contract that is slated to pay him $1.2 million in 2010; $1.3 million in 2011, $1.7 million in 2012, $3.2 million in 2013 and $3.8 million in 2014.

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Mike Holmgren is already making deals with his former team. The Seattle Seahawks traded backup quarterback Seneca Wallace to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2011 undisclosed draft pick. A Seahawks spokesman confirmed the deal Monday night. Wallace spent his entire seven-year career with the Seahawks, and was always a favorite of Holmgren's when he was Seattle's coach. Now the Browns' team president, Holmgren has brought Wallace to Cleveland. Wallace's best season was 2008 when he started eight games in Holmgren's last season and threw for 1,532 yards and 11 touchdowns. Wallace started two games last season while starter Matt Hasselbeck was injured.

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Kansas City has locked up free agent wide receiver Chris Chambers, re-signing him to a three-year deal worth up to $15 million, according to a league source. The source said the deal included $5.9 million in guaranteed money. Chambers led the team in receiving yards (608) and yards per catch (16.9) in 2009. He also tied Dwayne Bowe for the most receiving touchdowns with four.

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The Steelers have signed former 49er WR Arnaz Battle. Details have not been released. Battle also played primarily special teams the last two seasons. A seven-year veteran of the San Francisco 49ers, Battle was drafted in the sixth round out of Notre Dame in 2003. His career peaked during the 2006-07 seasons when he caught 109 passes for 1,286 yards. Injuries slowed Battle in 2008, and last season he caught only five passes for 40 yards. His primary job last season was returning punts, but he averaged only 2.9 yards in 21 returns.

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ree agent quarterback David Carr and the San Francisco 49ers have agreed on a new contract. Details of the new deal have yet to be released, but the report at the moment says that it's a two-year deal. The contract is expected to be finalized on Monday. Carr was drafted by the expansion Houston Texans #1 overall in 2002 but has struggled to find consistent success throughout his career. Carr spent the last two seasons backing up Eli Manning of the New York Giants. The Giants, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns had also expressed interest in Carr.

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The Eagles have informed Michael Vick's agent, Joel Segal, that they will pick up the QB's 2010 roster bonus this week, according to a league source. Vick is due a $1.5 million roster bonus by Wednesday. The Eagles are carrying three quarterbacks who have started in the NFL - with success - but they haven't attempted to trade any of them. Should a team offer value for Vick at some point - a pick in at least the second round - perhaps a deal could materialize. But a team source has continued to maintain that the Eagles have every expectation of Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb and Vick all being in training camp.

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Former Packer DE Aaron Kampman has reportedly agreed to terms late Saturday night with the Jaguards. The terms of the deal are not yet known, but it is believed to be similar to the contract that new Lions DE Kyle Vanden Bosch received, a 4-year $26M deal.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars signed unrestricted free agent WR Kassim Osgood to a contract today. Osgood spent the past seven seasons with the San Diego Chargers. Osgood received a 3-year, $6.7M deal. Osgood, 6-5, 220, is regarded as one of the NFL's top special teams players, earning an invitation to the Pro Bowl in three of the last four seasons (2009, 2007, 2006). He has played in 108 games with 13 starts and eight postseason games since signing with the Chargers as a rookie free agent in 2003. He has missed only four career games and owns a current streak of 64 consecutive games played.

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Imagine Montario Hardesty - the NFL prospect - a year ago. Would he have been selected in the NFL draft? Sure, he had performed admirably at Tennessee, overcoming one leg injury after another. But was he really an NFL tailback? Fast forward to 2010. There are no such questions. Hardesty is a bona fide pro prospect, especially after his showing at the NFL combine in Indianapolis. Among running backs, the 6-foot, 225-pound Hardesty was first in the vertical and broad jump, third in the cone run, 20-yard and 60-yard shuttle and sixth in the 40-yard dash (4.49 seconds). "All my personal goals that I had set for myself, I pretty much surpassed them," said Hardesty, who lamented that his 40 time wasn't a bit faster but was pleased with his above average broad jump. "I had some good drills, showing them that I was explosive," he said. Even though the 40 time rated lower than his other performances, it may be the one that proved most to NFL scouts, who were concerned about his speed. Despite a deep draft for running backs, NFL draft analyst Michael Lombardi of The National Football Post said Hardesty stood out. "Ultimately, he's alerted people that he's a really talented player," Lombardi said. "He can put his foot in the ground. He can make moves. He can burst off of cuts." Lombardi said Hardesty has proven he's a "three-play back," that he can pass protect, catch the ball and run. "I just really feel like I'm one of the top backs out there," Hardesty said. "I feel like I'm one of the most complete backs. That's not to be conceited about my game, but I feel like that I went out there and showed that I'm a complete back. I definitely want to be one of the top backs chosen. We'll see how that goes in April." April 23, the second day of the NFL draft, is likely when the next round of nerves will come. Hardesty experienced plenty of anxious moments in the combine. "You're definitely nervous, man. You're nervous the whole time," he said. "It's always been my dream to play in the NFL, so it was like the biggest job interview of your life. You pretty much only have one chance to nail everything so you've got to be on top of your game." Hardesty isn't concerned about projections. He'll leave that to the experts, most of who believe he'll be a mid-rounder, possibly as high as the second round. "There's been a lot of buzz about how I performed in the combine," Hardesty said. "People tell me my stock is going up, but I can't really (listen) to that. I've just got to perform and take advantage of everything. Let my agent handle everything like that." Hardesty said he'll participate in some individual drills for UT's Pro Day on March 17. He should feel comfortable on campus. His rushed for 1,345 yards and caught 25 passes for 305 yards during his senior season. "It definitely helped a lot to be able to be the guy - making plays the way I did ... It was just good for me that I was able to be a leader for this team and those guys trusted me with the ball in my hands," Hardesty said. Leg injuries at UT have long been a downer for any conversation concerning Hardesty's future. He said that wasn't the case at the Combine. "There's a whole medical (evaluation)," he said. "The doctors touch and feel on you to make sure everything's good. I feel like I passed all the medical stuff. All the injuries were a long time ago. "That's why I did everything at the combine, to show those guys that the injuries are behind me." Lombardi compared Hardesty to Curtis Martin, another oft-injured college player, who eventually had a distinguished NFL career. "He proved people wrong," Lombardi said, "because he was talented." Hardesty is determined to do the same.

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Stan Griffin, the former football coach at Snow Hill High School, remembered back to Ben Tate's first game with the Eagles in 2005. Tate, who went on to play running back at Auburn University, took a toss to the right and headed toward the sideline, stopped, scurried all the way to the other sideline, ran 20 yards upfield, crossed back again and scored. It was an approximately 50-yard touchdown run during which Tate "probably ran 100," Griffin joked. On Feb. 28, Tate wasn't evading tacklers or reversing field like he did when he ran for 2,069 yards and 21 touchdowns in leading Snow Hill to the 2005 MPSSAA 1A state title game. He was at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, showing his skills in drills such as the 40-yard dash and 225-pound bench press. But Tate's goal was the same as during his many long high school runs -- show that he's got the speed and agility to go along with his well-known bruising, physical style. "I'm definitely looking at the combine to do that," Tate said before the events, in which he ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, good for third best among running backs. "I think my [NFL draft] range is anywhere from the second to fourth round. If I have a good outing at the combine, I can definitely better that." Tate ran for 1,362 yards and 10 touchdowns last fall during his senior year with the Tigers in the talented and deep SEC. He had runs of 53 and 60 yards, showing the type of explosiveness many still feel the 5-foot-11, 218-pound back doesn't have. "I think there's a misconception that he's just a power back," Griffin said. "I believe he is going to show his speed. People don't realize the type of speed that he has." Tate trained in Miami leading up to the combine, and NFL.com draft analyst Gil Brandt said Maryland's high school career rushing record holder likely will be selected in the fourth round in April's draft. "Besides being a pretty good running back, he's a pretty good-size guy," Brandt said. "He didn't have a very good team two years ago, but he played a lot better in his last year. He's a good receiver, and he runs well." Tate hopes that aspect of his game shines through. In the meantime, he's started his own Facebook fan page in an effort to give his supporters a behind-the-scenes look at the draft process, which includes the type of strict workout routines Griffin came to expect when Tate transferred to Snow Hill from Stephen Decatur High School before his senior year. "He's a really good person, and he's excellent at doing workouts," Griffin said. "He's a real hard worker." Tate is also just trying to enjoy the experience, no matter how fast it -- or he -- goes. "It's been a little hectic, but at the same time, it's been fun," Tate said. "It's like a dream coming true."

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Reports from the AP and ESPN say that the Dolphins have agreed to a deal with free agent linebacker Karlos Dansby. According to sources, the contract is for five years and worth $43M, with $22M of it guaranteed. If those figures are accurate, the deal will make Dansby one of the NFL's highest paid inside linebackers. Dansby was a second-round draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2004 and spent his entire six-year career there. He is the first big addition in what is expected to be a revamped defense under new coordinator Mike Nolan, who replaced the fired Paul Pasqualoni in January.

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After many months of often contentious and public negotiations, Josh Cribbs is finally getting a new deal from the Cleveland Browns. The team ripped up his current deal and replaced it with a three-year, $20M pact ($7.5M guaranteed) through 2012. "It's a win-win for everyone involved,'' agent Peter Schaffer tellsThe (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. "It's a great statement by the new regime. It shows that the Browns are committed to winning -- and that they were willing to take care of their best player.'' Cribbs had felt the organization reneged on a promise to redo his deal after the ouster of former GM Phil Savage. But it seems new president Mike Holmgren took care of his team's best player. Cribbs' eight kickoff return TDs are the most in NFL history.

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Chad Pennington will return to the Miami Dolphins. The two sides have reached an agreement in which Pennington will receive a one-year contract for $2.5M but allow for another $1.515M if he is traded. Pennington had requested a no-trade clause that was rejected by the Dolphins. If he's traded, he'll make $4.15 million in 2010 but his primary goal is to strengthen his surgically repaired shoulder throughout the year, mentor the team's young quarterbacks and provide insurance at the position if he's needed to play, a team source said.

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The Rams' first foray into free agency this offseason resulted in Feeley agreeing to terms on a two-year deal for a reported $6 million. That's too much money to hold a clipboard, meaning Feeley looks like the Rams' No. 2 quarterback, and a potential "bridge" quarterback who could start some games if the team ends up drafting Oklahoma's Sam Bradford. Feeley, who turns 33 in May, spent the 2009 season with Carolina. He has not thrown an NFL pass since 2007 and over his nine-year career has thrown only 665 times. Over his career, Feeley has completed 372 of his passes (55.9 percent) for 4,070 yards, with 27 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. He has played in 23 NFL games with 15 starts. His best stretch came in 2002 when he led Philadelphia to four victories in five starts after injuries sidelined Donovan McNabb and Koy Detmer.

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Five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers agreed Friday to a six-year deal with the Chicago Bears worth potentially $91.5 million. Agent Carl Carey said a record $42 million is guaranteed, with Peppers earning $20 million in the first year. The deal includes incentives for sacks, making the Pro Bowl and being named Defensive Player of the Year. "It's one thing to play football in this league and make a living, but it's a totally different thing to come to a place with a rich tradition like the Bears," Peppers said.

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"I'm glad it worked out this way because this is where I wanted to be," Walter said. "We're a team on the rise. I want to have a great year to help us get where we want to go. I really didn't want to go anywhere else." Coach Gary Kubiak is excited to keep Walter as the starting receiver opposite Andre Johnson. "You can't have enough Kevin Walters on your team," Kubiak said. "He stands for everything we are. He's a great kid, a hard worker, a player who does everything right on and off the field. "It's important that he's back with us because he's a big part of what we do."

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The former first round draft pick was traded to the New York Jets Thursday for a 2011 third round pick that could turn into a second round pick.

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The Falcons have signed Robinson (the Texans 2004 first-round pick, 10th overall) to a reported 6-year deal. Terms have yet to be announced. Robinson was the Texans' franchise player last season, earning $9.957M.

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he New York Giants have made Pro Bowler Antrel Rolle the richest safety in the NFL. In the waning hours of the opening day of free agency, Rolle signed a 5-year, $37M contract that has $15M in guaranteed money. "I'm ecstatic," the 27-year-old Rolle said. "Words can't really express how I feel now. I had five great years with the Cardinals organization. But I felt it was time for a change. The Giants are a first-class organization all the way. There are great opportunities for me, and I am excited to be working with the players I'll be working with. I think the sky's going to be the limit as to what we can do." The signing fills a major need for the Giants, who lost Kenny Phillips to a serious knee injury early last season.

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