On the second day of NFL free agency, teams have picked up where they left off yesterday. Signing players to fill their needs moving forward, teams are also cutting players who no longer fit into their plans. The Miami Dolphins made their big move yesterday, signing wide receiver Mike Wallace to a 5-year, $65 million deal. Wallace said that he believes the Dolphins can contend with the big boys of the AFC East.
The other two Florida teams have made splashes with deals of their own. The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of those busy teams, signing former Chicago Bears linebacker Geno Hayes on the same day they cut wide receiver Laurent Robinson. Hayes will join Paul Posluzny and Russell Allen as part of a seasoned LB corps for the Jags.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were not to be denied when it came to getting their premier man in the secondary. The Bucs were able to ink safety Dashon Goldson, giving him $41.25 million over five years with $22 million guaranteed. The Bucs also made a big splash last year when they signed former Chargers wideout Vincent Jackson.
Perhaps one of the busiest teams in the league has been the Detroit Lions; they’ve added former Dolphins running back Reggie Bush, CB Chris Houston, S Glover Quin and DE Jason Jones. The Lions are hoping that their haul on the defensive side will complement the offensive weapons that they currently have with QB Matt Stafford, WR Calvin Johnson, and RB Reggie Bush.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals have found a replacement for running back Beanie Wells (who was cut earlier this week) in former Pittsburgh RB Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall got a one-year deal from the Cards earlier today.
Over in Denver, the Broncos are also reportedly in “serious talks” with wide receiver Wes Welker. If signed, Welker would join a star-studded Denver offense which includes QB Peyton Manning, RB Willis McGahee and WRs DeMaryius Thomas and Eric Decker.
The Tennessee Titans have added some depth at the running back position, signing former Jets RB Shonn Greene. He’ll get $10 million over 3 years to back up starter Chris Johnson.