Saturday agrees to deal with Packers

MILWAUKEE The Green Bay Packers made a rare reach into unrestricted free agency to find a new anchor for their offensive line, agreeing to a two-year deal with veteran free agent center Jeff Saturday on Friday. Saturday’s agent, Ralph Cindrich, confirmed the deal Friday afternoon. ESPN reported the deal earlier Friday. The 36-year-old Saturday has started 188 regular-season games in 13 NFL seasons. He replaces former Packers starter Scott Wells, who signed with the St. Louis Rams as a free agent. The addition of Saturday, with his experience in the Colts’ complex offense and quarterback Peyton Manning, should make for a relatively smooth transition.

Jets trade QB Stanton to Colts for draft pick

Less than a week after signing Drew Stanton, the Jets traded him to the Indianapolis Colts for an undisclosed draft pick. Stanton signed a one-year, $1.25 million deal last week to back up Mark Sanchez, but became expendable when the Jets acquired Tim Tebow from the Denver Broncos on Wednesday. After that trade, general manager Mike Tannenbaum said Tebow would be the team’s No. 2 quarterback.

Barber calling it a career

Chicago Bears running back Marion Barber said he plans to retire. His decision, posted on the team’s website Friday, comes one day after Michael Bush signed a four-year, $14 million contract to be part of a backfield that includes disgruntled Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte. The 28-year-old Barber spent his first six NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before signing with the Bears in 2011. He was a backup to Forte last season and then saw extensive duty when Forte sprained his knee in early December. Barber had six touchdowns and 422 yards rushing last season. A fourth-round pick of the Cowboys in 2005 out of Minnesota, the hard-running Barber gained 4,780 yards rushing on 1,156 carries with 53 touchdowns in his career. He also caught 179 passes for 1,330 yards and six touchdowns.

Porter, Dreessen, Tamme join Broncos

The Denver Broncos have agreed to terms with free-agent cornerback Tracy Porter and tight ends Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen. Porter spent his first four seasons in New Orleans, collecting seven interceptions, 37 pass deflections, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Tamme will be reuniting with Manning in Denver after spending four seasons with the Colts, who drafted him in 2008 out of Kentucky. Dreessen, a former Colorado State University standout, has hauled in 110 passes for 1,364 yards and 13 TDs in six seasons with the New York Jets and Houston Texans.

Elsewhere

RAVENS: Baltimore strengthened its defense and special teams by signing a two-year deal with cornerback Corey Graham, a three-year contract with Brendon Ayanbadejo, and a one-year deal with safety Sean Considine.
The team also re-signed starting inside linebacker Jameel McClain on Friday.

BENGALS: Cincinnati re-signed cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones and offensive tackle Anthony Collins. Cincinnati also signed defensive end Derrick Harvey, a free agent who played for the Broncos last season.

COLTS: Longtime offensive lineman Ryan Diem announced his retirement on Twitter on Friday. The 32-year-old Illinois native apparently informed team owner Jim Irsay of his decision Friday morning. He started 150 games in 11 seasons with the Colts, most at right tackle.

COWBOYS: Dallas signed receiver Kevin Ogletree (Virginia) to a one-year contract. Ogletree originally signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of U.Va. in 2009, he will compete for the role of No. 3 receiver behind Miles Austin and Dez Bryant.

PATRIOTS: New England announced the signings of wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth and quarterback Brian Hoyer. Stallworth spent the 2007 season with the Patriots when they went 18-0 before losing the Super Bowl to the New York Giants.
Hoyer, Tom Brady’s backup for three seasons, was a restricted free agent

The 49ers were believed to be one of three teams in serious contention for Manning’s services but when he agreed to a deal with the Denver Broncos on Tuesday, San Francisco moved quickly to solidify their quarterbacking position by extending’s Smith contract.

“I’m glad this is finally done. For me this was the plan all along,” Smith said on a conference call.

“I guess I never really felt like a free agent. This was the plan to come back here. It’s done now and I’m happy about it.”

The often-maligned Smith enjoyed a breakout campaign last season leading the 49ers to a 13-3 record, the NFC West division crown and a trip to the NFC Championship game where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

The first overall pick in the 2005 draft, Smith started all 16 regular season games and two playoff contests last season, setting multiple career passing marks, completing 273 of 445 passes for a career-high 3,144 yards with 17 touchdowns and only five interceptions.

Despite his performance, the 49ers were in hot pursuit of Manning, leaving Smith to audition for several teams, including the Miami Dolphins.

But with Manning off the market the 49ers signed Smith to a three-year deal worth $8 million a season according to local media reports.

Smith said he was told from the outset about the 49ers pursuit of Manning and insisted there were no hard feelings although he admitted to being a bit surprised by the team’s interest.

“Obviously it was a little unexpected but it is part of the deal, this free agency and this is the NFL and those things happen,” said Smith. “Not offended at all.

“This is my job. I feel like I’ve earned it. I feel like I’ve earned the right to compete for it.”

Smith returns to a team that has added some significant offensive weapons in the form of veteran receivers Mario Manningham and Randy Moss during the protracted negotiations with their quarterback.

“He’s Randy Moss, he’s got a skill set that is totally unique to himself,” gushed Smith.

“He’s a special player, we’ve all seen what he has been able to do over the years and I look forward to throwing the ball to him.”

The Jets sent two picks — a fourth-rounder and sixth-rounder in 2012 — to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a seventh-round selection.

Tebow, a former first-round pick, went on the trading block Monday when the Broncos secured free agent Peyton Manning, who signed a five-year, $96 million contract.

Several teams expressed interest, including Tebow’s hometown Jacksonville Jaguars, but the Jets — perceived as a sleeper at the outset — pulled off the splashiest trade of the offseason.

Tebow — he has three years remaining on his contract, with a base salary in 2012 of $1.1 million — will join a cast of backups behind incumbent Mark Sanchez, but his presence could ignite a quarterback controversy. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie tweeted before the trade that “we don’t need Tebow,” expressing his confidence in Sanchez and the current roster.

Asked on Tuesday what he thought it would be like to play with Tebow, Sanchez told FoxSportsRadio in Los Angeles, “I think Peyton (Manning) will do great, I think Tim will do great no matter what happens. He’s either going to get a great chance to learn from one of the best quarterbacks to ever play, or he moves on somewhere else and he uses his skills at another ballclub. He definitely has talent. He knows how to win, he knows how to inspire players.”

The timing of the trade is curious.

Two weeks ago, the Jets gave Sanchez a three-year, $40.5 million contract extension, professing their faith in him even though he regressed in certain areas last season. They signed former Detroit Lions backup Drew Stanton last week to be their No. 2 quarterback, handing him a $500,000 signing bonus. They also have former Alabama star Greg McElroy.

The Jets see Tebow as a change-of-pace player with the ability to run the wildcat offense. They’ve used the wildcat in recent years, but cut back last season with the departure of Brad Smith. The new offensive coordinator is Tony Sparano, who introduced the wildcat to the NFL as coach of the Miami Dolphins.

The two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, is already tagged as the franchise player, meaning that next season he would’ve earned at least $9.4 million. He will now get the long-term security that he was looking for last year.

“We are thrilled to be able to keep one of the NFL’s top playmakers in Philadelphia,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said in a statement on Wednesday.

“DeSean is a game breaker, he has the speed and ability to score from anywhere on the field, and he has proven himself to be a big threat for our offense. Signing our own players was a big priority for us this offseason and DeSean was certainly high on our list. We are very excited about his future as an Eagle.”

Fans that enjoy making an NFL bet could see that Jackson had a turbulent 2011 season. In training camp, the player held out for a new contract. He was deactivated for a game due to disciplinary reasons and his production dropped.

As the Eagles stumbled to an 8-8 season, the 25-year-old four-year veteran finished the season with 58 catches, 961 yards and four touchdowns.

Football betting fans saw that in his first three seasons, the receiver had an average of 57 receptions, 1,041 yards and six TDs to go along with three TDs rushing and four on punt returns.

Earlier on Wednesday, Philadelphia signed to a four-year extension defensive end Trent Cole, keeping him through the 2017 season under contract.

Ward spent his entire career in Pittsburgh and is the team’s all-time leader in receptions (1,000), receiving yards (12,083), receiving touchdowns (85) and 100-yard receiving games (29).

“I’m officially retiring as a Pittsburgh Steeler,” a tearful Ward said at a news conference.

“To my team mates, I want to thank you guys for the great memory, the times we hung together when no one thought we would, for the great times we shared in our victories, the support we had for each other in our losses and for having each other’s back at all times. I will truly miss you guys.”

Informed by the Steelers last month that he would be released ahead of the 2012 NFL season, Ward decided to retire rather than join another team.

The Korean-born receiver, who was named to four Pro Bowls, is the eighth NFL player to reach 1,000 career receptions and joins Hall of Famer Jerry Rice as the only two players to post 1,000 career catches and win multiple Super Bowls.

Ward, selected by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft, was named the most valuable player of the Super Bowl when the Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks 21-10 in the NFL’s title game in 2006. He also won a Super Bowl in 2009.

Four-time NFL Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning has a new football home, calling Denver a great fit for the next chapter in his illustrious career after announcing on Tuesday he had signed to play with the Broncos.

Terms of the deal for the 11-time Pro Bowl quarterback were not disclosed but a report on the National Football League’s website said it was for five years and $96 million, a deal that would give Manning the league’s top average annual salary.

“I’m very excited to begin the next chapter of my playing career for the Denver Broncos,” Manning told a news conference at team headquarters in Denver.

“This organization is committed to winning. This truly is a special football environment … in the end I thought the Broncos were just a great fit.”

The deal came two weeks after Manning, who missed the entire 2011 NFL season after multiple neck surgeries, was cut by the Indianapolis Colts, where he won a Super Bowl and broke all of the franchise’s major career passing records in his 14 seasons.

The Broncos, with Tim Tebow playing quarterback, overcame a slow start last season but won their division with an 8-8 record and went on to stun the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime in the playoffs before falling to the New England Patriots.

“Peyton is one of the best ever to play this game and I feel very fortunate to have him here,” Broncos owner Pat Bowlen said. “Our goal has always been to win Super Bowls and Peyton gives us a chance to win another world championship.”

Manning will wear No. 18 on his jersey, just as he did in Indianapolis, after getting the blessing of Frank Tripucka, the Bronco’s initial quarterback whose jersey number had been retired by Denver.

Now that four-time NFL MVP quarterback Peyton Manning is officially a free agent and no longer affiliated with the Indianapolis Colts, teams all over the league are showing strong interest in signing the future Hall of Famer. The favorites to land Manning have already been named even before he left the Colts, but it appears that many more will get in the running to bring in the franchise quarterback.

The Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos and the New York Jets have already reached out to the perennial Pro Bowler with interest in signing the quarterback. Most of these teams have already been linked as a possible destination for Manning, but the Broncos are a bit of surprise considering their success with Tim Tebow last season.

Unfortunately, the NFC teams on the list like the Seahawks, Cardinals and Redskins might already be out of the running. Apparently, Manning wants to continue playing in the AFC Conference which definitely gives the edge to teams like the Jets, Dolphins, Chiefs and Broncos.

Peyton Manning has yet to say whether or not any team is a frontrunner for his services or which team he would like to play for next season, but he intends on finding a new team within a week. That statement makes things very interesting from here on out as all teams in the running will be doing everything within their power to lure in one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.

Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Baylor’s Robert Griffin III are viewed as two possible franchise quarterbacks. But will the promise match the production?

Most NFL insiders expected Luck and Griffin will be the top two picks in the 2012 NFL draft. But which of these two athletic quarterbacks will have the most productive NFL career? And how long will it take them to enter the ranks of the league’s elites?

Production Luck: Started 38 of 38 games before leaving school as a redshirted junior; 9,430 passing yards, 67% completion, 82 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. Griffin: Started 40 of 41 games before leaving as a redshirted junior; 10,366 passing yards, 67.1% completion, 78 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Strengths Luck: Has a quick trigger, and his exceptional football intelligence makes him the most polished draft prospect since Peyton Manning. Griffin: Has the athleticism of Michael Vick and the charisma of a Steve Young. His deep ball accuracy is also elite. He’s great at throwing on the run.

Weaknesses Luck: His arm is good, but not great, and he was playing behind a sensational offensive line at Stanford, which bought him plenty of time he won’t have in the NFL. Griffin: Baylor’s quirky spread offense didn’t allow him to make progression reads, so there’s some concern he’ll need time to learn how to read an NFL defense.

Best fit Luck: It’s pointless to even debate his landing spot because the Colts have no interested in trading the No. 1 pick, and will use it on Luck during their rebuilding efforts. Griffin: His athleticism, intelligent and arm strength makes him an ideal fit in a west coast offense like the one Cleveland and Washington have, and Miami’s installing.

The pick: Considering Luck would have been taken ahead of Cam Newton last year it’s impossible to not view him as the best quarterback prospects to come out this decade.

Best of the rest: Texas A&M’s Ryan Tannehill is a first-round talent. Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden should be one because of his elite arm, but his age (28) is a detractor. Arizona State’s Brock Osweiler and Michigan State’s Kirk Cousin are the best of the top shelf options, and will be gone by round three.

Worth noting: Outside of the heavily anticipated arrival of Luck and Griffin there are a number of quarterbacks that have a pro-style skill set. But most will need time and patience to develop. Even late-round options like Arizona’s Nick Foles, Richmond’s Aaron Corp, LSU’s Jordan Jefferson, Furman’s Chris Forcier, Florida’s John Brantley and UM’s Jacory Harris might make decent NFL backups in the right system.

Florida focus: The Dolphins are adamant about finding a better option than Matt Moore, but it’s likely they’ll address the position in free agency by signing Peyton Manning or Matt Flynn. However, a quarterback in the later rounds to serve as an understudy isn’t a bad option considering the team’s lack of depth. Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman is viewed as one of the NFL’s young up-and-coming quarterbacks, but he needs weapons. Jacksonville used a first-round pick last year on Blaine Gabbert, who needs to show drastic improvements in his second season.

The Houston Texans secured a key member of their highly-potent offense by agreeing to a long-term contract extension with speedy running back Arian Foster, the National Football League (NFL) team said on Tuesday.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed but a report on the NFL’s website said Foster, who has been to two Pro Bowls, would receive a maximum of $43.5 million over five years.

The deal made Foster the third-highest paid rusher in the NFL behind Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings and Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans.

“I don’t think it really has sunk in yet. I just signed. That was the first time I’ve shed any tears in a long time,” Foster said at a news conference to announce his deal.

“I think that hard work does eventually pay off.”

Foster, 25, was an undrafted free agent in 2009 and the NFL’s top rusher with 1,616 yards in 2010. He missed three games last season but still ran for 1,224 yards and touchdowns.

Signing Foster, who was scheduled to become a restricted free agent on March 13, was a key objective during the offseason for a Houston team that secured their first division title and playoff victory last season.

Had he become a restricted free agent, another team could have signed Foster in exchange for a first-round draft pick.

Foster said that despite the security of a lucrative, long-term contract awarded to him after an impressive start to his career he remains hungry to perform throughout the NFL’s gruelling 16-game regular season schedule.

“You can’t ride that hype and I understand that more than anybody that each year is a new year, so that’s how I’m going to approach it,” said Foster.

“I haven’t proven anything yet because we haven’t won a Super Bowl. So until I play a mistake-free football game, that’s what I’m going to strive for.”

INDIANAPOLIS — Colts owner Jim Irsay announced Wednesday that his team will release quarterback Peyton Manning, making the four-time MVP perhaps the most-coveted free agent in NFL history — if he’s healthy enough to play in 2012.

“I haven’t thought about yet where I’ll play but I have throught about where I’ve been. I’ve been blessed.
” — Peyton Manning

Both men paused frequently to fight tears, with their voices shaking, when they appeared together at a news conference at the Colts’ team complex to announce the end of Manning’s 14-year tenure in Indianapolis. The team had a deadline of Thursday to pay Manning a $28 million bonus and exercise the four remaining years on the five-year, $90 million contract he signed before last season, or release him outright.

“This is difficult because of the things Peyton has done for our city, our state and our franchise,” Irsay said. “There will be no other Peyton Manning.”

Irsay said Manning’s No. 18 “will never be worn again by a Colt on the field.”

“We all know that nothing lasts forever,” Manning said. “Times change, circumstances change, and that’s the reality of playing in the NFL.”

Manning said no matter where he ends up playing next season, “I’ll always be a Colt. That’ll never change.”

It was a sentiment shared by Irsay, who said Manning will “always (be) part of the horseshoe.”

Manning officially will be a free agent once the Colts submit his release to the NFL, the league processes it and places his name on the waiver wire. That could happen as soon as Wednesday afternoon, as the league typically distributes that list at about 4 p.m. ET each weekday. Free agency begins Tuesday, but Manning can sign with another NFL team immediately after the Colts formally release him.

Both men said money was not a factor. Manning missed all of last season after having his third neck surgery in 19 months, a fusion of two vertebrae. Without him, the Colts were an NFL-worst 2-14, which comes with the No. 1 overall draft pick in April.

“I haven’t thought about yet where I’ll play but I have throught about where I’ve been,” Manning said. “I’ve been blessed.”

Irsay said he’ll be rooting for Manning to succeed, wherever his next NFL home might be.

“I want to see him come back and play great, no question about it. Here, just like in 2001, we didn’t have everything to surround him. I want him to succeed at the end of his career,” he said.

As for the Colts, Irsay repeatedly used the word “rebuilding” and acknowledged “we’re definitely a few years away.”

Manning preferred to remain with the Colts, one source told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen, but a source close to Irsay said the owner concluded that the major restructuring of the organization would include a change at the position, likely either former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck or former Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.