Signin' Time

Maybe it was the time on the NFL calendar. Maybe it was the players involved. I can't recall a franchise tender signing deadline that received more attention than the one that passed on Wednesday. It turned out that the deadline was deserving of all of that attention as it was quite eventful.

Five players had the franchise tag slapped on them.

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, New York Giants
Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos
Justin Houston, LB, Kansas City Chiefs
Stephen Gostkowski, K, New England Patriots

Jason Pierre-Paul was the only one that failed to sign his tender or a contract extension. That was pretty much expected after his 4th of July firecracker accident and the eventual amputation of his index finger. He's in something of a holding pattern until he's physically ready to play football. 

The remaining four players all signed contract extensions. It was a very eventful day. Many football talking heads didn't expect any of the players to sign. It was wonderful to see that they were wrong. 

The little kicker Stephen Gostkowski agreed to a four-year deal worth $17.2 million. He was the only player of the five that had signed his franchise tender. He had signed it almost as soon as it was handed to him way back in February. There was little drama to his signing but the Patriots now have their kicker secured for a while. 

The biggest contract of the day, and one of the biggest contracts for a defensive player, went to Justin Houston. 6 years, $101 million. $52.5 million guaranteed. $32.5 million of which is guaranteed upon signing. That's a big one. Dwarfed only by the mammoth deal that the Miami Dolphins handed to Ndamukong Suh earlier this year. Houston has collected sacks at an absurd rate over the past few years. The Chiefs had to lock up their defensive cornerstone. 

The receivers Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas agreed to their deals in the last hour before the deadline. They were suspiciously similar. They were especially suspicious seeing as the NFLPA has expressed concerns over possible collusion between the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos involving these negotiations. Each receiver agreed to 5-year, $70 million. The difference between the two contracts came in the guaranteed monies and how those monies will be paid. Bryant has $45 million guaranteed. Thomas has $43.5 guaranteed. A coincidence? Their respective agents Tom Condon and Todd France work out of the same office. Collusion between the agents? Who knows? Who cares if both players and teams are happy?

It was nice to see these agreements. Holdouts suck.