The names started to circulate early.
Kyle Vanden Bosch signed with Detroit. So did Nate Burleson. Julius Peppers and Chester Taylor picked Chicago. And that was before lunch was fully digested.
Before the day was done, the Arizona Cardinals had lost two key pieces that helped lead the Super Bowl charge 14 months ago, and that’s not counting quarterback Kurt Warner, who recently retired. Linebacker Karlos Dansby agreed to terms with Miami and Arizona traded receiver Anquan Boldin to the Ravens.
And that’s not even talking about anything involving Ben Roethlisberger and his latest scrap with the authorities.
The first day of NFL free agency generally creates news. Players switch teams. Teams court players. And before the first practice blowup or offseason mistake or regular-season miscue, everyone is happy. Free agency addresses field needs on paper, and everyone looks better on paper.
Last year Albert Haynesworth left Tennessee for a nine-figure deal in Washington, D.C. — the official headquarters of nine-plus-figure deals in all walks of life. In 2008 Alan Faneca left Pittsburgh for the New York Jets, and Nate Clements and Patrick Kerney headed to the West Coast the season before that.
Friday, though, was to the extreme. Almost all the big names moved quickly.
Peppers, the unquestioned biggest fish on the market, and Taylor give the Bears a lightning fast start. Taylor may not have the known-by-initials swagger of L.T. or even the gaudy numbers of Thomas Jones, who was released Friday by the New York Jets, but Taylor has fewer miles on his legs than LaDainian Tomlinson and more versatility than Jones.
Detroit coach Jim Schwartz moved quickly on Vanden Bosch, traveling to Nashville and negotiating with the Pro Bowl defensive end early Friday morning. Schwartz, who was the Titans’ defensive coordinator before taking over the Lions, was reportedly waiting outside of Vanden Bosch’s gated community until midnight and had a deal in place before the sun was up Friday.
It was a good move, and Schwartz delivered a true leader and experienced contributor to a locker room loaded with young talent and devoid of defensive playmakers.
It may just be the first blow to the Titans, though. They still have to decide if they want to keep all-pro Keith Bulluck and what their relationship with quarterback Vince Young will be before they move forward.
The Atlanta Falcons also addressed a huge need, agreeing in principle with cornerback Dunta Robinson, a Georgia native who has become a lockdown cover guy with the Houston Texans. Robinson is the best defensive back to put on a Falcons uniform since DeAngelo Hall decided to use his mouth more than his speed.
The bevy of movement reshapes the look of almost half the league and reshuffles just about every aspect of next month’s draft. The Dolphins, for example, were pegged to take a linebacker — perhaps even Alabama’s Rolando McClain — with their first-round pick, but that hardly seems like Miami’s most pressing need after adding Dansby.
The quick trigger is likely to continue, too. Friday was different than previous free agency beginnings in years past — not because of star power or the risk-reward possibilities of the Lions or Bears or any other tiger on this bull market.
Friday was the first day of the uncapped NFL. And with the lid off, there figures to be even more fireworks in the days ahead.