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After a rather slow Sunday, things picked up a bit on Monday, Day 4 of the 2009 NFL free-agent signing period. While the volume of movement remained a bit low, we finally had another high-profile move. It's certainly one of major interest to Fantasy owners.
That being the case, let's get busy. ...
We'll get the ball rolling tonight in Seattle, where the Seahawks have landed this year's highest-profile free-agent wideout, T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
The National Football Post first reported that Houshmandzadeh was headed to Seattle, and that the Seahawks have offered a multi-year deal $2 million more than any other team. ESPN.com's Michael Smith subsequently reported the deal was worth more than $40 million for five years, with more than $15 million guaranteed.
Houshmandzadeh spurned offers from Minnesota Vikings and his former team, the Cincinnati Bengals, in order to sign with Seattle.
Though he had hoped to make his decision Sunday, Houshmandzadeh, pressured by Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer to stay in Cincinnati and by the Vikings to stay around the Minneapolis area during a visit, escaped from a Minneapolis hotel Sunday night and flew to Los Angeles and took Monday morning trying to make up his mind.
He weighed offers from three teams along with their quarterbacks and their teams' chances of winning.
The final decision was Seattle. It apparently wasn't easy.
"It was very, very difficult for him," said agent Kennard McGuire. "He agonized daily over this in every regard. He's very thankful for all the time he spent in Cincinnati."
"I'll miss the friendships. I'll miss the camaraderie even though we didn't do as well as we should have," Houshmandzadeh said. "It's so hard to leave. I had such a comfort level there."
Wideout was a definite weakness for Seattle last season -- a weakness this signing will certainly address.
Houshmandzadeh, who turns 32 in September, caught 92 passes for 904 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games with Cincinnati last season. He led the NFL with 112 catches in 2007.
A seventh-round draft pick in 2001, Houshmandzadeh has 507 catches for 5,782 yards and 37 touchdowns in 103 games over seven seasons with the Bengals.
Seattle started nine different receivers on offense last season, and the lack of cohesiveness led to inconsistency because of Mike Holmgren's dependence on receiver play in the West Coast offense. Seattle's inability to sustain long drives also meant the defense was on the field more.
Although the Sports Xchange reports that Nate Burleson appears to ahead of schedule in his recovery from ACL surgery, he remains a bit of a question mark. Deion Branch played well late last season but he clearly hasn't been the player expected when Seattle acquired him from New England.
And the Seahawks still need to decide if they want to bring veterans Koren Robinson and Bobby Engram back.
Even if Robinson and/or Engram return to the club, Branch returns to past for and Burleson returns to full health, it would appear Houshmandzadeh will become a primary receiving weapon for Matt Hasselbeck and Seattle's passing attack.
Some questions come immediately to mind: Will Seattle's change to a more conservative, run-oriented attack under new head coach Jim Mora and coordinator Greg Knapp limit Houshmandzadeh's production? Will Houshmandzadeh's presence diminish the value of promising young tight end John Carlson?
And how much better might Hasselbeck be with a reliable downfield target?
Asked during a brief interview by ESPN's Mike Greenberg what he thought of Hasselbeck, Houshmandzadeh told SportsCenter viewers that if healthy, Hasselbeck has to be considered among the league's "best" quarterbacks. ...
For what it's worth, Hasselbeck, who struggled with back issues most of last season, has said he plans on participating in the team's first mini-camp in April. ...
In a related note. ... ESPN.com insider John Clayton believes Houshmandzadeh’s departure in Cincinnati could mean Chad Ocho Cinco might have to stay in Cincinnati another season. Johnson tried to get traded from the Bengals before the 2008 season.
And as NFL.com's Michael Fabiano pointed out, the loss of Houshmandzadeh hurts the value of Palmer, who now has Ocho Cinco, Andre Caldwell and Chris Henry as his top three options in the Bengals passing attack. ...
Also in Seattle. ... The Seahawks and free agent defensive tackle Colin Cole agreed to a five-year, $21.4 million contract that includes $6 million in guaranteed money on Sunday.
Cole, 28, played the last five seasons for the Green Bay Packers, making eight starts and earning significant playing time in Green Bay's defensive tackle rotation. ...
In Tampa Bay. ... Looking to use up some of their salary-cap space, the Buccaneers and Michael Clayton reached agreement Saturday on a five-year, $24 million deal that includes $10.5 million worth of guaranteed money.
Said Clayton, "It's not very often that you get the money you're looking for and also get to be with the team you wanted to play for. I'm very happy."
Incentives and bonuses can push it to $26 million, but the larger point is that Tampa retained Clayton and wide receiver Antonio Bryant when many wondered if either would return.
After a huge rookie season in which he caught 80 passes for 1,193 yards and seven touchdowns in 2004, Clayton has failed to reach 40 receptions in each of his last four campaigns. The former first-round pick had 38 catches for 484 yards and one score last season.
Clayton's return means the Bucs will have both of their starting wide receivers -- Clayton and Bryant, who recently signed his franchise tender -- from the 2008 season on their 2009 roster.
Despite re-signing Clayton, the Bucs still are believed to be interested in several free agent receivers, including Devery Henderson. ...
Also in Tampa. ... According to PewterReport.com's Jim Flynn, the Bucs agreed to terms Monday with Broncos free agent linebacker Niko Koutouvides.
No financial terms were disclosed for the 6-2, 238-pounder, a former fourth-round selection that has 69 career tackles. ...
In Tennessee. ... The Titans agreed to terms with Steelers free agent wide receiver Nate Washington, who caught 40 passes for 631 yards and three touchdowns last season for the Super Bowl champions.
Washington was Pittsburgh's No. 3 receiver, playing behind a pair of Super Bowl MVPs in Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes.
"We targeted [Washington as a] difference maker for us," Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt said in a statement. "[Washington] has shown the ability to stretch the field and be a big-play receiver. He will complement the passing game and brings big-game experience as well."
The Titans lost one of their free agent wideouts, Brandon Jones, to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. ...
Also on Monday, the Titans agreed to terms with Buccaneers free agent defensive tackle Jovan Haye. The 6-foot-2, 285-pounder played in 15 games last season, starting 14, and made 33 tackles. ...
In Houston. ... After trading Sage Rosenfels to the Vikings last Friday, the Texans needed a backup quarterback. They got one on Sunday, signing former Lion Dan Orlovsky, who arrived in Houston on Saturday and signed on Sunday.
According to NFL Network insider Adam Schefter, Orlovsky received a three-year, $9.15 million contract with a $2.4 million signing bonus. The Broncos were outbid for Orlovsky, a four-year NFL veteran.
Orlovsky, 25, started seven games for the winless Detroit Lions last season, throwing for 1,616 yards with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. That was the most extensive playing time of Orlovsky's career since he was drafted in the fifth round by the Lions in 2005. ...
Other signings of interest. ...
Goodman is a seven-year NFL veteran who started all 16 regular-season games for the Miami Dolphins last season and had a team-high five interceptions. ...
The Broncos followed up by signing linebacker Andra Davis On Monday. He fits in with the Broncos' plans to convert to a 3-4 defense since he played in a similar scheme with Cleveland. Davis spent seven seasons with the Browns, finishing second on the team in tackles in 2008.
The Broncos also agreed to a two-year, $5 million contract with San Francisco 49ers free agent defensive tackle Ronald Fields on Monday. The 6-2, 315-pound defensive lineman played in all 16 games last season. He was credited with 19 tackles, according to NFL.com.
The Broncos have made defense a high priority after ranking at or near the bottom in every major defensive category last year, when they surrendered 448 points.
They've re-tooled their secondary, bringing in Goodman, Brian Dawkins and Renaldo Hill. They also added depth at defensive line with Fields and Darrell Reid, a special teams standout who can play defensive end or linebacker in the 3-4 system. ...
The Giants brought in Canty one day after signing linebacker Michael Boley and defensive tackle Rocky Bernard. The 6-7 Canty will provide depth and versatility to a Giants defensive line that already features Pro Bowl defensive ends Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. Umenyiora missed the entire 2008 season with a knee injury. ...
The four-year pro has started 31 games in his career and was also pursued by the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. ...
The 6-3, 255-pound Blackstock played in 12 games with four starts last season, recording 22 tackles. The 6-3, 300-pound Harris played in 14 games last season, posting 22 tackles. ...
Lewis was waived by San Francisco last month. A sixth-round draft pick out of Oregon in 2004, he played mostly on special teams for the 49ers. The Australian Graham signed with the Cardinals last Dec. 1. In eight games with Arizona, Graham averaged 40.4 yards per kick. ...
Bartell started 16 games for the Rams in 2008 and recorded three interceptions. ...
That's it for this installment. ... Once again, I'll remind those interested in following along more closely to keep an eye on the News & Views and ESPN News Feed sections of the site.
Those looking for a full accounting of this year's movement -- including defensive players -- will find it on the NFL.com Free Agency page.
And of course, I'll remind you to check here in the Headline News section for more details stories and in-depth analysis -- including the Weekly Fantasy Notebook -- throughout the offseason.