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Roster-Move Roundup: Berrian, Stallworth Cash In
The second day of free agency is pretty much behind us and the torrid pace set on Day 1 slowed noticeably. Still, a pair relatively high-profile receivers -- certainly players that will be of interest to Fantasy owners -- cashed in on their opportunity on Saturday.

But first. ... Day 2 of the "Randy Moss Watch."

NFL Network insider Adam Schefter is reporting today that those who know Moss say he is inching closer to the point of frustration at the lack of progress he has made for a new deal with the Patriots.

The longer the Patriots wait to sign him, the more they invite other teams to begin recruiting Moss.

As noted last night, Moss is, at the very least, now willing to take free-agent visits and listen to other offers. The contract the Patriots have proposed is not enough for Moss to sign now. According to Schefter, the record-setting wide receiver believes he gave New England a discount last year and is unwilling to do the same this year.

And here's where it gets zany. ... Schefter reminds readers that Brett Favre openly campaigned for the Packers to sign Moss last offseason. When they didn't, he spoke out against the organization. With the future of both players in question (the Packers are awaiting a decision on Favre's future), Schefter suggests the Packers could make the decision for him by landing Moss.

As I suggested in a recent Headline News article on Moss, the Pats' failure to get him under contract quickly would lead to some interesting rumors; Schefter's is just the latest example.

With that out of the way, let's get back to the business at hand: Actual signings. ...

We'll get the ball rolling tonight in Minnesota, where FOXSports.com insider Jay Glazer first reported the Vikings acted swiftly to add a No. 1 receiver for young quarterback Tarvaris Jackson.

This after the team came to terms on a six-year deal with Bernard Berrian. The worth of the deal is not yet known.

Berrian was considered the No. 2 receiver on the open market behind Moss. The Bears wanted to retain Berrian, but Minnesota's offer was a bit overwhelming.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the deal is worth a total of $42 million with $16 million guaranteed, making Berrian the NFL's fourth highest-paid receiver in the NFL.

Wow. That's a lot of money (I said, demonstrating a remarkable grasp of the obvious). Berrian was seeking $24.5 million over the first three years of a contract.

To put that in perspective, the Bears offered Berrian $25 million over five seasons.

As Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio framed it tonight: "Let's be clear on this. Berrian's best season came in 2007, with 71 receptions for 951 yards and five touchdowns.

"And he gets $16 million guaranteed?"

Florio went on to point out that Moss, in contrast, had 98 catches for 1,453 yards and 23 touchdowns. So if Berrian is worth $16 million in guaranteed money, how much should Moss get?

Certainly more than Berrian, but that's another story. ...

Back to this story, much like the Rams' signing of Seattle place-kicker Josh Brown on Friday, the Vikings do double damage with this deal. Berrian instantly upgrades Minnesota's receiving group while weakening that of Chicago, which already released veteran Muhsin Muhammad.

Losing Berrian was bad; losing him to a division rival in need of a deep threat to open up an offense led by running backs Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor could be disastrous.

As the Sports Xchange recently noted, Bobby Wade, a free-agent addition last March, turned out to be a productive addition, but he'll not be confused for a game-breaker. Robert Ferguson was brought in during training camp after being cut by Green Bay, but his impact wasn't significant.

What the Vikings really needed was a speedy receiver who can stretch the field and make opponents respect the deep ball. Troy Williamson should have been that player, but the former first-round pick's shortcomings ultimately led to Friday's trade sending him to Jacksonville.

Sidney Rice, a second-round pick in 2007, has big-play potential but doesn't have what would be described as great speed.

Minnesota needed a player with the kind of speed opposing coordinators fear; the kind of speed that consistently draws double teams. ... The kind of speed Berrian brings to the table.

The Bears, meanwhile, are left with Pro Bowl returner Devin Hester (20 catches, 299 yards 2 TDs last year) and Mark Bradley (6 catches, 71 yards and 1 TD in 2007) as their leading wide receivers, a development that all but guarantees they'll be looking to land another wideout through free agency. ...

In Cleveland. ... One day after retaining Derek Anderson, the Browns added a weapon to the Pro-Bowl signal caller's receiving arsenal.

As Schefter first reported, Cleveland signed free-agent wide receiver Donte' Stallworth. ESPN.com's Michael Smith subsequently reported Stallworth, who played last season with New England, agreed to terms on a seven-year, $35 million contract, $10 million of which is guaranteed.

Florio, however, reports a maximum practical value and length of $22 million over five years. The deal also pays out $17.1 million over the first four years. So despite the appearance of a $5 million annual average, it's less than $4.5 million.

Still, that's pretty good money.

In case you weren't paying attention, Stallworth caught 46 passes for 697 yards and three touchdowns as part of a Patriots receiving corps that included Moss, Wes Welker and Jabar Gaffney, who came on strong in the final six games of the season, catching 21 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns over that span.

Gaffney's production seemed to come at Stallworth's expense.

Stallworth's best overall season was in 2005 when he caught 70 passes for 945 yards and seven touchdowns as a member of the Saints.

All that said, Stallworth's arrival is an indication the Browns are intent on ensuring Anderson's continued success. Stallworth averaged 15.2 yards per reception last season, his first with New England. He has averaged 15.1 yards per reception for his career.

ESPN.com's Mike Sando believes that average per catch speaks more to his value than total receptions.

The Browns already have an established No. 1 wide receiver in Braylon Edwards. Tight end Kellen Winslow is often the first option. Joe Jurevicius is a tough matchup. According to Sando, "Stallworth adds to the pile, as coaches sometimes say. ..."

In New Orleans. ... The Saints agreed to re-sign receiver Devery Henderson. The four-year veteran briefly tested the free agent market before deciding to stay in New Orleans. Henderson reportedly received a one-year, $2 million deal.

As New Orleans Times-Picayune staffer Mike Triplett noted this afternoon, Henderson, who turns 26 this month, will have a chance once again to compete for a full-time starting job alongside Marques Colston.

So far, the Saints have yet to re-sign or replace last year's starter, David Patten. Second-year pro Robert Meachem will also be in contention for the No. 2 or No. 3 receiver's job after basically redshirting his rookie season.

Triplett went on to remind readers that Henderson has had an inconsistent career since being drafted out of LSU in 2003. At times one of the league's most dangerous deep threats, Henderson has also struggled with dropped passes.

He caught 20 passes for 409 yards and three touchdowns last season -- a dropoff from 2006, when he set career highs with 32 catches, 745 yards and five touchdowns.

Still, he has the potential for big plays.

The former second-round choice has averaged more than 20 yards a reception for the past two years. His career receiving average is 20.2 yards a catch. ...

Also on Saturday. ... The Saints agreed to re-sign Aaron Stecker to a one-year, $1.4 million contract. This according to the veteran tailback's agent, Ronald Slavin, who told Triplett Tampa Bay also offered Stecker a deal.

Apparently the offers were close, but Stecker preferred to stay put.

As Triplett noted, the 32-year old Stecker has been a valuable and versatile member of the Saints' offense and special teams units for the past four seasons since coming over from Tampa Bay in free agency.

He filled in as the starting tailback last December after both Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush suffered knee injuries and he had the most productive offensive season of his eight-year career.

Stecker ran for 448 yards and five touchdowns and caught 36 passes for 211 yards. ...

And finally tonight, in Denver. ... The Broncos made their first out-of-house free-agent agreement in the form of Keary Colbert. The former Carolina receiver agreed to terms on a three-year contract Saturday.

According to Schefter, the deal is worth $7.2 million, including a $2.5 million signing bonus.

Colbert, 25, had 32 catches last season. His best season was in 2004, his rookie season when he was a second-round pick form USC. He had 47 catches that season.

According to Denver Post staffer Bill Williamson, Colbert will compete with Brandon Stokley for the No. 2 starting job opposite blooming star Brandon Marshall.

The Broncos have an opening in wake of Javon Walker's release on Friday. ...

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.

And as always, those looking for something a little more in-depth should keep an eye out here, in the Headline News section.