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Friday was officially the first day of the 2009 free-agent signing period and has increasingly been the case in recent years, the festivities began at a brisk pace.

And if the current economic turmoil facing the United States is going to be a limiting factor in the free-agent market as some have predicted, you couldn't tell from the initial flurry of activity.

As NFL Network insider Adam Schefter reported it this morning: "In a five-hour span from the moment free agency kicked off, the Washington Redskins provided their own stimulus to the economy."

Washington doled out a stunning $156 million worth of contracts -- $100 million to free-agent defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth and another $56 million on free-agent cornerback DeAngelo Hall.

Haynesworth received more guaranteed money than any NFL player. He received more money than any NFL defensive player. And it's safe to that payout will come with some serious expectations on the part of the man signing the checks, owner Daniel Snyder.

It will be interesting to see if head coach Jim Zorn is up to the task of meeting those expectations. ...

With that out of the way, I'll remind you the Roster-Move Roundups will continue to focus on the offensive skill player movement. We'll continue to post daily as long as the activity warrants. Those looking to keep up in real time can, of course, follow along in the News & Views section of the site.

So, we'll get the ball rolling tonight with today's top move. The Browns announced this afternoon that the team had traded tight end Kellen Winslow to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for undisclosed draft picks.

"The Cleveland Browns thank Kellen for his contributions to this organization over the past five years," said Browns general manager George Kokinis. "We appreciate his passion for the game and wish him success in Tampa Bay.

"The draft picks we have obtained through this deal will give us greater flexibility as we look to infuse more talent and create competition and depth on this football team."

Prior to the trade, the Browns had their own picks in Rounds 1, 2, 4 and 6 in this year's draft. Speculation around the league suggests the Bucs are giving up second rounder this year and perhaps a fifth-round pick next season in today's trade.

The Browns selected Winslow with the sixth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. In his five years in Cleveland, he played in 44 games, recording 219 receptions for 2,459 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2006, he caught 89 passes for 875 yards and 3 touchdowns, and in 2007 he went to the Pro Bowl after catching 82 passes for 1,106 yards and 5 touchdowns.

He played in 10 games in 2008, catching 43 passes for 428 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Winslow clashed with team management, specifically deposed G.M. Phil Savage, over the handling of an illness last season, but the talented tight end said there was no lingering animosity toward the Browns, who suspended him for one game last season but later rescinded it.

"Cleveland treated me right," Winslow said. "Everything didn't go as planned, but I had a good time. Like I said, it's a new opportunity for me so I'm really excited.

"This is a positive day; we're going to talk about positive things."

It had been speculated that Winslow might become available for trade shortly after the Browns hired Eric Mangini as head coach.

As Schefter suggested, the Buccaneers, who made some high-profile moves this week, needed to create a stir. Bringing in Winslow will create some excitement in Tampa Bay. With Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard released and Michael Clayton now a free agent, Winslow becomes the second option in the team's pass attack behind Antonio Bryant.

The Buccaneers are also expected to start the inexperienced Luke McCown at quarterback this season, and he'll look to Winslow often as his safety net in the pass attack.

Winslow's presence will certainly lead to some changes at the tight end position. As Tampa Tribune staffer Anwar S. Richardson recently noted, Jerramy Stevens arguably had the best hands on the team, but was underutilized and is all but certain to leave as a free agent.

That leaves Alex Smith and John Gilmore and the lone competition for Winslow.

Winslow is under contract until 2010. He is scheduled to earn base salaries of $4.5-million in '09 and $4.75-million in '10. But Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio reports the Bucs and Winslow's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, are working on a new contract.

Per Florio's source, nothing has been finalized, which means that the trade apparently wasn't conditioned upon a new contract being hammered out between Winslow and his new team.

Whatever the case, Winslow, who acknowledged he is happy to be returning to the state where he starred collegiately, said he is eager to fill the leadership void.

"I'm a competitive player, a passionate player," he said. "I'm coming here to lead and I'm coming here to win. ..."

In a related note. ... Schefter advised readers this morning that with Winslow out of the picture in Cleveland, the Browns' next big decision will be regarding Braylon Edwards, who also wanted a new contract.

The Browns must decide whether to extend Edwards' contract or trade him. ...

One other note out of Tampa. ... Bryant accepted the team's franchise tag on Thursday, ensuring he will remain with the team for 2009. Bryant, who was seeking a long-term contract, will be making $9.88 million for next season.

The Buccaneers designated Bryant, who is coming off a career season, as their franchise player Wednesday.

Bryant had a breakthrough season in 2008 after being out of the game the previous season. The troubled but talented wideout caught a career-high 83 passes for 1,248 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games. ...

In Tennessee. ... On the same day the Titans lost Haynesworth, the team got a bit of good news when Kerry Collins agreed to terms on a two year contract worth $15 million, $8.5 million of which is guaranteed.

Collins became the starter for the Titans after last season's opener when Vince Young was injured. The Titans advanced to the playoffs, losing in the first round to the Baltimore Ravens, 13-10.

"Kerry did a great job for us last year stepping back into the starting role," Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt said in a statement. "He has veteran leadership, tons of game experience and we expect him to continue to play at a high level for us."

Collins had an 80.2 passer rating in 2008 that was the third highest of his 14-year career. He threw for 2,676 yards with 12 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He led three game-winning drives in helping the Titans land the AFC's No. 1 seed and was sacked only eight times.

Collins tied Steve McNair's franchise record with his 12 wins, matching his personal best set in 2000 when he helped the New York Giants reach the Super Bowl. He ranks 14th and is second to only Peyton Manning among active quarterbacks with 37,393 yards passing. He is 11th with 3,160 career completions.

Collins had made no secret of his desire to remain with the team.

"I really like it here, my family really likes it in Nashville, and I think that there is something special here that I'd like to be a part of," Collins said in January as the Titans finished their final meetings at team headquarters. "But there is a business side to it too and if it comes down to it I've got to be able to pack up and move on."

In the end, it didn't come down to it. ...

In New England. ... Fred Taylor's run into the sunset took him straight to New England. After visiting Buffalo and New England this week, Taylor decided to sign with the Patriots.

According to Providence Journal staffer Shalise Manza Young, both teams made contract offers to the 11-year veteran, but the Patriots' recent run of success may have tipped the balance for Taylor.

"It was pretty much a no-brainer," Taylor said on a conference call Friday from his South Florida home.

"Who wouldn't want to play in New England? They've been the most successful organization over the last decade or so."

Manza Young further noted that team is also very important to Taylor, who offered to take a pay cut in order to stay with Jacksonville, but the Jaguars told him they wanted to get younger at the position when they released him last week.

After sharing the load with Maurice Jones-Drew in recent years, Taylor hasn't taken much of a beating, and the veteran believes he could have three good seasons left in his legs. Though he is one of the most underrated running backs of his era, with just one Pro Bowl nod, Taylor has over 11,000 career yards and a couple more solid seasons could solidify his Hall of Fame credentials.

Before New England played the Jags last January in the playoffs, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick called Taylor one of the best backs in the league:

"Fred Taylor, you just can't say enough about him. He's a great runner. He's a strong, powerful guy. [He's] very nifty in the open field, excellent blitz pick up, one of the better blockers that we've seen in the league from his position. He's a complete player [and] does a great job," Belichick said.

Taylor fits the mold of other backs Belichick has brought in over the years, a veteran looking for team success in the final seasons of his career: Antowain Smith, Corey Dillon, Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan.

Taylor joins a crowded backfield in New England that was plagued by numerous injuries last season.

Laurence Maroney, the team's first-round pick in 2006, has been beset by injuries in his career and appeared in only three games last season.

Backups Morris and Jordan also spent considerable time on the shelf, forcing the Patriots to turn to BenJarvus Green-Ellis as the starter midway through last season.

Early indications are Jordan will be allowed to move on as a free agent further opening the door for Taylor to push Maroney and Morris for carries but Taylor said Belichick did not discuss what his specific role would be with the Patriots or how many carries he might expect to get.

"No one has said anything," Taylor said. "What I can tell you is that I anticipate just coming in and competing and trying to make the guys at my position better and them trying to make me better. ..."

Also in New England. ... The Patriots reached agreement with former New York Jets tight end Chris Baker on Friday.

Earlier this month, the Jets released Baker rather than pay him the $9 million option bonus payment that was due to him in early March. At the time, the 29-year-old Baker said he was open to re-signing with the Jets and would like to return. But when New England called, and Baker heard the Patriots' offer, he liked that idea better.

New England believes it is getting a player who had a career-high 41 catches in 2007, more than the player who caught only 21 passes for 194 yards and no touchdowns last season, when Baker lost some of his playing time to rookie first-round pick Dustin Keller. ...

The Patriots, who have used two-tight ends sets liberally in the past, their failure to find somebody to complement Ben Watson has been a limiting factor in that regard. It's safe to say team officials expect Baker to change that. ...

In Denver. ... As FOXSports.com insider Alex Marvez framed it, new head coach Josh McDaniels must have thought running back was his team's most pressing free-agent need. Indeed, the Broncos agreed to terms with free-agent running backs Correll Buckhalter and J.J. Arrington on Friday.

Financial details were not disclosed but the Denver Post reported each contract was for four years.

"Correll has always said when the opportunity presented itself that he would seek an opportunity to start," J.R. Rickert, the agent for both Buckhalter and Arrington, told the Post. "The Broncos are giving him that opportunity. I think Correll and J.J. will complement each other very well. ..."

That comment sets an expectation that Buckhalter will assume the starting running back slot with Arrington reprising his role as third-down back. We suspect Ryan Torain, Selvin Young and Peyton Hillis will have at least a little something to say about that.

Still, as NFL.com's Michael Fabiano pointed out tonight, McDaniels utilized shared backfields in each of his final two seasons as a coordinator with the Patriots, so he's comfortable without a true featured runner -- a rather fortunate coincidence since Denver, which finished last season with seven running backs on injured reserve, has struggled to find such a performer in recent years.

In fact, Clinton Portis was the only Denver ball carrier with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons (2002 and 2004) since 1998.

The pertinent question now might be whether Buckhalter is up for such a role?

A backup behind Brian Westbrook for most of his eight seasons in Philadelphia, the 30-year-old Buckhalter has battled back from knee injuries that forced him to miss the 2002, 2004 and 2005 campaigns. He started two games in 2008 and finished the season with 369 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 76 attempts.

Buckhalter is an effective receiver coming out of the backfield.

Arrington never fulfilled the expectations that came with being Arizona's second-round draft pick in 2005. But he did start three games for the 2008 Cardinals team that reached Super Bowl XLIII. Arrington tallied 432 combined yards from scrimmage (rushing and receiving) and averaged 25.6 yards on kickoff returns with one touchdown.

Also in Denver. ... The Broncos signed former Patriots wideout Jabar Gaffney to a four-year, $10 million deal that includes $3 million guaranteed.

McDaniels, the former Patriots offensive coordinator, figures to run a similar offense in Denver, with three receivers in a base package and Gaffney would appear to be a nice complement with Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal.

Gaffney took some heat last season for dropping a few passes, but he provides Denver with a much-needed No. 3. ...

In Detroit. ... The Lions reached agreement Friday with former Seahawks running back Maurice Morris on what Schefter reports is a three-year deal with $7 million.

Contrary to earlier reports, the Lions were never in discussions with Giants free agent Derrick Ward. Now we know why. ...

The Lions were looking for a No. 2 running back to share the load with Kevin Smith and clearly believe Morris is capable of handling that complementary role. Morris handled a similar role in Seattle last season and finished the 2008 season with 574 yards on 132 carries for a 4.3 yard-per-carry average. ...

In Minnesota. ... The Vikings waived Gus Frerotte, who was their starting quarterback for 11 games last season, on Friday afternoon. The move was expected after the addition of Sage Rosenfels.

Frerotte replaced Tarvaris Jackson as the Vikings starter after the team got off to an 0-2 start. Frerotte went 8-3 as the starter but lost the job after he suffered a back injury late in the season.

Still, Frerotte handled the release as you would expect a 15-year NFL veteran -- one who has played for seven different teams -- to react. With professional resignation.

"There's really nothing that is going to happen to me in the realm of the business side of the NFL that's going to affect me," Frerotte told Minneapolis Star-Tribune staffer Judd Zulgad. ...

Also in Minnesota. ... Kleinsasser agreed to a three-year contract with the Vikings on Friday only hours after becoming a free agent.

The 10-year veteran, a second-round draft choice of the Vikings in 1999 out of North Dakota, is expected to sign the contract on Saturday morning.

One of the NFL's best blocking tight ends, Kleinsasser had at least four offers on the table but elected to remain in Minnesota. ...

In Buffalo. ... The Bills signed free-agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, the team announced Friday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Fitzpatrick will be a backup to starter Trent Edwards.

Fitzpatrick appeared in 13 games -- 12 starts -- during the 2008 season with the Cincinnati Bengals. He set career-highs for completions (221), passing yards (1,905) and touchdowns (eight) as a replacement for injured starter Carson Palmer.

In his four-year career, Fitzpatrick has thrown for 2,682 yards with 12 touchdowns in 19 games -- 15 starts. He was drafted in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams in 2005 out of Harvard.--

Current Buffalo backup J.P. Losman is expected to play elsewhere this fall. ...

In Cincinnati. ... ESPN reports that the Bengals made their first signings of free agency in house Friday as they signed safety Chris Crocker and running back DeDe Dorsey. The team did not specify the length of either deal.

Dorsey played in four games last season before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury.

His return doesn't change the team's desire to retain Cedric Benson nor is it clear that it quells their interest in Ward. ...

In Arizona. ... The Cardinals reached an agreement to re-sign a quarterback but it wasn't Kurt Warner. It was Brian St. Pierre.

According to ESPN.com insider John Clayton, St. Pierre, who came to the Cardinals from the Steelers last year to be the third string quarterback, accepted a one-year, $1 million deal to stay in Arizona. St. Pierre worked with Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt when he was offensive coordinator of the Steelers.

The 29-year-old St. Pierre has thrown only one pass in a regular season game during his six-year NFL career. ...

In Pittsburgh. ... After moving into the starting job at fullback during the final two months of last season, Sean McHugh has decided to remain with the Steelers.

Instead of playing at the restricted free-agent tender of $1.01 million, Clayton reports that McHugh agreed to a three-year, $2.57 million contract with the Steelers that included a $390,000 signing bonus.

McHugh took over the starting job for Carey Davis late in the season and helped the team through its trip to the Super Bowl. ...

In Houston. ... As first reported by Florio, the Texans agreed to terms with tight end Joel Dreessen on Friday.

Dreessen, a three-year veteran, has accepted a three-year, $3.6 million contract.

Florio went on to note the bigger target at tight end, obviously, is Owen Daniels. The Texans have tendered the restricted free agent at the highest possible level, requiring any team that signs him to surrender a first-round and third-round draft choice.

But Dreessen, who appeared in 16 games last year (starting three of them), emerged as a legitimate role player for the Texans last year. ...

In San Francisco. ... The 49ers have agreed to terms with free-agent fullback Moran Norris. According to PFT, Norris signed a three-year, $5 million contract, with $1.5 million guaranteed.

Norris was actually cut by the 49ers last August, and then signed with the Lions. As Florio suggested, the move suggests that perhaps former Niners coach Mike Nolan didn't like Norris, and that G.M. Scot McCloughan did.

He also has played for the Saints and Texans as part of a nine-year career.

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 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.