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After a very slow Saturday -- there were no skill-player free-agent signings, things picked up a bit today. Not much. But we did have a couple of noteworthy developments.
The big move came in New England, where the Patriots continued their off-season spending spree by adding receiver Donte' Stallworth to their already impressive list of free-agent signings.
As ESPN.com's Michael Smith first reported, the deal, negotiated by agent Drew Rosenhaus, can be as short as one year or as long as six seasons. But for the Patriots to retain Stallworth beyond the 2007 season, a year in which he will make $3.6 million in bonuses and salary, New England will have to make a significant investment.
Stallworth will receive an initial signing bonus of $1 million, a roster bonus of $1.6 million and a $300,000 workout bonus, to go along with his 2007 base salary of $700,000. That totals $3.6 million for the coming season.
It's after the 2007 season, however, when the really big money kicks in.
For the Patriots to retain Stallworth for the 2008 season, they must pay him an option bonus of $6 million by Feb. 25, 2008. There is a subsequent roster bonus of $2 million due on March 1, a second roster bonus of $1.6 million based on playing time, a base salary of $1 million and a $400,000 workout bonus. That totals an exorbitant $11 million for 2008, or a two-year total of $14.6 million.
To keep Stallworth for 2009, the Patriots would have to pay another option bonus, this one of $2 million, by Feb. 25 of that year. In terms of bonuses and base salary, the 2009 season would be worth $5 million to Stallworth, for a three-year total of $19.6 million.
The final three seasons of the contract all include workout bonuses of $500,000 each and base salaries of $4 million each. The maximum value of the contract, if the Patriots were to keep Stallworth for all six years, is $33.1 million.
In other words, as Profootballtalk.com editor Mike Florio explained: "It's a one-year deal with an option for a second year, and then an option for four more years."
The rationale behind the structure, from Rosenhaus' perspective: Stallworth has the opportunity to register a huge season in 2007, playing with quarterback Tom Brady, and on a team that figures to be a Super Bowl contender.
And after the 2007 campaign, the Patriots will have to dig deep to retain him, dramatically rework his contract, or allow him to go back into the free agent market. As Smith suggested, it was a creative concept developed by Rosenhaus, one accepted by several of the teams bidding for Stallworth, to maximize his client's earning potential.
At the same time, it provides New England a big-play threat for at least one season, with the capacity to retain Stallworth beyond that, if desired.
Stallworth had visited with the Patriots, Titans and Dolphins this week, and was also considering a return to the Eagles. The 49ers were said to be interested but never truly joined the fray. A first-round draft choice in 2002, he played his first four seasons with the Saints, before joining the Eagles in 2006.
Stallworth, 28, had 38 catches for 725 yards and five touchdowns for the Eagles in 2006. A first-round choice of the Saints in the 2002 draft, he has 233 career receptions for 3,516 yards and 28 touchdowns in 68 games, including 44 starts.
It's worth noting that league and union officials are investigating a Philadelphia Inquirer report that Stallworth is in the NFL's substance-abuse program, sources from both parties told ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli.
Citing unnamed sources, the Inquirer reported Monday that Stallworth is a participant in the league program, and that he could be subject to suspension if he suffered a repeat violation of its conditions.
The newspaper also reported that a breach of the program's confidentiality agreement can warrant a league fine. And Pasquarelli reports that NFL and NFL Players Association officials began to seek out possible sources for the leak on Monday.
Meanwhile, as Boston Globe staffer Mike Reiss noted this morning, Stallworth adds another dimension to a Patriots receiving corps: A legitimate threat on the outside.
The Patriots' other offseason acquisition at the position, Wes Welker, works primarily out of the slot.
Yahoo! Sports correspondent Jason Cole reminded readers the moves come less than a year after the Patriots battled receiver Deion Branch in contract negotiations. Branch held out during training camp and was eventually traded to Seattle for a first-round pick Branch, who was a favorite of Brady.
While Welker is a reliable possession receiver, Stallworth could be a legitimate No. 1 target for Brady, who clearly struggled at times last season while the team rotated multiple players at wideout.
They had four players with at least 40 receptions, led by Reche Caldwell with 61. But the team didn’t have a consistent deep threat. They acquired Doug Gabriel in training camp for that role, but cut him late in the season. The Patriots also recently lost No. 2 tight end Daniel Graham in free agency.
The Patriots also have Jabar Gaffney, Chad Jackson, Kelvin Kight, Bam Childress and Jonathan Smith at the position.
Jackson is recovering from a torn ACL, although -- as noted in a recent Fantasy Notebook -- a recent report suggests the injury isn't as serious as first reported.
As first reported by Boston Herald staffer John Tomase, there's a school of thought that he didn't suffer a complete tear, with part of the evidence being that he had surgery four days after the game instead of the typical week or two while swelling subsides.
As Tomase reminded readers, lack of practice time torpedoed his rookie year. Now, it would appear his recovery from this latest injury -- along with the additions of Stallworth and Welker -- will almost certainly further slow the talented-but-tender youngster's development. ...
In Miami. ... As Scout.com's Adam Caplan first reported this morning, the Dolphins signed veteran fullback Cory Schlesinger to a two-year deal.
Financial details of the deal were not immediately available. Schlesinger visited with Miami officials last week.
Widely considered one of the NFL's top lead blockers, Schlesinger's role in Detroit diminished with the arrival of offensive coordinator Mike Martz, whose system rarely employs a fullback.
As a result, Schlesinger finished with a single carry and just eight catches. His eight touches in 2006 were his fewest since 1996.
As Pasquarelli suggested, new Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron feels that Schlesinger, even at age 34, can be an effective escort for tailback Ronnie Brown. And Cameron knows a little something about the position.
During his time as the San Diego offensive coordinator, Cameron witnessed the importance of standout fullback Lorenzo Neal to Chargers' tailback LaDainian Tomlinson, and feels Schlesinger can fill that same role.
Schlesinger never carried more than 49 times in a season in Detroit and never rushed for more than 154 yards. But his value as a blocker and a receiver twice made him a Pro Bowl alternate.
In 2001, he pulled in 60 receptions.
For his career, Schlesinger has 167 carries for 473 yards and five touchdowns. He also has 197 catches for 1,445 yards and nine scores. He has played in 181 games, including 87 as a starter. ...
That's all for now. ... Things do seem to be settling down a bit, but I'll continue to monitor and bring you pertinent signings of interest as developments warrant.
As always, you'll find breaking items in the News & Views section of the site with more in-depth reviews of top stories available here in the Headline News section, where you'll also find the weekly Fantasy Notebook each Sunday during the offseason.