Denver Broncos: Free Agency Has Begun

SF Gate writes "Get used to dealing with hard-hitting safety Brian Dawkins twice a year: he just agreed to a deal with the Broncos, a league source told The Chronicle, bringing some muscle and old-school attitude to the mostly athletic and finesse-minded AFC West.

"A press conference is coming Saturday to introduce Brian Dawkins, the source said.

"The perrenial Pro Bowler is 35 but should have another year or two in the tank. He's the sort of tough and on-target safety the Raiders have been missing for years. As it turns out, they won't have a chance of signing him now."

Denver Broncos blogs on the Free Market

9:45 a.m. MST: It began late last night with Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who hit the open market for just a short while before he re-signed with Washington.

Then the Redskins were able to sign the biggest free agent prize out there, Albert Haynesworth.

The Patriots got into the mix and are expected to sign running back Fred Taylor, who has spent the entirety of his career up to this point with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It looks like the New York Jets have gotten one of the most coveted free agent linebackers in Bart Scott, and they also were able to re-sign their fullback, Tony Richardson.

So the Ravens have lost one of their best linebackers, and it looks like they may lose another — Ray Lewis may take his services elsewhere for the first time in his career.

The Patriots have been able to take away from the division rival Jets by picking up tight end Chris Baker.

And safety Eugene Wilson was on the market for just a few hours before getting a new deal with his 2008 team, the Houston Texans.

And though it happened before the start of free agency, the Dolphins secured the safety position by re-signing Yeremiah Bell to a new deal and signing Gibril Wilson, who was cut by the Raiders.

9:49 a.m. MST: Here’s a list of Broncos who are now on the market.

Unrestricted: Tatum Bell, Ebenezer Ekuban, Darrell Jackson, Marlon McCree, Tom Nalen, Karl Paymah, Kenny Peterson, Michael Pittman, Jeb Putzier, Patrick Ramsey, Edell Shepherd and Nate Webster.

Restricted: Erik Pears.

Exclusive Rights: Andre Hall.

10:07 a.m. MST: After trying unsuccessfully last year to trade for quarterback Sage Rosenfels, the Vikings have finally done it this year. The Houston backup is now a Viking.

10:23 a.m. MST: There’s a new name on the list of available players: Marques Douglas. The Ravens have just cut the defensive end, making him a free agent.

10:28 a.m. MST: The biggest trade of the day, thus far, has just gone through. The Cleveland Browns have traded tight end Kellen Winslow to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for an undisclosed draft pick.

10:38 a.m. MST: After losing Scott and cutting Douglas, the Ravens have jumped into the fray by signing cornerback Domonique Foxworth.

The former Bronco spent last season with the Falcons, starting 10 games.

1:36 p.m. MST: Sorry for the delay in posts, but everyone’s gotta eat. So after a little lunch with Kyle Sonneman and PR staffer Patrick Smyth, it’s time to get back to tracking the transactions.

The Patriots are close to completing a trade that would send linebacker Mike Vrabel to the Chiefs.

1:41 p.m. MST: Fourth-year offensive tackle Frank Omiyale joins the Chicago Bears after spending last season with the Carolina Panthers.

And the Bengals have gotten into the mix by re-signing safety Chris Crocker.

1:53 p.m. MST: Guard Chris Kemoeatu has re-signed with his 2008 team, the Steelers.

2:00 p.m. MST: And to update the post a few hours back about Foxworth — he and the Ravens have now reached a deal for his four-year contract.

2:31 p.m. MST: With all the talk about Ray Lewis, I thought I’d link to this little tidbit by Adam Schefter. It seems that Lewis’ relationship with the Ravens is just fine, and he will not make any decisions until Monday.

2:37 p.m. MST: After losing Haynesworth, the Titans have managed to re-sign a couple of their own free agents. They have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with quarterback Kerry Collins, and they also locked up defensive back Vincent Fuller.

3:10 p.m. MST: A couple more running backs have received new contracts around the league. DeDe Dorsey re-signed with the Bengals, and Maurice Morris signed with the Lions after seven seasons in Seattle.

Center Brad Meester has re-signed with the Jaguars.

3:13 p.m. MST: The Saints have reached an agreement with linebacker Jonathan Vilma on a five-year contract.

3:59 p.m. MST: I want to thank everyone for all the great comments on the blog. Free agency is an exciting time in the NFL, and so much is going on.

As Kyle Sonneman noted in a comment below, the Broncos have not announced any official signings. As such, all the news out there are just reports from outside sources. The transactions being reported may very well go through, but until the Broncos announce it, it would be inappropriate for us to report on it as the team’s official site. Once something is made official by the team, we will fill you in completely.

4:41 p.m. MST: You may have noticed the blog is a little sluggish, and we apologize for the problem. With all the activity and traffic on the site, it’s just running a little slow.

But rest assured we’ll keep you informed.

4:56 p.m. MST: Free agent right tackle Stacy Andrews, formerly of the Bengals, will be joining the Eagles, pending a physical today. The two sides have agreed to terms on a contract.

5:00 p.m. MST: After re-signing Meester earlier, the Jaguars have re-signed another one of their free agents — cornerback Scott Starks.

6:58 p.m. MST: Another delay for the drive home and a few errands, and now I’m back at it, catching up on the latest free agency transactions.

10-year veteran tight end Jim Kleinsasser, a second-round pick of the Vikings in 1999, has agreed to a new deal with Minnesota.

– Adam Zinser, DenverBroncos.com