49ers giving Williams record contract for OL
As the NFL opened its business year Wednesday, veterans Trent Williams, A.J. Green and Emmanuel Sanders prospered.
Some teams officially announced deals that consistently leaked during the “legal tampering” period that began Monday, and others stayed pretty silent. That trio of players with a total of 31 pro seasons made out very well despite not getting big offers immediately.
The San Francisco 49ers held onto the best tackle who could have become a free agent by handing Williams the richest contract in league history for an offensive lineman. His agents at Elite Loyalty Sports said the deal agreed to early Wednesday will pay Williams $138.1 million over the next six years, surpassing the $138 million deal David Bakhtiari received from Green Bay a year ago.
Williams also will get the biggest signing bonus ever for an offensive lineman at $30.1 million, as well as $55.1 million guaranteed.
Green joins the Arizona Cardinals and ends a decade in Cincinnati, though he has been plagued by injuries recently and sat out 2019. Arizona, which also acquired center Rodney Hudson from the Las Vegas Raiders for a thirdround draft pick, already has a No. 1 receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, and long-time star Larry Fitzgerald has not made a decision on returning for an 18th season.
Sanders, 33, joining his fourth franchise, earned a one-year contract with $6 million with the Buffalo Bills. But he gets to join All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs catching passes from Josh Allen for a team on the rise that went to its first AFC title game since the 1993 season before losing at Kansas City. Elsewhere:
• Eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson left Arizona after 10 seasons to join the Minnesota Vikings, who agreed with the 30-year-old on a one-year contract worth up to $10 million.
• The Raiders added receiver John Brown, recently cut by Buffalo, as a potential deep threat after Nelson Agholor left in free agency for New England.
• The Chiefs agreed to a $5 million contract with three-time Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long, who will come out of retirement.
• Detroit took away one of division-rival Green Bay’s offense pieces, giving a two-year contract to running back Jamaal Williams.
The Lions also arranged a trade with the Los Angeles Rams for steady defensive tackle Michael Brockers.
• Washington stayed busy by agreeing with cornerback William Jackson III, a Wheatley graduate and former UH star, on a contract worth $42 million over three years with $26 million guaranteed.
Washington also reportedly filled a void at wide receiver after coming to terms on a three-year, $34.5 million deal with Curtis Samuel. Samuel, formerly with Carolina, gives the team a No. 2 wideout behind Terry McLaurin.
Cowboys keep corner, cut punter
The Dallas Cowboys are bringing back cornerback Jourdan Lewis and have released punter Chris Jones, a starter for eight of his 10 years with the team before injuries sidelined him during the second half of the 2020 season.
Lewis’ representatives said Wednesday he signed a three-year contract.
Fellow cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, a secondround choice that year and usually a starter ahead of Lewis, is reportedly headed to Cincinnati.
Jones’ release saves Dallas about $2 million in salary-cap space and clears the way for Hunter Niswander to take over the job.