The cornerback market picked up late Monday with the Chargers’ signing of J.C. Jackson (five years, $82.5 million max value) and the Buccaneers’ re-signing of Carlton Davis (three years, $45 million).
Cornerback-needy teams that missed out — such as the Raiders, Patriots and Jets — must now decide whether to pursue Stephon Gilmore, Darious Williams or Casey Hayward at the top of free agency. Or maybe one of those teams is more receptive to trading a mid-round draft pick for the Giants’ James Bradberry at his $13.4 million salary in a walk year, after missing out on Jackson and Davis.
Davis’ re-signing was the second move to keep an in-house free agent in the hours after Tom Brady unretired and reinstalled the Buccaneers as a Super Bowl favorite. The Buccaneers also kept center Ryan Jensen (three years, $39 million), after franchise-tagging receiver Chris Godwin earlier.
J.C. Jackson makes a tackle against the Jets. APGuard Alex Cappa (four years, $40 million) is leaving the Bucs for the Bengals. He was the first free agent to agree with a new team — about one minute after the legal-tampering period opened, providing the annual reminder that these negotiations start weeks before actually permitted.
Demarcus Lawrence agreed to a three-year extension with the Cowboys and became the first defensive end in NFL history to get seven years of his contract fully guaranteed, according to agent David Canter.
The rival Eagles signed a pass rusher of their own by reaching into their backyard for Camden, N.J. native and former Temple star Haason Reddick on a three-year, $45 million deal. Reddick left the Cardinals for the Panthers on a prove-it deal last year — and then proved it. He has 23.5 sacks in the past two seasons.
