Saints plan to sign new contract with RB Thomas

Some reports in early last week said that the New Orleans would sign a new contract with their running back Pierre Thomas within that week, but by so far, there has been no official confirmation of any new contract, and Pierre Thomas one of the team’s five restricted free agents.

However, according to latest reports, the Saints do have a plan to offer Thomas with a long-term deal. And the running back himself also appears confident with what he can get from the team. His confidence might have increased since offensive guard Jahri Evans received a lucrative seven-year contract. Rushing for six touchdowns and a career-best 793 yards during last season, Thomas has managed to prove himself a leading rusher in Saints jersey and a keystone role that the club is willing to pay big money for.

The Saints’ other four unsigned restricted free agents are offensive tackle Jammal Brown, fullback Kyle Eckel, safety Roman Harper and wide receiver Lance Moore. The team also has six unrestricted free agent yet to sign or give up before the 2010 season, and quarterback Mark Brunell has been already trying his chance with other teams during the offseason.

Cardinals added three defensive men with new contracts

Restricted free agent tight end Ben Patrick is to wear back his No. 89 Arizona Cardinals jersey for the 2010 season as the team has signed a one-year contract with him. Similar thing happened to safety Hamza Abdullah and fullback Nehemiah Broughton.

A seventh-round draft pick out of Delaware in 2007, Patrick has 30 career receptions for 323 yards and four touchdowns. He also has five postseason receptions, including a touchdown catch in the 2009 Super Bowl. All of Patrick’s first three career seasons were spent with the Cardinals, while six-year veteran Abdullah joined the Cardinals last December and played in only one regular-season game but took part in both postseason games.

As for Broughton, he spent last season with the Minnesota Vikings on practice squad without playing any game. He was previously signed by the Cardinals on Jan. 5 and on Tuesday the Cardinals signed his exclusive rights contract to get him back from the free agent market.

Faulk re-signed with Patriots with plan to retire as a Patriot

Having spent the entire of his 11-year career with the New England Patriots, running back Kevin Faulk thinks that he should just begin and end his NFL career both as a Patriot, just like All-Star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, who chose to re-join the Boston Red Sox, the team drafted him in 1994 be he retired the next day. So, Faulk decided to re-sign with the Patriots.

“I might have left and gone and it might have been successful, but it wouldn’t have been the same if I would have been here doing it,” Faulk said Thursday in a conference call with reporters, a day after Garciaparra made his awkward, one-day return to the Red Sox for the purpose of announcing his retirement. “What happened with Nomar Garciaparra—it’s great he came back and retired a Red Sox, but at the same time if he would have done it here it would have even been better.”

Being picked by the Patriots as a second-round draft choice in 1999, Faulk became an unrestricted free agent earlier this month. He is the longest-tenured member of the Patriots and played in all the Patriots’ three Super Bowl victories along with Tom Brady, Matt Light and Stephen Neal. His numbers in last season included 335 rushing yards, 37 pass catches for 301 yards and 3 touchdowns. Since putting on the Patriots jersey, he has totally had 3,505 yards rushing and 418 receptions for 3,605 yards along with returned kicks and punts.

Falcons added veteran CB Robinson to roster

Unrestricted free agent cornerback Dunta Robinson was brought in the private jet of Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank to have a visit with the team. It was his first visit since becoming a free agent and also the last as he is now officially a Falcon after signing a six-year contract.

“This is something I’ve always dreamed about growing up in Athens, Ga.,” Robinson said. “This was the first professional team that I wanted to play for. I’m home. This is where I need to be. Here is where I’m most comfortable.”

The money is also what he’s dreamed of. The multiyear contract is worth $57 million, including an approximately $22.5 million in guaranteed money. And the way he was signed was similar to the way running back Michael Turner was signed two years ago when Blank, general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith had Turner visit to Atlanta and persuaded him to sign a six-year contract in early March 2009.

Once in Falcons jersey, Robinson is likely to take part in the team’s mini-camp in May as a starting cornerback along with Brian Williams, who signed a new one-year contract with the Falcons last week. And Coach Smith’s expectation of Robinson is simply to jam the opponent’s No. receiver at the line of scrimmage before dropping into coverage.

Cribbs finally get a three-year deal done with Browns

Now the versatile Josh Cribbs has gotten what a most popular player of the Cleveland deserves to have, a new multi-year contract. According to reports, the Cleveland eventually rewarded Cribbs a new three-year part of his six-year, $6.67 million deal that was signed in 2006.

“I’m excited,” Cribbs said, sitting alongside new team president Mike Holmgren at a hastily arranged news conference. “It’s been a long road. It worked out. We reached a good compromise. I’m happy to wear this uniform proudly, as I’ve been saying the whole time.”

The restructured final three-year part will guarantee Cribbs $7.5 million plus another $20 million if he reaches incentives. Thus the Browns finally managed to keep the 26-year-old kicker/wide receiver in Browns jersey for another three years. Meanwhile, the press conference Cribbs said earlier this week he would hold to make a major announcement turned out to be held by the Browns.

The contract ended two seasons of threats, broken promises and back-and-forth negotiations. As the NFL’s career leader with eight kickoff returns for touchdowns, he is considered to deserve a big deal and had won supports from Browns fans for the past season.

Jaguars WR Williamson will stay in Jacksonville for one more season

After spending two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, wide receiver Troy Williamson will wear this team’s NFL jerseys for one more year as he has signed a one-year contract with the Jaguars, who promise to pay him $100,000 signing bonus and a workout bonus.

Williamson was scheduled to be a restricted free agent, but opted to sign a contract with the team that included guaranteed money. His base salary is slightly less than the $900,000 that the Baltimore Ravens offered to wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth on a one-year contract earlier this week.

Being picked by the Minnesota Vikings as a first-round draft pick, Williamson caught five passes last season as he caught only three passes. However, he ended his season early after he tore his labrum in September. His full career numbers are 87 caught passes for 1,131 yards and four touchdowns.

Eagles have new punter Durant Brooks

For a two-year contract, former Washington Redskins punter Durant Brooks put on the No. 8 Philadelphia Eagles jersey and brings two Eagles incumbent punter Sav Rocca, a third-year Pro who has spent all his last three seasons with the Eagles.

Brooks played two seasons at Georgia Tech and won the Ray Guy Award given to the top college punter in 2007. He was picked by the Redskins during 2008’s sixth-round draft but he totally played only six games for the team. And during those six games, he had a gross average of 39.6 yards on 26 punts. Leaving the Redskins, Brooks joined practice squad of the Green Bay Packers in 2008 but was released by the preseason.

By comparison, veteran Rocca should have gotten the feeling of competition. Having a net average of 38.3 yards per punt last season, Rocca really needs some improvement in order to keep his current job over new comer Brooks.