Panthers take Lucas from Seahawks
The Carolina Panthers signed offensive lineman Mike Wahle and cornerback Ken Lucas to long-term contracts on Thursday, the most aggressive single day of free agent acquisitions in franchise history.
Wahle, who spent seven seasons in Green Bay, signed a five-year deal worth about $25 million. Lucas, a three-year starter in Seattle, signed a six-year contract. Terms on Lucas’ deal were not immediately available, but his signing bonus was believed to be $13 million.
The Panthers said they will start Wahle at left guard. Lucas was Seattle’s second-round draft pick in 2001. He started 47 games and has 11 career interceptions, six of them last season when was named an alternate to the Pro Bowl.
Giants, Cowboys playing catch-up
NFC teams were busy on the second day of free agency, trying to catch up with the conference champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Two of the Eagles’ NFC East rivals made big moves Thursday.
Dallas added defensive tackle Jason Ferguson from the New York Jets and guard Marco Rivera from Green Bay on Thursday after signing cornerback Anthony Henry on Wednesday. The New York Giants were set to sign middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, who emerged as a top defender for Washington last season in his first year as a starter.
That made Washington, normally the biggest out-of-the-gate spender in free agency, the loser for the day in its division. Last year, the Eagles finished 13-3 in the East and the Giants, Cowboys and Redskins were all 6-10.
Pierce’s departure to a division opponent was conceded by Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, who had identified the 26-year-old linebacker as one of the “core players” he wanted to keep. But New York’s reported offer of a six-year, $26 million deal was too much for the usually free-spending Redskins.
“We went as far as we could go, I felt like,” Gibbs said. “It’s something that just didn’t work out. I hate it. It’s not going to happen very often to us, but there’s times when it could happen.”
Meanwhile, San Francisco signed offensive lineman Jonas Jennings, formerly of the Buffalo Bills and regarded as the best left tackle available.
That position is normally at a premium, although Jennings isn’t in the class of the NFL’s best. Two of them, Orlando Pace of St. Louis and Walter Jones of Seattle, were kept off the market this year – Jones re-signed with the Seahawks and Pace was protected as the Rams’ franchise player.
Oakland signed running back Lamont Jordan, who had been Curtis Martin’s backup with the Jets. Jordan, whose 479 yards rushing were more than the Raiders’ leading rusher last season, got $11 million guaranteed in a contract that will pay him $27.5 million over five years.
The New England Patriots acquired cornerback Duane Starks from the Arizona Cardinals in exchange a third-round draft pick this year. The teams also will exchange fifth-round picks as part of the deal.
Draft leaves Garden
The NFL draft will be held next month at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center instead of Madison Square Garden, partly because of opposition by Garden management to the construction of a Manhattan stadium for the New York Jets. The draft agreement is for a year only, according to the league.