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Last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars had just 14 total sacks, eight fewer than any other team in the National Football League.

Last year, Aaron Kampman struggled while trying to stubbornly adjust to Green Bay’s 3-4 defence, recording just three and a half sacks in nine games.

So in an attempt to cure both ailments, the two are coming together to create a mean, teal sacking machine.

Or something like that.

The Jags have signed Kampman to be the team’s new go-to pass rusher.

Kampman’s 30, so there’s still some gas left in the tank. And he’ll be happy to return to a 4-3 front in Jacksonville. The Jags experimented here and there with the 3-4 last year, but that appears to be history now.

No word on the terms of the deal yet, but the worst pass-rushing team in the league needed to do something to get more pressure in 2010. This is a positive start.

MOVE RATING: 8/10

Click here to track the league’s top free agents with our 2010 Free Agent Tracker.

Bad news, Cardinals fans. (I know you’re all big readers of this Canada-based blog). You’ve lost two of your best young players in one day.

Anquan Boldin is off to Miami Baltimore. And now safety Antrel Rolle is headed to the Big Apple.

Rolle has reportedly signed with the Giants, where he and Kenny Phillips will team up to create quite possibly the best safety duo in the NFL.

I’m not sure safety was New York’s biggest need, but in an uncapped year, I guess it couldn’t hurt. Plus, their secondary was a disaster as a result of injuries last year, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. Essentially, this is me trying to rationalize a somewhat strange signing because I’m extremely excited about seeing Phillips and Rolle together in the same defensive backfield.

MOVE RATING: 7/10

Click here to track the league’s top free agents with our 2010 Free Agent Tracker.

In media circles, ESPN’s Adam Schefter is having one hell of a day.

Schefter now reports that the Miami Dolphins have agreed to terms with free agent linebacker Karlos Dansby on a five-year, $43 million deal, with $22 million in guaranteed money.

The question now will be where Dansby’s going to play. He’s a prototypical outside linebacker in a 4-3, but now he’ll either have to make the transition inside in Miami’s 3-4, or train himself to rush the passer more frequently as a replacement for Jason Taylor on the outside.

So there’s a touch of uncertainty there, and while I do think Dansby is a great pure linebacker, that’s a lot of money.

MOVE RATING: 6/10

Click here to track the league’s top free agents with our 2010 Free Agent Tracker.

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I know Anquan Boldin wasn’t even the No. 1 option on his team, but he’s still elite, and now he’ll have a chance to be the top option in an offence that proved last year it isn’t afraid to air it out.

Boldin has been traded to the Baltimore Ravens, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Boldin wasn’t happy in Arizona. He was living in Larry Fitzgerald’s shadow both on the field and on his paystub.

According to Schefter, the Ravens are giving the Cardinals a third- and fourth-round pick in 2010 in exchange for Boldin and a fifth-round pick in 2010.

On paper, that’s clearly a great deal for Baltimore, but now the Ravens will have to work with Boldin on a new contract. Boldin will become a free agent after the 2010 season, but surely the two sides will be immediately working on something long-term.  
This also probably spells the end of the Derrick Mason era in Baltimore, as Mason and Boldin are very similar receivers. So who’ll be the No. 2 option at wide receiver? Watch for Donte’ Stallworth and Mark Clayton to battle for time this spring.

UPDATE: Schefter now reports the two sides have agreed on four-year, $28 million contract. That seems about right.

MOVE RATING: 9/10

Click here to track the league’s top free agents with our 2010 Free Agent Tracker.

We all knew this was coming, but now ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting the deal is done: Dunta Robinson is the new No. 1 cornerback in Atlanta.

When healthy and not whining over his contract, Robinson has the potential to be one of the top corners in the league. He’s only 27 and is completely healthy right now, and he presumably won’t be complaining about his contract in the near future.

In other words: things are looking up in the Falcons’ defensive backfield.

I’m still not too sure why the Falcons decided to let Domonique Foxworth walk to Baltimore last offseason. Their corners struggled throughout the year. Their pass defence was ranked 28th in the NFL last season.

Now, two relatively strong vets — Robinson and Brian Williams — will be slated to start in Atlanta’s secondary in 2010. That beats the hell out of Christopher Owens and Brian Grimes.

No word yet on what Robinson’s annual income will be.

MOVE RATING: 8/10

Click here to track the league’s top free agents with our 2010 Free Agent Tracker.

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The best part about Joshua Cribbs getting a sparkling new contract from Cleveland? NFL Network analyst and disguised player agent Deion Sanders will finally stop shouting, “Pay the man!” every time Cribbs’ highlights come on the screen.

Last year, as Cribbs’ role in the Browns offence expanded at a rate that was only matched by Jessica Simpson’s waistline, we started hearing, “Pay the man!” far too often.

The man has been paid. ProFootballTalk has the details:

A league source tells us that the three remaining years on Cribbs’ contract have been replaced with a new deal that includes $7 million in guaranteed money. (Some of that money isn’t guaranteed in the traditional sense, but as a practical matter it will be earned.)

The full value, we’re told, of the three years exceeds $18 million, if Cribbs continues to play like he has. And that’s more than Bears overrated returner/underperforming receiver Devin Hester will make over the next three seasons.

As teams continue to search for Wildcat-like ways to exploit defences, Cribbs continues to gain value. He’s the best player on his team and arguably the most versatile player in the league.

I’m not a huge fan of teams giving players new deals when they still have multiple years remaining on their previous contracts. I believe in the whole, “If we can’t give you less money for playing badly why should we give you more for exceeding expectations?” mantra. Still, if there was one player who deserved a massive restructuring of his contract, it was Cribbs.

MOVE RATING: 8/10

Click here to track the league’s top free agents with our 2010 Free Agent Tracker.

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Sometimes, it’s tough thinking of a good introductory line to a blog post. Sometimes, there are two and you just can’t pick between them. In this case, I’ll try both on for size.

1) The Packers might want to consider investing in a left tackle.

2) It’s funny how much better some players suddenly become when they hit the free agent market.

And now elaboration on both.

Green Bay’s offensive line already killed its 2009 season, but now, in addition to having to deal with Jared Allen twice a year, the Pack will have to face Julius Peppers as well. Peppers and the Bears are reportedly finalizing a deal that would see the 30-year-old get paid $30 million over the next three years.

Peppers, who picked up 10.5 sacks while forcing five fumbles last year, is expected to sign a six-year deal that will likely pay him more than any other unrestricted free agent this offseason.

The natural question: Is Peppers worth that much freaking money? Of course not, but the top three or four free agents each year always get a boost, simply because they’re in the right place at the right time. With 2010 being uncapped, that’s especially the case this year for Peppers.

A few reasons why Chicago fans should fear this deal will bite their team in the ass a la Jay Cutler circa 2009:

1) Pass rushers lose it quickly. Peppers is no spring chicken.

2) Peppers has a bad reputation. He’s been known to take more than a few plays off. One year ago, that was the knock on Albert Haynesworth, and we all know how well that signing worked out for the Redskins.

3) After struggling mightily in 2007, Peppers did pick up his game the last two seasons, recording a total of 25 sacks. But because Peppers was slapped with the franchise tag last year, both 2008 and 2009 were contract years for him. And for whatever reason, some guys just play a hell of a lot better in contract years than regular years.

MOVE RATING: 7/10

Click here to track the league’s top free agents with our 2010 Free Agent Tracker.

The Chicago Bears are taking some heat for giving a reported $7 million in guaranteed money to Chester Taylor, but I kind of like the move.

If Matt Forte proved anything in his first two seasons, it’s that, while he’s a versatile back who can catch a lot of passes, he isn’t a reliable No. 1 rusher all on his own.

The Bears have clearly realized that and made a good decision in signing a guy who is used to playing the role of ‘complement.’ That’s what Taylor will be in Chicago — a perfect complement to Forte.

A 30-year-old with relatively fresh legs for just over $3 million a year? Nothing wrong with that.

MOVE RATING: 6/10

Click here to track the league’s top free agents with our 2010 Free Agent Tracker.

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Earlier I criticized the Detroit Lions for their historically bad decision-making when it comes to drafting and signing wide receivers while noting that the team has actually made some good choices elsewhere.

But then they go out and hand 31-year-old defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch a four-year deal reportedly worth $26 million. At least $10 million is guaranteed, because NFL Network says he’ll make that much alone in 2010.

While Vanden Bosch has one hell of a motor, he’s very much a player on the decline, with injuries slowing him down recently. He has just 7.5 sacks since 2007.

So maybe we can’t blame everything on Matt Millen after all.

MOVE RATING: 3/10

Click here to track the league’s top free agents with our 2010 Free Agent Tracker.

For me, the worst part about the Bears signing free agent tight end Brandon Manumaleuna: I have to check multiple times to ensure that I’ve spelled M-a-n-u-m-a-l-e-u-n-a correctly.

For Greg Olsen, the worst part about the Bears signing free agent tight end Brandon Manumaleuna: he could be out of a job.

New Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz and Olsen go together about as well as tuna and peanut butter (try it … I dare you). So it’s become popular for media and fans to predict that Olsen is being shopped around.

But Manumaleuna is a blocking tight end, while Olsen is an athletic pass catcher. There’s no reason those two can’t work together. And since when does an offensive coordinator dictate who stays and goes? Just because Martz doesn’t typically utlilize tight ends in his way of doing things doesn’t mean he can’t utilize Olsen in his regular role.

It should be Martz’ job to adjust to the personnel in Chicago, not the other way around.

Here’s video of Manumaleuna arriving at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport earlier today:

MOVE RATING: 7/10

Click here to track the league’s top free agents with our 2010 Free Agent Tracker.