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Two weeks ago we wrote about the slim pickings for NFL teams desiring an upgrade at quarterback -- via the draft, trade or free agency.
Things aren't much better at wide receiver. At least in free agency.
And, thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs, the price just went up for the few gems expected to become available when the marketplace opens next Tuesday.
On Monday the Chiefs re-signed Dwayne Bowe to a five-year, $56-million deal. Only Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald earn more among NFL wideouts.
Yeah, the Chiefs over-paid. Experts on Tuesday figured the 6-foot-2, 221-pound, six-year man would not have made that much on the open market.
So now the top pending unrestricted free agents are Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace (who had a sub-par year after holding out until the end of training camp), Green Bay's Greg Jennings (who missed half the 2012 season with an abdominal-muscle injury) and St. Louis' Danny Amendola (who battled a shoulder injury, but otherwise was a sure-handed, elusive slot).
It's possible that New England might not re-sign Wes Welker by Tuesday, but don't count on that. Tom Brady didn't leave money on the table when he re-inked last week to watch Wes walk. (Say that five times fast.)
Who else will be available? San Francisco's Randy Moss. Maybe Miami's Brian Hartline, Indy's Donnie Avery ...
See?
Wallace might make a killing, attitude and all. He's one of the NFL's best deep threats, and only about two-thirds of the league desperately needs one. Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com rates Wallace as the No. 1 overall free agent.
Amendola is under-regarded and might also score huge bucks.
As for the 29-year-old Jennings, who has missed a third of Green Bay's games the past two seasons with assorted injuries, former Bills and Colts GM Bill Polian might have said it best Tuesday.
"There are clubs, and we were one of them, that said if a guy's 27 years of age or above, we're probably not going to go for a long-term deal at big money. But if you feel you're one quality receiver away, and the physical exam turns out to be OK, you might do it."
For the first time this year, agents are allowed to begin talking with other teams three days before their clients become free agents. That is, on Saturday.
Bus Cook, Wallace's agent, better be sure to plug in his cellphone before he goes to be Friday night.
HARRISON, STEELERS 'TALKING'
Linebacker James Harrison and the Pittsburgh Steelers are "talking" and "both sides want to try to" restructure his contract, Harrison's agent, Bill Parise, as much told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Otherwise, the 34-year-old Harrison likely will become a cap casualty, as he's set to earn $14.145 million over the next two years.
This is why back-loading contracts is dangerous country for players -- and why their agents fight so hard for huge guarantees.
TEEEEE'OOOOOO!!!!!!: Think Manti Te'o won't get the gears from his NFL teammates? Houston Texans defensive end Antonio Smith spelled it out on the Pro Football Talk TV show.
"Our locker room is full of clowns and, oh man, people would kill him," said Smith, the unrivalled leader of that pack on the Texans. "I mean, he would be the butt of every joke for at least two, three years."
Lucky for Te'o, the Texans aren't in the market for an inside linebacker late in the first round, when the Notre Damer is expected to go.
MERRIMAN RETIRES
The youth movement continues on the Buffalo Bills defence. Veteran edge rusher Shawne Merriman called it a career Tuesday, releasing the news on his own website. With Chris Kelsay doing likewise last week, it seems even more likely the Bills will re-sign defensive end Kyle Moore.
Meantime, Bills GM Buddy Nix reiterated to AP's John Wawrow that QB Ryan Fitzpatrick would be the first to know if the club intends to ask him to eat a large chunk of his remaining $34-million contract (excluding bonuses).
CHIP OFF THE OL' SPREAD
Head coach Chip Kelly likes his dual-threat quarterbacks, all right. The Philadelphia Eagles have signed G.J. Kinne to a two-year contract. As an undrafted rookie last spring, Kinne had a cup-of-coffee tryout with the New York Jets, was waived before training camp and then briefly suited up in the UFL (Omaha) and Arena Football League (San Antonio). The 6-foot-2, 234-pound Kinne played his college ball in -- you guessed it -- a zone-read spread offence at Tulsa, where he passed for 9,472 yards and ran for 1,359.
EXTRA POINTS
The Chiefs restructured the contract of defensive end Tyson Jackson "? Vince Young is still desperate to latch on with an NFL team. He's back at the University of Texas, where at that school's pro day on March 26 he'll throw for league talent evaluators "? At Northern Iowa's pro day Monday, wide receiver Terrell Sinkfield was hand-timed in the 40 in 4.19 seconds "? The pride of Canada's most populous province, running back Onterio McCalebb of Auburn, proved his combine time of 4.34 seconds was no fluke, clocking in at 4.29 at the Tigers' pro day Tuesday "? Michigan quarterback Devon Gardner, whom draftniks had already been eyeing for 2014, won his appeal for an additional year of eligibility. He probably won't come out now until 2015 ... The Cleveland Browns changed GM Mike Lombardi's title from VP of player personnel to GM, and named Ray Farmer as Lombardi's assistant GM.
john.kryk@sunmedia.ca
@JohnKryk
blogs.canoe.ca/krykslants/
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