Free Agency has begun, and the first day has seen a lot of names taken off the board. This is my run down of the top deals that have been struck so far.
Lamarr Houston to Chicago Bears
As a Bears fan this deal makes for good reading, especially when it is immediately backed up by releasing Julius Peppers. The rebuilding of a defense has begun, and now I'm hearing whispers of the Bears having interest in Jared Allen.T.J. Ward & Aqib Talib to Denver Broncos
Denver are rebuilding their defense, with an eye towards another Super Bowl run this season. Ward and Talib are two of the top secondary prospects in this free agency, and Denver would have been hard pressed to top them.Jairus Bird to New Orleans Saints
NFL.com has Byrd as their top prospect that made it to free agency, and he didn't hang around for too long. New Orleans made their intentions clear, by cutting several players to make up the cap space that would be required for this deal. This is an exciting deal in that he could change the face of the Saints defense, unlike many of the other players picked up over the last 24 hours.Branden Albert to Miami Dolphins
Miami's O-Line has been decimated by controversy, so the best position for them is to rebuild from scratch (or close to). Albert looked to be their prime target going into free agency and they didn't waste any time taking him off the board.Jared Veldheer to Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals haven't had a solid option at Left Tackle in several years, now they've signed a 26 year old solid starter. He's not going to lose any ground for a few years yet, and the Cards have started a rebuild that their line desperately needed.
Alterraun Verner to Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Lovie Smith got into Tampa last month and for the life of him couldn't justify $16 million to keep Revis around. Verner is a player that will probably reach a similar level of productivity given the scheme that Lovie Smith is liable to run now that he's head honcho in Tampa.There's a lot more to come, and I'm trying to keep on top of it over at @AScotOnGridiron on Twitter. I'll be back with a Day 2 round up tomorrow.