Saints, Champ Bailey agree to two-year contract

Champ Bailey is headed to New Orleans. (USATSI)

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It looks like Champ Bailey still has some gas left in the tank. The 35-year-old cornerback, who was cut by the Broncos in March, has agreed to terms on a two-year deal the Saints.

"We are excited to be able to add a future Hall of Fame player with the addition of Champ Bailey," Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said in a statement. "His career accomplishments mirror that of his high character and he's a very prideful and competitive player who we believe will add to our defense. Having spent time with him recently and in our discussions with him, I know that he's thrilled to be joining the New Orleans Saints and starting a new chapter in his professional life."

Although Bailey missed most of 2013 after suffering a preseason foot injury, the 15-year veteran told the Denver Post he expects to compete for a starting cornerback job in New Orleans, "That's where we're starting. That's all I wanted," Bailey said.

Bailey will make the jump from a Broncos defense that ranked 19th in the NFL last season to a Saints defense that ranked fourth overall, including second against the pass.

The 12-time Pro Bowler only played in five games last season, marking only the second time in Bailey's 15-year career that he's played in less than 10 games. The 35-year-old has been amazingly durable for a cornerback: Since 1999, Bailey has started in 13 or more games in 13 of his 15 NFL seasons.

Bailey's 12 Pro Bowl selections are the most in NFL history for any defensive back and the second most for any defensive player, trailing only Reggie White's 13 appearances.

New Orleans will be the third team that Bailey has played for since entering the league with the Redskins after being the seventh overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft. After five seasons in Washington, Bailey was traded to the Broncos where he spent 10 seasons, before being cut last month.

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WR DeSean Jackson agrees to 3-year contract with Redskins



This is gonna be fun.DeSean Jackson was out in Philadelphia, but he's staying in the NFC East. Jackson agreed to terms on a three-year contract with the Washington Redskins on Tuesday night. The news was first reported by Dianna Marie Russini of NBC News 4 in Washington D.C., and then confirmed by the man of the hour. Jackson will officially sign his contract Wednesday morning.Jackson's career with the Eagles ended last week with his release. The Redskins were the only team to officially interview him, and they never let him leave their building to visit other suitors, of which there were at least a few.Jackson posted career-highs in catches, and yards last season. He is in his physical prime at 27 years old.



We should know in a few weeks exactly when Jackson will make his return to Philadelphia, this time dressed in rival colors. I'm just a wee bit excited to see that game.New head coach Jay Gruden is expected to favor the pass more than the run, and now he has Pierre Garcon, Andre Roberts, Jordan Reed, and DeSean Jackson as his top receivers. What an amazing offseason makeover for an offense that had to depend on Leonard Hankerson, and Santana Moss to be their No. 2 wide receiver at times in 2013. And this will all be headed by a (hopefully) healthy Robert Griffin III.Jackson would have helped the fantasy value of any quarterback he joined forces with, and Griffin is no exception. The Redskins now have two legit No. 1 wideouts, one who is an extremely tough mid-range target with great hands in Garcon, and another who is one of the league's most elite and unique talents. Jackson's value shouldn't suffer too much -- he should be Griffin's top target, and he has the arm to reach him down the field often. Garcon takes a bit of a hit, obviously, just because there won't be as many targets available for him. Roberts loses most of whatever value he had as he is probably the No. 4 option in this passing game behind Reed.With all of these tremendous receivers, I'm not sure how well running back Alfred Morris is going to fit in. He is not a good pass-catcher, but at least this means he will see very few stacked boxes. He wasn't as productive as in 2012 last season, but his numbers were still plenty solid. I think he can repeat that, but I won't be surprised if Gruden puts Roy Helu on the field more often.Above all else, I love me some RG3 right now. If he stays healthy and gets some protection from his offensive line, how can he not succeed?