Several more free agents struck new deals on Wednesday and Thursday, and a few more big moves could be on the horizon. With the NFL Draft less than 50 days away, teams still have plenty of roster questions to answer before really knowing what their biggest needs will be when it's time to select those college players in May.
Here are a few updates on free agency and more from Thursday.
Charles Woodson likely to retire in the same place he started
The Oakland Raiders re-signed veteran safety/cornerback Charles Woodson to a one-year deal on Wednesday night, according to ESPN's Josina Anderson. Woodson initially returned the Raiders last season on a one-year deal after spending the previous seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
He was selected by the Raiders with the fourth overall pick in the 1998 draft and spent eight seasons there, making the Pro Bowl in each of his first four years with Oakland. Woodson moved to free safety for the first time in his career last season, making two sacks, one interception and two fumble recoveries.
His 13 career non-offensive touchdowns are tied for fifth-most in NFL history.
Levi Damien at Silver and Black Pride went into more detail about Woodson's likely farewell tour:
Woodson will be turning 38 in October but proved last season that he has something left in the tank. He played all 16 games for the Raiders, his first as a free safety after 14 seasons as a cornerback and a partial season at strong safety with the Packers before being released.
Aside from his play on the field, he is a leader and strong veteran presence in the locker room.
Raiders GM will keep mum on 2014 starter at quarterback
In other Oakland news, Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie was asked by reporters on Wednesday if he knew the identity of his starting quarterback for next season. He didn't say "No."
"I have a really good idea. Do you want me to tell you?" McKenzie said.
McKenzie, of course, did not tell.
McKenzie went to see David Fales of San Jose State on Wednesday and will be traveling to see Derek Carr of Fresno State in person, as well. Meanwhile, Oakland head coach Dennis Allen has gone to see Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater and Central Florida's Blake Bortles, and former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M is next on the schedule, according to the Contra Costa Times.
Bridgewater, Bortles and Manziel are expected to be early first-round picks in May, and the Raiders are currently slated to pick fifth overall.
Oakland has been linked to free agent Michael Vick and Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub. The Raiders also still have 2013 starters Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin on the roster. Both flashed potential last season but were inconsistent, and neither could grab a hold of the job for long.
Panthers finally add a receiver
The Carolina Panthers ended up saying goodbye to more of their offense than most probably expected, with receivers Steve Smith, Ted Ginn, Jr. and Brandon LaFell all finding new homes in 2014. The Panthers finally made a move to start replacing those guys on Thursday, signing Jerricho Cotchery to a free agent contract, according to Ian Rapoport.
Rapoport noted that the Pittsburgh Steelers were also in the mix for Cotchery before he chose Carolina.
Cotchery, a 10-year veteran originally taken by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2004 draft, had a career-high 10 touchdowns with the Steelers last season. He also had 46 catches for 602 yards, his highest totals since 2009. Cotchery enjoyed one of his best overall seasons last year, but struggled down the stretch. He had just 99 yards over the final six games
Carolina still has some work to do before really feeling comfortable with its receiving corps for next season.
Cardinals get low-risk deal on three-time Pro Bowler
The Arizona Cardinals suffered a big blow with the loss of free agent linebacker Karlos Dansby, but struck back on Thursday by signing cornerback Antonio Cromartie to a one-year deal, per Adam Schefter. Cromartie has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons with the Jets and will team up with Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu to form one of the most talented secondaries in the NFL.
Cromartie was only made available after the Jets cut him to save $9.5 million against the 2014 cap, despite playing well over the last two seasons. He visited with the Cardinals last week, and apparently both parties liked what they saw.
Originally a first-round pick of the San Diego Chargers in 2006, Cromartie spent four seasons with the Chargers, including a 10-interception performance in 2007 that earned him his first trip to the Pro Bowl. He has 28 career interceptions, while also returning some kickoffs during his eight-year career.
Arizona was fifth in the NFL in interceptions last season and sixth in total defense.
Life just got much harder for Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams, now having to face six games against the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Cardinals defenses.
Jared Allen pays another visit to Seattle
The Seahawks are still looking for a pass-rusher to add to their defense, and Jared Allen is still looking for a franchise that's willing to pay him what he believes he is worth. Though Allen and the Seahawks could not come to an agreement when he paid his first visit to Seattle last week, it looks like they are going to give it another try.
Ed Werder reported on Thursday that Allen is back in Seattle, and it would appear that the two sides are trying to work out a deal.
The Seahawks do not appear to have a ton of cap room to make a huge splash in free agency, and it has been reported that Allen might want as much as $10 million per season. That's what DeMarcus Ware received from the Denver Broncos, while Julius Peppers signed for slightly less on a three-year deal with the Green Bay Packers.
Allen is not yet 32 years old and has had at least 11 sacks in seven straight seasons.
What Seattle can bring to the table is that it offers Allen a chance to win a Super Bowl, having just accomplished that feat, and it's something that could appeal to a veteran player with just one career playoff win under his belt. However, Allen has made it clear that he believes he should be paid what he's worth.
Danny Kelly at Field Gulls went into more detail about the possible contract figures for Allen:
I had speculated on twitter yesterday, after considering the deals that Ware and Peppers both got, that we should perhaps steady ourselves for a possible big payday for Allen - upwards of $10M in some shape or form. That said, it seems much more likely that Seattle will exercise fiscal discipline and hope that he'll settle for somewhere in the $5-$7M range and perhaps work in a few performance incentives to get him closer to where he wants to be.
Pat Kirwin, a close friend to Pete Carroll, speculated that Allen will "strike a four-year deal worth $36 million ($9M average) with $17 million guaranteed." He followed up with that by saying, "Don't be surprised if the Seahawks stay in the race for Allen." Maybe Kirwin is just guessing, maybe he's operating with some inside information. I don't know. At this point, I somewhat doubt that Seattle will go that high... but I'm mentally preparing myself for if they do.
Allen had 11.5 sacks last season. The Seahawks are trying to replace the void left on defense after releasing Chris Clemons and Red Bryant earlier in the offseason.