As the deadline for extending the contracts of franchise players elapsed today, the Dallas Cowboys got their man signed up -- free safety Ken Hamlin agreed to terms on a six-year, $39 million deal with a $9 million signing bonus and about $15 million in total guarantees. That's good news for the Cowboys, but the big news down the road might be the three prominent franchised defenders who could not come to terms with their teams -- Oakland cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha [1], Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth [2], and Baltimore linebacker/end/whatever position has the best franchise value Terrell Suggs [3]. It could certainly be argued that these three players have had bigger effects on their teams than Hamlin has had on the Cowboys, but this is where it stands. Special kudos go to the Raiders, for giving outlandish deals to Tommy Kelly and Javon Walker while leaving the best cornerback in the game in the lurch.
Links:
[1] http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3490995&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines
[2] http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3490689&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines
[3] http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3491093&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines