NFL Insanity

Anyone else noticed the size of contracts being thrown at free agents during the first few days of the NFL's annual free agency period? Yes, the salary cap has continued to grow, and many teams are flush with cash to spend, but ...

Some signings, such as the Philadelphia Eagles' signing of cornerback Asante Samuel, make plenty of sense given his history of Pro Bowl selections and his age (27).

Others, such as the Oakland Raiders' $50 million-plus contract for defensive lineman Tommy Kelly, who finished the season injured and probably isn't even the best player on his team at his position, make little sense.

A few other observations:

Players must fit systems. How else can one explain the Jets' trade of linebacker Jonathan Vilma to the New Orleans Saints for a middle-round pick. Vilma wasn't a fit in New York's scheme, but he's an incredible talent and a huge upgrade for the Saints, who have been actively shoring up their defense.

The Cleveland Browns are going for broke. Already without their first-round draft choice in April (it was part of the deal to move up in the 2007 draft to select QB Brady Quinn), they dealt their second-round pick to Green Bay for DT Corey Williams and their third-round choice to Detroit along with CB Leigh Bodden for DT Shaun Rodgers. No question that the Browns have upgraded one of their main weaknesses, but conventional wisdom is that you build through the draft, and the Browns have essentially thrown up the white flag on this year's amateur shopping spree.

Another team spending as if there is no tomorrow is the Jets, who have written contracts topping $137 million which include $67 million in guaranteed money. Their focus has been the offensive line, where they've added Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca and tackle Damien Woody.

More on the Browns. Giving Donte' Stallworth a deal averaging $7 million per year could have dire implications for the Browns. He's a terrific receiver, but he's not nearly as good as new teammates Braylon Edwards or Kellen Winslow. Put another way, if Stallworth is worth $7 million per season, how much are Edwards or Winslow worth to Cleveland when their rookie deals expire.