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After making a big splash on the first day of free agency last year, the Lions have been more cautious this time around.

Until Wednesday night, they had re-signed three players: A kicker, a special teamer, and a No. 3 quarterback.  Until tonight.

Free agent linebacker Justin Durant, formerly of the Jaguars, announced that he’s joined the Lions.

“Now everybody from the 313, put ya muthaf***in hands up and follow me!!!” Durant wrote on Twitter.

Now that’s how to announce a move in style while confusing all the old folks.  This one is more clear:

“Haha my mentions goin CRAZY right now!!! Detroit what up doe!?!?” Durant wrote.

ESPN quickly confirmed the story, saying it’s a two-year contract.  We mentioned a few weeks back that Detroit was high on Durant, and they showed it quickly.

It’s uncertain if this knocks them out of the running for linebacker Stephen Tulloch.

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The Steelers have a brand new problem on their offensive line.  They need a left tackle.

Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com reports the team surprisingly let Max Starks know Wednesday night that they are cutting him.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mentioned via Twitter that Starks’ weight was in the high 300′s.   He was coming off neck surgery.  (Okay, maybe this shouldn’t have been a huge shock.)

We’ve heard the Steelers want to bring back Willie Colon, a move which will take greater importance now.  Johnathan Scott could also get another look.

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The bad news for the Texans: They lost out on safety Eric Weddle after the Chargers reportedly “extended their budget” to get Weddle away from Houston.

The good news: They can use the money they saved to go after a cornerback with more value than Weddle. (And we actually like Weddle plenty.)

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports that the Texans are “working hard” on possible deals for Nnamdi Asomugha or Johnathan Joseph. They’ll have to shuffle around other contracts and give lots of upfront money to get a deal done, McClain writes.

We are more than 36 hours in sorta free agency, and we get the sense Asomugha’s market is still developing.

It wouldn’t shock us if a team we haven’t heard of yet enters the bidding if they learn the price isn’t as high as once feared.

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When word broke of safety Eric Weddle’s new contract with the Chargers, agent David Canter proclaimed that Weddle is the “highest paid safety in NFL history.”

As it turns out, he’s not even the highest paid safety in his division.

We smelled a rat immediately, but it was the least of our concerns while trying to avoid getting thrown off the constantly bucking bronco that is 2011 NFL free agency.  Now that things have slowed down (a little) we had a chance to do a little research.

Just last year, the Chiefs gave Eric Berry a six-year, $60 million contract with $34 million guaranteed.   Eric Berry plays safety.  Ergo, Weddle isn’t the highest paid safety in NFL history.

But the informational feeding frenzy is prompting most of us in the media to run with what we’re told, assuming that folks won’t notice — or won’t remember — the fact that we passed along inaccurate information.  Sometimes, we don’t even remember it ourselves.

For example, Jason LaCanfora of NFL Network tweeted last July 30 that Berry’s six-year, $60 million deal with $34 million guaranteed makes him the “highest paid safety in NFL history.”  Today, LaCanfora described Weddle’s $19 million as “record guarantees . . . for a safety.”

That’s not intended to be a slap at Jason.  When he reported the Berry numbers, he relied on the accuracy of what the source told him.  And when Jason reported the Weddle numbers, he did the same thing.

That’s why the safest approach for anyone in the media when a source makes broad claims about the value of a deal is to leave it out until it can be verified by someone who doesn’t have a direct interest in making a deal look better than it really is.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are acting fast to get their draft picks signed, with Da’Quan Bowers the latest to reach a deal.

Bowers confirmed on Twitter that the deal is done.

“Feels good to finally be a buc officially,” Bowers tweeted. “Dotted line signed.”

A defensive end from Clemson, Bowers was projected by some as a potential first overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. But after questions surfaced about his knee, Bowers’ stock plummeted, and he ended up falling to the Bucs in the second round, at No. 51 overall.

The Buccaneers haven’t been active in free agency, but they have been active in signing picks. They were the first team to sign any draft pick when they reached a deal with Mason Foster, and they were the first team to sign a first-rounder when they inked Adrian Clayborn.

This one takes us back a few years, but it provides a rare glimpse into a phenomenon that exists when the G.M. and the head coach of a team aren’t on the same page.

In such situations, the G.M. signs players — and the coach simply doesn’t use them.

We first became aware of this dynamic way back in 2001, when former Jets G.M. Terry Bradway brought in several guys that former Jets coach Herm Edwards wouldn’t put on the field.  It’s a not-so-subtle way for coaches to get power over personnel.  Eventually, the G.M. throws his hands in the air and signs players that the coach wants.

In Seattle, after coach/G.M. Mike Holmgren lost the G.M. title and after widely-perceived Holmgren “yes” man Bob Ferguson was dumped as G.M., Tim Ruskell got the job.  And defensive end Jason Babin ended up being caught in the middle of a coach-G.M. pissing match.

Babin, who appeared in only four games over two seasons with the Seahawks, tells the story in his Wednesday appearance on PFT Live.  We recommend taking 10 minutes or so to listen.

Babin also said that the ties to Ruskell, who now works for the Bears, are driving the speculation that Babin could be headed to Chicago.

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San Diego re-signed their fourth player in two days Wednesday night, bringing back outside linebacker Antwan Barnes on a two-year contract.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune has the news and also wondered if money will be left to sign inside linebacker Kevin Burnett at this point.

The Chargers have spent big money on safety Eric Weddle and Takeo Spikes.  Burnett reportedly wants more than $5 million-per-year, but he may have priced himself off the Chargers.

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The free agency madness has slowed down (a little) for the first time since Tuesday morning, which gives us a chance to remind you that we’re just getting started.

Only eight of our top 20 free agents have been signed thus far. Only 21 of our top 80 free agents have agreed to terms.  Those numbers don’t even include all the players that will officially get released this week before entering the market.

It’s been a lot of fun getting back to hardcore football news the last few days, so stick with us because it’s not going to let up much until the Super Bowl.

If you missed anything, check our acquisition page often for links to all the moves.

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Patriots owner Robert Kraft, perhaps the only owner the players truly trust, has received much deserved praise for his role in the negotiation of a new labor deal.  Another owner regarded by many as a man more likely to play hardball also is drawing credit for getting the deal done.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, despite reportedly trying to intimidate the players early in the process, played an important part in working things out.

“Without him, that deal wouldn’t have gotten done,” Cowboys tight end Jason Witten told Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News.  “Everyone should know that.

“Sometimes you forget how influential one person can be.  He didn’t make it emotional. I t was always about building a partnership and working toward a resolution.  It was never something personal or trying to gain any advantage for himself.  It was all about representing everyone in the entire room.  That’s not always easy to do — and he did that on a daily basis.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell agrees.  “Jerry was outstanding,” Goodell told Gosselin.  “I’m not sure this deal could have gotten done without him.  His passion is unmatched.  His drive is incredible. . . .  His commitment in this negotiation was clearly evident.”

Jones’ likely reward for his effort will be a 10-percent tax on his local revenues, given the terms of the new supplemental revenue sharing package that was developed as part of the labor deal.  The Cowboys presumably are at or near the top of the list of revenue-generating teams.

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Kyle Orton is getting closer to becoming the starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins.

Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that the Broncos are in serious trade discussions with the Dolphins about Orton. And multiple reports out of Miami indicate that the Dolphins seriously want Orton.

The deal isn’t done yet: It does not appear that the Dolphins and Broncos have agreed on what a fair price for Orton would be, and Orton, who is due more than $8 million this season, would likely need to agree to a new contract with the Dolphins. So there are some potential obstacles.

But the indications are that Orton is on the way to Miami, and it’s close enough to done that the Dolphin fan backlash has already begun, and there’s even a backlash against the backlash. That’s a fine way to welcome Orton to Miami.

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The never-ending stream of free agency news on my Twitter feed this evening was broken up by a message from the Jaguars official site that will probably depress a lot of their fans.

“Just received word that it was a very slow day for the ticket office.  No way to avoid blackouts at this pace.  It’s Go Time!!!” the post read before detailing various ticket plans.

The lockout could hurt the Jaguars considerably. After making progress selling tickets last year, the long work stoppage appears to have set the organization back.

We know that ticket sales are surging after the lockout, but it will be interesting to see if blackouts ultimately increase this season.

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For the second straight year, Donovan McNabb will have a new home.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Vikings and Redskins have finalized a deal that will send McNabb to Minnesota.  McNabb also will agree to a new contract as part of the deal.

The agreement comes after McNabb reportedly was miffed about the manner in which the situation was handled.  A source with knowledge of the talks explained that, in reality, an agreement on McNabb’s reduced compensation had not been reached, and that McNabb was not upset.

Still, the question remains whether McNabb is the right fit for the Vikings.  Will he willingly serve as a mentor to first-round rookie Christian Ponder?  How will McNabb react if the team is 2-6 at the turn and coach Leslie Frazier decides to get Ponder ready for 2012?

Maybe the last 15 months have humbled McNabb.  The fact that he’d allow himself to be treated like something far short of an elite quarterback could be interpreted as a sign that he doesn’t care about appearances, and that he only wants to win.

We’re told that McNabb wanted to be traded to Minnesota in 2010, but that former coach Brad Childress opted to lure Brett Favre back to town.  McNabb now gets his wish, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll do any better with his second new team in two years.

If he’s still the starter on December 24, McNabb will get a chance to show the Redskins that it was them, not him, on December 24 at FedEx Field.

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The Eagles have removed cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from the list of jerseys that can be purchased on the team’s website.  They may be putting it back on there soon.

Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com reports that the Eagles and Cardinals have made “significant progress” on a deal that would send quarterback Kevin Kolb to Arizona for Rodgers-Cromartie and a draft pick.

Rodgers-Cromartie was Arizona’s first-round draft pick in 2008.  Kolb arrived in Philly via round two of the 2007 draft.

Though Kolb is likely better than anything else the Cardinals have, there’s good reason to wonder whether Kolb will be as good in Arizona as he was during his limited playing time in Philly.  Eagles coach Andy Reid helps quarterbacks play a lot better for the Eagles than they do for anyone else.

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It’s wide receiver day on the free-agent market.  With Santonio Holmes and Sidney Rice signed to big-money deals, another lower-profile wideout has made the move to a new team.

A league source tells PFT that Steve Breaston has agreed to terms with the Chiefs on a five-year deal.

The move reunites Breaston with coach Todd Haley, who previously was the offensive coordinator in Arizona.  In their last year together, Breaston generated 1,006 receiving yards.

The former Michigan Wolverine joins a receiving corps that features Dwayne Bowe and rookie first-rounder Jonathan Baldwin.

Breaston impressed us and plenty of others in June, with his heartfelt poem regarding the lockout.

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The Ravens are finally getting close to seeing their top pick in the 2010 NFL draft on the field.

Sergio Kindle, a linebacker from Texas who missed all of last season after suffering a head injury in a fall down two flights of stairs, has been cleared for contact at training camp and will not be placed on the physically unable to perform list, a source told Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun.

Kindle’s status is still a little murky, as he signed only a one-year contract with the Ravens right now and is currently an exclusive-rights free agent. He will presumably sign another one-year contract with the Ravens this week, which would make him eligible to practice starting on August 4.

The Ravens took Kindle in the second round of last year’s draft, with the 43rd overall pick.