ProFootballTalk: Who ya got? Lions or Packers?

Two dynamic offenses go head-to-head on Thursday night as the Detroit Lions head to Lambeau Field to face the Packers. Will it be all Aaron Rodgers all the time or will Megatron steal the show?

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The Jaguars have retained of their most experienced players.

The club said Tuesday it had re-signed cornerback Will Blackmon to a two-year deal. The 29-year-old Blackmon is one of the older players on Jacksonville’s roster, which has been retooled since head coach Gus Bradley and G.M. David Caldwell were installed in 2013.

Blackmon played in 15 games for the Jaguars in 2013, starting nine. He helped seal the Jaguars’ first regular season when he stripped Titans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick of the ball on a blitz and took it in for a touchdown.

Blackmon joined the Jaguars on August 28. He did not play in the NFL in 2012 after stints with the Giants (2010-2011) and Packers (2006-2009). However he has rekindled his NFL career with Jacksonville.

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With the signing of Toby Gerhart in Jacksonville, veteran tailback Maurice Jones-Drew likely won’t be back with the Jaguars.

He could find a new home in New York.

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that the Jets are showing serious interest in Jones-Drew.

The Jets desperate need skill position players.  Their leading ball carriers in 2013 were Chris Ivory (833 yards) and Bilal Powell (697).  Jones-Drew presumably would become a viable candidate for the starting job.

Jones-Drew has the personality to enhance his football salary with off-field media opportunities in New York; he could lay the foundation to launch a media career by ending his career in the nation’s top media capital.

AP

Tuesday didn’t just mark the start of free agency but the start of trading season in the NFL as well. For the second time today, the San Francisco 49ers have made a trade with a team in the state of Florida.

A source confirmed to PFT that the 49ers have acquired tackle Jonathan Martin from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a conditional draft pick. The trade was first reported by Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

Martin started seven games for the Dolphins this season before electing to walk away from the team after what he felt to be repeated bullying at the hands of Richie Incognito and other players on Miami’s roster. The fall out from the accusations has been immense as Incognito was suspended, coaches and staff of the Dolphins were let go and Martin never returned to the team.

Now Martin is reunited with Jim Harbaugh, his former head coach at Stanford University. Harbaugh vouched for Martin in the Wells Report and said he believes Martin can still succeed in the league. Therefore it’s not surprising there would be interest from the 49ers to bring Martin to give him a chance at a fresh start.

While Indianapolis also seemed like a possible fit with Andrew Luck and former Stanford offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, General Manager Ryan Grigson values toughness in his players, which is a massive mark against Martin at the moment.

Previously, the 49ers also acquired quarterback Blaine Gabbert from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick.

AP

The Broncos were denied their veteran pass-rusher of choice because of a faulty fax machine last year.

Now, they have their choice of veterans, but may have a preference.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Broncos have emerged as the favorites to land former Cowboys defensive end/outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware.

Ware would fit an immediate need for someone to provide pressure opposite Von Miller, but there are a number of alternatives that make sense.

Other reports suggested Vikings free agent Jared Allen earlier in the day, and then Julius Peppers got released by the Bears. Given his background with John Fox and Jack Del Rio, you could have connected those dots.

But Ware’s the most versatile of the three, and would give the Broncos some flexibility on defense.

And if he’s intent on moving quickly to a contender, John Elway’s ability to close might come in handy again, as it did when he landed Peyton Manning.

Former Bills safety Jairus Byrd wanted $9 million per year.  And he got it.  Exactly.

According to multiple reports, the Saints have given Byrd a six-year deal with a total value of $54 million.  Of the amount, $28 million is guaranteed.

Unknown (for now) is the amount that’s fully guaranteed at the time of signing, and the amount that is guaranteed for injury only.

The structure also will say much about the expected duration of the deal.  High salaries and cap numbers in future years make it less likely that all six years of the deal will be completed.

Given the Saints’ current cap crunch, it’s likely that the contract has been loaded up with bigger dollars later in the deal.

Byrd has no connection to any member of the New Orleans coaching staff.  However, it’s possible that defensive coordinator Rob Ryan knows what former Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine thinks of Byrd, via Jets coach (and Rob’s twin brother) Rex Ryan, who employed Pettine before he went to Buffalo.

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After four years standing in the considerable shadow of Adrian Peterson, running back Toby Gerhart has opted to step out on his own.

He’ll do so by joining the Jaguars, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media.

A league source tells PFT that Gerhart’s three-year deal has a base value of $10.5 million, including $4.5 million guaranteed.

The move could mean that the Jaguars have exited the Maurice Jones-Drew business.  Given that he has eight years of wear and tear, the money paid to Gerhart is likely money that would have been given to Jones-Drew, if he wanted it.

A second-round pick in 2010, Gerhart has 1,305 career rushing yards, with a 4.7 per-carry average.

If, as it appears, Jones-Drew won’t return, Gerhart and Jordan Todman likely will serve as the top tailbacks in Jacksonville.

AP

As expected, no restricted free agents received a first-round tender, according to the NFL’s official free agency press release.

Recent restricted free agents who have been given first-round tenders were Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz in 2013 and then-Buccaneers defensive end Michael Bennett in 2012. However, this RFA class didn’t have a slam dunk first-round tender candidate, and that held true.

That said, it isn’t a class without some talent. Four restricted free agents received second-round tenders: Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin, Panthers offensive tackle Byron Bell, Lions running back Joique Bell (who also agreed to an extension Tuesday) and Broncos cornerback Chris Harris.

Eleven other restricted free agents were tendered a contract, with the tendering team simply retaining the right to match any offer sheet. Among this group was Bengals slot receiver Andrew Hawkins, who reportedly has drawn an offer sheet from Cleveland.

Falcons cornerback Robert McClain was the only player given an original-round tender. If the Falcons declined to match an offer sheet to McClain, the signing team would give up a seventh-round pick. McClain was a seventh-round selection of Carolina in 2010.

Forty-six players with less than four accrued NFL seasons were not tendered a contract by their 2013 clubs, including offensive guard Danny Watkins, a 2011 first-round pick of Philadelphia who spent last season with Miami.

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On a day with few surprises relating to the signing of free agents, here’s a fairly big one.

The Saints have announced that former Bills safety Jairus Byrd has signed a six-year deal.

Byrd, who played in 2013 under the franchise tag in Buffalo, wasn’t expected to draw serious consideration from the Saints, in large part because the Saints have been dealing with salary-cap issues.

But G.M. Mickey Loomis and coach Sean Payton have found a way to get the deal done.  And a defense that got a lot better in 2013 (then again, the bar from 2012 was low) suddenly has gotten even better, with the addition of the No. 12 player on the PFT Free Agent Hot 100.

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The Buccaneers didn’t want Darrelle Revis. But they did want a big-name, big-money cornerback.

Free agent cornerback Alterraun Verner, formerly of the Titans, has agreed to terms on a contract with the Buccaneers. It’s a four-year, $26 million deal with $14 million guaranteed, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.

Verner is the No. 10 player in our Free Agent Hot 100, and he’s a great addition to the Buccaneers and to new coach Lovie Smith’s defense. It’s also a significant surprise: Few people saw this one coming.

Revis will not return to the Bucs, and barring a last-minute trade, he will be released on Wednesday. Now the Bucs have their No. 1 cornerback. And he’ll cost less than half as much as Revis.

The bad news is that the Jets seem destined to lose the 2014 third-round pick they presumed they’d get from the Bucs for the 2013 trade of Darrelle Revis.  The good news is they could get back Revis.

If they want Revis.

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that Revis would “love” to play for the Jets and coach Rex Ryan again.

While Ryan and some teammates and plenty of fans would “love” it, too, the guy who made the decision to trade Revis may not be interested.  Owner Woody Johnson, weary of the constant threat of a holdout or other Revis-related drama, opted to trade him with a year left on a deal that Revis expected to have renegotiated last year.  Johnson surely isn’t ready to re-embrace a player who seemed only to be happy when he wasn’t happy about his contract.

A cynic would suggest that Revis realizes the team (i.e., the owner) doesn’t really want him back.  So by making it known that Revis would love to return, the knife will twist a little more if/when Revis ends up with the Patriots.

It’s believed that contending teams with franchise quarterbacks will pursue Revis the most aggressively, and that he’ll be inclined to take the best offer made by a team with which he thinks he can win.

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Last week, we unveiled our annual PFT Free Agent Hot 100 list.

This week, it’s updated to include all of the various signings.

You can see it right here, and you can bookmark the link.

Actually, you should bookmark the link.  Right below your bookmark for the home page of PFT.  And below your bookmark of the Rumor Mill.

And above your bookmark of the PFT Team Page for your favorite NFL team.

Thank you.  That is all.

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Despite his age (31), defensive end Jared Allen deserves consideration at the top of the pass-rusher market.  And it’s his insistence to be paid accordingly that could make it hard to find a new home.

Per a league source, the Broncos definitely have interest in the former Chiefs and Vikings standout.  However, the concern is that he wants too much money.

With no other serious suitors (for now), Allen has no leverage.

Allen earned every dollar of a six-year, $73 million contract.  It’s unclear what he wants now, but it’s apparently more than the Broncos care to pay.

With DeMarcus Ware suddenly available, Ware and Allen could be played against each other by a contending team looking to land a bargain.

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The Seahawks, whose defensive line depth has been thinned a little in recent days, are reportedly set to host one of the top interior defensive linemen available in free agency.

Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports Cowboys defensive tackle Jason Hatcher is likely to visit Seattle this week.

Hatcher ranks No. 36 on PFT’s Free Agent Hot 100.

Hatcher (6-6, 299) had a strong season for Dallas in 2013, recording a career-best 11 sacks and making the Pro Bowl. He will be 32 in July.

The Seahawks lost disruptive defensive tackle Clinton McDonald to Tampa Bay on Tuesday. The club also parted ways with 6-foot-4, 323-pound defensive end Red Bryant, who signed with Jacksonville.

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The Giants landed a guard, a linebacker and a running back on the first day of free agency and now they’re turning their attention to their kick return game.

Josina Anderson of ESPN reports that Jacoby Jones is expected to visit with the Giants on Wednesday. Anderson notes that Jones is still talking to the Ravens about remaining in Baltimore, so the visit is contingent on nothing happening with the Ravens that would make a trip to New Jersey moot.

Jones made $4 million in Baltimore last season and returned 31 kickoffs for 892 yards and a touchdown. That score was the fourth career kickoff return touchdown in the regular season — Jones added one in Super Bowl XLVII — to go with four punt return scores. That kind of production was missing for the Giants last season, although it’s unlikely that they’d be willing to pay the same price that the Ravens paid for Jones’ services last season.

With Hakeem Nicks likely leaving the team, Jones could work his way into the receiver rotation for the Giants as well. He has done his best work on special teams throughout his career, though, and that’s likely the leading reason why the Giants and Ravens are interested in his services.

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The clock is ticking in Tampa, where the Buccaneers reportedly will cut cornerback Darrelle Revis absent a trade concluded by 4:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, no resolution is expected on Tuesday night.

A resolution must come on Wednesday, and the options are simple.  The Bucs will trade him, or they’ll cut him.

With each passing hour, it becomes harder to trade him.  And it becomes more likely that the only teams that would acquire Revis and his $16 million annual contract are those teams that stand no chance of luring him on the open market, where he’s likely to land with a contending team sporting a franchise quarterback.

The Browns are the only team believed to be interested in a trade.  The team’s level of interest isn’t known.

In turn, the player’s level of interest in playing for the Browns isn’t known.  Presumably, the Browns want him only if he wants to be there.  If that’s the only way Revis gets $16 million for 2014, there’s no reason to think he wouldn’t want to be there.