Report: Peppers taking physical, deal is "imminent"
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on March 5, 2010 1:57 PM ET
After hearing Julius Peppers' agent's statements last night, it was only a matter of time before the prize of this free agent crop signed with the Bears.

The time is near.

Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Peppers is taking a physical in Chicago and a signing is imminent.

The only question left is how much money Peppers will earn. Hayes hears that Peppers will earn $12-14 million-per-year over six years, which is actually less than we imagined.

It's all about the structure. We'd be surprised if Peppers doesn't get the most guaranteed money for a defender in league history.

Chester Taylor is a Chicago Bear
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on March 5, 2010 2:05 PM ET
Chester Taylor will stay in the NFC North.

The former Viking agreed to a four-year, $12 million contract with Chicago, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. $7 million is guaranteed in the first year.

The Bears are just getting their checkbook warmed up, with a deal for Julius Peppers on the way shortly.

Taylor's contract, like the one for Kyle Vanden Bosch, includes a lot of front-loaded money in the uncapped year. Look for Taylor and Matt Forte to split up the workload in Chicago next season.

Vikings can now sign one UFA
Posted by Mike Florio on March 5, 2010 2:13 PM ET
With running back Chester Taylor jumping from the Vikings to the Bears, Minnesota has now secured the ability under the Final Eight Plan to sign one unrestricted free agent.

In this context, an unrestricted free agent is a player with six or more years of service whose contract has expired.

But it doesn't mean that the Vikings can jump into the Julius Peppers derby. They are limited to the first-year salary paid to Taylor, with 30 percent annual growth.

The actual money available to the Vikings will depend on the structure of the four-year, $12.5 million deal that Taylor signed. The smaller the first-year salary (and the term is defined broadly to include base salary, roster bonuses, signing bonus proration, etc.), the less wiggle room the Vikings will have.

Regardless, the Vikings now have the ability to jump into the free agency pool, and to emerge with one fish.