 |
 |
 |
|
Nate Clements entered the NFL's free agency period seeking a big contract and a team that had realistic postseason plans.
Check, and check.
The San Francisco 49ers satisfied Clements' desires, signing the star cornerback Friday to an eight-year, $80 million contract - believed to be the richest deal for a defensive back in NFL history.
Clements said the 49ers "not only showed the most interest, but I felt that they were moving in the right direction."
Terms of the deal for Clements, considered one of the top prizes in free agency, were confirmed by a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because contract terms aren't usually released by NFL teams.
"This is Year Seven for me, and I've never even had a taste of the playoffs," said the 27-year-old Clements, who spent his first six NFL seasons with Buffalo. "I'm a competitor by nature, and I just want to get a taste at that next level."
The 49ers made the biggest news on the first day of free agency in the NFL, also signing former Philadelphia safety Michael Lewis to a six-year deal.
The Washington Redskins were also aggressive Friday, wooing and then signing London Fletcher to fill a big spot at middle linebacker.
As they've done in past years, Daniel Snyder and his underlings were ready to make a big early splash, albeit in a market in which teams have cash to spend but few - if any - impact players on which to spend it.
Fletcher agreed to a five-year, $25 million contract with the Redskins, capping another busy day of free agency for one of the NFL's top-spending teams.
The agreement, which includes a $10.5 million signing bonus, came as Fletcher and cornerback Fred Smoot were treated to a Washington Wizards game, part of a courtship by a Redskins team that went 5-11 and needs to repair the worst defense in the NFC.
The Redskins were also close to finalizing a deal with Smoot, who played four seasons with Washington before leaving in 2005 to sign with Minnesota.
"We're working on it now, as we speak," Smoot told The Associated Press. "I think something's going to get done."
