5 Key Stories: 2/26/17 – 3/5/17

AFC standouts receive record paydays: Two players that angled for extensions for a while signed them this week, and the contracts are now the standard at their respective positions. Antonio Brown finally signed the Steelers pact the team delayed until he had one year remaining on his previous deal, and Eric Berry reached an agreement with the Chiefs on the day before the franchise tag deadline. Berry was adamant about not wanting to be tagged again. This is the eighth-year player’s second Chiefs long-term deal. Also an eighth-year performer, Brown signed his third Steelers pact. Brown raises the per-year wide receiver bar to $17MM AAV, while Berry’s deal surpasses Tyrann Mathieu‘s in total and per-year money; the league’s new highest-paid safety will earn $13MM annually.

Pro Bowlers, potential Hall of Famers axed: The long-rumored Adrian Peterson/Vikings divorce occurred this week when Minnesota passed on the Canton-bound running back’s 2017 option. The Chiefs parted with ninth-year running back Jamaal Charles. Amid a major house-cleaning effort, the Jets will separate from Darrelle Revis for a second time. They also became the fourth team to part with Brandon Marshall. The former Broncos, Dolphins and Bears wide receiver will leave a team via release for the first time after being traded in 2010, 2012 and 2015. The 33-year-old wideout declined a Jets extension offer and requested a release. Peterson’s been linked to the Giants and Raiders in free agency, although the latest coming out of New York/New Jersey is Big Blue will pass on him. Charles could have interest from former Kansas City OC Doug Pederson in Philadelphia, and Marshall has been linked to a few teams, including the Patriots.

Cooks trade market ignites: The Saints may be dangling Brandin Cooks in trades. The league certainly seems to be operating on the assumption the two-time 1,100-yard wideout is available. After interest emerged from the Eagles and Titans, the Patriots are believed to have offered a package including their 2017 No. 32 overall pick for a receiver they’ve admired for years. New Orleans, though, wants a “real significant” return for the 23-year-old target who could be under team control for two more seasons. Saints management is said to be targeting a mid-first-round pick. Several teams have offered second-rounders. The Eagles attempted to trade for Cooks at the 2016 deadline.

Tags change pass-rusher market: While players at other positions received franchise tag designations — Kirk Cousins (Redskins), Le’Veon Bell (Steelers) and Trumaine Johnson (Rams) — the tag fail-safe measure mostly affected the pass-rushing market. As expected, the Cardinals and Panthers respectively tagged Chandler Jones and Kawann Short. But the Giants and Chargers both opted to prevent sack artists Jason Pierre-Paul and Melvin Ingram from reaching free agency. The edge defender market looks drastically different as a result. Pittsburgh and Washington, though, protected their offensive assets the most, being the only two franchises to deploy the exclusive tag this year.

Salary cap makes record leap: After months of rumors pegging the 2017 cap between $163-$170MM, the number teams will use this year was revealed this week. As free agency approaches, teams will be working off a $167MM salary ceiling. Moving from $155MM to $167MM makes this the largest single-year leap since the cap was implemented in 1994. That continues the substantial elevation pattern that’s formed over the past several years. In 2013, the cap settled in at $123MM, and that came after it stagnated following the uncapped year of 2010. The Browns now have more than $102MM in cap space to lead the league going into free agency.

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