Show me the money!

"Who says we're in a recession?" That's probably what players like Albert Haynesworth and Bart Scott were thinking to themselves after teams around the league were finished throwing contracts with seven and eight figure bonuses at them. While this wasn't the feeding frenzy fans usually see at the start of the free agency period, there are some players around the league who definitely moved into new tax brackets with a couple strokes of the pen. The following were my initial thoughts on some of the signings we've seen so far and what those associated with them were probably thinking.

*Albert Haynesworth- 7 years/$100 million (41 guaranteed) with the Redskins
My first thought: "Daaaaamn!" If Daniel Snyder gave "Phat Albert" QB money, how much will Jerry Jones give to DeMarcus Ware? How much money will some mystery team (the Patriots) have to dish out to get Julius Peppers out of Carolina?
What Daniel Snyder said: "This building through the draft thing sucks! I'm going back to trying to buy a Super Bowl!"

*Bart Scott- 6 years/$48 million (22 guaranteed) with the New York Jets
My first thought: The neighborhood just got tougher!
What Rex Ryan said: "Now I have an enforcer to start my defense with. If I can get Jim Leonhard to come here, we can start calling ourselves the North Baltimore Jets. Maybe Bart can help me flip the switch in Vernon Gholston."

* Chris Canty- 6 years/$42 million (17.25 guaranteed) with the New York Giants
My first thought: Timing is everything!
What Chris Canty said: "I'm leaving a team with a receiver known for tearing up locker rooms for a team with a receiver who misses meeting and shoots himself. Is it possible to play football without receivers?"

*Matt Cassel- franchised by the Patriots, traded to the Chiefs along with Mike Vrabel
My first thought: Matt Cassel is a winner at the game of life!
What Cassel said: " "It's not where you start. It's where you finish!"

* Brian Dawkins- 5 years/$17 million (9 guaranteed) with the Denver Broncos
My first thought: He's going where? Do the Eagles just refuse to pay anybody who's helped to get them where they are today? Did Andy Reid and the rest of the Eagles' management tell Donovan McNabb they weren't planning on bringing back the leader of their defense in that meeting they had last week?
What Dawkins said: "Somebody tell Kevin Kolb to get ready because Donovan's not going to like this!"

*Dan Orlovsky- 3 years/$9.5 million (2.4 million bonus) with the Houston Texans
My first thought: How in the world did the guy who ran out of the back of the end zone get that kind of money?
What Orlovsky said: "Somebody has to come in and blow the game when Matt Schaub gets hurt."

*Fred Taylor- cut by Jacksonville, signed with New England (terms undisclosed)
My first thought: Did Jacksonville have to cut him? Couldn't they have traded him to somebody other than Bill Belichik. I'm sure Tom Brady will be sending every member of the Jaguars organization a Christmas card this year.
What Bill Belichik said: "If you guys thought I worked wonders with Corey Dillon, wait till you see what I can do with this guy."

*T.J. Houshmandzadeh- 5 years/$40 million (15 guaranteed) with the Seattle Seahawks
My first thought: Did anybody really think he was coming back to Cincy?
What T.J. said: "Sorry Carson and Ocho Cinco, but the Seahawks have a better chance of beating the Cardinals than you guys have of beating the Steelers and the Ravens."