Unrestricted free agent Justin Bannan had an interest in staying with the Ravens, but the Broncos bowled him over with an offer he couldn't refuse last week. Projecting the eight-year veteran as a starting end in their 3-4 defense, the Broncos gave Bannan a contract worth $22 million over five years.
That's not all. He got a $6.3 million signing bonus and $10.5 million in guarantees. The Ravens would have liked to keep Bannan, but they couldn't compete with that. They still saw him in a rotation behind Haloti Ngata and Kelly Gregg. Bannan made $2 million for the Ravens last season.