NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

According to Pro Football Weekly, the Colts have released backup quarterback Jim Sorgi. Sorgi was Manning's backup for some years, but after his injury last year, Painter took his role as the backup. Sorgi was expected to have $275K bonus but is now released.

The available backups left are Curtis Painter and Drew Willy, who spent time with the practice squad last year.

Antrel Rolle will not be coming back to the Cardinals after the safety inked with the Giants, but it only took the team a short period of time to find his replacement. Saturday the Cards made a deal with the New York Jets, obtaining safety Kerry Rhodes for a fourth-round pick in this year's draft and a seventh-rounder in 2011.

Rhodes is expected to move into the starting spot opposite All-Pro Adrian Wilson that was vacated when Rolle left to join the Giants on Friday after the Cards last week released him.

HHe fits a lot of the things that we do defensively," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said in a statement, "and the prospect of having him alongside a perennial All-Pro like Adrian Wilson is very exciting."

The Jets received Arizona's original pick in the fourth round; the Cardinals acquired another Friday night from Baltimore in exchange for wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

The deal came a day after Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said he expected Rhodes to participate in the offseason program in a few weeks, and play in New York this year and beyond "unless something changes."

Rhodes has four years left on his contract and was due a $2 million roster bonus next week. Expected to be one of the standouts on coach Rex Ryan's defense last year, Rhodes struggled and even lost his starting job.

"We all know that the safety position was a hole we needed to fill," Whisenhunt said. "To be able to do that so quickly and with a proven starter off the NFL's No. 1 defense is a tremendous positive for our football team. Kerry has the experience and ability to step in right away."

The Raiders Saturday released veteran running back Justin Fargas, leaving the teams backfield in the hands of backs Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. "Justin Fargas was a beloved Raider who performed at a high level throughout his seven seasons with the team and his contributions to the Silver and Black will always be remembered," the team said in a statement announcing the move. "We wish Justin all the best."

The team said Fargas failed a physical. Fargas was owed a $1.7 million bonus if he was still on the roster on Monday. It’ll now be up to McFadden to likely be the feature back, this after injuries slowed him down the first two years in the league to the point where he ran for just 856 yards and five touchdowns.

Fargas was second on the team in rushing with 491 yards and three touchdowns, averaging only 3.8 yards per carry. He had led the team in rushing the previous three seasons, with his best year coming in 2007 when he gained 1,009 yards on the ground and scored four touchdowns.

Fargas has run for 3,369 yards in seven seasons. He has averaged 4.1 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns. Reports say the team also will be releasing veteran DT Gerard Warren instead of paying him what he’s owed.

The Giants have made their splash into free agency, signing Antrel Rolle to a five year deal, worth $37 million. $15 million is guaranteed. This makes him the highest paid safety in NFL history.  What does Rolle do for the Giants?

The first thing he does is shore up the safety spot. Instead of Michael Johnson back there, we can team up Kenny Phillips with Antrel Rolle. That's a pretty good group of safeties. Combine that with Corey Webster, Terrell Thomas  and Aaron Ross, and your secondary is quite solid.

It also allows the Giants to focus on their linebacking core in the draft (or maybe even the rest of the free agency). Sign Kirk Morrison, or draft Rolando McClain. You bank on Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck to have great seasons, and you hope Chris Canty pulls it together. Maybe you draft a defensive tackle early in the draft.

Rolle has made this defense better. The secondary is now a strength. That allows the Giants to focus on problem areas–middle linebacker, defensive tackle. Good signing by the G-Men

There’s options out there for the Browns when it comes to bringing in a quarterback, and one guy that the team has some interest in is former Texans starter and now backup for the Giants David Carr. The reports are saying that Carr is on the Browns list, as well as Seahawks backup Seneca Wallace:

New Cleveland Browns boss Mike Holmgren wants to bring in a new quarterback, and now a new name can be added to the mix: David Carr.

Carr spent last night and this morning in San Francisco visiting with the 49ers, but Matt Maiocco of the Press Democrat reports that the 49ers aren’t his only suitors. It’s previously been reported that the Giants would like to keep Carr as Eli Manning’s backup and that the Cardinals would like to sign Carr as Matt Leinart’s backup, but Maiocco reports that the Browns are also a legitimate option for Carr.

If Carr’s goal is to start, the Browns probably give him a better chance than the 49ers (where coach Mike Singletary has said he expects Alex Smith to start) or Cardinals (where coach Ken Whisenhunt has said he expects Matt Leinart to start). And Carr certainly won’t start for the Giants as long as Eli Manning is healthy.

The rumor buzz with Broncos WR Brandon Marshall is a visit today to Seattle, where the Seahawks will chat with him about coming aboard for the 2010 season. The Seahawks have interest, but don’t expect Marshall to get an offer sheet today according to PFT through ESPN’s Adam Schefter:

The courtship of Brandon Marshall by the Seahawks is going to take some time.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes that Marshall will not sign an offer sheet Saturday. Rather, his visit to the Seahawks is looked at as the first step in what could be a long process.

The lack of an immediate deal is hardly a surprise. If Marshall signed an offer sheet, the Broncos would either have to match the contract or be entitled to Seattle’s No. 6 overall pick.

Instead, this will be starting point for what will likely be dueling negotiations. Seattle and Denver have to agree on trade compensation, and the Seahawks will have to negotiate a long-term deal with Marshall. (This all assumes Marshall doesn’t blow his meet-and-greet and other teams don’t involved.)

The Saints today agreed to one-year free-agent contracts with offensive lineman Nick Leckey and safety Pierson Prioleau. General manager Mickey Loomis announced the deals on Saturday without disclosing financial terms.

Both players had signed one-year deals with the Saints last season and played reserve roles on New Orleans' first Super Bowl championship team.

Leckey, a 6-foot-3, 291-pound, six-year veteran, played in eight games and all three postseason games in 2009, mostly on special teams with some work at center.

Prioleau, an 11-year veteran, led the Saints with 21 special teams tackles. He played in every game in 2009, making 18 tackles as a reserve defensive back with a pass defense and a fumble recovery.