Broncos sign DL Hunter

Football Betting Lines

08/19/2010 - Englewood, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Broncos added depth to their defensive line on Thursday, signing free agent Jason Hunter.

The 26-year-old Hunter was released by Detroit on Monday. The Appalachian State product enjoyed a career season with the Lions in 2009, recording 34 tackles and five sacks in 14 games, including nine starts.

The 6-foot-4, 271-pounder has compiled 66 tackles and seven sacks over 56 career games with the Packers and Lions.

Gamblingriverboat Football Betting News

<< Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Murray reach Cincy QFs
Mason, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 1 superstar Rafael Nadal, two-time runner-up Novak Djokovic and former champion Andy Murray recorded third-round victories, while reigning titlist Roger Federer entered the quarterfinals via walkover Thu

<< Venable and Latos help Padres complete sweep of Cubs
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Will Venable drove in two runs and Mat Latos tossed seven solid innings, as the San Diego Padres defeated the Chicago Cubs, 5-3, to complete a rare four-game sweep at Wrigley Field. Jerry Hairston Jr. and

<< Federer, Djokovic, Murray land in Cincy quarters
Mason, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two-time runner-up Novak Djokovic and former champion Andy Murray recorded third-round victories, while reigning titlist Roger Federer entered the quarterfinals via walkover Thursday at the $3 million Western &a

<< Mets activate C Barajas
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets activated catcher Rod Barajas from the 15-day disabled list Thursday. Barajas had been on the DL since July 27 with a strained left oblique. Prior to his stint on the DL, he was b

<< G-Men sign QB Randolph; Sorgi out with sore shoulder
Albany, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Giants signed quarterback Dominic Randolph on Thursday, to address a growing issue under center. The move came after it was revealed that backup QB Jim Sorgi has an arm injury, and, accor

NBA fines Blazers' Fernandez >>
Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The National Basketball Association has fined Portland Trail Blazers swingman Rudy Fernandez $25,000 for public statements detrimental to the league. Fernandez has made it public that he wants to be t

Atwal shoots 61 to lead Wyndham Championship >>
Greensboro, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Arjun Atwal fired a nine-under 61 to take the first-round lead Thursday at the Wyndham Championship. Atwal birdied three of his last four holes to match the Sedgefield course scoring record and take a two-sh

Reds recall Wood to make Thursday start >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Reds recalled pitcher Travis Wood from Triple-A Louisville to start Thursday's game against Arizona. Wood compiled a 3-1 record with a 2.65 earned-run average during an eight- start span

Braves to activate LHP O'Flaherty on Friday >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Braves are expected to activate left-handed reliever Eric O'Flaherty off the 15-day disabled list on Friday. O'Flaherty has been sidelined since mid-July with mononucleosis and lost 15 pounds

CFL fines five in Calgary-Edmonton altercation >>
Calgary, Alberta (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Canadian Football League has reportedly fined five players for their conduct during Sunday's game between the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos. According to the Calgary Herald, St

FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

Football Betting

In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.