Lions agree to Megatron money

FOR 5 YEARS, Calvin Johnson has thrilled Detroit Lions fans, helping the city's troubled NFL franchise recover from almost unimaginable depths to become one of the league's most exciting young teams.

Now the Lions are rewarding the star receiver, giving "Megatron" a contract worthy of his catchy nickname.

Johnson has signed an 8-year deal worth up to $132 million, the largest contract in NFL history. He had a year remaining on a deal he signed after being drafted in 2007, but this extension starts immediately and runs through the 2019 season.

"I'm so comfortable here now," Johnson, 26, said at news conference yesterday. "At first, not at all, but being here for 5 years, being around these people here in Detroit, teammates and just the city - I'm just growing accustomed to it."

Johnson's agent, Bus Cook, said the contract is worth $60 million guaranteed. That figure and the total value of the deal are both NFL records.

"Calvin's one of those guys - we've said this about a few guys that we have in our building - whatever they pay him is not enough," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "He's truly a special player."

Detroit made the playoffs last season for the first time in a dozen years. The challenge now is keeping these stars long term, and the Lions took care of Johnson with minimal angst.

In other deals:

* The Minnesota Vikings signed John Carlson to a 5-year deal, bringing the tight end back to his home state. Carlson, 27, spent his first four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. But he missed all of last season after needing shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum that occurred in training camp. ESPN first reported the agreement, which includes $11 million in guaranteed money.

* The Arizona Cardinals agreed to terms on a 5-year contract with free-agent offensive lineman Adam Snyder.

* Unrestricted free agent quarterback Derek Anderson agreed to a 1-year contract to remain with Carolina Panthers.

* For the Dallas Cowboys, cornerback Brandon Carr agreed to a 5-year deal, and quarterback Kyle Orton agreed to a 3-year deal to be Tony Romo's backup. Both played in Kansas City last season.

Dallas also announced the signings of unrestricted free-agent offensive lineman Mackenzy Bernadeau from the Carolina Panthers to a 4-year deal, and fullback Lawrence Vickers from Houston for 2 years.

* The Super Bowl-champion New York Giants signed tight end Martellus Bennett as a free agent. Bennett spent the past four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys as the backup to Jason Witten.

* The Kansas City Chiefs signed running back Peyton Hillis, giving the team a formidable duo in the ground game with Jamaal Charles. Hillis had a drama- and injury-filled second season in Cleveland after rushing for 1,177 yards in 2010.

* Joshua Morgan and Pierre Garcon signed their contracts with the Washington Redskins, adding fresh talent to the receiving corps even as the team continued to search for other ways to upgrade.

Washington also took care of some other paperwork, formally completing the trade with the St. Louis Rams to move up to the No. 2 spot in the NFL draft. Meanwhile, they continued to court receiver Eddie Royal and were preparing to host cornerback Aaron Ross today. Safety Brandon Meriweather was also scheduled for a visit, according to the Washington Post.

* The Jacksonville Jaguars and wide receiver Laurent Robinson agreed to a 5-year, $32.5 million contract that includes $14 million guaranteed.

* Left tackle Jared Gaither signed a 4-year contract to remain with the San Diego Chargers, who also signed unrestricted free-agent linebacker Jarret Johnson, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens, to a 4-year deal.

The Tennessee Titans have made their pitch to Peyton Manning and the quarterback has left the team's building after spending 6 1/2 hours inside. The next move is up to the four-time NFL MVP. Manning walked out of the building with coach Mike Munchak at 10:05 p.m. and waved to about 50 fans who had gathered along the fence hoping for a glimpse of the quarterback.

* Less than a day after the Bears traded for Brandon Marshall, the Pro Bowl receiver has been accused in yet another off-field incident. New York City police say a woman has filed a complaint alleging Marshall punched her in the face at a nightclub over the weekend. Marshall has not been charged in the incident, which the woman says occurred at 3:50 a.m. Sunday outside the Marquee in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood.

Marshall's former team, the Dolphins, and the Bears said yesterday that they knew about the alleged incident before the trade.