I really don’t like signing almost any middle linebacker to a 5 year 42.5 million dollar contract, especially one like D’Qwell Jackson who played just 6 games from 2009-2010. It’s a serious risk to give him a contract in the neighborhood of Patrick Willis, Jon Beason, Karlos Dansby, and David Harris and I’m not sure he’d even be worth that if he wasn’t an injury risk. The one redeeming quality of this deal is that all the guaranteed money (10.4 million) is in the first 2 years so if he disappoints in anyway, they can cut him after the 2013 season.

Grade: D