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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed former New Orleans Saints guard Carl Nicks to a five-year contract Wednesday, the team announced.
Sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that the contract is worth $47.5 million, including $31 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid guard in the league.
The Buccaneers now have added three prominent and pricey free agents in the first two days of free agency: Nicks, wide receiver Vincent Jackson and cornerback Eric Wright.
The team said it will hold a 1 p.m. ET news conference Wednesday to introduce Nicks, Jackson and Wright.
Before Nicks' deal, the NFL's highest-paid guard was New England's Logan Mankins, whose contract averaged $8.5 million per year.
Wright earlier Wednesday agreed to a five-year deal with the Buccaneers. Financial terms of the deal weren't immediately known. On Tuesday, Tampa Bay landed Jackson with a five-year, $55.55 million deal.
Jackson's contract will pay him $13 million in each of his first two years, then $10 million for the third year. The "5s" in the total value of the deal ($55,555,555) is a tribute to Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman, who wears No. 5.
Nicks, a two-time Pro Bowler at guard, was a member of The Associated Press' first-team All-Pro team in 2011, along with the Saints' other starting guard, Jahri Evans. That hasn't happened since 1953, with Detroit's Lou Creekmur and Dick Stanfel.
While Nicks is just cashing in now, Evans signed a seven-year, $56.7 million contract with the Saints in 2010.
Wright, a five-year NFL veteran, played for the Detroit Lions last season after spending his first four seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He had four interceptions and was credited with 73 tackles in 2011 as the Lions reached the playoffs.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
