The veteran Jones-Drew, an Oakland native, has agreed to a three-year contract with the Raiders. He was scheduled to undergo a physical with the team on Friday.

Jones-Drew's signing comes right on the heels of another premier free-agent running back, former Bronco Knowshon Moreno, signing a one-year, $3 million deal with the Miami Dolphins. Teams have not opened the vaults for running backs this free-agency season. The figures for Jones-Drew, the NFL rushing champion just two seasons ago, were not immediately disclosed. But before him, the most lucrative deal went to the back he replaces in Oakland, Rashad Jennings, who got a reported four years and $14 million from the Giants with $3 million guaranteed.

Also signing earlier in free agency for modest terms were Ben Tate with Cleveland, Donald Brown with San Diego, and Toby Gerhart, who will replace Jones-Drew in Jacksonville.

At 29 and going into his ninth season, Jones-Drew will share carries with Darren McFadden, whom the Raiders re-signed this offseason but whose career has been riddled with injuries.

Before signing with the Raiders, Jones-Drew had visited the Pittsburgh Steelers; the Patriots and Jets also had been speculated as potential suitors.

One more accomplished free-agent back, the Patriots' LeGarrette Blount, is still available. The Steelers, badly in need of an upgrade at the position, are expected to have their delayed meeting with Blount on Friday.


KELLY: SANCHEZ A 'NO-BRAINER'


Mark Sanchez and Michael Vick have traded places.

Bounced out of New York after the Jets signed Vick last Friday, Sanchez has moved down turnpike and signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I've said many times that we will always look to add quality players at the quarterback position," Eagles coach Chip Kelly said in a statement.

He called the signing a "no-brainer."

"Mark has started 68 games in his career and has taken his teams deep into the playoffs multiple times, so we really like what he brings to the table from an experience standpoint," Kelly said. "I also had the chance to see Mark play in college and have always had respect for his game and athletic ability."

Sanchez spent last season on injured reserve after tearing the labrum in his right shoulder in a preseason game. He led the Jets to the AFC championship game his first two seasons in the NFL before struggling the next two. Sanchez had an NFL-leading 52 turnovers in 2012-13.

Sanchez, in his sixth year in the league, will be added to a mix of quarterbacks that includes Nick Foles, Matt Barkley and G.J. Kinne. In college, Barkley succeeded Sanchez at Southern California.

"You can never have enough talent at the quarterback position on your roster, so when Mark became available we immediately became interested," Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said.

Roseman pointed to Sanchez's "valuable experience."

"He'll have the chance to come in and learn the playbook, and we feel he'll be a nice veteran addition to the quarterback room," he said.


BLOUNT A STEELER


The three best running backs left in free agency came off the board in rapid succession the last few days. LeGarrette Blount, who ran for 772 yards while splitting the carries in New England last season, has signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to the Baltimore Sun.

NFL.com reported that it will be a two-year deal.

Blount was a major target of the Steelers all offseason, and he finally met with them Friday after delaying his originally-scheduled visit until all the top team brass had returned from this week's NFL meetings in Orlando.

The Steelers had also pursued Maurice Jones-Drew, who signed with the Raiders earlier Thursday. They had one of the worst rushing attacks in the NFL last season, although they had one of the better rookie runners in the league in Le'Veon Bell. However, Bell missed the first three games with a preseason foot injury and also absorbed a scary helmet-to-helmet hit in a Thanksgiving game in Baltimore.

Pittsburgh gets depth and versatility behind Bell in Blount, who ran for more than 1,000 yards as a rookie in Tampa Bay and gained a franchise record-tying 166 yards in a playoff win over Indianapolis this January.

On Thursday, another of the top remaining free-agent running backs was snapped up, when ex-Bronco Knowshon Moreno signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins.


WRONG TYPE OF 'BUMP-AND-RUN'


San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver has been arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run and reckless driving after he drove a car into a bicyclist and fled, police said.

Culliver was driving a white Ford Mustang just before 10:30 a.m. Friday when he hit the cyclist Friday morning near downtown San Jose, city police spokesman Albert Morales said. The bicyclist wasn't seriously hurt, he said.

A witness followed the Culliver, 25, who also drove into the car of the witness, Morales said, and that vehicle blocked the suspect's car until police arrived and arrested Culliver.

After searching the suspect's car, the authorities found illegal brass knuckles and booked him into Santa Clara County Jail for felony hit and run, felony reckless driving with injury, felony possession of brass knuckles, misdemeanor hit and run and misdemeanor driving on a suspended license.

Morales said he didn't know the name of Culliver's attorney.

"The 49ers organization is aware of the recent matter involving Chris Culliver," San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said. "We will remain in contact with Chris and the local authorities as we continue to gather the facts regarding this situation. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we will reserve further comment at this time."

In 2013, Culliver caused controversy by expressing anti-gay sentiments in the lead-up to the Super Bowl.

During Super Bowl media day at the Superdome in New Orleans that year, Culliver responded to questions from comedian Artie Lange by saying he wouldn't welcome a gay player in the locker room. He also said the 49ers didn't have any homosexual players and, if they did, those players should leave. He later apologized, facing a large group of Super Bowl media members for nearly an hour.

Culliver underwent sensitivity training as well and began doing outreach work with The Trevor Project, an organization that provides crisis and suicide intervention to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.

"I truly appreciate the staff at the Trevor Project for allowing me to grow and educating me on the issues affecting the LGBTQ community," Culliver later said in a statement to The Associated Press. "I have learned so much and made some really great friends. I will continue my commitment to the organization and to their youths and stand firm with hope that one day that all individuals regardless of sex, race, or creed will be treated with dignity and respect from all."

Culliver, a third-round draft pick in 2011 out of South Carolina, made 47 tackles with two interceptions and a forced fumble during the 2012 season while starting six games for the Niners. They lost in the Super Bowl that season to Baltimore.

Contributors: David Steele, The Associated Press