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MMQB: How Olivier Vernon got his mega-deal from the Giants

With additional reporting by Kalyn Kahler of The MMQB.

On the craziest opening day of free agency since 2009, when Washington paid big bust Albert Haynesworth like he was Peyton Manning, the contract that shocked the NFL world Wednesday was handed to a quiet kid who was born in Miami, played high school football in Miami, played college football at Miami and played his first four pro seasons with Miami.

The Giants paid Olivier Vernon the richest contract for a defensive end in NFL history: five years, $85 million, with a bigger guarantee ($52.5 million) than J.