The Sports Xchange

The Dallas Cowboys and franchise-tagged wide receiver Dez Bryant agreed to a five-year deal Wednesday, less than an hour before the deadline.

The contract is worth $70 million and includes $45 million guaranteed, with a $20 million signing bonus, ESPN reported.

A photo of Bryant signing the contract at the Cowboys’ facility was tweeted by a reporter for DallasCowboys.com.

“I smiled the whole way over here,” he told the website. “I couldn’t even say nothing but just smile and laugh, because I couldn’t believe it. All I could just think about is that it’s a dream — a dream come true. I think the only thing that’s missing is a Super Bowl.”

Owner Jerry Jones said, “If we were not comfortable with how Dez has grown over the past five years off the field … this deal probably doesn’t get done. I’m happy for both sides. It’s a great deal for Dez, and he’s earned this contract. We’re satisfied with the terms and structure. Condon and Stephen worked hard on the contract to get it done on time.”

—The Denver Broncos signed star wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to a five-year contract, moments before Wednesday’s deadline for franchise players.

A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the deal with the three-time Pro Bowl player is worth $70 million and includes $43.5 million guaranteed.

“We are thrilled to reach a long-term contract agreement with Demaryius Thomas,” John Elway, the Broncos’ executive vice president of football operations and general manager, said in a statement. “He has developed into one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, and making sure he remained a Denver Bronco was a significant priority for our team.”

—The Kansas City Chiefs signed Justin Houston to a six-year, $101 million deal — the richest contract for a linebacker in NFL history.

According to reports, the deal includes $52.5 million guaranteed, with a signing bonus of $20.5 million. The contract is the richest deal in Chiefs history.

The 6-foot-3, 258-pound Houston led the NFL with 22 sacks last season — a half-sack short of the record set by Michael Strahan of the New York Giants in 2001. In four seasons with the Chiefs, Houston has recorded 248 tackles, 48.5 sacks, 19 passes defensed, one interception, seven forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and 71 quarterback pressures.

—New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski agreed to a four-year deal worth $17.2 million.

Gostkowski signed a one-year tender the same week the Patriots designated him a franchise player, which restricted his ability to sign with other teams in free agency. The two sides beat Wednesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline for signing a new contract.

Gostkowski, 31, was a fourth-round pick of the Patriots in 2006. Last season, he became New England’s all-time leading scorer and was 35-of-37 on field goals to lead the NFL with 156 points.

—The NFL Players Association and Tom Brady likely would head to federal court if any of the New England Patriots quarterback’s four-game suspension remains for his alleged role in Deflategate.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to announce a ruling this week on Brady’s appeal of his four-game suspension.

The union will go to federal court to challenge the league if Brady still is suspended for any games, NFLPA sources told ESPN legal analyst Ryan Smith.

—Quarterback Marcus Mariota is the only unsigned 2015 first-round draft pick, and it appears it might be awhile before he signs.

Mariota was the second overall pick, taken by the Tennessee Titans, but ESPN.com reported that Titans interim CEO Steve Underwood says the team will not give in on its demand to have offset language in Mariota’s contract. Offset language enables a team to regain guaranteed money if the player is released and signs with another team. Players who do not have offset language written into their contracts can receive payment from another team as well as from the team that released them.

Mariota’s contract is projected to be in the $21 million range over four years. It is unlikely that the No. 2 overall pick would be released before his contract expires, but Underwood said he does not want to set a precedent.

—The New York Giants signed former Baltimore Ravens safety Jeromy Miles, adding depth to their secondary.

Miles has mostly been a special teams and reserve player in his six seasons in the NFL, the last two years with the Ravens. In 2014, he played in 16 games (two starts), making a career-high 23 tackles with one interception. He also contributed five special teams tackles.

In 2013, Miles played one game for the Cincinnati Bengals before he was released on Sept. 21. He was awarded to the Ravens off waivers three days later. That season he played in 12 games for Baltimore, where he had eight special teams tackles.