Cowboys To Re-Sign Terrance Williams
The Cowboys have reached a four-year agreement to re-sign wide receiver Terrance Williams, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. The pact is worth $17MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, while Caplan adds that it carries a max value of $22MM (Twitter links). It contains $9.5MM in guarantees, Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes.
Williams, 27, has spent his entire four-year career with the Cowboys and is now in position to remain in Dallas for the foreseeable future. The team went into free agency bracing for his departure, but it will instead keep the No. 2 wideout and Dez Bryant complement in the fold. Since going in the third round of the 2013 draft, Williams has played in all 64 of the Cowboys’ regular-season games, made 52 starts and averaged 44 catches, 698 yards and five touchdowns per year.
The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Williams is the latest wideout off the board in a class of available receivers that’s quickly losing its appeal. Among PFR’s 15 highest-ranked receivers entering free agency, only Cordarrelle Patterson, Michael Floyd, Kamar Aiken and Victor Cruz remain. All of those players come with obvious flaws, which made it that much more important for the Cowboys to keep the steady Williams from exiting.
Panthers Sign Russell Shepard
The Panthers have signed free agent wide receiver Russell Shepard to a three-year deal, reports David Newton of ESPN.com. Shepard was a popular free agent in this cycle, drawing interest from six teams in total. 
The incumbent Buccaneers, Bills, and Lions also worked to sign Shepard this week. Reportedly, some of the teams interested in Shepard believed that he could be a No. 3 receiver, with a chance of being a No. 2 WR. Other clubs reportedly offered to make him “one of the highest-paid special-teams players in the league with multiple offensive packages.”
Shepard showed what he could do on offense last season, recording 23 receptions for 341 yards and two touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how the Panthers use the former Bucs special teams captain.
The Panthers wide receiver depth chart is now headlined by Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess, and Russell Shepard. Brenton Bersin and Damiere Byrd currently project to hold the WR4 and WR5 spots, but lots can change between now and September. Wide receiver Laron Byrd was not retained as restricted free agent and Philly Brown is meeting with other teams.
Jared Cook Won’t Return To Packers
Free agent tight end Jared Cook won’t return to the Packers for a second season, a source told Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link). Cook’s exit from Green Bay won’t please quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who lobbied in January for the team to re-sign the pass catcher. The news isn’t surprising, though, as contract talks between the Packers and Cook broke off earlier Friday.
In what will go down as his only year with the Packers, Cook appeared in 10 games in 2016 and caught 30 of 51 targets for 377 yards and a touchdown. He was far more impressive in the Packers’ two-game playoff run, in which he combined for 13 receptions on 23 targets, 181 yards and two scores. Previously, Cook spent 2009-15 with the Titans and Rams and totaled 273 catches and 16 touchdowns.
Cook inked a $3.5MM deal in free agency last offseason, but he could land a richer pact this year as one of the two best tight ends available (Martellus Bennett is the other). Buffalo and Detroit were eyeing the 29-year-old on Thursday, though the latter then booked a visit with free agent tight end Daniel Fells.
Redskins Could Consider Williams For GM
As they search for their next general manager in the wake of Scot McCloughan‘s firing on Thursday, the Redskins could consider one of their former quarterbacks, Doug Williams, for the role, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Mike Jones of the Washington Post first mentioned Williams as a potential candidate Wednesday.
The 61-year-old Williams’ only work as a GM came back in 2011 with the Virginia Destroyers of the now-defunct United Football League, but he has garnered front office experience at the highest level with the Buccaneers (with whom he played from 1978-82) and Redskins.
Williams has been a personnel executive with Washington since 2014, but he’s best known for his tenure as the franchise’s signal-caller from 1986-89. Even though Williams only started 14 games during that four-year span, he was at the helm for the Redskins’ 42-10 rout of the Broncos in Super Bowl XXII, which capped off the 1987 season. Williams tossed four touchdowns in that game and completed 18 of 29 passes for 340 yards.
If Williams ends up as the Redskins’ GM, his most important decision in the early going will likely center on their current starting quarterback, the franchise-tagged Kirk Cousins, who could be entering his last season with the franchise. Before he helps map out Cousins’ future, though, Williams will have to beat out other general manager candidates like NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock and ex-Buccaneers GM Mark Dominik, among other possibilities.
Dolphins Sign Nate Allen
The Dolphins have signed free agent safety Nate Allen, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).
The 29-year-old Allen figures to help fill the void of fellow safety Isa Abdul-Quddus, whom the Dolphins cut earlier this week. Allen, like Abdul-Quddus, has endured injury troubles recently, having missed 11 games in 2015 on account of a torn MCL. He bounced back last year to appear in 14 games and make four starts as a member of the Raiders, with whom he totaled 26 tackles and two interceptions.
Before landing in Oakland in 2015, Allen spent the first five years of his career with the Eagles, who selected him in the second round of the 2010 draft. Allen has since totaled 93 appearances, 76 starts and 13 picks. He’ll join star Reshad Jones, Walt Aikens and A.J. Hendy as the Dolphins’ current safeties.
Steelers, Marcus Cooper In Contact
Having already landed on the Jets’ radar, free agent cornerback Marcus Cooper can now count the Steelers among the teams with interest in his services, tweets Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. Pittsburgh has been in contact with Cooper, according to Fowler.
The 6-foot-2 Cooper could represent a relatively affordable option for the Steelers, who haven’t displayed any willingness to splurge on corners in this year’s free agent class, per Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network (Twitter link). He likely won’t come at a pittance, though, after logging career highs in starts (15), tackles (69) and interceptions (four) in 15 appearances with the Cardinals last season. While the 27-year-old put up impressive traditional numbers, his performance didn’t wow Pro Football Focus, which ranked him 101st among 112 qualified corners.
A decent payday in free agency would be a boon for Cooper, who entered the NFL with San Francisco in 2013 as a seventh-round pick and has already been a part of three organizations. He debuted in 2013 with the Chiefs, who claimed Cooper after the 49ers cut him, and registered 21 passes defensed and three interceptions in a 16-game, six-start rookie campaign. Cooper didn’t pick off any more passes in KC, with which he combined for only 22 appearances and 10 starts from 2014-15. The club then traded him to Arizona for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2018 draft.
Cooper is the second reported cornerback to pique the Steelers’ interest since free agency began. The team is also eyeing Brandon Flowers as it looks to add to its William Gay-, Artie Burns– and Ross Cockrell-led contingent of corners.
Titans To Sign Logan Ryan
Another big-name cornerback is coming off the market: The Titans have agreed to a deal with Logan Ryan, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). It’s a three-year, $30MM pact, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
The 26-year-old Ryan is the second major addition the Titans have made to the secondary on the first day of the 2017 league year. The team previously agreed to a deal with safety Jonathan Cyprien.
Titans general manager Jon Robinson is already quite familiar with Ryan, whom the executive had a large hand in drafting back in 2013. Robinson was then the director of college scouting for the Patriots, with whom Ryan won two Super Bowls during the first four years of his career.
Although Ryan thrived in New England, it became obvious a parting of ways was in the offing when the reigning champions inked fellow corner Stephon Gilmore to a mega-deal earlier Thursday. But the Patriots’ loss will be a sizable gain for the Titans, who ranked 26th in DVOA against the pass and 30th in aerial yardage allowed last year. At the same time, Ryan registered his fourth straight 16-appearance season and tallied 92 tackles and two interceptions across 13 starts. His performance ranked a stellar 16th among Pro Football Focus’ 112 qualified corners.
With 2016 factored in, Ryan has racked up 40 starts and 13 picks in his career. The ex-Rutgers star will now join college teammate Jason McCourty and Brice McCain, among other corners, in Tennessee.
49ers, Aldrick Robinson Agree To Deal
The 49ers have agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $6MM with free agent wide receiver Aldrick Robinson, reports Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Like fellow Niners newcomer and receiver Pierre Garcon, Robinson is already familiar with the team’s rookie head coach, Kyle Shanahan. In fact, the 28-year-old Robinson has played a significant portion of his career under Shanahan’s tutelage since entering the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Redskins in 2011. Shanahan was their offensive coordinator through the 2013 campaign, and the two reunited when Shanahan led Atlanta’s ‘O’ last year.
While Robinson is clearly a Shanahan favorite, the 5-foot-10, 184-pounder won’t bring a track record of high-end production to San Francisco. Robinson, who has also spent time with the Ravens, has totaled just 50 catches in 54 games. He has made those receptions count, though, with an excellent career yards-per-catch average of 18.6. Robinson averaged 16.2 yards per grab last season, when he logged a personal-best 20 receptions and added two touchdowns on 32 targets.
Robinson is the fourth receiver the 49ers have agreed to a deal with this week. In addition to Robinson and Garcon, the Niners have re-signed Jeremy Kerley and picked up Marquise Goodwin.
A.J. Bouye, Alshon Jeffery Didn’t Consider Signing With Bears
The Bears will emerge from the opening of free agency having added Mike Glennon, Dion Sims, Markus Wheaton and Will Demps, but Thursday didn’t go according to plan for the franchise, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
Chicago attempted to use its boatload of cap space to sign more established players, including top cornerback Stephon Gilmore and A.J. Bouye and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, but the team swung and missed on all counts. While the Bears looked like the favorites to ink Gilmore as recently as Tuesday, he instead joined the Patriots on a mega-deal. Meanwhile, prior to landing his own enormous payday with the Jaguars, Bouye didn’t even give the Bears serious consideration, a source told Biggs.
Like Bouye, Jeffery had no interest in signing with the Bears, multiple sources informed Biggs. He ultimately took a one-year, $14MM offer from the Eagles to leave Chicago, where he spent the first five seasons of his career and emerged as one of the NFL’s top pass catchers.
Should the Bears could continue scouring the open market for potential solutions at either position, some appealing options remain in a dwindling class of free agents. Logan Ryan, Prince Amukamara and Morris Claiborne are among the league’s still-unsigned corners, while Terrelle Pryor is the best wideout without a contract. It’s unclear, though, whether the Bears are interested in any of those players.
Jets Re-Sign Corey Lemonier
The Jets have re-signed outside linebacker Corey Lemonier, reports Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Lemonier is the second OLB New York has reupped Thursday, joining special teams standout Josh Martin.
After a hectic 2016 in which he spent time with four organizations, the 25-year-old Lemonier could perhaps find some stability for 2017. He first joined the Jets in late December, which came after the 49ers, Browns and Lions waived him, and played in one game with Gang Green. Lemonier’s other eight appearances came in Cleveland, with which he recorded nine tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.
A third-round pick of the 49ers in 2013, the ex-Auburn Tiger totaled 42 appearances during his three seasons in San Francisco. Lemonier only produced 37 tackles and a sack in that span, though.