Jaguars Release Cody Kessler
The Jaguars released quarterback Cody Kessler, according to league sources who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Kessler made four starts for the Jags last year while Blake Bortles was benched. Now, both players are gone. 
Last year, Kessler took the reins for four games, but didn’t exactly set the world on fire. All in all, he completed 64.9% of his passes (85-of-131) for 709 yards with two touchdowns against two interceptions.
This year, the Jaguars will trot out a totally revamped quarterback room with new starter Nick Foles, sixth-round rookie Gardner Minshew, 2018 sixth-round choice Tanner Lee, and Alex McGough. Of course, at least one of those backup QBs will be displaced between now and September.
In other Jags news, linebacker Telvin Smith says he wants to stay put, despite his absence from workouts and continued whispers about his future.
Falcons Sign First-Round Pick Kaleb McGary
The Falcons announced the signing of first-round tackle Kaleb McGary on Thursday. In addition to McGary, the club also inked fourth-round cornerback Kendall Sheffield. 
The Falcons used their first Round 1 pick (No. 14) overall on Boston College guard Chris Lindstrom. But, they weren’t done revamping their offensive line, and they refused to let McGary get away. The Falcons traded their second- and third-round picks to the Rams to move back into the first round and snag McGary at No. 31 overall, giving them an alternative to Ty Sambrailo at right tackle.
Sheffield began his collegiate career at Alabama before taking his talents to Ohio State, where he spent the last two seasons. Last year, he notched 35 tackles and two interceptions, putting him on the NFL radar. He’ll now look to stand out in an Atlanta cornerback group that is without Robert Alford and Brian Poole.
With McGary and Sheffield taken care of, the Falcons have just one straggler left in Lindstrom.
Patriots Meet With Ben Watson
Former Saints tight end Ben Watson, who previously said he would retire, will meet with the Patriots on Thursday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Watson isn’t putting all of his eggs into the Patriots’ basket, either – he’s also considering the Chiefs, Bills and, 49ers, according to Schefter. 
Watson is a free agent following the expiration of his one-year, $2MM Saints contract. He played four of the past six seasons with the Saints, who since replaced him with pricey free agent Jared Cook.
Watson played the 2017 season with the Ravens, missing all of 2016 due to injury, and spent the first three years of this decade in Cleveland. Unfortunately, his 2018 season ended a bit early when he missed the NFC championship game due to appendicitis. He caught 35 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season.
Now, he could return to where it all began. Watson spent the first six years of his career with the Patriots after entering the league as the final first-round pick in the 2004 draft. After Rob Gronkowski‘s retirement, the Pats could certainly use the help, even if Watson doesn’t offer the same upside as the party animal.
Seahawks To Sign CB Jamar Taylor
Veteran cornerback Jamar Taylor is set to sign with the Seahawks, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known, but the two sides may hammer out terms on Thursday as Taylor meets with coaches and tours the facility. 
[RELATED: Seahawks To Sign Ziggy Ansah]
Taylor should figure into the Seahawks’ slot corner competition where he would potentially replace the departed Justin Coleman. The 2013 second-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Dolphins before being dealt to the Browns. He was productive during his two seasons with Cleveland, including a 2016 campaign where he had three interceptions and 13 passes defended. In 2017, he appeared in a career-high 16 games and finished with a career-high 62 tackles.
Taylor, who will turn 29 in September, will battle with Akeem King, Kalan Reed, Jeremy Boykins, and rookie Ugo Amadi for the primary slot role. Earlier this offseason, coach Pete Carroll indicated that the nickel spot would be wide open in camp.
49ers Sign C Wesley Johnson
The 49ers signed center Wesley Johnson, according to a team announcement. To make room, the club waived tight end Marcus Lucas. 
[RELATED: 49ers, DeForest Buckner Far Apart On Talks]
Johnson spent 2015-2017 with the Jets and became their starting center in 2016 after injuries halted Nick Mangold‘s career. Then, last season, he hooked on with the Dolphins and appeared in ten contests.
With the Niners, Johnson could serve as a backup behind starter Weston Richburg, who underwent knee surgery in January. The expectation is that Richburg will be ready in time for training camp, but recovery timetables off of knee surgery are notoriously unreliable.
Lucas, meanwhile, will seek yet another NFL home. He’s bounced around the league since entering in 2014, but has yet to see time in a regular season contest.
Telvin Smith Wants To Stay With Jaguars
Telvin Smith has been absent from the Jaguars’ voluntary workouts, but he insists that he wants to stay in Jacksonville. On Tuesday, the linebacker took to social media to quell any talk that he’s looking for a way out. 
“Understand this, I never left Duval,” the 2017 Pro Bowler said on Instagram (via Justin Barney of News4Jax). “I’m never leaving Duval; it’s Duval til we die. You understand me? Y’all seen trade rumors and stuff. Y’all seen me go anywhere? Exactly. Y’all seen the rumors go somewhere, but y’all ain’t seen me go no where cause I ain’t going nowhere. You understand me? I promise y’all this: Ain’t nothing about Telvin Smith leaving Duval.”
Of course, none of this guarantees that Smith will remain on the Jags’ roster. The Jaguars drafted Murray State linebacker Quincy Williams with one of their third-round picks, inviting speculation that Smith could be a trade candidate. Then, GM Dave Caldwell did little to silence that talk after the draft. When asked about Smith’s future by a reporter, he replied, “We’ll see.”
Smith, a fifth-round pick in 2014, has at least two interceptions in each of the past three seasons and three career touchdowns. If the Jaguars put him on the block, they’ll find a ripe market for his services.
Raiders Sign Jalin Marshall
The Raiders signed wide receiver Jalin Marshall, according to an announcement from his agent. Marshall has been out of the NFL since being waved by the Jets following the 2018 season.
This year, the Ohio State product hooked on with the AAF’s Orlando franchise. Unfortunately, he was put out of work along with many other players when the league went belly-up midway through its inaugural season.
Still just 23 (24 in July), Marshall has 14 receptions for 162 yards to his credit. All of those came during his rookie season, one that also saw him factor into New York’s return game. Most notably, he returned 13 kicks for an average of 24.9 yards per try.
In 2017, Marshall was hit with a four-game ban for PEDs and spent the rest of the season on the taxi squad. This year, he managed 26 catches for 364 yards and three touchdowns in the AAF.
Marshall has an opportunity to see live action once again in the NFL, but little will be guaranteed here, especially since the Raiders now have eleven wide receivers on their offseason roster.
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Marquette King Visiting Texans
Former Broncos and Raiders punter Marquette King will visit the Texans on Tuesday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). King’s market has been relatively quiet in recent weeks, but he could find a home once the compensatory pick formula is taken out of the equation. 
King, one of the most outspoken punters in NFL history, was released by the Raiders in April 2018, with reports indicating that head coach Jon Gruden wasn’t a fan of King’s personality. The 30-year-old received interest from the Vikings and Giants, but he landed with the Broncos on a three-year deal.
Unfortunately, King’s Denver run was short lived. After appearing in four games, King suffered a season-ending abductor injury and was ultimately released.
Last month, the Dolphins expressed some interest in signing King. The Bills, according to one report, also showed interest in King, though a separate report put that in question.
King’s 20 punts traveled an average of 44.1 yards last season, which ranked 22nd in the NFL. However, he managed to place seven punts inside the 20-yard line, placing him just outside of the top 10.
If signed, King would replace – or compete with – incumbent punter Trevor Daniel. Last year, Daniel averaged 43.7 yards per boot.
Patriots To Sign Jared Veldheer
The Patriots are planning to sign free agent offensive tackle Jared Veldheer later this week, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). The veteran met with the Pats last week and, days later, the two sides appear to have agreed on numbers. 
Once completed, it’ll be a one-year, $3.5MM deal with a maximum value of $6.5MM, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter).
A nine-year veteran, Veldheer started 12 games in Denver last season and graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 58-rated tackle. Veldheer has more experience playing left tackle, having lined up there with the Raiders and Cardinals for several years. But, the Cards switched Veldheer and D.J. Humphries in 2017, moving him over to the right side. The 31-year-old (32 in June) may be a swing option for the Patriots in the upcoming year.
New England drafted third-round tackle Yodny Cajuste but lost Trent Brown and LaAdrian Waddle this offseason. Meanwhile, they have 2018 first-rounder Isaiah Wynn coming off a season-nullifying torn Achilles. All of this leaves them with a depth need that Veldheer can fill.