Lions Re-Sign RB Zach Zenner
The Lions announced that they have re-signed running back Zach Zenner. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 
Zenner, 27 in September, was non-tendered by Detroit. He’s back with the team on a new deal anyway, presumably one that is cheaper than the low level tender of $1.907MM.
The running back originally joined the Lions as an undrafted rookie free agent out of South Dakota State in 2015. In eight games last season, he had 14 carries for 26 yards and one touchdown. He saw the most action of his career in 2016 when he ran for 334 yards off of 88 carries (just 3.8 yards per attempt) and four touchdowns. He also added 18 catches for 196 yards.
The Lions are widely expected to add to their running back group, though they did not sign a new RB in the first couple days of free agency. For now, Ameer Abdullah profiles as Detroit’s top runner with Theo Riddick, Tion Green, and Dwayne Washington in support.
Bills Re-Sign Taiwan Jones, Travaris Cadet
The Bills announced that they have re-signed a pair of running backs. Taiwan Jones and Travaris Cadet are both ticketed to return for 2018. 
With both players back in the fold, the Bills currently have six running backs under contract. Needless to say, not all of them will be on the team in September. They will, however, duke it out between now and final cuts.
LeSean McCoy, coming off of his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, will be the primary ball carrier for his fourth season in Buffalo. As of this writing, new free agent pickup Chris Ivory figures to serve as his primary backup, as shown on Roster Resource. Marcus Murphy and Aaron Green are also in the mix and the Bills could still look to add to the RB group in April’s draft.
In other Bills news, offensive lineman Richie Incognito reworked his contract on Thursday, allowing him to stay with the team.
Panthers To Meet With TE Eric Ebron
The Panthers will meet with free agent tight end Eric Ebron, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). To our knowledge, this marks Ebron’s first visit, though the Ravens are also said to have interest. 
The Lions had Ebron under contract for $8.25MM thanks to his fifth-year option, but the option is guaranteed for injury only. Detroit released Ebron this week, without financial penalty, after being unable to find a taker for him via trade.
Ebron lacks the braun for blocking, but he’s an athletic tight end with receiving ability. A deal could quickly materialize for him now that Jimmy Graham, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Trey Burton, and Tyler Eifert are off the free agent board.
Other available free agent tight ends of note include Antonio Gates, Ed Dickson, and Levine Toilolo. All things considered, Ebron carries the most upside of the bunch. He could also be a natural fit for the Panthers since he attended both high school and college in North Carolina.
Seahawks free agent tight end Luke Willson visited with the Panthers this week, but left without signing a deal.
Seahawks Discussing Earl Thomas Trade; Seeking 1st, 3rd Round Picks
The Seahawks are in discussions with several teams regarding safety Earl Thomas, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). They are seeking a first-round pick and a third-round pick in exchange for the three-time First Team All-Pro safety, but La Canfora says they may get even more for him in a trade.
We learned last night that the Seahawks had requested a first-round pick in exchange for the defensive back. The Seahawks have already made several changes to their secondary, including releasing both Richard Sherman and DeShawn Shead, and it sounds like moving on from their safety isn’t out of the picture. Thomas, who turns 29 in May, has earned six Pro Bowl selection in his eight seasons in Seattle, and has been a critical figure in the team’s “Legion of Boom” secondary.
The Seahawks are seemingly interested in moving on from Thomas, and the feeling is apparently mutual. He connected himself to the Cowboys after the Seahawks’ December win in Dallas, telling Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett to “come get me.” Thomas was born in Orange, Texas and played at the University of Texas before Seattle selected him with the No. 14 pick in 2010.
In January, Thomas threatened a holdout by saying he doesn’t envision himself rejoining Seattle without a longterm deal. The safety signed a four-year $40 MM deal in 2014, which is set to expire after the 2018 season. The safety had another productive campaign in 2017, compiling 56 tackles and two interceptions in 14 games (14 starts).
Lions Sign G Kenny Wiggins
The Lions have signed offensive lineman Kenny Wiggins. Wiggins is listed as a guard in the press release, which is undoubtedly to the delight of the former Charger. 
Wiggins, who has experience at all five offensive line positions, was vocal about his desire to play solely at guard.
“I’ve always said the more you can do, the less you get paid,” Wiggins said in January. “It’s the truth. You’ve got to be able to play in one spot and play it well. If you can play a bunch of spots but you play them mediocre, then you’re not going to get paid. Me playing every game at guard and locking down the spot, and being able to show people that I can be an everyday starter — go out there, stay healthy and be a contributor on our line — I think that speaks volumes.”
Wiggins wound up starting at right guard last season for the Chargers due to injuries. He played played 999 snaps, good for second-highest on the Bolts’ offensive line. As a whole, the Chargers’ offensive line performed well, allowing a league-low 18 sacks as Melvin Gordon topped 1,100 rushing yards.
For what it’s worth, the advanced numbers weren’t fond of Wiggins’ play. Pro Football Focus rated him as just the 74th ranked guard in the league out of 82 qualified players.
As shown on Roster Resource, there could be an opening for Wiggins to start at one guard spot with T.J. Lang at the other. However, if the Lions wind up signing Matt Slauson after his visit, Wiggins may wind up either as a reserve.
Saints Owner Tom Benson Dead At 90
Saints owner Tom Benson has died at the age of 90. According to an announcement from the team, Benson passed away peacefully with wife Gayle Marie Benson at his side.
Benson purchased the Saints in 1985 after learning that the team was on the verge of being sold and relocated. Since being purchased by Benson, the Saints have earned eleven playoff berths and won a Super Bowl ring in 2009. Back in 2012, Benson also bought the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans).
We learned earlier this week that Benson was hospitalized in the intensive care unit at Ochsner Medical Center (via ESPN’s Mike Triplett). He was admitted several weeks ago with flu symptoms. Benson has battled several ailments in recent years, and he was hospitalized back in October for exhaustion.
Besides owning the two major sports teams in New Orleans, Benson was also known in the area for his charitable work. Through his Gayle and Tom Benson Foundation, the owner was “dedicated to assisting a myriad of charitable, faith-based and educational causes in the New Orleans and South Texas communities” (via a Saints press release).
We at PFR offer our thoughts and condolences to Benson’s family and friends.
Redskins Re-Sign LB Zach Brown
Zach Brown isn’t going anywhere. The Redskins have re-signed the free agent inside linebacker, according to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington (on Twitter). It’s a three-year deal worth up to $24MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
[RELATED: Redskins Depth Chart, Via Roster Resource]
Brown ranked as our No. 3 ranked linebacker heading into free agency, behind only Nigel Bradham and NaVorro Bowman. Bradham has since re-signed with the Eagles on a five-year, $40MM deal. Bowman, meanwhile, continues to look for his next team and with the incumbent Raiders having interest. Brown’s deal with the Redskins could facilitate a return to Oakland for Bowman.
Brown racked up 127 tackles last year and was vocal about his desire for a better deal. Last year, he settled for a one-year, $2.55MM deal with the Redskins. He’s back in D.C., this time with a pay bump.
In his first campaign with Washington, Brown appeared in 13 games and played on roughly three-quarters of the team’s defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus graded Brown as the league’s No. 51 linebacker among 88 qualifiers, a steep drop off from his 2017 production. As a unit, Washington’s defense ranked 29th in rush defense DVOA. Still, advanced analytics only mean so much to NFL front offices and Brown’s value was evident to the Redskins.
Raiders To Meet With DE Tank Carradine
The Raiders are hosting 49ers defensive end Tank Carradine on a visit, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Carradine, 29, was a second round pick of the Niners in 2013. He hasn’t quite lived up to his potential and he is coming off of a season in which he missed half of the team’s games. He did start in seven of his eight contests in 2017, however. He tallied 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks and would have placed among Pro Football Focus’ top 50 edge defenders if he had enough snaps to qualify.
The Raiders are keeping busy today as they are also meeting with free safety Marcus Gilchrist. On the other side of the ball, they have released Michael Crabtree in order to sign fellow wide receiver Jordy Nelson.
Colts Interested In OL D.J. Fluker
A market for Giants free agent offensive lineman D.J. Fluker is starting to emerge. The former first-round pick and Patrice O’Neal lookalike has drawn interest from the Colts, according to Stephen Holder of the Indy Star (on Twitter). 
Fluker is also set to meet with the Seahawks. While Fluker isn’t expected to command an especially lucrative deal, the Colts have far more cap space than the Seahawks possess. Although, despite having some of the most maneuvering room in the league, the Colts have been quiet during the start of free agency.
Fluker spent last season with the Giants after signing a one-year deal. The former Chargers first-round pick did not show a dramatic improvement from the work that induced the Bolts to backtrack on his fifth-year option and cut the Alabama product last year. Pro Football Focus tabbed the 27-year-old blocker as its No. 56 full-time guard.
Indianapolis could lose Jack Mewhort in free agency and has some uncertainty on the right side of its line. It’s possible Fluker could compete for a spot at either guard or right tackle.
Jaguars To Sign Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Austin Seferian-Jenkins has a new home. The tight end will sign with the Jaguars, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
This will be a two-year agreement worth $10MM, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). A $1MM incentive package also appears to be included in the deal.
Seferian-Jenkins, a former second-round pick of the Bucs, never lived up to his potential with Tampa Bay. After bouncing back from substance abuse issues, he put together a productive season with the Jets, catching 50 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns. Two more TDs were overturned on controversial reversals.
ASJ was seeking a slightly more lucrative deal and also met with the Seahawks. But he didn’t make that trip and will add to the reigning AFC South champions’ retooled pass-catcher stable. The Jaguars lost Allen Robinson but added Donte Moncrief. He and Seferian-Jenkins now look to serve as complementary targets for Blake Bortles.
This didn’t cost nearly as much as the most recent notable Jaguars free agent tight end signing. Julius Thomas signed a five-year, $46MM deal in 2015, but that didn’t end up working out. ASJ has not produced what Thomas did in Denver but never enjoyed those kind of favorable circumstances, either. And, as was the case when Thomas signed, Marcedes Lewis is still on the team.
Seferian-Jenkins is only 25, however, and if last season was a brief indication could have some upside. Although, the two-year agreement is likely, to some degree, indicative of his checkered past.