Redskins To Re-Sign Adrian Peterson
The Redskins will re-sign running back Adrian Peterson to a two-year deal worth $8MM, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Peterson had indicated he’d like to stay in Washington, while the Redskins also expressed interest in retaining the veteran back. Despite some chatter that other clubs could target Peterson, he’ll return to the nation’s capital following a successful 2018 campaign.
After collecting only a minimum salary deal last year, Peterson will now see a nice pay increase. He joined the Redskins after the club lost rookie second-round pick Derrius Guice to a torn ACL, and went on to rush 251 times for 1,042 yards and seven touchdowns. Advanced metrics weren’t nearly as bullish on Peterson, as he finished just 28th in success rate, but he was running behind a Washington offensive line that ranked just 24th in adjusted line yards.
Guice will be back in 2019, as will pass-catching back Chris Thompson, so it shouldn’t be a surprise if Peterson’s attempt see a drastic decrease next year. However, with Case Keenum under center, the Redskins may need to utilize a run-heavy offense, meaning Peterson will still be involved in the offense.
Peterson will 34 years old when next season gets underway, and only one running back age-34 or older has ever topped 1,000 rushing yards: John Riggins, who did it twice for the Redskins (1983 and 1984).
Raiders To Sign Tyrell Williams
Having already added superstar Antonio Brown to their receiving corps, the Raiders are making another pass-catching upgrade. Oakland has agreed to sign wide receiver Tyrell Williams, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets that it is a four-year, $44MM deal for Williams, with $22MM guaranteed. The contract maxes out at $47MM with incentives.
As recently as last night, there was a belief the Raiders were not a serious contender for Williams. That may have been due to their acquisition of Brown, or perhaps Williams had been generating enough serious interest from other clubs that Oakland assumed it was no longer a suitor. But Williams will head to the Bay Area after being connected to the Raiders throughout the free agent process.
Viewed as arguably the most intriguing wideout of the 2019 free agent class, Williams had reportedly drawn interest from a number of clubs, including the Colts, Steelers, and Browns.
Williams, 27, first emerged as a legitimate NFL wideout in 2015. With Keenan Allen injured, Williams stepped in as Philip Rivers‘ No. 1 target, hauling in 69 receptions for 1,069 yards and seven touchdowns. Over the past two years, Williams’ volume declined as Allen re-entered the lineup and 2017 first-round pick Mike Williams began taking snaps, but he’s still remained effective. In 2018, Williams ranked 24th among 84 qualifying receivers in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, meaning he was productive on a per-play basis.
As expected, the Raiders and head coach Jon Gruden have been active this offseason, acquiring not only Brown and Williams, but left tackle Trent Brown and safety Lamarcus Joyner.
Colts To Re-Sign CB Pierre Desir
The Colts have reached an agreement to re-sign cornerback Pierre Desir, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). It’s a multi-year deal, tweets Garafolo, with the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson noting Desir will be tied to the Colts for three seasons.
This contract will be worth up to $25MM, with Erickson adding (via Twitter) Desir will see $12MM guaranteed.
A former fourth-round pick of the Browns, Desir bounced around the NFL without much success until Indianapolis claimed him off waivers in 2017. He earned a starting role midway through that season, and subsequently started 12 games for the Colts in 2018. Desir, 28, posted 79 tackles, one interception, and eight passes defensed on an Indianapolis pass defense that ranked just 20th in DVOA.
Pro Football Focus graded Desir as the NFL’s 18th-best corner a year ago, but Football Outsiders’ charting data didn’t paint as rosy a picture. Among 85 qualifying corners, Desir ranked as roughly a league-average player: 52nd in success rate and 63rd in yards allowed per pass.
Desir will return to a Colts secondary that also includes Kenny Moore, Quincy Wilson, Nate Hairston, and Jalen Collins, but his new deal shouldn’t prevent Indianapolis from targeting another defensive backfield upgrade, either through free agency or the draft.
Chargers To Sign Tyrod Taylor
The Chargers have agreed to terms with quarterback Tyrod Taylor on a two-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Dolphins were intently interested in signing Taylor, but they’ll have to refocus their efforts on a different QB. 
Taylor, 30 in August, began the season as the Browns’ starter. However, he ceded the gig early in the year when an injury took him out of a fall matchup with the Jets. Baker Mayfield entered the game and engineered a comeback, and the rest was history.
In a characteristically weak market for QBs, Taylor profiled as one of the best options out there. The Dolphins, with serious questions under center, saw Taylor as a possible replacement for Ryan Tannehill. Instead, the Chargers have scooped him up to serve as Philip Rivers‘ understudy.
During his 2015 Pro Bowl campaign, Taylor averaged 8.0 yards per pass, threw 20 touchdown passes, six interceptions and ran for 568 yards. All in all, he owns a career 23-21-1 record as a starter. Taylor is historically safe with the football: among quarterbacks with at least 1,000 attempts since 2015, Taylor ranks third in interception percentage.
Taylor will only be 30 years old when the 2019 campaign gets underway, so there’s a possibility he could become a long term answer in Los Angeles if Rivers retires in the near future. More likely, though, he’ll serve as a rarely-used backup, as Rivers has never missed a game since becoming the Chargers’ starter in 2006.
Patriots To Re-Sign CB Jason McCourty
The Patriots will re-sign cornerback Jason McCourty to a two-year deal, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).
McCourty made some waves by admitting that he’d contemplate retirement this offseason, but he’d since indicated he not only wanted to continue his career, but preferred to re-sign with the Patriots. That didn’t come as much of a surprise, as McCourty’s twin brother Devin is also expected back in New England next season.
New England acquired Jason McCourty from the Browns in exchange for a 14-slot drop in the sixth/seventh round of the 2018 draft, and he proved to be a valuable pickup. The former sixth-round pick played on 80% of the Patriots’ defensive snaps, grading as the No. 6 cornerback in the league, per Pro Football Focus. McCourty also ranked 21st among corners in Football Outsiders‘ success rate, meaning he was effective at stopping opposing wide receivers short of the sticks.
McCourty should line up opposite Stephon Gilmore as one of New England’s starting cornerbacks next season. Following his excellent 2018 season, McCourty should also be slated for a pay bump after collecting an average salary of just $2.375MM on his last deal.
Ravens To Sign Mark Ingram
The Ravens will sign running back Mark Ingram, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. When finalized, it’ll be a three-year, $15MM pact.
Ingram was displaced this week when the Saints agreed to sign Latavius Murray. Murray will now serve as the backup to Alvin Kamara while Ingram will move on to Baltimore, where he’ll part of a rotation likely to include Gus Edwards and Kenneth Dixon. Ingram’s move to the Ravens will likely decrease the chances that fellow running back Javorius Allen — a free agent — returns to Baltimore.
Ingram, 29, served a four-game suspension to begin the 2018 campaign, but was highly effective once he returned to the field. On 138 carries, Ingram rushed for 638 yards and scored six touchdowns, while he also chipped in 21 catches, 170 yards, and a score in the passing game.
Ingram’s efficiency was off the charts, as he ranked third in Football Outsiders‘ success rate, meaning he was excellent at keeping the Saints’ offense on schedule with regard to down and distance. Meanwhile, Pro Football Focus assigned Ingram a 75.7 grade in pass-blocking, placing him among the best at his position.
Ravens To Sign Earl Thomas
Earl Thomas intends to sign a four-year, $55MM deal with the Ravens, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The deal will include a whopping $32MM fully guaranteed and pay Thomas $22MM inside of the first nine months.
With the deal, Thomas has secured an average annual salary of $13.75MM. That beats out his earlier goal of eclipsing $13MM per year, but puts him shy of the $14MM/year mark obtained by Landon Collins (Redskins) and Tyrann Mathieu (Chiefs). It’s also a big step up from the $10MM/year he earned with the Seahawks on his last contract.
For the Ravens, the deal gives them ample firepower and star power to replace Eric Weddle. Baltimore, which already featured a pass defense which third in DVOA last season, will now field a secondary that includes Thomas, fellow safety Tony Jefferson, and cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey, Jimmy Smith, and Tavon Young.
Thomas, 29, spent nine years in Seattle as arguably the premier safety in the NFL, but his final years with the Seahawks were tinged with his displeasure at not receiving a new contract. After angling for a trade or a new deal prior to the 2018 campaign, Thomas suffered a broken leg in Week 4 which ended his season prematurely. That injury wiped out his most of his platform year, and may have prevented him from becoming the league’s highest-paid safety.
Thomas comes to Baltimore with a decorated history. He’s been named first-team All-Pro three times, second-team All-Pro twice, and earned six Pro Bowl nods. Pro Football Focus, meanwhile, has never assigned Thomas a below-average grade for his performance, and he’s regularly ranked among the NFL’s best safeties per PFF metrics.
Redskins To Release LB Zach Brown
The Redskins are going to release linebacker Zach Brown, a source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Redskins unsuccessfully tried to move Brown in a trade, but he should find plenty of suitors now that he is an unrestricted free agent. 
[RELATED: Redskins To Release DL Stacy McGee]
Brown, 30 in October, 96 tackles and one sack as the Redskins’ inside linebacker last season. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus were extremely high on him, grading him as the third-best LB in the NFL behind only Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechly. Brown’s old contract ran through 2020, but it’s now a clean slate for the veteran and any interested clubs.
Brown, ultimately, saw this day coming. Back in December, after clashing with coaches, he said that he expected to be released in the offseason.
“I think they’re just going in a different direction towards everything,” Brown said. “I’m going this direction, they’re going that direction.”
Brown would’ve counted for $8.75M against the Redskins’ cap. Instead, they’ll save $5.75MM while absorbing a dead cap hit of $3MM.
In an offseason that has been extremely lucrative for off-ball linebackers, Brown could be in line for a strong payday.
Jets To Sign Le’Veon Bell
The Jets have reached agreement on a deal to sign Le’Veon Bell, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The former Steelers running back will receive a four-year, $52.5MM contract with $35MM guaranteed. The deal will carry a maximum value of nearly to $61MM, including incentives. 
Bell was said to be deciding between about six teams on Tuesday, though the list of clubs might not have been completely accurate. The Ravens, for example, did not make an offer to Bell, according to Schefter. On top of that, the Ravens never even had conversations with Bell’s agent about signing him, Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter) hears.
Still, plenty of other teams were hot on his tail. The 49ers, for example, made a strong offer to the running back and “were engaged in a wild tug-of-war with the Jets” in the final hours before Bell agreed to join Gang Green, Schefter hears.
For the Jets, the Bell signing redeems a difficult week of misfires. The Jets thought they had a deal with Vikings free agent linebacker Anthony Barr only for Barr to bail at the last minute and re-sign with the Vikings. The Jets were also heavily in pursuit of center Matt Paradis, but he stunned the league on Tuesday night by joining up with the Panthers instead.
Bell gained nearly 2,000 total yards in 2017, a year in which he was franchise tagged by the Steelers. When tagged again, Bell opted to sit out the entire 2018 season, resulting in the forfeiture of a $14.5MM salary, or $855K per game. Bell managed to make it to unrestricted free agency without the risk of injury in his final Steelers season, but it’s debatable as to whether the $14.5MM sacrifice was worthwhile.
In 2017, his last season on the field, Bell led the league with a career-high 321 rushing attempts. In the past, Bell has spoken of reducing his workload, so the Jets may have to dial down his usage. In any event, Bell profiles as the Jets’ most talented running back since Curtis Martin. The franchise has enjoyed the post-prime star power of LaDainian Tomlinson and others in the past, but Bell is a generational talent in his prime who can keep defenses honest and open up the passing game for youngster Sam Darnold.
With Darnold in the fold, the Jets are deploying the strategy used by many NFL teams with quarterbacks on rookie deals: surround the young signal-caller with talent while he’s on a cheap deal. Bell will give the Jets a boost in the running game, and he’ll be working behind an offensive line that includes new addition Kelechi Osemele, whom New York acquired from Oakland. New slot receiver Jamison Crowder, too, should give Darnold another weapon in the latter’s second pro campaign.
WR Breshad Perriman Backs Out Of Browns Deal, Will Sign With Buccaneers
It sounds like Breshad Perriman has gotten his wish. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Browns general manager John Dorsey and agent Drew Rosenhaus “mutually agreed to not to follow through on verbal agreement.” Perriman will now sign a one-year, $4MM deal with the Buccaneers.
Perriman was set to re-sign with Cleveland on a one-year, $4MM deal. However, his role naturally changed following the Browns’s acquisition of Odell Beckham Jr., and subsequent reports indicated that the 25-year-old wanted out of his verbal commitment. The Browns apparently granted his wish, and the wideout will now be heading to Florida.
The former first-rounder disappointed during his tenure with the Ravens, but he showed some intrigue during his stint with the Browns. Perriman proceeded to play in 10 games (two starts) for Cleveland after joining the organization in October, hauling in 16 receptions for 340 yards and two touchdowns.
While targets may have been limited in Cleveland, Perriman should have an opportunity to establish a role in Tampa Bay. After trading DeSean Jackson and watching Adam Humphries sign with the Titans, the Bucs now lack depth behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.