Browns Trade QB Kevin Hogan To Redskins
The Browns have traded away another quarterback, sending Kevin Hogan and a sixth-round pick (No. 205 overall)to the Redskins for a sixth-round pick (No. 188 overall), with both teams announcing the deal. The Browns had acquired the sixth-round pick used in the deal from the Patriots in exchange for Jason McCourty
Hogan, 25, is the third quarterback to be traded from the Browns this offseason. They also sent Cody Kessler to the Jaguars and DeShone Kizer to the Packers. They received a conditional seventh-round pick for Kessler and cornerback Damarious Randall in exchange for Kizer.
The Browns also added Tyrod Taylor, who coach Hue Jackson said will enter the season as the starter, and long-time backup quarterback Drew Stanton. They’re set to take a quarterback with either the first or fourth overall picks of the upcoming draft as well.
Hogan joins a Redskins quarterback contingent that includes Colt McCoy and Stephen Morris behind newly-acquired Alex Smith. The Stanford alum had received permission from the Browns on Thursday to allow his agent to seek out a trade with another team.
The Chiefs drafted Hogan in the fifth round of the 2016 draft and he was cut prior to the regular season. He signed with the Browns shortly after and has appeared in eight games, including a start, over the last two seasons in Cleveland. The start came last year and it came in a losing effort to the Texans in Week 6.
Raiders Sign CB Senquez Golson
The Raiders continued to add to their secondary this offseason by signing free-agent cornerback Senquez Golson, per a team release. The terms of the deal have yet to be reported.
The Steelers made Golson a second-round pick in 2015 but he never played a down in his career with them. He spent the first two years of his career on injured reserve. He suffered another injury in the 2017 preseason and was waived by the Steelers. He was signed to the Buccaneers’ practice squad but was released shortly after and has yet to appear in a regular-season game.
The Raiders have been busy adding pieces to their secondary this offseason. They signed cornerback Rashaan Melvin to a one-year, $5.5MM deal, safety Marcus Gilchrist to a one-year, $4MM deal, cornerback Leon Hall to a one-year, $1.01MM deal, cornerback Shareece Wright to a one-year, $1.01MM deal and re-signed Reggie Nelson to a one-year deal.
Melvin and Gareon Conley are projected to start at cornerback, with Reggie Nelson and Karl Joseph projected to start at safety. The team parted ways with cornerbacks David Amerson and Sean Smith earlier this offseason.
Chiefs Hosting Kerwynn Williams For Visit
The Chiefs are bringing in free-agent running back Kerwynn Williams for a visit, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Williams started in six games for the Cardinals last season as part of the replacement contingent for David Johnson.
It was the most starts for Williams in his five-year career. He posted a career-best 426 yards rushing last season and averaged 3.6 yards per carry. The Colts originally took Williams in the seventh round of the 2013 draft out of Utah State and he also spent time with the Chargers before signing with the Cardinals in 2014.
If signed, Williams would mark the second addition to the Chiefs backfield this offseason through free agency. They signed Damien Williams to a one-year, $1.5MM deal in late March.
Both would likely back up Kareem Hunt, who had a breakout rookie season for the Chiefs after being taken in the third round of last year’s draft and rushed for 1,327 yards and eight touchdowns. The team also has Spencer Ware, Charcandrick West and Akeem Hunt on the roster. The Chiefs also re-signed De’Anthony Thomas to a one-year $880K deal. t
The Chiefs signed wide receiver Sammy Watkins to a three-year deal as well to serve as another weapon for second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Saints Sign Cam Meredith To Offer Sheet
The Saints are signing Bears restricted free agent wide receiver Cameron Meredith to an offer sheet, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The Bears will have an opportunity to match, but they will not receive draft compensation if they decline to do so. 
The offer sheet is a two-year deal worth $9.6MM ($5.4MM guaranteed), plus incentives, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Considering that the Bears declined to use the second-round tender – a one-year, $2.914MM placeholder – it seems unlikely that the Bears will match.
The Saints have a clear need for WR help given their lack of quality options behind starters Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. The Saints tendered Willie Snead at the original round level, but he is coming off of a down season and can’t be relied upon even if he is retained. Meredith could replace Snead as the Saints’ slot receiver and provide support alongside Tommylee Lewis, Austin Carr, and Paul Turner.
Meredith, 26 in September, is coming off a torn ACL which cost him all of the 2017 season. In 2016, he caught 66 passes for 888 yards in just ten starts.
Rams Release CB Kayvon Webster
The Rams released cornerback Kayvon Webster, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). After adding some high-profile corners this offseason, Webster has apparently been displaced from L.A. 
The Rams signed Webster to a two-year, $7.75MM deal last offseason, reuniting him with defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Webster was excited for the opportunity to join up for Denver after being buried on the depth chart behind other corners, including Aqib Talib. Ironically, Talib’s arrival in Los Angeles has helped to push Webster out of the picture.
The Rams, who are now loaded with star power befitting their home city, will start Talib and Marcus Peters at cornerback. Nickell Robey-Coleman will man the slot while free agent pickup Sam Shields and holdovers Kevin Peterson and Troy Hill are among those in support.
Webster suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon during the Rams’ December contest against the Eagles. All in all, he started in eleven games as a Ram, but placed in the lower half of Pro Football Focus’ 121 qualified corners.
Webster will attract interest as a free agent, but teams will be taking a close look at his Achilles as well as his surgically-repaired shoulder.
By cutting Webster, the Rams save roughly $3.5MM against the cap. The move leaves them with just $500K in dead money.
Patriots To Sign WR Jordan Matthews
The Patriots are signing former Bills wide receiver Jordan Matthews to a one-year deal, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Matthews had a down year due to injury, but Schefter hears that Matthews is now back to full health. 
Matthews met with the Patriots on Monday and left town without signing a deal. He met with the Titans later on in the week, but he has circled back to New England for a prove-it contract. Matthews also had a visit with the Packers in this free agency cycle and drew interest from the Cardinals.
From 2014-16, Matthews averaged 75 receptions for 891 yards and six touchdowns per season for the Eagles. He had just 25 catches for Buffalo last season, but he could be primed for big numbers once again in the Patriots’ potent offense. He’ll help the Pats in their bid to replace Danny Amendola‘s production, though he offers a decidedly different skill set.
The Patriots shook up their WR depth chart this week by trading No. 1 receiver Brandin Cooks to the Rams for a first-round pick. For now, the Pats’ WR group consists of Chris Hogan, Julian Edelman, Kenny Britt, Phillip Dorsett, Malcolm Mitchell, and Matthews. All of those players are solid in their own right, but the Pats will probably continue to evaluate high-potential receivers in this month’s draft.
Eagles Sign TE Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers will be heading east, agreeing to a deal with the Eagles. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets this is a one-year agreement between the defending Super Bowl champions and the former Packers tight end. The team has since confirmed the deal via press release.
Rodgers will join Zach Ertz in Philadelphia and, for now, is in line to replace Brent Celek, whom the Eagles released last month. Celek could still be brought back at a cheaper rate after the loss of Trey Burton in free agency.
Rodgers, 26, put himself on the map in 2015 when he caught 58 passes from Aaron Rodgers. His role in the Packers’ offense waned over the next couple of years, however. In 2016, he had just 30 catches for 271 yards. Last year, he had just 12 grabs for 160 yards. Depending on how the rest of the offseason shakes out, he may get an opportunity to shine in two tight end sets along with Ertz.
Billy Brown, Joshua Perkins, and Adam Zaruba are also fighting to make the Eagles’ final cut at tight end, but they could be facing long odds between the addition of Rodgers and the likely selection of a rookie tight end in this month’s draft.
Giants Expected To Sign William Gay
The Giants are on the verge of adding more help to their cornerback corps, a group that endured constant tumult last season.
William Gay is visiting the Giants on Thursday, and it looks like the sides have agreed on terms in advance of it, with former Gay teammate Bryant McFadden, now at CBS Sports, reporting (on Twitter) only a pending physical stands in the way of the longtime Steelers corner joining the Giants. Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv also reports this deal is expected to happen.
Big Blue stands to return Janoris Jenkins and as of now is moving forward with Eli Apple in the fold. The Giants, though, cut Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie last month. Each of these players was suspended for a game last season.
Gay is entering his age-33 season. He played 10 years in Pittsburgh and started 102 games. He’s played 11 NFL seasons, with a 2012 layover in Arizona sandwiched between lengthy Pittsburgh runs. The Steelers released their longest-tenured defender last month. He had lost his starting spot but remained incredibly durable. Since arriving in western Pennsylvania in 2007, Gay had never missed a game.
Vacchiano notes the Giants had hoped to keep the player who replaced Gay in Pittsburgh, Ross Cockrell, but he signed with the Panthers. The New York-based reporter expects Gay to step in and become the Giants’ third corner.
Another of Gay’s former teammates, Deshea Townsend, is now the Giants’ assistant defensive backs coach. Townsend described Apple as having “God-given ability most people don’t have,” and both he and new DC James Bettcher are willing to work with the 2016 first-rounder. The team appears set to bring in some veteran leadership as well.
Ravens Sign QB Robert Griffin III
The Ravens have signed quarterback Robert Griffin III to a one-year deal, the club announced today. It’s a $1MM deal with a small signing bonus, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Baltimore has reportedly had interest in Griffin for some time, as the team nearly signed the former No. 2 overall pick last season. Griffin also turned down an offer from the Cardinals, and eventually sat out the entirety of the 2017 campaign. The Ravens recently brought in Griffin for a workout, per Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, and a subsequent visit led to a deal that was hammered out on Tuesday night.
RG3, of course, was at one time among the most dynamic talents in the NFL. As a Redskins rookie in 2012, Griffin posted 3,200 passing yards and 20 touchdowns against just five interceptions, and added another 815 yards and seven scores on the ground. That performance helped Washington to a postseason berth and led to Griffin being named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Injuries and ineffectiveness took a toll on Griffin over the next two seasons, however, and the Redskins ultimately benched him in favor of Kirk Cousins. Washington declined to allow Griffin to see the field at all in 2015, as a serious injury would have triggered an expensive guarantee on his fifth-year option. A two-year, $15MM deal brought RG3 to the Browns in 2016, but health issues limited him once again, and he appeared in just five games before being released last spring.
Griffin is now slotted in as the Ravens’ backup quarterback behind starter Joe Flacco, and his addition almost surely means Baltimore will not re-sign former No. 2 signal-caller Ryan Mallett. Flacco has been extremely durable during his decade-long career, so there’s no guarantee that Griffin will see any action during the regular season.
Patriots Will Not Trade TE Rob Gronkowski
After trading wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Rams on Tuesday, the Patriots will not be dealing tight end Rob Gronkowski, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). In fact, New England has not held any talks regarding a possible Gronkowski trade, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Earlier this week, Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com reported that several clubs were planning to call the Patriots and inquire on Gronkowski’s availability. That could still happen, of course, but it doesn’t sound as though New England has any interest in or motivation to trade their All Pro tight end.
Despite February rumors that Gronkowski could choose to retire this offseason, most subsequent reports have indicated the 28-year-old All Pro intends to return in 2018. Gronkowski has reportedly been working out at Tom Brady‘s Sports Therapy Center, and Rapoport reported Monday that nothing has changed in terms of Gronk’s status. Indeed, there may never be a formal announcement from Gronkowski — he may simply show up for offseason workouts and continue his career.
Gronkowski, of course, is still a dominant player when healthy. In 2017, Gronk was on the field for 14 games, and managed 69 receptions, 1,084 yards, and eight touchdowns, all of which placed him within the top-five among tight ends. He’s signed through the 2019 campaign, with base salaries of $8MM and $9MM over the next two respective seasons.