Minor NFL Transactions: 3/20/19
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: QB Tyler Bray
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: LS L.P. Ladouceur
- Signed: LS Drew Scott
Denver Broncos
- Waived: WR Jimmy Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed exclusive rights tender: G Lucas Patrick
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed ERFA tender: LS Luke Rhodes
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: WR Geremy Davis
New York Giants
- Re-signed: LB Nate Stupar
New York Jets
- Re-signed: TE Eric Tomlinson
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/15/19
Today’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: DL Nick Williams
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: CB Phillip Gaines
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed exclusive rights free agent tender: DL Isaac Rochell
Oakland Raiders
- Re-signed: OL Chaz Green
- Signed ERFA tender: LB Jason Cabinda
Chargers Extended Tom Telesco In 2018
The Chargers quietly agreed to a multi-year extension with general manger Tom Telesco at the end of the 2018 season, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Telesco’s prior contact was due to expire at the end of this year.
Telesco, 46, was named the Chargers’ GM in advance of the 2013 campaign. Since then, he’s guided the club to two playoff appearances, first during his debut season and again this past year. Telesco is now on his second head coach, having fired Mike McCoy and hired Anthony Lynn during the 2017 offseason.
Telesco began his career in minor roles with the Bills and Panthers, but spent the bulk of his pre-Chargers time with the Colts, serving in a variety of roles including director of pro scouting and director of player personnel. He’s built a solid Los Angeles roster, but could need to address several areas — including finding quarterback Philip Rivers‘ heir — in the near future.
Chargers To Bring Back Adrian Phillips
Adrian Phillips enjoyed a promising contract year, and the Chargers want to see if can build further on it. The Bolts and Williams agreed to a new contract Friday, the team announced.
The sixth-year safety played extensively as a hybrid linebacker last season, being one of the linchpins of the Chargers’ defensive back-heavy alignment that keyed their first-round win over the Ravens.
Prior to his tour de force playoff game — six tackles, three passes defensed, an interception and a fumble recovery — Phillips earned first-team All-Pro honors for his special teams work. Working as a part-time starter last season, Phillips made 94 tackles. He has played with the Chargers throughout his career.
The Bolts evidently liked what they had at linebacker, having re-signed both Phillips and Denzel Perryman. Tom Telesco identified linebacker as a place the Bolts would target for upgrades this offseason. The Bolts also signed Thomas Davis, further fortifying that unit.
With Perryman and Davis in the fold, and Kyzir White due back from injury, it’s not certain if Phillips will continue to work on the defensive second level. But it would make sense to continue the linebacker experiment — given how well it went in key spots last season. If nothing else, the Chargers have their top special-teamer back.
Contract Details: McCourty, Williams, Lewis
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts:
- Jason McCourty, CB (Patriots): Two years, $10MM. Maximum value of $11MM. $6MM paid out in 2019 (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL.com). $5.5MM guaranteed. Team option for 2020; roster bonus of $500K due if option exercised (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of the Advocate).
- Daryl Williams, T (Panthers): One year, $6MM. $3MM signing bonus. $2.25MM base salary. $750K in per-game roster bonuses. Can earn $500K by making the Pro Bowl (Twitter link via Joe Person of The Athletic).
- Marcedes Lewis, TE (Packers): One year, $2.1MM. Maximum value of $2.35MM (per Pelissero).
- Brandon Mebane, DT (Chargers): Two years, $9.3MM. $5.25MM guaranteed (per Pelissero).
- Kevin Johnson, CB (Bills): One year, $3MM. $400K signing bonus. $2MM base salary. Per-game roster bonus and workout bonus of $300K each (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- Bradley Pinion, P (Buccaneers): Four years, $11MM. $3.6MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Greg Auman of The Athletic).
- Zach Zenner, RB (Lions): One year, $805K. $250K guaranteed. $150K signing bonus (Twitter link via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com).
Contract Details: Taylor, Wright, Harris, Lutz
Some assorted contract details from the around the NFL:
- Tyrod Taylor, QB (Chargers): Two years, $11MM. $6MM guaranteed in year one. Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
- K.J. Wright, LB (Seahawks): Two years, worth “up to” $15MM. Twitter link via Josina Anderson of ESPN.
- Demetrius Harris, TE (Browns): Two years, $6MM. $3.25MM guaranteed. Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.
- Wil Lutz, K (Saints): Five years, $20.25MM. $9.2MM guaranteed. Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
- Ryan Griffin, QB (Buccaneers): Two years, $2.9MM. Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/19
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: K Cole Murphy
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: LB Adarius Taylor (two-year deal)
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: DT Brandon Mebane (two-year deal)
New York Jets
- Re-signed: LB Neville Hewitt
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Re-signed: P Jordan Berry (two-year deal)
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.
Chargers To Sign Thomas Davis
The Chargers are set to sign linebacker Thomas Davis, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The former Panther and three-time Pro Bowler also announced the news via social media (Twitter link). 
“Very happy that I’m going to be able to showcase my talents for the LA Chargers,” Davis tweeted. “Long way from home but I’m extremely excited about this opportunity!”
It’s a two-year, $10.5MM deal for the veteran, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter) adds. The pact includes $5.25MM guaranteed for 2019 and a $1MM roster bonus due next March.
The 2019 season will be Davis’ 15th year in the league. The first 14 years of his career were all with Carolina. One of the league’s best linebackers for a handful of years, Davis will turn 36 in a couple of weeks and the Panthers thought it was time to move on.
Suspended for the first four games of last season, Davis started the final 12 games and had a very solid year. He received above average marks from Pro Football Focus, and graded out as their 19th-best linebacker overall. He’ll be joining an already very talented Chargers defense, and will provide an immediate boost.
The Chargers have playmakers on the defensive line and in the secondary, but were sorely lacking at linebacker last year. They recently re-signed Denzel Perryman, who has been hurt most of the past two years, and if he can stay healthy the Chargers will have a much-improved linebacking corp next season.
Davis, a first round pick all the way back in 2004, will fill a leadership role on a defense with a lot of young players. Davis struggled with injury issues earlier on in his career, but has been remarkably durable the last handful of years, which is what the oft-injured Chargers desperately need.
Chargers Tender CB Trevor Williams
The Chargers have tendered cornerback Trevor Williams at the original round tender value, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (via Twitter). If he doesn’t end up signing elsewhere, Williams will play next season on a one-year, $2.025MM deal.
Since Williams was undrafted, a team wouldn’t be required to give up compensation in order to sign him. Considering the inexpensive $2MM price tag it’d take to pry him away from Los Angeles, it wouldn’t be surprising if the cornerback is playing elsewhere in 2019.
Williams has evolved into one of the Chargers top defensive backs. After starting 15 games in 2017, Williams started seven of his nine games in 2018. He finished the campaign with 23 tackles, four passes defended, and one interception. The 25-year-old suffered a knee injury in Week 9, and he proceed to miss four of his next five games before landing on the injured reserve.
Assuming everyone is healthy heading into next season, Williams would likely slot behind Desmond King and Casey Hayward on the Chargers’ cornerbacks depth chart.