Bears Add OL Ted Larsen
Ted Larsen is headed back to Chicago. The two-year Dolphins blocker will return to the Bears, with whom he played in 2016.
The 10th-year veteran interior lineman will sign a one-year deal with the Bears, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The Bears announced the move.
Although the Buccaneers inquired about the 31-year-old free agent, Larsen will not trek back to Tampa. Instead, he may become key depth in Chicago.
A sixth-round Patriots pick in 2010, Larsen has played for the Bucs, Cardinals, Bears and Dolphins. He has vacillated between part- and full-time offensive line duties but was a full-timer in Miami, working as the Fins’ left guard. Amid an ongoing roster purge, the Dolphins cut Larsen last week.
With Chicago in 2016, Larsen was a part-timer, having started eight games. With Kyle Long, Cody Whitehair and James Daniels in place, Larsen may well become the Bears’ top interior-line backup.
Panthers Re-Sign Daryl Williams
The Panthers have re-signed offensive tackle Daryl Williams to a one-year deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Williams was considered one of the best right tackles available on the open market, but it appears other clubs have at least some level of concern about the status of his right knee. The 26-year-old Williams dislocated his kneecap and tore his MCL last summer, but was still able to suit up for Carolina’s season opener. However, Williams wasn’t able to complete the game and went on injured reserve not long after going down.
As such, Williams was hitting the free agent period coming off a lackluster platform season, but he was still expected to cash in. Fellow right tackle Ja’Wuan James received $13MM annually from the Broncos, and it wouldn’t have been out of the question for Williams to target a similar contract. Instead, he’ll take a prove-it deal with the Panthers with the hope he can rebound and before hitting free agency again in 2019.
A fourth-round pick in 2015, Williams was a full-time starter in both 2016 and 2017, appearing in 29 games and making 26 starts during that time. Even without Williams available, the Panthers’ line was respectable in 2018, ranking among the top-ten front fives in Football Outsiders‘ pass- and run-blocking metrics. Williams will return to a line that now includes new center Matt Paradis in addition to Matt Kalil, Trai Turner, and whomever Carolina finds to play left guard.
The Giants and Bills — both of whom employ former Carolina staffers as general manager — each reportedly had their eyes on Williams. Buffalo signed Ty Nsekhe to handle right tackle, while New York could turn to a free agent group that includes Jared Veldheer, Jermey Parnell, and Ryan Schraeder.
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).
Falcons To Release Ryan Schraeder
The Falcons will release right tackle Ryan Schraeder, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
Schraeder was fully expected to be cut after Atlanta gave Ty Sambrailo — who took over as the club’s starting right tackle near the end of the 2018 season — a three-year extension. The Falcons will field an offensive line that features three new starters next year: Sambrailo, plus free agent guards Jamon Brown and James Carpenter, the latter two of whom agreed to multi-year deals earlier this week.
A former undrafted free agent out of Valdosta State, Schraeder latched on with the Falcons in 2013 and proceeded to start 73 games over the next six years. He signed a five-year, $31.5MM extension in 2016, but he’ll only complete a portion of that contract. Atlanta will now take on $3.8MM in dead money by releasing Schraeder, but the team will also open $3.95MM in cap space.
Schraeder will now join a free agent tackle class that’s mostly been picked over. Daryl Williams is still the best option on the market, while other 30-something tackles like Jared Veldheer, Jermey Parnell, and Joe Barksdale also remain available.
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.
Seahawks To Bring Back K Jason Myers
Jason Myers has yet to kick in a game for the Seahawks, but he will soon begin a second Seattle stint. The Seahawks plan to sign the veteran kicker, Diana Russini of ESPN.com tweets.
The Seahawks added Myers a year ago but ended up with a subsequent Sebastian Janikowski signing, which routed Myers to the Jets. Myers announced earlier today the Jets were not bringing him back, and another attempt to stick with the Seahawks is on tap.
While Myers did not make Seattle’s 53-man roster last season, he almost certainly will this year. He is set to earn approximately $4MM per year on a four-year deal, Russini adds (via Twitter).
Myers made the Pro Bowl last season but will nonetheless change cities again. He began his career with the Jaguars in 2015 but experienced issues making extra points, having missed 12 of them in 2 1/2 Jacksonville seasons. The Jets gave Myers another opportunity last year, and he did not disappoint, making 33 of 36 field goals to go along with 30 of 33 PATs.
Should Myers show enough this offseason and attain the Seahawks’ kicking job, it will mark four kickers in four seasons for Seattle. Stephen Hauschka‘s final year came in 2016, with Blair Walsh and Janikowski kicking for the team in the ensuing two seasons. Janikowski signed a one-year contract last offseason but ended his season with a hamstring injury, one that altered the Seahawks’ strategy in their first-round loss to the Cowboys.
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.
Jaguars To Re-Sign A.J. Cann
The Jaguars will re-sign guard A.J. Cann to a three-year contract worth just more than $15MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Jacksonville has attempted to fix its offensive line in each of the past two offseasons, first drafting left tackle Cam Robinson in 2017 before signing left guard Andrew Norwell last year. Despite those changes, the Jaguars still ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in Football Outsiders‘ run- and pass-blocking metrics.
Cann, at the least, will give the Jaguars some level of continuity on the right side of its front five. Jacksonville released right tackle Jermey Parnell earlier this month, so Cann will lining up next to a new starter in 2019. That could potentially be 2018 fourth-round pick Will Richardson, or the Jags could add another option.
High-quality interior offensive line options were not plentiful in this year’s free agent class, and Cann — at age-27 — represents one of the younger choices at the position. He’s been a full-time starter in Jacksonville ever since entering the league as a third-round pick in the 2015 draft, starting 60 games over the past four years. In 2018, Pro Football Focus graded Cann as roughly league-average, ranking him No. 44 among 77 qualified guards.
Cowboys To Re-Sign FB Jamize Olawale
Veteran fullback Jamize Olawale will have another opportunity in Dallas. The 2018 trade acquisition agreed to a new Cowboys deal, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News (on Twitter).
This agreement is worth $5.4MM over three years, per Machota, who adds $2.8MM is guaranteed. Olawale finished his first season with the Cowboys, playing 132 snaps and on special teams. A $1.8MM signing bonus is including in this pact, Calvin Watkins of The Athletic tweets.
The Raiders traded Olawale to the Cowboys nearly a year ago. The soon-to-be 30-year-old blocking back was not used as a ball-carrier, which was the case sparingly in Oakland. But he’ll nonetheless stay a part of Dallas’ backfield in 2019.
The eighth-year UDFA’s contract falls in line with the non-Kyle Juszczyk wing of this position, Olawale’s per-year salary placing him in the top five among fullbacks. He had previously played out a three-year extension, which he signed as a Raider near the end of the 2015 season.
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.