Ravens To Sign Marcus Williams
The Ravens have agreed to terms with Marcus Williams. The standout safety will leave New Orleans and head to Baltimore on a whopping five-year, $70MM deal (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler). NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero adds that the contract includes $37MM in guaranteed money (Twitter link). 
Williams, 26 in September, played on the tag last season after attempts to reach a long-term agreement came up short. The Saints still wanted to hammer out a long-term extension this time around, but their cap situation did not cooperate.
Last year, Williams posted a career-high 74 tackles to go along with two interceptions and eight pass breakups. He also made some serious strides in coverage, allowing a sub-50% completion rate for the first time in his career. Williams also added two interceptions, bringing his career tally to 15.
Baltimore was likely to be in the market for a new safety. They were frequently named as a potential suitor for Tyrann Mathieu, among other options who were available. With incumbent DeShon Elliott a pending free agent, it is not surprising the Ravens have made the investment in Williams. The former is a well-respected member of the defense, but injuries have been a constant throughout his four-year career. That, coupled with Williams’ skillset lending itself more naturally to a true free safety role, make this a logical move.
With Williams in place, the Ravens’ secondary still includes All Pro corners in Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters. At an average of $14MM per season, on the other hand, this deal adds considerably to the finances Baltimore has invested on the back end of its defense. It will also eat up nearly all of the cap space the team had manufactured recently, leaving them just short of the cap ceiling. Still, the deal should help give a boost to the team’s disappointing pass defense from last season.
Texans To Re-Sign Maliek Collins
The Texans are keeping Maliek Collins. On Tuesday, the defensive tackle agreed to return on a two-year deal worth $17MM (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 
The pact also includes $8.5MM guaranteed, giving Collins security heading into his seventh pro season.
[RELATED: Falcons Eyeing Texans’ Watson?]
Collins, a three-technique tackle, emerged as a key contributor in Lovie Smith‘s defense last year. The two sides were said to have mutual interest and, as expected, they’ve hashed out a deal in advance of the official start to free agency.
The Texans snagged Collins on a one-year, $5MM deal last year. This time around, they were willing to go significantly higher. At one point in time, Collins seemed like a lost cause. However, he’s clearly bounced back from his iffy Raiders run.
Last year, Collins notched a career-high 29 tackles with nine tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits, and 2.5 sacks.
Steelers To Sign James Daniels
The Steelers have made another big splash in the offensive line market. The team is signing guard James Daniels to a three-year, $26.5MM contract, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link).
Daniels will see $8.75MM fully guaranteed on this deal, per Spotrac (on Twitter), essentially covering the 2022 season. His cap numbers come in at $4.1MM for 2022 before spiking to $11.1MM in each of the contract’s final two seasons.
[RELATED: Steelers To Re-Sign Chukwuma Okorafor]
The 24-year-old began his career with the Bears. He started 48 of 54 games during that four-year span, establishing himself as a serviceable starter. The former second round pick set a career high in terms of snaps played this past season, with 1,122.
2021 was also his best campaign from an analytical perspective. He earned a PFF grade of 71, making him a solid option in this year’s free agent market. In Pittsburgh, he will join a team that’s been in need of upgrades throughout the offensive front. He will also be re-joining former Bears teammate Mitch Trubisky, who is reportedly joining the Steelers to compete for the starting quarterback role. The pair spent three seasons together in Chicago.
This is the third notable move the Steelers have made regarding their o-line recently. They reached an agreement with Mason Cole yesterday, meaning the unit could look very different when the 2022 season begins. That will likely be a welcome sign for Pittsburgh, as the team continues to re-shape its offense in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era.
Randy Gregory To Sign With Broncos; Nixes Cowboys Deal
Plot twist! Randy Gregory will be signing with the Broncos, rather than re-signing with the Cowboys, as reported by Vic Lombardi of 92.5 in Denver (Twitter link). 
Earlier today, it was reported that the edge rusher would return to Dallas on a five-year, $70MM deal. Instead, Gregory has chosen to join the Broncos for the same terms. Gregory will receive $28MM guaranteed, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reports, adding that the Broncos and Gregory negotiated throughout Monday.
It’s not exactly clear when, why, or how the Cowboys agreement fell apart, but this is a fairly common occurrence during the NFL’s legal tampering period. At least one star player per year seems to reach handshake deals — or near-deals — only to pivot to a different team.
Gregory has dealt with injuries and off-the-field issues throughout his career. However, owner Jerry Jones stood by the 2015 second-round pick and he was rewarded with a huge 2021. Last year, Gregory notched six sacks and three forced fumbles, bolstering the Cowboys’ pass rush.
Gregory will turn 30 in November, but due to all of the hiccups in his career, this marked his first foray into free agency. Now, he’s taking full advantage and perhaps giving the Cowboys deja vu of DeMarcus Ware‘s departure.
Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn — who helped guide Gregory to a career year — said that he wanted to see Gregory in Dallas for “years to come.” Now, he’ll have to settle for watching him on TV.
Browns To Release J.C. Tretter
The Browns have made a cost-cutting move on the offensive line. The team is releasing center J.C. Tretter, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The move saves the team roughly $8.2MM in cap space. 
The 31-year-old was recently named as a cut candidate, given his projected cap hit of over $9.8MM in 2022. That was the final year of his contract. After five seasons in Cleveland, the former fourth round pick will now look for a new home.
After three season in Green Bay, Tretter joined the Browns in 2017, and was the team’s full-time starter at center for his entire tenure there. That durability led general manager Andrew Berry to recently compliment the veteran, despite the questions around his contract status.
“J.C.’s been a real productive veteran for us, he’s been a starter since 2017 for us and played a lot of really good football, we expect him to continue to play some really good football” Berry said. Given today’s news, though, the team will be moving in a new direction looking for a younger, less expensive option in the middle of their offensive front.
Tretter – the president of the NFLPA – has remained a consistent if unspectacular player during his career. He has never been named a Pro Bowler, but has earned a PFF grade of at least 72 in each of the past four seasons. Now, he will enter a center market which has shrunk considerably in recent days. Beside Bradley Bozeman, Tretter will likely find himself near the top of the list for available options.
Lions Re-Sign Charles Harris
The Lions have re-signed edge rusher Charles Harris (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The contract, which can be finalized at 4pm ET/3pm CT tomorrow, will be a two-year deal worth $14MM.
[RELATED: Lions To Sign Chark]
Harris was the 22nd overall draft pick in 2017. He didn’t pan out initially for the Dolphins and was later traded to the Falcons for a seventh-round pick. He had the (then) highest sack total of his career in Atlanta, registering three in 13 games while playing just under 27% of the defensive snaps.
In 2021, he took things up another notch with 7.5 sacks and 65 tackles for the Lions. Harris turned in a full 17-game slate with 14 starts, allowing him to earn the largest contract of his young career.
On the opposite side of the ball, the Lions have snagged wide receiver DJ Chark on a one-year deal that could be worth up to $12MM. Chark’s best year came in 2019, when he tallied 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns en route to a Pro Bowl nod. Injuries have hampered him ever since, but the deal could pay serious dividends for Detroit.
Dolphins To Sign Connor Williams
The Dolphins have agreed to sign Connor Williams (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). The former Cowboys offensive lineman will take his talents to South Beach on a two-year, $14MM deal with $7.5MM fully guaranteed. 
[RELATED: Dolphins To Re-Sign P. Williams]
This year’s guard market was headlined by the likes of Brandon Scherff, Laken Tomlinson, Alex Cappa, and Mark Glowinski. Scherff (Jaguars, $16.5MM/year) and Tomlinson (Jets, $13.3MM/year) found huge paydays earlier this week, clearing the way for the next tier of interior lineman like Williams.
Williams emerged as a key piece of the Cowboys’ front five as a rookie in 2018. All together, he’s started in 51 of his 57 games, improving steadily from 2018 through 2020. Last year, however, he got a little bit sloppy as he drew 15 flags on the year. The Cowboys shuffled him in and out of the lineup at times, an indication that they’d look to upgrade at guard.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins have welcomed back one of their own Williams-es on Tuesday. Wide receiver Preston Williams, who has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, agreed to a one-year deal that could pay ~$2MM.
Packers Place Second-Round RFA Tender On Allen Lazard
It looks like another piece of the Packers’ passing attack will likely remain in Green Bay. The team is placing the second-round tender on wide receiver Allen Lazard (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo). 
The one-year deal will come in at a price of just under $4MM. That will roughly double the former UDFA’s career earnings. After making a single reception in 2018, the 26-year-old has grown into a significant role in Green Bay’s offense.
Following two straight campaigns with almost identical numbers in 2019 and 2020, Lazard had a career year last season. In 15 games, he registered 40 catches for 513 yards and eight touchdowns. Alongside Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, he played a key role in the team’s receiver room.
Tom Silverstein of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets that it is “likely” the Packers guarantee a portion of the salary the tender comes with. If that does happen, it may encourage Lazard to sign it, which would open up the possibility of a restructure – something the Packers have become intimately familiar with this offseason, as they try to keep as many pieces of last year’s NFC-topping squad around as possible.
Lazard now has until April 22 to see what his market could be regarding offer sheets from outside teams. If he were to land a more lucrative offer, the Packers would receive a second round pick (along with some financial breathing room) in return. However, that would leave them in need of a replacement for a solid complimentary piece to their offensive core.
Dolphins To Re-Sign Preston Williams
The Dolphins will re-sign Preston Williams to a one-year deal (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). Williams can earn up to $1.99MM on the contract, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link).
[RELATED: Dolphins To Sign Wilson]
Williams joined the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He’s since appeared in 24 games for Miami, notching 56 grabs for 787 yards and seven touchdowns. Williams has impressed at times, including his rookie year when he managed 32 receptions for 428 yards and three TDs in eight games.
Still, injuries and other issues have sidetracked him. That aforementioned rookie year ended with an ACL tear and his 2021 was cut short by a foot injury. Williams has played in exactly eight games in each of his three seasons, losing ground on the depth chart with time. As a result, the Dolphins were hesitant to cuff the restricted free agent with a $2.6MM tender.
Now that he’s back in the fold, he’ll fight for playing time alongside WRs DeVante Parker, Jaylen Waddle, and Cedrick Wilson.
Cowboys, Randy Gregory Agree On New Deal
The Cowboys will indeed be able to keep their three-headed pass-rushing monster from last season. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys are set to re-sign Randy Gregory to a five-year, $70MM deal (Twitter link). He adds that $28MM of the total is guaranteed. 
[RELATED: Cowboys, DeMarcus Lawrence Agree To New Deal]
The Cowboys had already made the expected move of placing the franchise tag on tight end Dalton Schultz. Gregory was named as the only other viable candidate for the one-year pact, but the team’s preference was always a long-term deal. Despite being 29, this offseason would have been his first foray into free agency, but instead he will now remain with the only team he’s played for in the NFL.
A second round pick in 2015, suspensions and injuries have been a constant in his tenure with the Cowboys. However, the team has remained committed to the talented edge rusher. He rewarded the team for their patience, recording six sacks and three forced fumbles in 2021. Alongside fellow defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons, the Nebraska product was an integral part of the Cowboys’ pass rush in particular, and their takeaway-prone defense in general.
Through a number of cost-cutting moves – including, most notably, trading away Amari Cooper – the Cowboys have been able to make enough room financially to keep the bulk of last season’s division-winning team intact. While this deal’s $14MM per-year average value will eat up most of the remaining space for 2022, the team’s defense will look very similar to the one which ranked seventh in the league in scoring in 2021.