Raiders To Sign Darius Philon
Las Vegas continues to add depth to their defensive line, and their latest signing is an interesting one. The Raiders have agreed to terms on a deal with Darius Philon, the team announced on Twitter.
This one came a bit out of left field, because Philon hasn’t suited up since the 2018 season. He was originally drafted by the Chargers in 2015, and spent the next four years with the team. He flashed plenty of potential during his last couple seasons there, and started 13 games in 2018. He had 33 tackles, seven for a loss, four sacks, and a forced fumble that year.
That earned him a two-year, $10MM deal from the Cardinals in 2019, but he never played a down for the team. That’s because he was arrested that August for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and cut shortly thereafter. We haven’t heard much from him since then, as he didn’t play that season or in 2020.
He’s apparently ready to make a comeback now, and is still only 27. Presumably signed very cheaply, he could be a decent low-risk flyer for a Raiders team in need of help along the defensive front.
49ers To Re-Sign Jaquiski Tartt
The 49ers aren’t done signing safeties. After adding Tavon Wilson earlier this morning, the team is now keeping one of their own in the fold. San Francisco is re-signing Jaquiski Tartt, sources told Peter Schrager of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Schrager reports it’s a one-year deal, although financial terms weren’t immediately available. The 49ers drafted Tartt 46th overall back in 2015, and he’s been a starter for them almost ever since. He started about half his games in his first two years, but has started every game he’s appeared in over the past four.
Injuries have limited him, as he hasn’t played in more than 12 games since 2016. Last year he started seven games before turf toe landed him on IR. He had 30 tackles, four passes defended, and an interception in those seven games.
John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have made retaining their own guys a priority this offseason, re-signing players like Trent Williams, Jason Verrett, Kyle Juszczyk, and others. Tartt, a Samford product, turned 29 last month.
Texas To Sign Chris Conley
The Texans are continuing to add players on smaller deals. Houston has now agreed to terms on a one-year deal with receiver Chris Conley, a source told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
The Texans have been signing a flurry of under the radar receivers to one year deals, including Donte Moncrief and Alex Erickson just a few days ago. It appears like new GM Nick Caserio is just going to take a bunch of low-risk dart throws and see who ends up hitting, which isn’t a bad strategy for a rebuilding team. Caserio has been completely remaking the roster this offseason, and the receiver room has been no exception.
Will Fuller just left for the Dolphins last week, and they’re looking for replacements. Conley is a very solid athlete with good speed who entered the league as a third-round pick of the Chiefs back in 2015. He showed plenty of flashes in Kansas City, but was often buried in the depth chart.
After his rookie deal expired he signed with the Jaguars, and spent the past two years in Jacksonville. In 15 games and four starts last year, he had 40 catches for 471 yards and two touchdowns. He was much more productive in 2019, when he had 47 catches for 775 yards (16.5 Y/R), and five touchdowns. He turned 28 in October. It’s a decent flyer for the Texans, and Conley will have a clear path to playing time.
Cardinals To Sign Brian Winters
The Cardinals have agreed to sign offensive lineman Brian Winters. Meanwhile, they’ve also re-upped backup lineman Max Garcia. 
Winters joined the Bills last year after a number of seasons as the Jets’ starting right guard. In Buffalo, he played in all 16 games, including nine starts at RG. Now, he’s ticketed for a competition with incumbent Justin Murray and 2020 third-round pick Josh Jones.
The Cardinals have reshaped their offensive line in recent days by trading for Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson. They’ve also re-upped right tackle Kelvin Beachum in an effort to give Kyler Murray better protection up front. There’s still plenty of time to go between now and the start of the 2021 season, but the Cards’ starting OL currently projects to include D.J. Humphries at left tackle, Justin Pugh at left guard, Hudson at center, Winters at right guard, and Kelvin Beachum at right tackle.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/22/21
Today’s minor moves:
Carolina Panthers
- Released: K Lirim Hajrullahu
Los Angeles Chargers
- Re-signed: TE Stephen Anderson
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DL Matt Dickerson
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR/QB: Kai Locksley
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: LB Ola Adeniyi
49ers To Sign Tavon Wilson
The 49ers have agreed to sign Tavon Wilson (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Wilson may wind up replacing free agent Jaquiski Tartt in San Francisco.
Wilson, 31, has spent time with the Patriots, Lions, and Colts since entering the league in 2012. At his latest stop in Indy, the Illinois product suited up for 15 games including two starts. He’s best known for his time in Detroit, where he started in 39 of his 56 games across four seasons. Tartt, meanwhile, has started in all of his games since 2017, but he’s missed roughly half of all possible games due to injuries.
The Niners know that Wilson isn’t far removed from his best work. In 2019, he graded out as the No. 26 ranked safety in the leaggue, per Pro Football Focus,. That marked his best showing since 2016, his first go-round with the Lions.
As it stands, the Niners have Jimmie Ward, Wilson, Tarvarius Moore, and Marcell Harris in their safety unit.
Raiders Re-Sign Andre James
The Raiders have re-signed offensive lineman Andre James with a new three-year contract worth $12.5MM (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The deal includes roughly $6MM guaranteed and keeps him beyond his would-be final year before restricted free agency. James, billed as the team’s center of the future, is now locked in through 2023. 
[RELATED: Raiders Trade Hudson To Cardinals]
Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson, right tackle Trent Brown, and longtime right guard Gabe Jackson are out of the picture, leaving James with an opportunity to take the next step forward. It’s not clear on how the team will use James and newly-acquired center Nick Martin, however, but both players figure to factor into the front five.
The Raiders were set to release Hudson outright before they struck a deal with the Cardinals last week. After paving the way for three 1,000-yard rushing seasons, he leaves some big shoes to fill. Just last year, Pro Football Focus graded the veteran as its No. 8 overall center in the NFL.
Titans To Sign Josh Reynolds
The Titans have agreed to sign former Rams wide receiver Josh Reynolds on a one-year deal, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (on Twitter). Exact terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Reynolds, a 2017 fourth-round pick, spent his entire career with the Rams up until today. He’s coming off of a career year with 52 grabs for 618 yards, plus two touchdowns. In the three previous seasons combined, he had 61 catches for 832 yards. Reynolds found his footing as the Rams’ No. 3 receiver — now, he’ll be tasked with replacing former first-round pick Corey Davis in Nashville. Or, at least, replacing some of Davis’ production in support of A.J. Brown.
The Rams were not expected to retain Reynolds, especially given their numbers crunch. Currently, the Rams project to use 2020 second-rounder Van Jefferson as the No. 3WR behind Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp.
Bears To Sign Jeremiah Attaochu
The Bears are adding some pass-rushing help. Chicago has agreed to terms with free agent outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu, the team announced on Twitter.
A second-round pick of the Chargers back in 2014, Attaochu never quite lived up to his draft status and struggled with injuries during his time with the team. He did flash potential though, with a six-sack season in 2015. He struggled to find his footing for a bit after his four seasons with the Chargers, then found a new home with the Broncos in 2019. He had 3.5 sacks in 12 games that year, and was re-signed for a modest $1.5MM last offseason.
Financial terms weren’t immediately announced for this deal, although I’d be inclined to think he got a bit of a raise on last year’s salary after a solid campaign in Denver. In 13 games with the Broncos last year, he had five sacks and a forced fumble. Considering he only played about 38 percent of the defensive snaps, the five sacks are pretty solid.
Jets To Sign Sheldon Rankins
The Jets have struck a deal with Sheldon Rankins. The defensive tackle will join Gang Green on a two-year deal worth up to $17MM, according to a source who spoke with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter). 
Rankins, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2016 draft, saw his career sidetracked by Achilles and MCL injuries. Rankins seemed on track for superstardom up until his first Achilles tear in the 2018 playoffs. Playing from the interior, he notched eight sacks that season.
The 26-year-old (27 in April) has missed ten regular season games over the last two years. Between 2019 and 2020, Rankins has tallied just 30 stops and 3.5 sacks. But, with the Jets, Rankins has a chance to reassert himself.
“The healthier I got the better I felt and the more I was able to play like me,” Rankins said recently (via Conor Orr of SI.com). “There’s no limitations. I’m ready to get back to doing the things I’m accustomed to doing.”
The Jets still have lots of work to do on defense and cornerback ranks high on their list of needs. With Quinnen Williams and promising linemen Folorunso Fatukasi and John Franklin-Myers, the Jets were already well set up front, but new head coach Robert Saleh wants to prioritize D-Line depth.