WR Brian Quick To Return To Redskins
The Redskins have reached an agreement to bring back Brian Quick, according to his agency (via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, on Twitter).
Last season marked Quick’s first in Washington, and he was not an often-used component of the Redskins’ passing game. Quick caught just six passes — 35 fewer than he had with the 2016 Rams — but he will return to the nation’s capital.
Washington agreed to terms with Paul Richardson on Tuesday and will bring back Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson. While the Redskins lost Ryan Grant to the Ravens, Quick will likely remain a depth performer and special-teamer in what will be his seventh NFL season.
Jaguars To Sign TE Niles Paul
Niles Paul is leaving the Redskins. The Jaguars are set to sign the free agent tight end, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (on Twitter). It’s a two-year deal, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Paul, 29 in August, hasn’t been high on the NFL’s radar since catching 39 passes for 507 yards and one touchdown in 2014. After missing the 2015 season, he saw time in only eight games in ’16 and had a marginal role on the Redskins last year. Over the last two seasons, he has just 15 catches for 121 yards to his credit.
The Jaguars declined their option on Mychal Rivera in February, opening up a spot on the TE depth chart for Paul. However, Jacksonville exercised an option for fellow tight end Marcedes Lewis, while free agent Austin Seferian-Jenkins is scheduled to visit.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Cancels Remaining Visits
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie may have found his next home. After meeting with the Redskins, DRC says he’s “not taking anymore visits,” according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Initially, the cornerback was slated to meet with the Saints after his meeting with the Redskins. His change in plans could indicate that a deal with D.C. is in the works.
Last year, Rodgers-Cromartie turned in what was arguably the worst season of his career to date. His clashing with Giants coaches also didn’t help matters. He was suspended indefinitely after an argument with then-head coach Ben McAdoo and wound up missing one game.
Rodgers-Cromartie had a 77.2 overall score from Pro Football Focus last season, which was his lowest since 2012. He graded out the No. 58 cornerback in the league, which would indicate he’s on the fringe of starter value.
The Redskins could use DRC, particularly after dealing slot corner Kendall Fuller to the Chiefs in the Alex Smith trade. They’ll also be losing Bashaud Breeland, who agreed to a three-year deal with the Panthers on Tuesday. They still have Josh Norman and Quinton Dunbar atop their depth chart at cornerback.
The Saints have already added to their secondary this offseason, signing former Panthers safety Kurt Coleman to a three-year, $16.35MM deal. Fellow safety Kenny Vaccaro is an unrestricted free agent.
The Giants had hoped to move Rodgers-Cromartie to safety and asked him to take a pay cut before eventually releasing him. Rodgers-Cromartie was due to make $6.48MM with the Giants next season with a cap hit of $8.5MM.
Patriots, Bucs In On Trent Murphy
It’s down to three teams for Trent Murphy. The Patriots, Buccaneers, and the incumbent Redskins are all in the mix for the outside linebacker, according to ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine (on Twitter). 
The Redskins extended Murphy an offer over the weekend, but he elected to test the market before putting pen to paper. He’s likely glad that he did, given the healthy market for his services.
Murphy missed all of 2017 due to multiple injuries, including tears to his ACL and MCL in addition to offseason foot surgery. He also has a PED suspension in his past. To his credit, he showed promise in the previous season by registering nine sacks off the bench.
Trey Flowers and Eric Lee served as the Patriots’ starting defensive ends last season and are both under contract for 2018. The duo combined for 10 sacks last season. The Patriots entered Wednesday having the 21st-most available cap space in the NFL at $22.41MM.
As for Tampa Bay, which also locked up defensive tackle Beau Allen on Wednesday, it has William Gholston and Robert Ayers returning at defensive end after working as the starters for the majority of last year. The Bucs also have 2016 second-round pick Noah Spence, who was limited to six games last season.
The Redskins originally selected Murphy in the second round of the 2014 draft out of Stanford. Outside of missing all of last season, he had missed just one game through his first three seasons.
Jets To Sign C Spencer Long
The Jets have their center. Gang Green will sign former Redskins center Spencer Long when the league year officially begins, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). It’s a four-year, $28MM deal, a source tells Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He can earn another $2MM with play time incentives. 
Heading into free agency, the expectation was that the Jets would go hard after Ravens free agent Ryan Jensen. Instead, it’ll be Long manning the middle of the offensive line.
The Jets had a long history of quality play at center thanks to Kevin Mawae and Nick Mangold holding down the position for a combined 19 seasons. Things did not go as smoothly for the Jets at center in 2017, leading them to Long. Long takes over for Wesley Johnson and the Jets believe he’ll do a better job.
Long graded out as just the 19th best center in the NFL last season, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus.
[RELATED: Jets Depth Chart]
Jets Likely To Sign Spencer Long, Pushing To Sign DaQuan Jones
The Jets are “very likely” to sign offensive lineman Spencer Long on Wednesday, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). They are also pushing to land defensive end DaQuan Jones as well, JLC adds. 
Last week, we rated Long as the 16th best interior lineman available. The advanced metrics aren’t crazy about Long – he graded out as just the 19th best center in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus – but he was well liked in Washington and also offers experience at guard. Meanwhile, we haven’t heard a whole lot about the Jets and Ryan Jensen, who is viewed by many as the best center available in free agency this year.
Jones, 26, enjoyed the best season of his young career in 2017. He totaled 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 12 games before suffering a season-ending biceps tear. Prior to that injury, he started 44 consecutive games over three seasons. The Titans would like to re-sign him, but it sounds like the Jets are closing in.
Raiders Interested In Brown, Bowman
Jon Gruden loves his veterans, and the Raiders have their eye on a pair of experienced linebackers. Oakland has expressed interest in re-signing NaVorro Bowman and they have also shown interest in free agent linebacker Zach Brown, according to Michael Gehlken of the Review Journal (on Twitter). 
Gruden may have some familiarity with Browns since he played under his brother, Jay Gruden, in 2017. With the Redskins, Brown amassed 127 total tackles and 2.5 sacks, making him an excellent value on his one-year deal. This time around, Brown says he wants to be paid as a top-three inside linebacker. It’s unlikely that he’ll reach that lofty goal.
Bowman, meanwhile, has said that he wants to remain with the Raiders. New Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther is a supporter of his, so it’s possible that he’ll stay put. We have Bowman and Brown ranked Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, amongst this year’s top free agent linebackers.
Redskins To Sign WR Paul Richardson
The Redskins are expected to sign wide receiver Paul Richardson to a five-year, $40MM deal, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal includes $20MM in guarantees. Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter) first reported that a deal could be on the horizon.
Richardson has reportedly been on the Redskins’ radar for a while. 
The Redskins were also targeting Allen Robinson, but this year’s top free agent wide receiver has agreed to terms with the Bears. There aren’t a ton of quality WRs available in this year’s crop, but Richardson is among the best.
Richardson stepped into a larger role last year after the Seahawks shipped Jermaine Kearse to the Jets. Richardson, who doesn’t turn 26 until April, averaged 16 yards per grab for Seattle.
The Redskins have been looking for a speedy complement to Josh Doctson and Richardson would fit the bill. With Richardson in the fold, it seems unlikely that they will roll the dice on Terrelle Pryor for another season.
Free agency doesn’t technically begin until Wednesday, but things are already off to a rollicking start for this year’s available wide receivers.
Sammy Watkins has agreed to a three-year, $48MM deal with the Chiefs, and the Bears have agreed to a three-year, $42MM deal with Allen Robinson. Richardson, who was ranked as our sixth-best wide receiver heading into free agency, has matched the $8MM average annual value of Kenny Britt‘s free agent deal from last offseason while adding another year and nearly doubling his guarantees.
This is a nice haul for Richardson, who had not put together much of relevance until his contract year. Having torn an ACL in the playoffs as a rookie, Richardson then played in just one game in 2015. After serving as a lower-level supporting-cast cog in 2016, the former second-round pick broke out last year in averaging 16.0 yards per catch and gaining 703 air yards. He scored six touchdowns in what turned out to be a critical year in his career.
Richardson will be a key piece of a revamped Redskins offense, joining Alex Smith. Jamison Crowder and Jordan Reed will again be expected to play big roles, with Chris Thompson doing so as well, assuming he returns from his season-ending injury.
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie To Visit Redskins, Saints
Free agent defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will meet with the Redskins today, and is scheduled to visit the Saints next, according to Ian Rapoport of NFLcom (Twitter link).
Last year, Rodgers-Cromartie earned a 77.2 overall score from Pro Football Focus, his lowest showing since 2012. He graded out as the 58th ranked cornerback in the NFL, portraying him as someone who is on the fringe of starter quality. His on-field performance was the least of his issues, however.
Rodgers-Cromartie clashed with former coach Ben McAdoo last week – apparently, on four separate occasions – before being suspended “indefinitely” for conduct detrimental to the team. He was brought back after just one game, but his outbursts were an indicator of a much deeper problem in the Giants’ locker room.
In both Washington and New Orleans, Rodgers-Cromartie would offer immediate improvement in the slot. The Redskins, notably, dealt their slot corner — Kendall Fuller — when acquiring quarterback Alex Smith earlier this year.
Redskins Pursuing Free Agent Defensive Tackles
After being named as a suspect in an alleged domestic violence incident, the Raiders released linebacker Aldon Smith last week. Today, the edge rusher pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, according to TMZ Sports (via Scott Bair NBC Sports Bay Area on Twitter). The 28-year-old is currently facing “misdemeanor counts of domestic violence, assault, false imprisonment and vandalism.”
The former Pro Bowler hasn’t appeared in an NFL game since 2015, when he compiled 28 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three passes defended in nine games (seven starts) for Oakland. Despite re-signing with the organization in 2016, Smith still hasn’t been reinstated. Smith was originally issued a one-year suspension for a hit-and-run incident in 2015.
Let’s take a look at some other notes pertaining to NFL free agency…
- Former Vikings starter Case Keenum is pursuing a multi-year, guaranteed deal, reports Mike Jurecki of 98.7FM in Arizona (via Twitter). Meanwhile, former teammate Teddy Bridgewater is reportedly looking for a two-year deal.
- ESPN’s Todd Archer reports that the Cowboys are likely to place a tender on restricted free agent David Irving tomorrow. The front office is still deciding whether they should slap the defensive tackle with a first- or second-round tender, which is the difference of about $1.2MM. Despite playing in only eight games, the 24-year-old arguably had his best NFL season in 2017, compiling 22 tackles and seven sacks. Irving missed eight games due to suspension and a concussion.
- It’s unlikely the Patriots and offensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle agree to a deal before Wednesday, reports NESN’s Doug Kyed (via Twitter). The 26-year-old is likely to test free agency following a 2017 campaign that saw him play in 12 games (four starts). While the lineman played 380 snaps, Pro Football Focus ranked him 64th among 81 eligible offensive tackle candidates.
- CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that the Chiefs, Buccaneers, Colts, Broncos, and Redskins are among the teams looking to add a defensive tackle. The reporter lists free agents Dontari Poe, Star Lotulelei, and Sheldon Richardson as potential targets.