HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Bears Add OL Ted Larsen

March 13th, 2019 at 3:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

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

March 13th, 2019 at 2:59pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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.

49ers Made Push For Le’Veon Bell?

March 13th, 2019 at 2:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers made a “serious push” for running back Le’Veon Bell before he signed with the Jets, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area says he doesn’t believe San Francisco had real interest in Bell.

Bell’s market may not have been as strong as he once hoped, so it’s possible reports of 49ers interest were being used as leverage. Other clubs, such as the Ravens and Colts, were expected or reported to be suitors for Bell, but those clubs never actually discussed a deal. Ultimately, Bell landed $52.5MM and $35MM over a four-year term from New York.

San Francisco would have been a curious fit for Bell, at least on paper. The 49ers signed Jerick McKinnon to a four-year, $30MM deal just last offesason, a pact that still makes McKinnon the NFL’s seventh-highest paid back. He tore his ACL last summer and missed his debut campaign with San Francisco, but it would cost the Niners cap space to cut McKinnon now. SF could have conceivably used a post-June 1 designation on McKinnon (and thus lessened the 2019 cap hit for releasing him), but the team hasn’t indicated it’s ready to move on from its 2018 free agent addition.

With McKinnon out, Matt Breida took over as the 49ers’ running back and thrived, posting 5.3 yards per attempt 153 carries. He’ll be back next year, as will restricted free agent Raheem Mostert, leaving even less room for a potential Bell acquisition.

Contract Details: Smith, James, Wake

March 13th, 2019 at 2:11pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest details on deals from around the NFL:

Browns Shopping DE Emmanuel Ogbah

March 13th, 2019 at 1:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The first of the Browns’ two deals with the Giants will bring Olivier Vernon to Cleveland. With the veteran edge presence now set to start opposite Myles Garrett, the Browns are shopping their previous Garrett sidekick.

Cleveland has made Emmanuel Ogbah available for a trade, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

While Ogbah has been held in high regard by both of the Cleveland regimes for which he’s played, with part of the Browns’ reasoning for taking Denzel Ward over Bradley Chubb last year due to Ogbah’s presence, Vernon will be the new starter. Ogbah is entering a contract year.

After a foot injury ended his 2017 season, Ogbah suffered an ankle malady early last year. But the former second-round pick shook that off and played 14 games — all starts. He has 12.5 career sacks and may be an option as a complementary pass rusher or depth piece elsewhere, though it will depend on what the Browns will deem an acceptable return. Ogbah could seemingly be a bench option for Cleveland, but the Browns do have Chad Thomas, Chris Smith and Anthony Zettel behind their high-profile starting tandem.

Should John Dorsey pull the trigger on an Ogbah trade, it would be yet another Sashi Brown-era piece he will have jettisoned. That has been a frequent habit of the current Browns GM’s since he took over.

Redskins To Re-Sign Adrian Peterson

March 13th, 2019 at 1:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

March 13th, 2019 at 1:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

March 13th, 2019 at 1:02pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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.

Jets Unlikely To Re-Sign Andre Roberts

March 13th, 2019 at 12:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets reportedly wanted to re-sign ace return man Andre Roberts, but a reunion is not expected to occur, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).

New York field the best special teams unit in the NFL a season ago, but the club is now expected to let Roberts walk after allowing kicker Jason Myers to leave for a four-year deal in Seattle. Both Roberts and Myers earned first-team All-Pro nods in 2018, while Gang Green ranked first in Football Outsiders‘ special teams DVOA.

The Jets still have plenty of cap space available, leaving their decision to not retain Roberts all the more surprising. It’s unclear exactly what sort of contract Roberts is targeting, but he’s almost certainly aiming to surpass the two-year, $10MM deal fellow returner Cordarrelle Patterson landed with the Bears earlier this week.

Roberts, 30, hasn’t been a significant offensive contributor to any team since 2014, but his return skills are unquestioned. Last season, he led the NFL in yards per return on punts and total yardage on kickoffs, scoring a touchdown in each capacity.

Seahawks To Bring Back K Jason Myers

March 13th, 2019 at 12:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

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