[RELATED: Giants Work Out LB Jonathan Freeny]

New York already boasts perhaps the league’s best nose tackle in Damon Harrison, so Williams — if signed — would serve as a backup, as he isn’t a three-technique. Williams hasn’t drawn a lick of interest since being released by the Raiders, and that’s probably a reflection of the declining need for 330-pound defensive tackles and Williams’ age (30). However, Pro Football Focus was a fan of Williams’ work in 2016, ranking him a solid 44th among 127 qualified interior defensive linemen.

The Giants could use help along the offensive line, but that’s mostly at tackle, as the club is presumably set at guard/center with Justin Pugh, Weston Richburg, and John Jerry. Greco could perhaps unseat Jerry at right guard, but he doesn’t play offensive tackle, which is where New York is truly below-average. Released by the Browns last week, Greco has dealt with injuries in each of the past two seasons (six total missed games) but has performed well when on the field.

Ayers, 28, signed with the Colts just before the 2016 season got underway, and ultimately spent the entire season with the club. He appeared in all 16 games and posted two sacks. Williams, a 2016 fifth-round pick, played 203 defensive snaps for Detroit a season ago, and also saw plenty of special teams action (196 snaps). The 24-year-old wasn’t claimed on waivers over the weekend, and he’d be a youthful reserve option for New York.

Williams, whom the Cardinals chose in the first round of the 2010 draft, spent the first five years of his career in Arizona before signing with the Raiders as a free agent in advance of the 2015 season. The 330-pounder ended up playing out half of the four-year, $25MM contract the Raiders gave him, also collecting $15.2MM in guarantees.

As was the case in Arizona, Williams played a prominent role while with Oakland. He appeared in all 32 of the team’s regular-season contests during his stint and started 26 of those games. Williams’ starts dipped from 15 in 2015 to 11 last year, though, and he tallied a career-low 17 tackles. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old impressed Pro Football Focus, which ranked Williams a solid 44th among 127 qualified interior defensive linemen and, even though he had just half a sack, awarded him a strong pass-rushing grade.

With Williams out of the picture, the Raiders are down to Jihad Ward, Justin Ellis and Darius Latham as their D-tackles. Of course, with the draft coming up, they could add more bodies to the mix in the coming weeks.

Regarding Alonso, who suffered a concussion Tuesday and has missed four practices: “Kiko’s fine,” said Davis, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’ve been coaching linebackers my whole career. It’s just part of that position, when it sneaks up on you nowadays, we have great protocol. It’s not an issue. Kiko’s doing great. He won’t miss a beat.”

Davis was more guarded when discussing Ryans, who is recovering from a ruptured right Achilles tendon for the second time in his nine-year career.

• While the Jets have been linked to Marcus Mariota at six, Rich Cimini would be stunned if the team tried to trade up to get him.
• The Steelers released Hines Ward ago despite his legendary status in Pittsburgh, but are willing to wait for Troy Polamalu to decide for himself whether it is time to retire. The difference being this time around the team does not have any pressing salary cap issues that are being held up by the decision, according to Scott Brown.
• The Bengals signed Pat Sims, and fans want to know if the team will still add to their defensive line. Coley Harvey doesn’t think they will go that route early in the draft, writing that the signing likely indicates they will look to fill holes elsewhere in rounds one through three.
• The Colts have had one of the more miserable running back situations in the league over the past few seasons, due to injury, poor performance, and Trent Richardson. They will have a chance to put more assets toward the position in the draft, although Mike Wells hesitates to say which round the team will find a back deserving a draft pick.
• The Jaguars need to have an impactful draft class, and Michael DiRocco answers a number of questions in his mailbag regarding draft prospects. He writes that the he thinks the team would take Leonard Williams over Dante Fowler Jr. if both were available, that he would be surprised of Todd Gurley was available for them in round two, and that Randy Gregory’s positive marijuana test should scare them.
• The Texans were plagued for most of their existence with the inability to find a second receiver to complement Andre Johnson. In 2015, Johnson won’t be there anymore, and the team will now try to find a player to complement DeAndre Hopkins. The coaching staff values versatility, writes Tania Ganguli, and that could leave an “outside receiver” like DeVier Posey the odd man out.
• The Raiders made a choice to sign Dan Williams over Terrance Knighton, and Bill Williamson answers the simple question, why? Williamson writes the team saw Williams as a more reliable long-term option, with Knighton’s weight issues.
• The Chiefs signed Jeremy Maclin to add some firepower to a position group that failed to register a single touchdown catch in 2014. Still, the situation was desolate enough that Chiefs’ fans are still wondering if the team will target a wideout high in the draft. Adam Teicher writes that they could be interested in Davante Parker if he is available at No. 18, but the chances of taking Dorial Green-Beckham are diminished with Maclin in the fold.

MARCH 11: The Raiders missed out on a few of their top targets in the early wave of free agency over the weekend, but the team is poised to add two solid defenders to its roster, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com reports. According to Wright (Twitter link), the Raiders are signing defensive tackle Dan Williams and linebacker Curtis Lofton. The terms of the deals are not yet known.

Lofton, 28, was one of the most dependable and durable pieces on the Saints’ defense in recent years, starting all 48 regular season contests for the team since arriving in New Orleans in 2012. In 2014, he racked up 145 tackles to go along with a forced fumble. However, while his stats looked solid on the surface, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded him as a bottom-five inside linebacker, out of 60 qualified players. Money was tight for New Orleans and Lofton no longer looked like he was worth his salary, so the Saints cut him loose earlier this week.

The Raiders were heavily connected to Terrance Knighton, one of the top defensive tackles on the open market this offseason, but they turned their attention to Williams once their appetite for Pot Roast had waned. We learned Tuesday afternoon that Williams had a deal in place with a team, and we now know that his home will be with the Raiders. Williams was also linked to the Lions, Giants, and Washington at different points in recent days. The 27-year-old Williams, who ranked as the No. 33 free agent on PFR’s Top 50 list, has started 40 games in his five-year career, all with the Cardinals, who selected him in the first round of the 2010 draft.

• Brian Orakpo, OLB (Titans): Four years, $31MM base value. $8.5MM fully guaranteeed. $5MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
• Dan Williams, DT (Raiders): Four years, $25MM base value. $15.2MM guaranteed. $4MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter links via Wilson and Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
• Nate Allen, S (Raiders): Four years, $23MM base value. $6.9MM fully guaranteed (Twitter links via Wilson)
• Lance Kendricks, TE (Rams): Four years, $18.5MM base value. $6.75MM fully guaranteed. $4MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter links via Wilson).
• Malcolm Smith, LB (Raiders): Two years, $7MM base value. $3.75MM fully guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Pelissero).
• Blaine Gabbert, QB (49ers): Two years, $4MM base value. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
• Henry Melton, DT (Buccaneers): One year, $3.75MM base value. $3.25MM fully guaranteed. $1.25MM available in incentives (Twitter link via Pelissero).
• Adrian Clayborn, DE (Falcons): One year, $3MM base value. $750K signing bonus. $1.25MM available in incentives (Twitter links via Wilson).

TUESDAY, 3:47pm: The Raiders have agreed to terms with free agent tight end Lee Smith, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s a three-year, $9MM pact, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. The 27-year-old blocking specialist has the spent the entirety of his four-year career with Buffalo.

Per Schefter, Oakland will also visit with tight end Jermaine Gresham today. Vic Tafur of the Oakland Tribune adds more (via Twitter), saying that while nothing is yet official, most expect the Raiders to sign Gresham and defensive tackle Terrance Knighton today. Knighton was said to be close to a deal with Oakland earlier today, though the Colts are also in the running.

The Raiders will host several other free agents, including defensive tackle Dan Williams and linebacker Curtis Lofton, today, tweets John Middlekauf of 95.7 The Game. Oakland could be choosing between Williams and Knighton, per Tafur (Twitter link).

• The Raiders are in on running back DeMarco Murray, according to John Middlekauf of 95.7 The Game (Twitter link).
• Despite reports that the two sides were nearing a deal, Oakland is no longer pursuing Terrance Knighton, tweets Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4, who adds (via Twitter) that the Broncos are also out on Knighton.
• Oakland’s interest in Knighton had waned, per ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson (via Twitter), who says the club is now focused on Dan Williams.

Williams has been linked to the Raiders, Washington, Lions, and Giants, but the latter club is reportedly no longer in the mix for him. The 27-year-old Williams, who ranked as the No. 33 free agent on PFR’s Top 50 list, has started 40 games in his five-year career, all with the Cardinals, who selected him in the first round of the 2010 draft.

Williams has spent the majority of his career as a nose tackle, so Washington, which plays a 3-4 defense, makes sense as a possible destination. The Lions, however, are looking to replace Ndamukong Suh, and Williams is capable of playing in a 4-3, so Detroit isn’t out of the question, either. Williams is expected to garner between $5-6MM per year. With Suh, Jared Odrick, Terrance Knighton, and Stephen Paea all nearing deals with other clubs, Williams and Nick Fairley sit atop the available crop of free agent interior lineman.

• There was speculation about it at one point, but the Dolphins will not be chasing running back C.J. Spiller at this time, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets.
• The Dolphins have been doing due diligence on finding a cheap backup defensive tackle in free agency, Salguero tweets. If they find one, that could spell the end of Randy Starks in Miami.
• Some connected Rahim Moore to the Raiders since Jack Del Rio was his defensive coordinator last year, but Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) hears that the Raiders won’t be in the mix for him.
• The Buccaneers lost out on defensive end Trent Cole, but they’re still in the mix for Jabaal Sheard and Derrick Morgan, Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune tweets. They’re also still in the running for Parker.
• The Titans still talking with Morgan, along with three other teams, Jim Wyatt of The Tennesseean tweets.
• The Chiefs still have some interest in re-signing tackle Ryan Harris, but there’s nothing imminent on that front, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets.
• Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (on Twitter) heard that the Giants were closing in on free agent defensive tackle Dan Williams, but things quickly turned and Big Blue is no longer in the mix (link).

Here’s more from around the league as on free agency eve…

• Disputing an earlier report, the Falcons told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that they have no interest in free agent defensive end Greg Hardy.
• The Buccaneers have been “kicking the tires” on edge rusher Derrick Morgan, but it’s unclear if they’ll actually present him with an offer, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).
• Defensive tackle Dan Williams could be a target for the Raiders, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Williams’ time in Arizona might be up following their signing of Corey Peters earlier tonight.
• The Titans are in on edge rusher Brian Orakpo, who has drawn interest from numerous teams, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
• Vince Young was not accepted to and won’t attend the NFL Veterans Combine on March 22 in Phoenix, a representative for the quarterback tells Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Smith hears that Young was not “invited” by the NFL and entered late (link). He could wind up as a last-minute addition but as of right now, he won’t be there.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Let’s check out the latest from the NFC as free agency approaches…

• Both the Vikings and the 49ers have expressed interest in quarterback Brian Hoyer, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link). But with other teams like the Jets and Texans (who could potentially offer a starting role) showing interest, as well, I’d bet the Hoyer would look unfavorably upon joining Minnesota or San Francisco, where he’d be the clear backup.
• Though they’re about to add Byron Maxwell, the Eagles could still use another corner, but the club hasn’t shown interest in either Buster Skrine or Chris Culliver, tweets Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, who adds in a separate tweet that Walter Thurmond is also not on Philly’s radar.
• Washington appears set on adding help along the defensive line — they’re intrigued by Terrance Knighton, and they’ve also expressed interest in free agents Stephen Paea and Dan Williams, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
• After re-signing Scott Tolzien earlier today, the Packers aren’t interested in retaining fellow backup QB Matt Flynn, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
• The Cardinals are interested in linebacker Brian Orakpo, per Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link). Arizona is also interested in Trent Cole (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN), so it looks like they’re targeting OLB help.
• The Buccaneers are looking for safety help, and there is mutual interest between the club and FA Ron Parker, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link).

• We learned earlier today that Randall Cobb‘s decision to remain with the Packers would give the Eagles‘ Jeremy Maclin a little more leverage in his contract negotiations, and Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com has a little more on that front. Mosher writes that Maclin, who has asked for at least $11MM per season, is clearly the best wide receiver left on the free agent market, but the fact that he is two years older than Cobb and has torn his ACL twice since the start of his college career could deter teams from handing Maclin the same type of contract that Cobb received. Therefore, Mosher believes the stage could be set for Maclin’s return to Philadelphia.
• Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com writes that the Eagles are interested in free agent running back Frank Gore and says that a deal could be done as soon as Tuesday.
• The Bills are expected to make a “substantial offer” to Dolphins tight end Charles Clay, writes Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel. Miami placed the transition tag on Clay last week.
• Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com has a deeper look into the Jets‘ trade for Brandon Marshall and what it means for the team moving forward.
• In the same piece, Cimini looks at the future of Darrelle Revis. Cimini writes that the Jets will almost certainly try to overpay for Revis, who will have to choose between the mega-bucks in New York and a lifetime membership in Patriots owner Robert Kraft‘s fraternity.
• Washington and the Giants have both expressed interest in Arizona nose tackle Dan Williams (Twitter links to ESPN’s John Keim and Dan Graziano).

“Tom Johnson last year, we were patient, and he came in and did a nice job for us as an inside nickel rusher,” general manager Rick Spielman told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “A lot of times, if you can, you sit back and hopefully let the market settle a little bit.”

It sounds like the organization will be just as patient this time around, especially based on coach Mike Zimmer‘s comments.

“You use free agency to try to plug in a couple of holes here a bit,” said Zimmer. “I don’t believe we’re going to go out and pay some guy a whole bunch of money. Like when I was in Cincinnati and a lot of places, we would kind of go with the lower end of free agents, kind of coach them and hope they fit in the system.”

Let’s take a look at some rumors surrounding the league’s top free agents…

• Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports gives a list of teams that have interest in running back C.J. Spiller (via Twitter): the Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals, 49ers, Lions and Washington.
• Furthermore, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com says Spiller will be an option for the Cowboys if DeMarco Murray signs elsewhere. Regardless, Florio quotes Spiller referring to himself as a “former” member of the Bills.
• Peyton Manning‘s reduced salary doesn’t guarantee that the Broncos will bring back tight end Julius Thomas, writes Florio. The organization is still strapped financially, and Florio notes that come teams, including the Seahawks, Jaguars and Raiders, may have the money to lure him away from Denver.
• The Lions could soon be in the market for a new defensive tackle, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press says Cardinals lineman Dan Williams is atop the team’s list of potential Ndamukong Suh replacements.

Beyond ensuring Demaryius Thomas returns, which GM John Elway has already done, a key question in Denver: who else to retain, writes The Denver Post’s Mike Klis. The longtime Broncos reporter identified nine positions of need for the Broncos this offseason, and shed some light on which of the nine free agent starters he expects back in Denver.

Klis paints a reality where the Broncos lose both Terrance Knighton and Julius Thomas, which would allow Denver to add more outside free agents and perhaps ink some of their lower-tier free agent starters but leave gaping voids. Knighton’s price tag may now be too high for the Broncos ($28.5MM of cap space, listed at OverTheCap). Knighton’s been vocal on his preference to return to his post on the Denver defensive interior, but beyond Ndamukong Suh, there isn’t a more proven option in his prime than the 28-year-old run-stuffer — the 12th- and ninth-best defensive tackle the past two years, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required) — on the market. Sylvester Williams, the Broncos’ top in-house option at nose in their new 3-4 set, was one of the worst interior performers PFF graded last year.

Adding Jordan Cameron or former Gary Kubiak disciple Owen Daniels, who’s started for the Broncos’ new coach with the Texans and Ravens the past nine years, but neither offers the red zone security than does Julius Thomas (24 touchdown catches in the past two years). Klis also expects Denver to draft a tight end.

The Broncos also want former second-round pick and three-year full-time starter Rahim Moore back, but at a hometown price. With T.J. Ward, Chris Harris and Aqib Talib all making top-20 per-year money in the starting secondary, the Broncos would be cash-poor at areas of greater need if they re-signed Moore at or near his asking price.

Other items of note from Klis:

• The Broncos will bring in a fullback for the first time since briefly using Chris Gronkowski in 2012. Veteran starters Jerome Felton and Henry Hynoski as possible space-clearers in Kubiak’s zone-blocking scheme are available.
• Orlando Franklin, a four-year starter at either right tackle or left guard, will probably join Julius Thomas as high-paid players on other teams after a productive season inside.
• Rookie sixth-round center Matt Paradis could be a cheap in-house option to replace free agent 32-year-old Will Montgomery.

In other news across the Broncos’ free agent board …

• Columnist Woody Paige listed a blueprint of how Elway can fix the possible mass exodus of Denver-honed talent. Most notably, Paige calls for the addition of Cardinals noseguard Dan Williams, who was just two slots behind Knighton on PFF’s aforementioned DT grades, has experience in a 3-4 set and won’t be as expensive. Top-tier free agents Bryan Bulaga and Devin McCourty are also mentioned as options, but adding either of those two probably come at a cost of abandoning any plans to retain their own big-name FAs.
• Benjamin Hochman and Mark Kiszla of The Post debate whether Virgil Green, also a free agent, can replace Julius Thomas while second-guessing the market’s top tight end’s negotiating strategy after turning down a reported $8MM per year. Hochman does not expect Thomas to earn that this year, although Jared Cook and Kyle Rudolph make $7MM-plus per season, so it might not be out of the question for Thomas to draw that next month.