Raiders expected to release wide receiver with ties to Nick Sirianni

Now that the Super Bowl is over, we’re hearing news of NFL teams releasing veteran players to clear cap space ahead of free agency next month. Thus, it’s prime “Should our team sign [that guy who just got cut]?!” season.

Most of the time, that answer is “no” since those players are getting cut for good reason. But sometimes there are sensible additions to be had.

One such move for the Philadelphia Eagles could be signing veteran wide receiver Tyrell Williams, who is reportedly expected to be let go by the Las Vegas Raiders in March.

Williams has an obvious connection to the Eagles since new head coach Nick Sirianni was his wide receivers coach on the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers in 2016 and 2017. Those two years were the best of Williams’ career. 2016 was especially nice with 69 catches for 1,059 yards and seven touchdowns.

At first glance, Williams might not make sense for Philly. He turns 29 tomorrow (Happy birthday!) and he’s coming off a season where he didn’t play a single snap due to a shoulder injury. The Eagles need to focus on getting younger and healthier. This isn’t even to mention the fact the Birds are currently $49 million OVER the cap.

But with the Eagles likely releasing both Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson, they’ll be left without any veterans in their wide receiver room. Greg Ward will be the oldest remaining player at only 25 years of age. And maybe Williams’ market might not be super lucrative after missing the 2020 season.

The guess here is that Williams will outprice the Eagles’ offer. But if he turns out to be more affordable than expected, he could be a quality veteran signing for a young quarterback such as Jalen Hurts or a 2021 rookie to work with. Williams is a big-play threat with a career 16.1 yards per reception mark.