New York Jets

The Carolina Panthers plan to host former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams (knee) for a visit next week, according to a league source. Williams, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 3 of last year, was released earlier this week due to salary cap purposes. The 29-year-old they call Big Mike was set to make $20 million in the final year of his three-year extension in 2024. Now that most of the big free agents have already chosen new teams, Williams is one of the biggest names available on the open market and would give young quarterback Bryce Young a big new target in the passing game after Carolina already traded for wideout Diontae Johnson. The former seventh overall pick in 2017 by the Bolts out of Clemson has two 1,000-yard seasons in his seven NFL campaigns and scored nine touchdowns in 2021, but his lengthy injury history outweighs his upside at this point.

The New York Jets have made wide receiver Allen Lazard available in trade talks this offseason, according to league sources. Lazard is due a $10 million salary this season, so he's not likely to generate a ton of interest from other clubs after catching 23 of his 49 targets for 311 yards and one touchdown in 14 games (12 starts) for the Jets in 2023. The 28-year-old former Green Bay Packer came over before last season as a favorite of quarterback Aaron Rodgers from their time together in Green Bay, but Lazard didn't have much of a chance to excel once Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1. Perhaps Lazard could rebound with Rodgers returning this year if he sticks around, but it sounds like the Jets would rather just move on. If there are no takers for Lazard, the Jets could end up cutting him after June 1.

Veteran wide receiver Mike Williams (knee) is being released by the Los Angeles Chargers after seven seasons with the organization, as reported by NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The move clears $20 million in cap space for L.A. Originally the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Chargers, Williams has racked up 309 receptions for 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns in 88 games. He's flashed plenty of upside in his career, but injuries have been an issue. The 29-year-old has not played a full season since 2018 and was limited to just three games last year before suffering a torn ACL. Either way, there should be plenty of interest from other teams for the contested catch specialist given the premium that is placed on wide receivers in today's game.

The New York Jets agreed to terms on an undisclosed deal with free-agent quarterback Tyrod Taylor on Monday, according to sources. The journeyman quarterback will remain in New York after spending the last two seasons with the Giants. Taylor was forced to play in 11 games (five starts) for the G-Men last year due to injuries to Daniel Jones (knee), and he completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 1,341 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions in those contests behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league. With the Jets expected to trade Zach Wilson this offseason, Taylor could operate as Aaron Rodgers' primary backup in 2024. The 34-year-old won't save the Jets' offense if Rodgers gets hurt again next year, but he gives the team some veteran experience at the position after playing in 92 games (58 starts) in his 13 seasons in the NFL with six different teams.

The New York Jets are re-signing veteran kicker Greg Zuerlein to a two-year, $8.4 million deal. The 36-year-old made 35 of his 38 field-goal attempts and 13 of his 14 extra-point tries in 2023. With quarterback Aaron Rodgers (Achilles) out of action, the Jets' offense sputtered, leading to a ton of stalled-out drives and field-goal attempts. If Rodgers is good to go for 2024 and is playing at a high level, more drives could be converted into touchdowns. That said, Zuerlein has a wide range of outcomes in fantasy football next season.