The Philadelphia Eagles signed running back Avery Williams (reported by Dianna Russini), tight end Kylen Granson (reported by Adam Schefter), linebacker Patrick Johnson, and long snapper Charley Hughlett to one-year contracts on Friday.
Avery Williams is five foot nine and weighs 200 pounds. The 26-year-old from Pasadena, California, had 15 kick returns for 408 yards, 20 punt returns for 185 yards, and six tackles (2 solos, 4 assists) in 17 games.
The Atlanta Falcons drafted Williams in the fifth round (183rd pick) of the 2021 NFL Draft. He played four seasons in Atlanta with 22 carries for 109 yards, one touchdown, 13 catches for 61 yards, 54 kick returns for 1,211 yards, 58 punt returns for 630 yards, 31 tackles (13 solos, 18 assists), one pass breakup, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in 49 games. He missed the 2023 season with a Torn ACL.
Collegiately, Williams played four seasons at Boise State (2017-20) playing cornerback and special teams. He had 38 kick returns for 1,042 yards, three touchdowns, 82 punt returns for 948 yards, six touchdowns, 152 tackles (111 solos, 41 assists), 4.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions for 31 yards, 26 pass breakups, five forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and five blocked kicks in 48 games for the Broncos.
Williams was named a two-time Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year (2018-19), Consensus All-American (2020), Jet Award (2020), Second Team All-Mountain West Conference (2017), and First Team All-Mountain West Conference (2020).
Kylen Granson is six foot three and weighs 242 pounds. The 26-year-old from DeMotte, Indiana, made 14 catches for 182 yards, and three tackles (3 solos) in 17 games for the Colts in 2024.
The Indianapolis Colts drafted Granson in the fourth round (127th pick) of the 2021 NFL Draft. He played three seasons in Indianapolis making 86 catches for 958 yards, one touchdown, two carries for two yards, and 10 tackles (9 solos, 1 assist) in 62 games, of which 17 were starts.
Collegiately, Granson played two seasons at Rice (2016-17) making 50 catches for 603 yards, two touchdowns, 10 carries for 92 yards, and two tackles (2 solos) in 18 games for the Owls. Then, he transferred to SMU (2019-20) making 78 catches for 1,257 yards, 14 touchdowns, three carries for 11 yards, and one tackle (1 solo) in 23 games for the Mustangs. Granson was named Second Team All-AAC in 2019, and First Team All-AAC in 2020.
Patrick Johnson is six foot two and weighs 248 pounds. The 27-year-old from Chattanooga, Tennessee, was claimed via waivers by the New York Giants on September 17, 2024. In 2024, he made four tackles (3 solos, 1 assist) in 12 games.
The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Johnson in the seventh round (234th pick) of the 2021 NFL Draft. Johnson played four seasons in Philadelphia making 35 tackles (23 solos, 12 assists), one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery in 49 games. Johnson played one game for the Eagles in 2024 before they released him on September 16, 2024.
Collegiately, Johnson played four seasons at Tulane (2017-20) making 135 tackles (92 solos, 43 assists), 40 tackles for loss, 24.5 sacks, 11 pass breakups, six forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one kick return for 15 yards in 49 games for the Green Wave. He was named a two-time Second Team All-AAC (2018-19), Second Team All-American (2020), and First Team All-ACC (2020).
Charley Hughlett is six foot four and weighs 248 pounds. The 34-year-old from Tampa, Florida, spent the majority of the 2024 season on injured reserve with a rib injury and played five games for the Browns. The Browns released him on February 24, 2025.
The Dallas Cowboys signed Hughlett as an undrafted free agent on August 27, 2012. He also spent time with the New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Kansas City Chiefs. The Browns re-signed Hughlett on December 24, 2014. He played 152 games in Cleveland making 26 tackles (14 solos, 12 assists), and one forced fumble. His 152 games is the 15th-most in franchise history.
Collegiately, Hughlett played four seasons at the University of Central Florida (2008-11) playing 50 games handling long snapping duties for punts, field goals, and extra points for the Knights. He was named a two-time Second Team All-CUSA (2010-11).
