Patriots To Sign Mike Pennel, Matt LaCosse
While some teams are splurging, the Patriots are spreading the wealth. On Thursday afternoon, the Pats agreed to sign former Jets defensive lineman Mike Pennel and former Broncos tight end Matt LaCosse, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. It’s a two-year deal for Pennel, per his agent (Twitter link).
Pennel was a staple of the Jets’ defense in recent years, appearing in every game over the last two seasons. His Jets stint, which included ten starts, yielded an average of 31 tackles per season with zero sacks. His traditional stats did not jump off of the page, but the advanced metrics were very high on his work in 2018. Pennel was tied as the 14th best defensive tackle in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus, though his 358 snaps were the lowest sum of anyone in the top 40. Earlier this month, the Jets turned down his option.
LaCosse had 24 catches and 250 yards while filling in as the Broncos’ starting tight end for a period last year, but Denver non-tendered him this offseason. With Rob Gronkowski‘s status for next year still up in the air, LaCosse could be an option to help fill the gap, albeit one with less star power.
Falcons To Sign RB Kenjon Barner
The Falcons have agreed to terms with Kenjon Barner, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). McClure hears that it’ll be a one-year deal for the running back.
Barner, 28, has gotten to travel the country over the course of his pro career. He’s suited up for the Panthers (twice), Eagles, and Patriots and also signed a deal with the Chargers somewhere in between. Last year, he split time between the Panthers and Pats and finished out with 19 carries for 71 yards. He also offers kick return experience with a lifetime average of 23.2 yards per try.
After allowing Tevin Coleman to walk, the Falcons had a need for a running back behind Devonta Freeman and Ito Smith. Barner should have a chance to catch on in Atlanta and maybe even get some carries.
Patriots To Sign WR Maurice Harris
On Thursday morning, the Patriots met with Redskins free agent Maurice Harris and fellow free agent wide receiver Bruce Ellington. After agreeing to sign Ellington, they said, “Why choose?” 
The Patriots have agreed to sign Harris, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known.
Harris had 28 catches for 304 yards last season, but the Redskins opted against tendering him as a restricted free agent. The Patriots, in need of wide receiver help, have moved to add two solid options in one day. Of course, they aimed higher earlier in the week, but pursuits of Golden Tate, Cole Beasley, and Adam Humphries came up short.
Currently, the Patriots’ wide receiver depth chart is topped by Julian Edelman, Ellington, and Harris. With the draft and the second wave of free agency still ahead, you can expect that to change.
Patriots To Sign Terrence Brooks
Free agent safety Terrence Brooks has signed a two-year deal with the Patriots, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Brooks spent the last two seasons with the rival Jets.
The Jets had Brooks under control for 2019, but opted against exercising his option for the coming year. The move helped them preserve flexibility and cap space, and while they will miss his special teams acumen, he hardly saw any time on the defensive side of the ball.
Brooks came to the Jets before the 2017 season in a trade with the Eagles that saw cornerback Dexter McDougle to go Philly. Since then, Brooks he has been a special teams staple for Gang Green. Last year, Brooks appeared in a team-high 79% of the Jets’ special teams plays while appearing in just 6% of the defensive snaps.
He will be a quality addition to New England’s special teams unit while also providing experienced depth behind Patrick Chung and Devin McCourty at the safety position.
Giants To Sign WR Golden Tate
The Giants have agreed to sign former Eagles wide receiver Golden Tate, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Tate will receive a four-year, $37.5MM contract with $23MM fully guaranteed, according to Schefter. 
Tate entered the offseason as one of the top available wide receivers, but many others agreed to deals during the legal tampering period. Alas, Tate has a home, although he’s a bit late in signing during Day 2 of the official free agency period.
The Patriots and Steelers, two teams who explored acquiring Tate from the Lions before last year’s trade deadline, were also said to be considering him. Instead, the Odell Beckham-less Giants have swooped him up in an effort to revamp their receivers group.
Between the Lions and Eagles, Tate caught 74 passes for 795 yards and four touchdowns in 2018. It was the first time he failed to crack 800 yards since the 2012 season, his first year as a starter.
A 1,000 yard receiver as recently as 2017, Tate could be in line for big numbers once again. His ceiling is obviously lower than OBJ’s, but he can help move the chains in New York. Going forward, Eli Manning will rely on Tate, Sterling Shepard, tight end Evan Engram, and running back Saquon Barkley to keep the offense moving.
Tate’s deal carries an average annual value of $9.375MM, putting him just outside of the Top 25 at the position. His AAV is roughly half of OBJ, who leads all receivers at $18MM/year.
Bengals Sign CB B.W. Webb
Cornerback B.W. Webb has signed with the Bengals, according to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Bengals confirmed the news and announced that it is a three-year deal. It’s believed to be worth up to $13MM, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.
By signing with Cincinnati, he rejoins new Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, his defensive backs coach with the Giants last year. The deal brings Webb to his sixth team in six years and gives the Bengals an option at slot cornerback. He also has experience in the slot, so he could potentially replace free agent Darqueze Dennard.
Webb, 29 in May, appeared in all 16 games for the Giants last season, including 13 starts. He finished out with 59 total stops, one tackle, one forced fumble, and six passes defensed. Webb graded out as the No. 77 ranked corner in the NFL with a career-best 62.6 overall score. He wasn’t an elite CB, but the advanced metrics dropped him in the same neighborhood as Morris Claiborne, Marcus Peters, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Jimmy Smith.
Patriots To Sign WR Bruce Ellington
Bruce Ellington is signing a one-year deal with the Patriots, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Pats met with Ellington and a few other players on Thursday morning. It did not take long for a deal to come together. 
Last year, Ellington had 23 catches for 132 yards in just four games for the Lions, showing what he could do when healthy. Earlier in the season he caught eight balls for 92 yards and a touchdown in less than three full games with the Texans, before Houston waived him with an injury settlement. He latched on in Detroit, but unfortunately the hamstring injury that hampered him in Houston re-emerged while he was with the Lions, landing Ellington on IR in December.
Panthers Release LT Matt Kalil
Panthers veteran left tackle Matt Kalil has been released, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Panthers will cut him with a post-June 1 designation, saving the club roughly $7MM this year. After that, they’ll eat $5MM in 2019 and $9MM in 2020.
Kalil signed a higher-than-expected five-year, $55MM contract with the Panthers in 2017 and that deal still had guarantees going into 2019. The left tackle leaves Carolina after appearing in just 16 games (all in ’17).
Ultimately, this amounts to a cut-your-losses maneuver. The Panthers have a new owner in David Tepper, and the GM that authorized the Kalil contract, Dave Gettleman, is now with the Giants. Effectively, the club’s new decision makers are willing to chalk up Kalil’s deal – and the associated penalties – to a bad move by the old crowd.
Kalil has spent all of the 2018 season on injured reserve. After being taken out by the right knee injury, Chris Clark took over his spot. Next season, right tackle Taylor Moton could switch sides to man LT.
Saints Unlikely To Re-Sign Alex Okafor
Alex Okafor will probably be changing teams. The Saints are unlikely to re-sign the defensive end, according to a source who spoke with Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). 
Okafor has been solid for the Saints over the last two years, but the club is looking to put Marcus Davenport in the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Okafor is scheduled for free agency after the club amended his contract.
The Saints changed the language in Okafor‘s deal back in December, and the new deal language automatically voided the 2019 year of Okafor’s contract. The deal was re-worked to give Okafor a $400K bonus even though he came up one sack short of the incentive and it also guaranteed him free agency after the ’18 campaign.
Okafor was having a strong year in 2017 before tearing his Achilles and then re-upped on a cheap deal with the Saints before the 2018 season started. Now fully healthy, Okafor has a chance to cash in elsewhere.
Vikings To Keep Everson Griffen
The Vikings and pass-rusher Everson Griffen have struck a deal for him to remain on the team, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Griffen was set to have his $10.9MM salary fully guaranteed by tomorrow, which gave the Vikings pause. Instead, the two sides negotiated to find a workaround.
Griffen will accept a base salary cut from $10.9MM to $6.4MM in a move that will create $4.3MM in savings for the Vikings, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN.com. However, his per-game roster bonus total will rise from $500K to $1.5MM, so he can make up some of that loss simply by staying on the field. Additionally, Griffen — who is currently under contract through 2022 — now has the ability to void the final three years of his pact by achieving incentives.
In order to void those seasons, Griffen must post six sacks while playing at least 56% of the Vikings’ snaps in 2019, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Griffen can also collect $500K by producing eight sacks next year.
After a bevy of extensions in recent years, plus the massive free agent deal signed by Kirk Cousins last year, the Vikings are in a tough cap situation. Griffen, 31, signed a new deal with Minnesota just a couple of years ago, but releasing him would have saved them upwards of $10MM in cap space.
Last year, Griffen missed five games as he dealt with personal issues. Without confidence in Griffen’s status, the Vikings were unwilling to move forward under the previous terms of the deal, which runs through 2022.
But when he’s right, Griffen is excellent. Even in a 2018 season that saw him deal with apparently significant off-field matters, Griffen posted 5.5 sacks and graded out as an above-average edge defender.
After surprisingly re-signing Anthony Barr and finding a way to keep Griffen in the fold, the Vikings are bringing back all of their top defenders for at least one more season as they attempt to rebound from a disappointing 2018 campaign.