Jets Unlikely To Re-Sign Morris Claiborne
The Jets do not expect to bring back free agent cornerback Morris Claiborne, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter). Claiborne has spent the last two years with the Jets, but this appears to be the end of the line for the former first-round pick in New York.
Claiborne performed at a high level in 2016, his final year with the Cowboys, before injuries cut his season short. The Jets saw Claiborne as a potential value add and scooped him up on a one-year deal. Over the last two years, Claiborne has missed just two games combined, but he has been far from a shutdown corner.
Meanwhile, the Jets are hoping to re-sign cornerback Darryl Roberts before free agency opens on Wednesday. The two sides are working on a deal that would keep the versatile 28-year-old in the fold for at least one more season.
Redskins Shopping Zach Brown, Mason Foster
The Redskins are actively shopping several players in trade talks, including linebackers Zach Brown and Mason Foster, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Meanwhile, the Redskins are also strong players for Ravens free agent linebacker C.J. Mosley. 
Mosley already figured to have a huge market with teams like the 49ers on his tail. The Redskins, meanwhile, figure to make a strong play for him while overhauling their own LB corps.
Brown was solid in his second season with the Redskins, but he also clashed with coaches. In December, Brown said that he expected to be released in the offseason.
“I think they’re just going in a different direction towards everything,” Brown said. “I’m going this direction, they’re going that direction.”
Brown, 29, had 96 tackles and one sack as the Redskins’ inside linebacker last season. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus were extremely high on him, grading him as the third-best LB in the NFL behind only Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechly. Brown’s contract runs through 2020, but teams could still have interest in acquiring him.
Foster, 30, has spent hte last four seasons with the Redskins. He’s dealt with injuries in the past, but he started in all 16 games last season en route to compiling 131 tackles, two interceptions, and a sack.
Giants Interested In LB Deone Bucannon
The Giants have expressed interest in linebacker Deone Bucannon, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post (on Twitter). Bucannon played under Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher in Arizona and offers familiarity with his system. 
Bucannon started his career as a hybrid linebacker/safety and offers strong coverage skills. Still, the Cardinals have not been able to get much from him in recent years and tried to move him at last year’s trade deadline. Bettcher may feel that he’s in position to get the most out of Bucannon and the Giants’ front office is at least open to the idea of signing him.
Last year, Bucannon totaled just 38 tackles and one sack across 13 games (six starts). But, in the past, he has shown flashes of brilliance. In 2015, his sophomore year as a pro, the Washington State product tallied 109 tackles, three sacks, and an interception.
Bills To Sign Kevin Johnson
The Bills are expected to add free agent cornerback Kevin Johnson, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal is pending a “final review of the contract,” according to Rapoport, but it sounds like the key parts of the deal are in place.
Concussions limited Johnson to just one game last season with the Texans and his physical could be more than just a formality in Buffalo. But, if Johnson gets the medical greenlight, he could prove to be a strong value addition for the Bills.
The former first-round pick has missed 29 out of a possible 64 games over the last four seasons. But, with two quality cornerbacks in Tre’Davious White and Levi Wallace, Johnson could provide valuable support on the outside. Armed with $77MM+ in cap space, the Bills had the room to make the upgrade.
Broncos Exercise Sanders, Harris Options
As expected, Broncos picked up Emmanuel Sanders‘ $1.5MM option on Monday, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). With that, Sanders has $1.5MM fully guaranteed on his scheduled $10.25MM payout for 2019. For his part, Sanders has said he’s way ahead of schedule in his rehab from an Achilles injury. 
The Broncos also picked up their option on cornerback Chris Harris Jr. (Twitter link). The option, worth $1MM, will be followed by an additional $7.9MM payout in 2019.
Sanders, who will turn 32 on Sunday, recently balked at a potential pay cut. The Broncos, however, did not ask for a pay cut, so that was pretty much a moot point. Thanks to his fast recovery, Sanders should be able to return at some point during training camp.
Harris, meanwhile, is entering the final season of a five-year, $42.5MM deal. The contract has proven to be a tremendous value for the Broncos as Harris has blossomed into one of this era’s best cornerbacks. In 2018, Harris graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 3 overall CB. An extension could be on the way, but the Broncos first want to see how free agency plays out.
Bills Discussing Trey Flowers
The Bills are internally discussing the idea of pursuing Trey Flowers, according to ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson (on Twitter). Flowers will be one of the most coveted free agents when the market opens on Wednesday, so this would be a costly endeavor for Buffalo. 
Flowers won’t turn 26 until August and profiles as one of the most attractive free agents in this year’s crop. Last year, he set a new career high with 7.5 sacks and continued to generate pressure against opposing QBs. Last year, Flowers graded out as the sixth-best edge rusher in the entire NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, and posted a career-best 88.7 overall score. That mark put him below only Calais Campbell, Khalil Mack, J.J. Watt, Von Miller, and Cameron Jordan.
The Jets have also been heavily connected to Flowers, so it’s quite possible that he’ll remain in the AFC East.
Cardinals To Release Jermaine Gresham
The Cardinals will release tight end Jermaine Gresham, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The move won’t be formally completed until Thursday, the day after the new league year begins, for cap reasons. 
Gresham, 31 in June, had just nine catches for 94 yards last season. Those were the lowest totals of any season in Gresham’s nine-year pro career.
The Cardinals, who badly need a reboot, were expected to drop Gresham this offseason. The move will save them roughly $2.47MM against the 2019 cap, though they’ll be saddled with $5.75MM in dead money.
Meanwhile, Gresham’s old job will be occupied by ex-Bills TE Charles Clay, who was inked to an early free agent deal in February. The Cardinals also have youngster Ricky Seals-Jones on the depth chart.
Giants Discussing Odell Beckham Jr. Trade
The Giants are still involved in trade discussions with Odell Beckham Jr., according to a source who spoke with Jeff Howe of The Athletic (on Twitter). We’ve been hearing conflicting reports on OBJ’s availability, but it appears that one of the league’s best wide receivers remains is on the block. 
The Giants, we heard, would not seriously entertain offers unless they were “overwhelmed” by another club’s pitch. But, at the same time, head coach Pat Shurmur was fed up with OBJ’s antics at times last year. OBJ drew the ire of team brass in 2018 when he openly questioned Eli Manning and the club’s quarterback situation.
Dave Gettleman gave his Odell Beckham Jr. party line at the combine, but nothing can be ruled out after Antonio Brown – this generation’s most dominant wide receiver – was traded to the Raiders. Brown’s lucrative extension with the Steelers did not preclude a trade and it’s believed that the Giants will approach OBJ talks with a similar mindset.
Following an injury-plagued 2017 campaign, OBJ managed to reel in 77 catches for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games last season. If he stays healthy and has the right pieces around him, it’s not hard to imagine OBJ getting back to the exceptional form he exhibited from 2014-2016.
Vikings Tender Anthony Harris
The Vikings are tendering safety Anthony Harris at the second-round level, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The move will earmark Harris for a one-year tender, $3.095MM contract. 
The decision to tender Harris comes on the heels of the club’s call to decline Andrew Sendejo‘s option. Even after losing Sendejo, the Vikings will maintain some continuity by keeping Harris in the secondary.
Over the last four seasons, Harris has appeared in 51 games for the Vikings. In 2018, he took a step up in responsibility and started nine games at safety after Sendejo was lost for the year. The Vikings’ defense improved from that point, so the decision to retain Harris was something of a no-brainer.
The call on which tender to use, however, was a bit trickier. Apparently, the Vikings did not feel comfortable with using the original round tender on the former UDFA for fear of losing him.
Eagles Re-Sign Jason Peters
The Eagles have signed tackle Jason Peters to a one-year contract for the 2019 season. The Eagles did hold a team option on Peters for the 2019 season, but this is a new deal that will create some cap savings for the Eagles. Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the deal is worth up to $10MM and includes $5.5MM guaranteed.
Peters, 37, has been with the Eagles for the last ten seasons, starting in every one of his games. He lost more than half of the 2017 season to injury, but he came back strong last year to start in all 16 contests. Peters has lost a step in his old age, but he still graded out as the No. 38 ranked tackle in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus. in years past, the advanced metrics portrayed him as an elite protector.
The Eagles are already busy on this free agent week, having just signed defensive tackle Malik Jackson. They also moved defensive lineman Michael Bennett to the Patriots, giving them some additional flexibility.