Raiders Release WR Seth Roberts
The Raiders released wide receiver Seth Roberts, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Roberts exits one day after the club signed fellow receiver Ryan Grant, giving the club a totally revamped WR group for 2019. 
Last month, the Raiders swung a blockbuster trade for Antonio Brown, signed ex-Charger Tyrell Williams, and released veteran Jordy Nelson. After Grant entered the mix, there was simply no room for Roberts, who inked a three-year, $12MM extension with the Raiders in 2017.
Roberts was due to make a $4.45MM base salary this season and up to $4.8MM through bonuses. However, his base pay was completely guaranteed, allowing the Raiders to shed the entire sum of his contract.
Roberts, 28, had 45 receptions for 494 yards and two touchdowns in 2018. In the previous year, however, he set new career highs with 43 catches for 455 yards and caught 66.2% of the balls thrown his way.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/3/19
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Adam Gettis
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed (original round restricted free agent): WR Rashard Higgins
- Re-signed (exclusive rights free agent): DL Trevon Coley, DB Jermaine Whitehead
Green Bay Packers
- Re-signed (ERFA): LB Reggie Gilbert, G Justin McCray
Kansas City Chiefs
- Re-signed (ERFA): WR Marcus Kemp
- Waived: CB Step Durham
New York Giants
- Waived: WR Quadree Henderson
New York Jets
- Re-signed (ERFA): RB De’Angelo Henderson, LB Frankie Luvu
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed (ERFA): G Isaac Asiata, G Jesse Davis, DE Jonathan Woodard
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed (ERFA): S Isaiah Johnson, OL Mike Liedtke
Falcons Re-Sign LB Kemal Ishmael
The Falcons have re-signed linebacker Kemal Ishmael to a one-year deal, the club announced Wednesday.
A seventh-round pick in the 2013 draft, Ishmael has spent his entire career in Atlanta. He saw the most action of his pro tenure back in 2014, when he made 10 starts and posted four interceptions. Since then, he’s made only 10 additional starts, but has played in 61 of a possible 64 games.
Originally drafted as a defensive back, Ishmael has since morphed into a linebacker. Last season, Ishmael played only 64 defensive snaps (the fewest of his career), but played a career-high 330 snaps on special teams, registering 21 tackles in the process. For what it’s worth, Atlanta finished 10th in Football Outsiders’ special teams metrics, but that ranking was mostly due to kicker Matt Bryant‘s success.
Last offseason, Ishmael re-signed with the Falcons on a one-year deal worth $1MM. That pact contained $210K in guaranteed money, and Ishmael likely inked a similar contract this time around.
Browns Re-Sign FB/TE Orson Charles
Orson Charles will spend another year in Cleveland, as the Browns have announced they’ve re-signed the veteran fullback/tight end.
Charles, 28, appeared in 13 games and made two starts for the Browns in 2018. He saw action on 173 offensive plays, the most snaps he’d played since his rookie campaign with the Bengals in 2012. Charles, originally a fourth-round pick, also chipped in on 265 special teams snaps.
Charles spent the first few seasons of his career with Hue Jackson as his position coach in Cincinnati, then followed Jackson to Cleveland in 2018 (with stops in New Orleans, Detroit, and Kansas City in between). Jackson, of course, is no longer with the Browns, but Cleveland’s decision-makers have still opted to bring Charles back for another season.
The Browns have added star wideout Odell Beckham Jr. and former Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt to an offense that already included weapons like Nick Chubb, Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway, Rashard Higgins, and David Njoku, so Charles probably won’t see much action on offense unless injuries strike.
Bills Sign G Quinton Spain
The Bills signed guard Quinton Spain to a one-year deal, according to a team announcement. Spain, who was previously with the Titans, started 48 games over four seasons with the club. 
[RELATED: Bills To Meet With D.K. Metcalf]
The Bills placed an emphasis on protecting young quarterback Josh Allen this offseason. So far, they’ve added center Mitch Morse, tackle Ty Nsekhe, guard Spencer Long, tackle LaAdrian Waddle, and guard Jon Feliciano in an effort to fortify the front five. The Bills might not be done yet – they could still add offensive linemen in the draft to shore things up.
Spain, 28 in August, earned a solid 75.6 score for pass blocking from Pro Football Focus last season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/2/19
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LS Patrick Scales
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Re-signed: OL Josh Wells
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Blake Bell
Saints Re-Sign CB P.J. Williams
The Saints brought back one of their cornerbacks on Tuesday, announcing they have agreed to a one-year deal with P.J. Williams. Williams appears to have done well on this pact, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweeting the deal is worth $5MM.
A third-round Saints pick in 2015, Williams has been a primary contributor for the past three seasons. He became a part-time starter in each of New Orleans’ most recent two NFC South championship campaigns, starting 13 games over the past two years.
While Williams did not have a strong season in 2018, finishing as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-worst full-time cornerback, he played 810 snaps for the NFC’s No. 1 seed. He became needed again on a near-full-time basis when 2018 UFA addition Patrick Robinson suffered a season-ending injury in September of last year.
Likely representing possible depth for the 2019 Saints, Williams will rejoin a secondary that houses Robinson, Marshon Lattimore and Eli Apple. However, the 25-year-old defender is a suspension candidate, having been arrested for driving under the influence in January.
Steelers OL B.J. Finney Signs RFA Tender
Restricted free agent offensive lineman B.J. Finney has signed his second-round tender, per the league’s transactions wire. Finney will now collect $3.095MM for the 2019 campaign.
A former undrafted free agent out of Kansas State, Finney has appeared in 43 games over three seasons in Pittsburgh, but has made only nine total starts. Finney has typically earned excellent grades from Pro Football Focus, but sample size is an issue, as he’s never topped 300 offensive snaps in a single season.
However, he has proven himself as a capable reserve, and he could be the next man up should starting guards Ramon Foster or David DeCastro suffer an injury.
If he continues to perform well in limited action, he could put himself in line for a starting job when he hits unrestricted free agency next year.
Broncos DL Shelby Harris Signs RFA Tender
Broncos restricted free agent defensive lineman Shelby Harris has signed his second-round tender, the team announced. Harris will now collect $3.095MM for the 2019 campaign before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency next year.
A seventh-round pick of the Raiders in 2014, Harris bounced around the league, spending time with the Jets and Cowboys before signing a futures deal with the Broncos in 2017. That low-risk move has paid off in a big way for Denver, as Harris has appeared in all 32 possible games over the past two years, seeing action on more than 35% of the Broncos’ defensive snaps in each season. He could see a further increase in playing time this year, as the club is expected to make him its starting nose tackle.
Harris, 27, posted seven sacks, 16 quarterback hits, and 15 tackles for loss from 2017-18, and he graded as the NFL’s No. 8 interior defender last year, per Pro Football Focus.
The Broncos also announced that the following exclusive rights free agents have signed their ERFA tenders:
- LB Joe Jones
- WR Tim Patrick
- OL Elijah Wilkinson
- S Dymonte Thomas
Texans’ Andre Hal Retires From NFL
Texans safety Andre Hal is calling it a career. After spending the last five seasons with the Texans, and surviving lymphoma, Hal announced his retirement from football on Tuesday. 
“One thing I’ve learned in life is that change is inevitable and life goes through seasons,” Hal wrote. “This season of my life has come to an end. I will be retiring from the NFL. My health did not have anything to do with my decision. I am completely healthy. Thank you to the Houston Texans organization for giving me the opportunity to live my childhood dream. I also want to thank my family and friends for all of their support. I truly appreciate it.”
After being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Hal returned to play in eight regular season games for Houston last year, plus the club’s playoff loss to the Colts. He was more than just an inspiration – he was an impact player. Hal recorded three interceptions in his half-season and was a slam-dunk choice for the Texans’ Ed Block Courage award, given to players who overcome adversity.
“Andre Hal is the epitome of what it means to be a Houston Texans player. What he overcame last season is nothing short of incredible and is an inspiration to every single person in this building,” Bill O’Brien said. “He’s what this place is all about.”
Hal leaves the game with 189 tackles, 12 interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one sack across 69 career games. He also leaves the Texans a little thinner at safety. Currently, the club’s safety depth chart consists of Justin Reid, Tashaun Gipson, and Briean Boddy-Calhoun.