Chiefs To Sign DE Alex Okafor
After two major subtractions to their pass rush, the Chiefs are trying to add some reinforcements. The club is expected to sign former Saints defensive end Alex Okafor to a three-year deal, $18MM deal, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Through incentives, the pact can reach up to $24MM. 
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 is moving on to KC.
Just days ago, the Chiefs shipped Dee Ford to the Niners in exchange for a 2020 second-round pick. In need of ammo to bolster the pass rush, they’ve added Okafor, a younger and cheaper substitute. Ford’s franchise tag would have called for a $15MM+ salary in 2019. Okafor, meanwhile, stands to earn a $6MM average annual value on his new deal, sans incentives.
Okafor, 27, broke out with eight sacks in his second NFL season. Since then, he’s been productive, but has yet to revisit that mark. Last year, he put up four sacks for the Saints across 16 games (all starts), giving him 22 for his career.
Raiders Release Jordy Nelson
The Raiders are doing some early spring cleaning today. The club has released veteran wideout Jordy Nelson, per Vic Tafur of The Athletic (via Twitter).
The release itself isn’t that surprising after the club traded for Antonio Brown and signed top free agent wideout Tyrell Williams, but the circumstances surrounding it are a bit odd. At the end of December, head coach Jon Gruden announced that Nelson would be back in 2019 to finish out the two-year pact he signed last offseason, and they even moved up a $3.6MM roster bonus to be paid at the time of the announcement. Essentially, then, the Raiders gave Nelson $3.6MM for no real reason.
Of course, they did not know at the time that they would be adding two top wideouts to their club, and they still create some cap savings with the move. And, as Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets, the door is not closed on a Nelson return.
Nelson, though, may find a better opportunity on the free agent market. Even though he will turn 34 in May, he showed he still has a little something left in the tank in 2018, bumping his yards-per-catch average from a career-low 9.1 (in the largely Aaron Rodgers-less ’17 Packers slate) to 12.2 with Derek Carr.
He ended the 2018 season with 63 catches for 739 yards and three scores, and he played particularly well down the stretch.
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.
Raiders Release A.J. McCarron
The Raiders have released backup quarterback A.J. McCarron per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The moves comes one day before McCarron was due a $3MM roster bonus, and three days before $1.1MM of his $1.8MM 2019 salary became fully guaranteed.
Just two weeks ago, the team indicated that it may keep McCarron around to serve as Derek Carr‘s backup in 2019. At the time, new GM Mike Mayock said, “I think Jon [Gruden] and I both believe that the backup quarterback is one snap away from playing. It’s important to have someone like McCarron ready to go.”
The roster bonus and salary guarantee proved too much to stomach, though the club could theoretically bring McCarron back on a new deal.
This continues a disappointing year for McCarron, who signed with the Bills last offseason with the expectation that he would become Buffalo’s starter. However, things changed in April when Buffalo drafted Josh Allen to be their QB of the future. Just before the start of the season, the Bills shipped McCarron to Oakland for a fifth-round pick.
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 To Sign DT Malcom Brown
The Saints are signing defensive tackle Malcom Brown to a three-year deal worth up to $15MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Ben Volin of the Boston Globe provides additional details, reporting that while Brown’s contract maxes out at $15MM, it’s really a two-year, $10MM pact for all intents and purposes (Twitter link). Brown is guaranteed $7.5MM and will earn $5.5MM in 2019 and $4.5MM in 2020. It’s a solid deal for the Saints, who are adding a former first-round pick to the defensive line. 
Brown, 25, started in 51 of his 60 games for the Patriots, including 14 starts last season. This past year, he did not record any sacks, but he was on the field for just 279 pass snaps. In the previous three seasons, Brown managed 8.5 sacks from the interior.
Heading into this week, defensive tackle was a huge need for the Saints. With the Brown deal, they’ve managed to partially fill that gap at a reasonable rate. Sheldon Rankins will serve as the team’s top DT, but questions remain about him, Tyeler Davison and David Onyemata. Rankins suffered a torn Achilles in the NFC title game, Davison is in free agent limbo, and Onyemata may face a suspension after a citation for marijuana possession.
The Patriots, meanwhile, replaced Brown by signing former Jets defensive lineman Mike Pennel for half the price. Pennel’s work in 2018 garnered favorable reviews from the advanced metrics, and he should have an opportunity for an increased workload with New England.
49ers To Sign CB Jason Verrett
The 49ers are signing former Chargers’ cornerback Jason Verrett to a one-year, $3.6MM deal, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The former first-round pick has played in just five games over the last three years, but he could be a strong value signing if he stays on the field. 
Verrett missed the entire 2018 campaign after suffering a torn Achilles during a conditioning test last July. The Texans and Chiefs were also said to have had interest in Verrett, but they were also closely looking into his health situation.
Verrett was a Pro Bowler in 2015 and looked primed to establish himself as one of the best young corners in the league. Reportedly, before the latest injury, he looked like his old self in practice, so there’s reason to believe that he’ll make the most of his one-year prove-it deal.
The Niners made major upgrades to their defense this week, signing Kwon Alexander and trading for (and extending) Dee Ford. They also made an offer to cornerback Bradley Roby before he chose to sign with the Texans. They didn’t land Roby, but they got another former first-round pick out of the AFC West in Verrett.