Jets Re-Sign DT Steve McLendon
The Jets have re-signed defensive tackle Steve McLendon, according to a team announcement. It’s a one-year deal with a base value of $2.5MM, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter). McLendon can earn up to $1MM with incentives, bringing the maximum value of the contract to $3.5MM. 
McLendon, 33, did not record a sack last year, though he did appear in all 16 games (including 14 starts). He logged 34 tackles in total and graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 29 ranked interior defender. That score, buoyed by his strong run defense, actually put him one slot ahead of teammate Leonard Williams and several places above Henry Anderson. All three players are set to return to the Jets following Anderson’s reported three-year, $25.2MM agreement.
The Jets’ D-Line went from sixth in adjusted line yards in 2017 to 13th in 2018. In 2019, they’ll have to reverse that trend if they want to get back on track.
Steelers Re-Sign WR Eli Rogers
The Steelers are keeping one of their own. Pittsburgh is re-signing receiver Eli Rogers, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (Twitter link).
Per Florio, it’s a one-year deal for Rogers. It’s the latest move the Steelers are making to try and help replace Antonio Brown. The team also signed former Colts and Jaguars receiver Donte Moncrief to a two-year deal earlier. This news comes after the Steelers’ failed pursuit of Tyrell Williams. Rogers was an undrafted free agent in 2015, and missed his entire rookie season with an injury.
He came out of nowhere and had a breakout season in 2016, catching 48 passes for 594 yards and three touchdowns in just 13 games. It was a promising debut, but he took a pretty big step backwards the next season when he had just 149 yards and 18 catches. Then in the playoffs, he suffered a torn ACL. The ACL took a long time to recover from, and Rogers didn’t end up making it back until Week 15 of last year.
He did get pretty involved in the offense at the end of the year, catching seven passes for 57 yards in Week 17, which could be a good sign for him moving forward. The Steelers will have JuJu Smith-Schuster as their undisputed number one receiver next year, but after him the situation is up in the air. Rogers, Moncrief, and second-year player James Washington will all be competing for targets behind Smith-Schuster, and any one of them could break out.
Seahawks Re-Sign K.J. Wright
The Seahawks reached agreement on a new deal with linebacker K.J. Wright, according to Gregg Bell of The News Tribune. Details on the deal are not yet known, but it’ll be a short-term contract, Bell hears.
Wright has been with the Seahawks ever since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in the 2011 draft. Along with Doug Baldwin, another ’11 draftee, Wright is the longest-tenured member of the Seattle roster. With players like Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Michael Bennett are departing recently, Wright is one of the few remaining members of Seattle’s Super Bowl winning defense.
Wright struggled with injuries all of last season, and ended up appearing in only five games. He was still productive when out there though, receiving strong marks from Pro Football Focus for his time on the field. In those five games he had 23 tackles, two for loss, and three passes defended.
Wright missed the first six games of last season with a knee injury, then came back and played three. He re-aggravated his knee injury and had to miss five more games before returning for the final couple of games. Due to that troublesome knee, it’s not surprising the deal is short-term.
Steelers To Sign Donte Moncrief
The Steelers are beginning the process of replacing Antonio Brown. Pittsburgh has agreed to terms with wide receiver Donte Moncreif, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Schefter reports that it’ll be a two-year deal for Moncrief, although we don’t have the terms yet. The Steelers pursued fellow receiver Tyrell Williams, but didn’t end up winning that bidding war, so they settled for Moncrief. JuJu Smith-Schuster will slide in as the team’s new number one receiver after the Brown trade, but Pittsburgh has been looking for ways to fill out the corp around him.
Moncrief comes to the Steelers from Jacksonville after spending last year with the Jaguars. He had spent the first four years of his career with the Colts. The Jets were apparently interested in signing Moncrief, so the Steelers weren’t alone in their pursuit. Last year, Moncrief reeled in 48 passes for 668 yards and three touchdowns.
It wasn’t a terrible season, but wasn’t his most productive either. In 2016 he caught seven touchdowns in just nine games and the year before that had 733 yards and six touchdowns. His one year deal with the Jaguars last cycle had a base salary of $7MM, and it’ll be interesting to see what the 2014 third round pick landed here.
Patriots To Re-Sign WR Phillip Dorsett
Phillip Dorsett is heading back to the Patriots. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the receiver is returning to New England on a one-year deal. The reporter describes it as “prove-it” deal before Dorsett returns to free agency next offseason.
Back in 2017, the Patriots acquired Dorsett from the Colts in exchange for quarterback Jacoby Brissett. His first season was a bit of a dud, but Dorsett emerged in 2018.
While his role was reduced following the return of Julian Edelman and the acquisition of Josh Gordon, Dorsett still finished the campaign with 32 receptions for 290 yards and four touchdowns. Dorsett also came up big during the Patriots’ Super Bowl run, hauling in five receptions for 70 yards and two scores in three games.
As it stands right now, Dorsett may have an opportunity to play an even bigger role in 2019. The Patriots current receivers depth chart essentially consists of Edelman, although the organization has reportedly been hunting for wideouts. Even if Chris Hogan re-signs or Gordon is given the chance to return, Dorsett should still have an opportunity for plenty of targets next season.
Titans To Re-Sign CB Tye Smith
Tye Smith is sticking with the Titans organization. Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com writes that the cornerback will sign a one-year deal with the team.
The 25-year-old emerged as a solid defensive back in 2017, compiling 19 tackles, one pass defended, and one interception. He also started both of the team’s playoff games, collecting seven tackles. Unfortunately, Smith couldn’t build off that solid campaign, as he spent the entire year on the injured reserve.
Upon his return from injury, Smith will be eyeing more of a reduced role on a crowded Titans depth chart. At the moment, the team is rostering cornerbacks Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan, Adoree’ Jackson, LeShaun Sims and Kenneth Durden.
Packers To Re-Sign TE Marcedes Lewis
Marcedes Lewis is returning to Green Bay. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that the Packers are re-signing the tight end to a one-year deal.
The 34-year-old joined the Packers last offseason following a standout career with the Jaguars. He didn’t show much of his pass-catching prowess during his first season in Green Bay, hauling in only three receptions in 16 games.
On the flip side, Lewis did earn his worth in the blocking game. While he didn’t earn enough snaps to qualify for Pro Football Focus‘ rankings, he would have graded out as an average to above-average run blocker.
The Packers will presumably continue to rely on him in the blocking game in 2019. The team still has Jimmy Graham sitting atop their depth chart, and they’re also rostering tight ends Robert Tonyan Jr., Evan Baylis, and Malcolm Johnson.
Bills To Add Andre Roberts
Coming off an All-Pro season, Andre Roberts will be changing teams. He won’t be leaving New York, however.
The Bills are signing the veteran return man, according to ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini (Twitter link). It’s a two-year deal, Buffalo announced. Earlier today, it was revealed the Jets were not going to bring Roberts back. He will now join a parade of Bills UFA additions.
Roberts will follow Cole Beasley and John Brown to Buffalo, and while he likely will not play nearly as much on offense as those wide receivers, he brings extensive experience. The 31-year-old specialist has played on five teams since coming into the league in 2010. Last season was his best.
The 2018 Jets’ return man took back a punt and kickoff for touchdowns. He finished with a 14.1-yard punt-return average and nearly got to a 30-yard kick-return figure. Roberts has five career return TDs and has not caught more than 15 passes in a season since 2014.
The Bills used Isaiah McKenzie and Marcus Murphy on returns last season. Both remain under contract, creating an interesting situation. Roberts’ contract may point to him being the primary kick- and punt-return man, but details of the 2018 Pro Bowler’s deal are not yet known.
49ers To Re-Sign DB Jimmie Ward
Jimmie Ward is sticking around San Francisco. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the defensive back will re-sign with the 49ers. It’s a one-year pact worth $5MM. Adam Caplan clarifies that the deal is for $4.5MM with another $500K in incentives (Twitter link).
The 2014 first-round pick has spent his entire five-year career with the 49ers, but he’s yet to establish a definitive role with the organization. On the flip side, the defensive back has shown some unique versatility throughout his career, which probably explains why the 49ers were relatively eager to welcome back. Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets that while Ward primarily played cornerback last season, he’s expected to play free safety in 2019.
The 27-year-old ultimately appeared in nine games (seven starts) with the 49ers in 2018, compiling 24 tackles and one forced fumble. Pro Football Focus wasn’t particularly fond of his performance, ranking him in the bottom-10 among eligible safeties. Ward suffered a broken forearm late in the season that ultimately landed him on the injured reserve.
Dolphins Sign Clive Walford
The Dolphins have signed tight end Clive Walford, per Pro Football Talk (via Twitter).
Walford was most recently with the Jets, but New York decided to non-tender him earlier this month. He had two stints with the Jets and one stint with the Colts in 2018, appearing in only a single game.
However, he showed some promise during his first two years in the league, hauling in 61 receptions for 688 yards and six scores across the 2015-16 seasons with the Raiders. Oakland drafted him in the third round of the 2015 draft but cut him last offseason.
Walford will join new acquisition Dwayne Allen and second-year talent Mike Gesicki atop Miami’s TE depth chart.