Jets To Re-Sign CB Darryl Roberts
The Jets are set to re-sign cornerback Darryl Roberts, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News. Terms of the deal are not yet known.
New defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is likely planning some big changes on defense, but Roberts apparently fits his vision Last year, Roberts made ten starts and played in 65% of the team’s defensive snaps. He also played a significant role on special teams. For his career, Roberts has made 16 starts.
In other Jets cornerback news, the club has opted against retaining Morris Claiborne.
Lions To Sign Justin Coleman
The Lions are closing in on a deal with former Seahawks cornerback Justin Coleman, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The contract will make Coleman the NFL’s highest-paid nickel corner. It’s a four-year, $36MM deal, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
After spending two seasons in New England, Coleman was traded to Seattle in the 2017 offseason for a seventh-round pick in 2018. Mainly serving as a nickel back with the Seahawks, Coleman proved to be a brilliant add. Coleman hasn’t missed a game for the Seahawks in the past two seasons and has emerged as a quality stopper at an increasingly important position.
You may recall that Tavon Young, way back when in late February, became the league’s highest-paid nickel corner when the Ravens re-upped him on a three-year, $25.8MM extension. That mantle now belongs to Coleman, a player who had the benefit of shopping the open market.
Free agency does not formally begin until Wednesday, but Coleman reached his deal with Detroit on Monday, the first day of the so-called “legal tampering” period. Later this week, the contract will be made official.
49ers To Sign LB Kwon Alexander
Kwon Alexander is spoken for. On Monday, the 49ers signed the former Buccaneers linebacker to a four-year, $54MM deal (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). The pact includes $27MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter) adds. 
John Lynch, who knows a thing or two about the Buccaneers’ organization, is investing big in the linebacker position. Alexander was expected to cash in this offseason, but few could have foreseen this type of deal for a player coming off of a torn ACL.
The Bucs discussed an extension with Alexander last year before his ACL tear in October, but they were unwilling to break the $10MM/year mark for him. Months later, the 49ers have shelled out $13.5MM per season for the soon-to-be 25-year-old.
A fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft, Alexander started 46 games over three-plus years with the Buccaneers. Last season, he posted 38 tackles, two forced fumbles, and one sack while grading as the No. 53 linebacker at the time of his injury, per Pro Football Focus. In 2017, Alexander earned his first career Pro Bowl selection and graded out as PFF’s No. 37 off-ball ‘backer. In 2016, he registered an eye-popping 145 stops.
Previously, the 49ers were looking into inside linebackers such as C.J. Mosley and Anthony Barr. In all likelihood, the Alexander signing will take them out of the mix for both players.
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.
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.
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.
Texans Re-Sign DE Angelo Blackson
The Texans and defensive end Angelo Blackson agreed to a new three-year, $12MM deal, a source tells Adam Caplan of NFL.com (on Twitter). Blackson played in 40% of the team’s defensive snaps last season and emerged as a pleasant surprise for Houston. 
Blackson first joined the Texans in 2017 after spending the previous two seasons with the Titans. He had just nine tackles across nine games in Year One with Houston, but he took on a larger role last year. Appearing in all 16 games (four starts), Blackson amassed 24 tackles, one sack, and three passes defensed. For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus graded him as just the 99th ranked interior defender out of 112 qualified players.
The Texans still have lots of work to do on the defensive line. Christian Covington, Brandon Dunn, and Joel Heath (RFA) still need to have their contracts addressed.
Raiders To Sign LT Trent Brown
The Raiders are making some serious noise in March. On Monday, the club agreed to sign former Patriots tackle Trent Brown to a four-year, $66MM deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The pact, which includes $36.75MM guaranteed, will make Brown the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history. 
The league-wide dearth of quality offensive lineman has taken the OL market to previously unforeseen heights. Brown had an excellent platform season in his first (and only) year with the Patriots in 2018, but few expected him to break the bank in this fashion.
Last year, Brown started in all 19 regular and postseason games for New England en route to a Super Bowl championship. Pro Football Focus was bullish on his performance, ranking him 32nd among 80 eligible linemen.
The Raiders already had a left tackle in UCLA product Kolton Miller, but he’ll be shifted back over to the right side, Schefter hears (Twitter link). Miller, who many felt was a reach at No. 15 overall in last year’s draft, produced mixed results in his 16 starts last year. The youngster may have a greater comfort level on the opposite side of Brown.
Meanwhile, veteran Donald Penn is a “strong candidate for release,” according to Michael Gehlken of the Review- Journal (on Twitter). By cutting Penn, the Raiders can save $7.225MM against the 2019 cap. Due to injuries, the usually durable Penn was limited to only four games in 2018.