Ex-Chargers safety to join overhauled secondary

The Jets added another piece to their revamped secondary late Thursday night.

Free-agent safety Marcus Gilchrist agreed in principle to a four-year deal with the Jets, according to a source. The two sides are expected to finalize the deal Friday.

Gilchrist, 26, was a second-round pick of the Chargers in 2011 out of Clemson. He began his career as a cornerback, but shifted to safety in 2013 and started every game there over the past two seasons for San Diego.

Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan has performed a total makeover of the Jets secondary this week in free agency. The team has three new cornerbacks — Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Buster Skrine — and now Gilchrist will be paired with Calvin Pryor, the team’s first-round pick last year, at safety.

The Jets must have liked Gilchrist because he was the first safety they targeted, bringing him in for a visit that began Tuesday night and lasted until Thursday. The visit included dinner Wednesday night with Jets coach Todd Bowles and Skrine.

The website Pro Football Focus rated Gilchrist No. 72 among safeties last year and 83rd in coverage. In 2013 he was 20th overall and 55th in coverage.

➤ Veteran Willie Colon re-signed with the team on in a surprising move. The deal is for one year and the veteran’s minimum of $870,000, according to a source. He also received a signing bonus.

Colon, who turns 32 next month, has started every game at right guard for the Jets over the past two seasons. Many people expected the Jets to allow him to leave as a free agent, though, as they tried to upgrade the offensive line.

The Jets signed free-agent guard James Carpenter this week and have two third-year players at the position in Oday Aboushi and Brian Winters, both of whom started games last year.

➤ Former Jets running back Chris Johnson had a misdemeanor gun charge against him dropped, according to Florida court records. Johnson, who was shot in the shoulder on Sun- day in a separate incident, had been arrested in January after police found two handguns in his car that were not locked up. He was charged with open carrying/firearms after getting pulled over in his hometown of Orlando, Fla.

Johnson is expected to make a full recovery after the shooting incident this week. He spent one season with the Jets. The team declined his 2015 option last month and he is a free agent.