Chargers Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/18/24

Today’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Seattle Seahawks

Chargers Sign C Bradley Bozeman

The Chargers are adding an experienced lineman to their offense. The team announced that they’ve signed center Bradley Bozeman.

The former Ravens sixth-round pick emerged as a consistent starter in Baltimore during his sophomore season. Between 2019 and 2021, Bozeman started all 51 of his appearances for the Ravens (including postseason). After spending the early portion of his career as a left guard, he transitioned to center for the 2021 campaign.

He settled for a one-year deal with the Panthers in 2022. After starting 11 of his 17 appearances during his first season in Carolina, the OL signed a new three-year extension last offseason. Bozeman proceeded to start all 17 of his appearances in 2023, with Pro Football Focus ranking him 21st among 36 qualifying centers. He was released by the Panthers last week.

Bozeman can likely be penciled in as the Chargers starting center heading into 2024. A heart-related issue limited starting center Corey Linsley to only three games this past season, and there’s a chance the veteran ends up calling it a career. Career backup Will Clapp was forced into the lineup following Linsley’s absence, but the veteran is currently unsigned.

WR Mike Williams Adds Pittsburgh To Visits

The Steelers have made plenty of headlines over the past week, and it doesn’t seem like they intend to stop any time soon. Pittsburgh has completely transformed their quarterbacks room, and now they have set their sights on their wide receiving corps. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, former Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams will visit the Steelers this week.

Now, this doesn’t ensure that Williams will be the latest addition to this new-look Steelers team, necessarily. Williams already has visits in place with the Jets and Panthers, as well. The Jets are set to host the veteran wide receiver on Monday, while the Panthers’ visit will follow the next day. Unless any other suitors come out of the woodwork, it can be assumed that Pittsburgh will follow shortly after Williams is done in Carolina.

In Pittsburgh, Williams would be joining a wide receivers room that has already undergone some serious change. Former Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson will see Williams before Pittsburgh does after getting traded to the Panthers this week in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson and a late-round pick swap. They replaced him by signing former Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson.

Jefferson showed promise during a sophomore season in Los Angeles in which he caught 50 balls for 802 yards and six touchdowns for the Super Bowl-winning Rams. Since then, an injury limited Jefferson’s 2022 season and a midseason trade to Atlanta handicapped him last year. Jefferson will pair up with third-year receivers George Pickens, who took over the WR1 duties in Pittsburgh last season, and Calvin Austin III atop the depth chart.

Adding Williams would be an extremely complimentary move to the room. It would allow Austin to continue developing without having too much put on his shoulders too soon, and it wouldn’t require too much from Jefferson, either, allowing him to blossom again in a WR3 role. At the same time, Pickens wouldn’t need to fret about losing all of his targets. He can look to Williams’ several years alongside Keenan Allen as proof of what a WR1 can do with Williams across from them.

In reporting the Steelers’ addition to Williams’ list of visits, Schefter also mentioned that, after clearing up some cap space and trading away Allen, the Chargers have expressed interest in bringing Williams back on a new deal. Without Allen and Willams, Justin Herbert‘s targets consist of Josh Palmer, Quentin Johnston, and Derius Davis, as well as new tight ends Will Dissly and Hayden Hurst.

Williams is certainly shopping himself around with three visits scheduled already and more potentially on the horizon if he doesn’t sign a deal. For now, he will peruse the options of catching passes from Bryce Young or Andy Dalton, Aaron Rodgers or Tyrod Taylor, and Russell Wilson or Justin Fields.

Chargers, Denzel Perryman Agree To Deal

MARCH 17: Perryman is indeed expected to re-join the Chargers on a one-year deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Fowler adds this will be a $3MM agreement. Given the departures of Murray and Kendricks, a starting role could very well await Perryman upon his return to Los Angeles.

MARCH 16: Denzel Perryman is eyeing a reunion with his former team. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the free agent linebacker has discussed a new deal with the Chargers. Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston describes the recent talks as “productive.”

The former second-round pick spent the first six seasons of his career with the organization. Injuries kept him from reaching his full potential, and the linebacker ended up leaving the organization having started 51 of his 69 appearances.

After signing with the Panthers during the 2021 offseason, Perryman was promptly traded to the Raiders. He ended up having a career season in 2021, finishing with 154 tackles en route to a Pro Bowl nod. He got into another 12 games with the Raiders in 2022 before signing a deal with the Texans last offseason.

Perryman’s 2023 campaign was highlighted by continuous penalties for initiating contact with his helmet. After earning seven such flags through the first 10 weeks, Perryman was slapped with a three-game suspension by the NFL (eventually reduced to two games).

The veteran ended the season having started 11 of his 12 appearances, compiling 76 stops. He added another eight tackles in two playoff games. Pro Football Focus graded Perryman only 71st among 82 qualifying linebackers, but his score was brought down by one of the worst coverage grades at his position. The 31-year-old expressed interest in sticking in Houston for the 2024 campaign.

The Chargers will need someone to soak up linebacker snaps after Kenneth Murray Jr. and Eric Kendricks left via free agency. Nick Niemann is still around for one of the ILB spots, but inexperienced options like Daiyan Henley and free agent addition Troy Dye are the team’s other answers at the position.

WR Keenan Allen Addresses Chargers Departure

The past week has seen new Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz take major steps aimed at cleaning up the team’s salary cap situation. That effort included restructures for edge rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, along with the release of wideout Mike Williams. Franchise mainstay Keenan Allen was – to the surprise of many, including the six-time Pro Bowler himself – dealt to the Bears in another cost-shedding move.

[RELATED: Texans, Jets Were Interested In Allen Trade]

Los Angeles acquired a fourth-round pick from Chicago after approaching Allen about a pay cut. The 31-year-old declined, citing the strength of his statline from 2023. After expressing confidence he would remain in place for at least the 2024 season, Allen doubled down on the fact he was not expecting to be dealt during his introductory press conference on Saturday.

[I] obviously wanted to finish my career [with the Chargers], but things happen and you’ve got to keep on going,” Allen said. When asked about being asked to take a pay cut, he added, “there really was no emotion, it was, I’m not doing it. I’m not doing it. Came off my best season, so it’s not happening” (h/t NFL.com).

Indeed, Allen’s 95.6 yards per game from the 2023 campaign represent the highest figure of his decorated career. He was limited to 13 contests, but still managed to set a new personal mark in receptions (108) and yards (1,243). While a cap hit of over $34MM would have been challenging to absorb had the Chargers elected to keep him, their decision to cut Williams and re-work the Mack and Bosa pacts would have made it doable. Now, the WR spot faces a number of questions entering 2024 for Los Angeles.

For the Bears, Allen’s arrival will give the team a high-profile tandem alongside vertical threat D.J. Moore. Chicago has also added running back D’Andre Swift as well as tight end Gerald Everett to a new-look skill position room. The new arrivals (along with OC Shane Waldron, hired as Luke Getsy‘s replacement) will be tasked with helping a rookie quarterback improve on the offense’s poor showing from 2023. Maintaining his strong play on third down in particular would go a long way to achieving that goal in Allen’s case.

One year remains on the Cal alum’s contract, so he will have plenty of motivation to thrive in the Windy City in his debut season with the Bears. After seeing his 11-year Chargers tenure come to an end, it will be interesting to see how long he winds up playing in Chicago.

Texans, Jets Considered Keenan Allen Trades

Before Keenan Allen landed with the Bears, the veteran wideout attracted interest from a couple of other suitors. During his press conference today in Chicago, Allen said the Texans and Jets were the only other teams to express interest in a trade (via Adam Jahns of The Athletic).

[RELATED: Chargers Trade Keenan Allen To Bears]

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, the Texans finished second in the sweepstakes. The team offered the Chargers a 2025 third-round pick in exchange for Allen and a later pick. Instead, the Chargers opted for Chicago’s deal, accepting a fourth-round pick for the receiver.

As the Texans look to surround C.J. Stroud with as many weapons as possible, the organization has been mentioned a suitor for many wide receivers. Wilson writes that the rumors connecting the organization to some of the biggest names on the WR market are “inaccurate,” with the reporter pointing specifically to Deebo Samuel.

At the moment, Houston is set to return their same WR depth chart as 2023, with Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Robert Woods, and recent re-signee Noah Brown leading the way. Considering the youth on offense, it isn’t a surprise the Texans would be eyeing a reliable veteran like Allen. On the flip side, considering the team’s depth, the front office doesn’t have to act with any urgency.

Meanwhile, the Jets’ interest in Allen was mostly exploratory. As Dianna Russini of The Athletic passes along, the Jets did not make an offer for the former Chargers wide receiver.

The Jets have Garrett Wilson firmly atop the depth chart, but the team would be a natural fit for another talented pass-catcher. The team got disappointing results from ex-Packers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb in 2023, but the duo’s struggles could be partly attributed to poor QB play. UDFAs Xavier Gipson and Jason Brownlee took on expanded roles as the 2023 campaign went along, but with Aaron Rodgers back in 2024, the team may not want to be as reliant on the young wideouts.

Chargers To Bring Back QB Easton Stick

Easton Stick will soon begin work for another Chargers head coach. Brought in during Anthony Lynn‘s stay and retained throughout Brandon Staley‘s run, Stick will have a chance to remain as a Justin Herbert backup under Jim Harbaugh.

The Chargers reached an agreement to keep the North Dakota State alum Friday, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. With an injury forcing Herbert to miss games for the first time, Stick received his first run of regular-season action last season. He will rejoin Herbert and 2023 seventh-rounder Max Duggan as Bolts QBs on the offseason roster.

It is interesting the Chargers will have each of their 2023 QBs back, with a new coaching staff and front office leadership being in place. Stick has been with the team since 2019, beginning his career as a third-stringer during Philip Rivers‘ final Chargers campaign. Stick then resided as Los Angeles’ QB3 behind Herbert and Tyrod Taylor, before Chase Daniel came in as QB2 in 2021. Daniel was not brought back for 2023, moving Stick — North Dakota State’s QB between Carson Wentz and Trey Lance — up on the depth chart. A Herbert development made that promotion relevant.

Herbert’s finger surgery brought in Stick to start the Bolts’ final four games. The team went 0-4 in that span, with the talent gap between the team’s first- and second-stringers rather wide. Stick threw three TD passes to one INT but was on the other end of a 63-21 blowout, the final game of the Staley-Tom Telesco era. All three of Stick’s TD passes came in that Raiders romp, though the Chargers were within one score of their final three opponents.

It would not surprise to see Harbaugh and GM Joe Hortiz use a later-round pick to bring in competition for the backup job, and Duggan — who was at the controls when TCU downed Harbaugh’s Michigan squad in the 2022 CFP semifinal round — could factor in as well.

TE Hayden Hurst Signs With Chargers

MARCH 15: The Chargers have officially sealed the deal here, signing Hurst to a contract that brings him to Los Angeles, according to Daniel Popper of The Athletic. Hurst becomes the latest change to the offense, joining Dissly and Gus Edwards as additions in LA while the team says “so long” to veteran wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

MARCH 14: The Chargers have already made one notable tight end addition in the form of Will DisslyLos Angeles is set to host Hayden Hurst as well, though, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the latter intends to sign with the team.

Hurst was released by the Panthers last week after one season with the team. His debut campaign in Charlotte was cut short due to a concussion which resulted in a diagnosis of post-traumatic amnesia, and Carolina elected to move on despite two years remaining on his deal. As Fowler notes, though, Hurst has moved quickly in taking a visit with the Chargers. If that goes well (particularly with respect to a medical evaluation), the former first-rounder will have a new home.

Hurst was drafted by the Ravens in 2018, a time when Joe Hortiz played a central role in Baltimore’s scouting efforts. After a lengthy tenure with Baltimore’s front office, Hortiz is now the Chargers’ general manager. Hurst, 30, thus represents a familiar addition for Los Angeles’ new executive regime. Having played under John Harbaugh in Baltimore, he will now work with Jim Harbaugh; the new Bolts head coach’s connection to his brother is no doubt a factor in this impending arrangement.

After his minor league baseball career ended, Hurst entered the NFL with considerable expectations given his draft status. Fellow 2018 draftee Mark Andrews claimed the Ravens’ starting TE role, though, leading Hurst to request a trade and find himself in Atlanta. The Falcons drafted Kyle Pitts after his first season with the team, limiting his usage during the 2021 campaign. That was followed by one-year stints with Cincinnati and Carolina, during which time Hurst started 21 of a possible 22 contests.

The South Carolina alum will now compete for playing time with Dissly, who agreed to a three-year, $14MM deal on Monday. He and Hurst will take over from Gerald Everett in the starting lineup after his free agent departure. Hurst will re-join offensive coordinator Greg Roman if a Chargers deal goes through; the two worked together in Baltimore. Roman has an affinity for the run game and two-tight end sets, a setup which could benefit both Dissly and Hurst. The latter will aim to remain healthy in 2024 while again trying to carve out a starter’s role.

Chargers Trade Keenan Allen To Bears

The Chargers’ cap crunch has forced the team to move on from their longest-tenured player. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chargers are dealing wide receiver Keenan Allen to the Bears. FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer was first with the news.

Los Angeles will receive a fourth-round pick in return. Per Albert Breer of TheMMQB, the Chargers are receiving the earliest of the Bears’ two fourth-round picks (No. 110).

With the Chargers needing to clear $27MM to reach cap compliance, eyes immediately focused on their four massive cap hits: Allen, Mike Williams, Khalil Mack, and Joey Bosa. The front office put in extra work yesterday before the mandatory cap deadline, releasing Williams and reworking the contracts of both Mack and Bosa. Those three transactions didn’t mark the end of their efforts, however.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chargers approached Allen about taking a pay cut today. The receiver refused, and the organization promptly dealt the player to Chicago. The wideout is attached to a $34MM-plus cap hit in 2024, and on top of his $18MM-plus base salary, he’s due more than $5MM via a roster bonus this month. Allen is still attached to a four-year, $80.1MM extension he signed with the Chargers back in 2020.

Even while the Chargers’ cap sheet continued to be untenable following yesterday’s machinations, an Allen trade is still a shocking development. When asked last month about his future in Los Angeles, the receiver definitively stated he’d be back with the team in 2024. And as the organization navigated their impending cap crunch, reports indicated that the veteran wideout was the safest among the team’s four highest-paid players.

Instead, Allen’s tenure with the organization will end after 11 seasons. The receiver wasn’t able to catch former tight end Antonio Gates‘ many receiving records, but Allen will still leave the organization ranked second in receptions (904) and receiving yards (10,530) and third in touchdown receptions (59). The former third-round pick earned six Pro Bowl nods throughout his career with the Chargers, and he’s topped 1,000 receiving yards in five of his last seven seasons. This includes a 2023 campaign where the 31-year-old hauled in a career-high 108 catches for 1,243 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.

After acquiring D.J. Moore last offseason, the Bears are making another splashy move at the position. The expectation is that the Bears will trade Justin Fields and select USC’s Caleb Williams with the first-overall pick, and they’re certainly preparing the incoming rookie for success. The Bears have also added running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett to the offense, providing their 2024 quarterback with plenty of worthy targets.

Regardless of who is under center next season, it shouldn’t take long for Allen to get acclimated. New Bears receivers coach Chris Beatty spent the previous three seasons with the Chargers, so the coaching staff surely knows what they have in the veteran acquisition.

Things aren’t nearly as rosy in Los Angeles. Justin Herbert has watched as his top two receivers (Allen, Williams), his top tight end (Everett), and his top running back (Austin Ekeler) have all left the organization this past week. The Chargers did use a first-round pick on Quentin Johnston last year, and the organization will surely be banking on a big season from the second-year pro. The Chargers are also armed with the fifth-overall pick in the draft. That might not be enough to draft someone like Marvin Harrison Jr., but the organization should still be able to snag one of the draft’s other elite WR prospects.

Chargers To Sign DL Poona Ford

Following a one-year stop with the Bills, defensive tackle Poona Ford will be joining Jim Harbaugh’s first Chargers squad. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, Ford is signing a one-year deal with the Chargers.

The defensive lineman joined the Bills on a one-year deal last offseason. There was optimism that the sixth-year player could provide some consistency on Buffalo’s defensive line. Ford previously started 63 games for the Seahawks between 2019 and 2022, and that experience was a big reason why the Bills brought him on.

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for Ford. He was inactive for more than half of Buffalo’s games, and he was limited to only a part-time role in his eight appearances. He was firmly behind Ed Oliver, Tim Settle, and Jordan Phillips on the depth chart, and Linval Joseph eventually got an extended look ahead of the free agent acquisition. Ford ultimately finished the campaign with nine tackles and one sack.

In Los Angeles, Ford will look to rehabilitate his value following a down season. The five-foot-eleven, 311-pound lineman will provide the Chargers with some defensive line depth, although he could earn himself a larger role. The team’s DL depth currently consists of the likes of Morgan Fox, Otito Ogbonnia, Scott Matlock, and Christopher Hinton.