Chargers Sign Lance Kendricks
The Chargers have signed veteran tight end Lance Kendricks, the organization announced.
Kendricks comes to the Chargers after spending the first part of this season with the Patriots. Fresh off a one-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, he was recently released to make room for Antonio Brown last week.
The 6-foot-3 tight end has appeared in 125 career games, catching 241 passes for 2,505 yards and 19 touchdowns. The Wisconsin product posted a career-high 50 catches and 499 yards in 2016 while with the Rams. He caught 19 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown last season with Packers.
Since Hunter Henry went down with injury, the Chargers have been rolling out a combination of Virgil Green and Sean Culkin at tight end. This duo combined for only one catch for nine yards in last week’s loss to the Lions.
Injury Notes: Foles, Ansah, Badgley
Nick Foles, who remains out indefinitely due to a broken left clavicle bone that was suffered last week against the Chiefs, had surgery this past Monday. During the procedure, Foles had plate and screws utilized while fixing the clavicle to ensure long-term health, and a source said it was a clean, straight-forward break, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.
In preparation for his return, Foles will have multiple scans before setting foot on the field, with all parties wary of a re-break. Assuming everything heals properly, he’ll begin practicing the week before the Houston game in Week 9, then have the bye, then be back with the Jaguars Week 11.
Filling in for Foles is rookie Gardner Minshaw, who was named the league’s Rookie of the Week for his admirable performance against the Chiefs last week. Minshaw will remain the starter for the foreseeable future.
Lets’ check out some more injury notes from around the NFL:
- Seahawks defensive end Ezekiel Ansah is not playing today against the Steelers, but is fully expected to make his return next week against the Saints, tweets Rapaport. Ansah, who was originally expected to be ready for Week 1, is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
- Chargers kicker Michael Badgley is not playing today against the Lions, but is expected to return next week against the Texans, tweets Rapaport. Badgley, who is battling a groin injury that he suffered during Friday’s practice last week, was signed last year to replace veteran Caleb Sturgis.
Latest On Trent Williams
Disgruntled Redskins left tackle Trent Williams, who has been holding out in hopes of a trade, has already accumulated some hefty fines estimated to be “millions of dollars”, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Despite reports stating that Williams was not concerned about any potential fines, Williams finds himself in a challenging position, as he has a $150K workout de-escalator that kicked in that lowered his base salary from $11MM to $10.85MM. Adding to that, Williams failed to cash in on $653K of salary this past week by continuing his holdout.
The Redskins refused to comment, but league sources told Schefter that Washington will not forgive the fines and will not give Williams a new deal. As previously reported, Washington has no plans to trade Williams.
In Williams’ absence, the Redskins signed veteran Donald Penn to a one-year deal. Penn, who played well in his first start for Washington last week against Eagles, will serve as the starter for the foreseeable future until Williams returns.
NFL Reviewing Concussion Protocol
The NFL and its player’s association have initiated a review of the concussion protocol after Giants WR Sterling Shepard suffered a concussion, yet was allowed to stay in the game last week, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.
Both the league and union are attempting to figure out what exactly happened on Sunday vs. the Cowboys. Shepard collided with CB Anthony Brown, feel backward and struggled to get up. Shepard waived off the Giants personnel that attempted to get him off the field and Shepard remained in the game.
The NFL has two spotters on the sidelines who are on the lookout for signs that a player has a concussion during a game. Shepard somehow evaded these officials, Schefter writes, and did not miss a play on Sunday. Shepard clearly suffered a concussion, as he has been ruled out in Week 2 because of the ailment.
Dolphins Re-Sign Tank Carradine
In a series of corresponding moves, the Dolphins announced earlier this morning that they had signed defensive end Tank Carradine and placed defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter on injured reserve.
Carradine was part of the Dolphins’ final cuts back in August after he started three of four preseason games and registered only a single tackle. The former 49ers 2013 second-round draft pick has failed to live up to his draft status thus far, totaling 77 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 45 career games. Since Carradine was released before Week 1, the Dolphins were not required to guarantee his salary of $880K for the 2019 season.
Ledbetter, an undrafted free agent from Georgia, signed with the Dolphins back in May, and started for the organization in last week’s ugly loss against the Ravens. Ledbetter played well in the contest, however, making four tackles and registering half a sack, while playing 66% of the team’s defensive snaps.
AFC West Notes: Bolts, Gates, Rivers, Chiefs
Despite losing Hunter Henry to yet another serious injury, Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn did not seem optimistic on a potential reunion with Antonio Gates, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN. “I have not been in contact with Antonio,” Lynn said. “I’m not sure what his situation is.”
After Henry’s injury last year, Gates was brought back to the only organization he’s ever known, serving mostly in a backup role. Appearing in all 16 games for the Chargers, Gates totaled 28 receptions for 333 yards, with only two touchdowns.
In the interim, the Chargers seem content with expanding the roles of tight ends Virgil Green and Sean Culkin while Henry recovers from his injury. Green is coming off a lackluster 2018 campaign, where he hauled in 19 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown, while appearing in all 16 games for the Chargers. Despite this, he is expected to start, with Culkin serving in a back up role.
Here is the latest from the AFC West:
- For the second straight day, wide receiver Mike Williams was absent from Chargers practice, and is not looking good for Sunday’s game against the Lions, according to Eric D. Williams. Lynn has been concerned about the knee of Mike Williams, and another missed practice tomorrow would not bode well for his chances of suiting up this weekend.
- On the most recent edition of the RapSheet + Friends Podcast, quarterback Philip Rivers spoke with NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport about a number of topics, including his current contract. “I really just feel at peace about that. Tom [Telesco] and I had really good conversations throughout the last couple months. I think it’s sincere, the both of us, really desire I’m still a Charger in 2020,” Rivers told Rapoport. “I think that sincerity will make it all work out. Had it worked out before the regular season got started, I’d have been fine with it, but it didn’t. Shoot, hey let’s just wait and it kinda worked best for both sides to do that. I really feel good about it. I’m in a good place.” Rivers is in the final year of a four-year, $83.25 million contract extension he signed in August 2015.
- In an effort to create cap space, Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher‘s contract was restructured, which included the conversion of his $9.54MM base salary to a fully guaranteed roster bonus that will be prorated from 2019 to 2021, dropping his 2019 cap hit to about $6.4MM, according to Yahoo Sports’ Terez A. Paylor. Paylor also reports that linebacker Anthony Hitchens‘ restructure, which included the conversion of $5.6MM of his base salary to a fully guaranteed roster bonus that will also be prorated from 2019 to 2022, created roughly $4.2MM in cap room.
Chargers Place Trevor Williams On IR
The Chargers swapped out cornerbacks Wednesday, signing Dontae Johnson and placing Trevor Williams on IR. Williams represents the latest injury loss for the again-malady-plagued Bolts.
Williams was looking to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2018 campaign, where he missed seven games due to a knee injury. The Chargers tendered Williams as an RFA back in March, but a quadriceps injury limited him and will force him to IR. A UDFA out of Penn State, Williams started 15 Chargers games in 2017.
The fourth-year defender must miss a minimum of eight games before potentially returning, though one of the Bolts’ two IR-return spots is essentially spoken for. Derwin James is expected to return at some point in the regular season’s second half.
A 2014 49ers fourth-round pick, Johnson spent four years in San Francisco. He played in 63 games (22 starts) for the 49ers and caught on with three teams — the Seahawks, Bills and Cardinals — last year but did not see game action. Johnson returned to the 49ers for camp this year, but despite a three-interception preseason, he did not make their 53-man roster.
West Notes: Hawks, Brown, Raiders, Bolts
Pete Carroll said the Seahawks indeed looked into Antonio Brown once the Raiders released him on Saturday, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN. Carroll said he and GM John Schneider always communicate on potential moves but added, “Not everything is always as it seems and you’ve got check into stuff and figure out what’s going on.” Carroll also gave the impression that a stronger Seahawks pursuit of the four-time All-Pro may not have mattered, indicating Brown was intent on signing with the Patriots. “He was headed to New England. He was going,” Carroll said. The Seahawks and Browns were the two other teams mentioned as interested in Brown.
Now for more from the league’s west divisions:
- More than a year after pleading guilty to insider trading, Seahawks linebacker Mychal Kendricks has still not been sentenced and will not be any time soon, according to Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. Kendricks’ sentencing, which has already been delayed for nine months, was delayed again and is now scheduled for November 21. Kendricks started for the Seahawks this past Sunday against the Bengals, tallying seven tackles (one for loss).
- Jon Gruden scoffed when asked about Brown’s lawsuit, as Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Authentic relays (Twitter link). “I’m not aware of anything,” Gruden said. “If you want to ask about him you can call his employer.” The civil suit surfaced three days after Brown agreed to terms with the Patriots.
- Adding to the Chargers’ injury woes, Anthony Lynn said today that he is concerned about the knee of wide receiver Mike Williams, ESPN’s Adam Schefter relays (Twitter link). Earlier today, it was reported that tight end Hunter Henry had suffered a tibia fracture to his left knee and would be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. The Bolts are already without starting left tackle Russell Okung and All-Pro safety Derwin James. Williams dealt with injury trouble as a rookie but played in 16 games last season.
- Seahawks first-round pick L.J. Collier returned to practice today for the first time since spraining his ankle early in camp. Carroll said the TCU defensive end product has a chance to make his debut Sunday against the Steelers, Henderson adds. The Seahawks stand to have their entire defensive line healthy soon, with Ziggy Ansah also on the verge of making his Seattle debut. Ansah was limited Wednesday.
Jets Claim DL Jordan Willis, Send Quincy Enunwa To IR
The Jets have claimed DL Jordan Willis off of waivers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). New York is placing WR Quincy Enunwa on IR in order to accommodate the move.
Willis was a third-round of the Bengals back in 2017 and he played in 32 games during his time with the club. The Jets weren’t the only team to put in a waiver claim for Willis. The Dolphins also tried to land the defensive lineman, Field Yates of ESPN tweets.
Enunwa has a neck injury and was deemed out for the year so the news to place him on injured reserve comes as no surprise. The franchise recently traded for Demaryius Thomas to add to their depth at wide receiver.
NFC Notes: Inactives, Peterson, Evans, Jones
Adrian Peterson will not suit up vs. the Eagles today, as Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report. Redskins coach Jay Gruden has made it clear that Derrius Guice will be the starter and handle most of the rushing work.
Some of Peterson’s teammates aren’t happy that he’s a healthy scratch, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The future Hall-of-Famer is regarded by some as the best back on the team and many members of the Redskins believed that come week 1, the question would be how many carries Guice would be taking away from Peterson and not whether Peterson would be suiting up.
Washington gave Peterson a $1.5MM signing bonus and another $1MM to re-sign with the club this offseason. No word if the team has plans to trade or release him.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- TE Jordan Reed is among the other inactives for the Redskins, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets. QB Colt McCoy will also not suit up.
- Mike Evans and Devin White will both play for the Buccaneers today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The pair were listed as questionable heading into the contest will illnesses.
- CB Byron Jones won’t start for the Cowboys today, Schefter adds in a separate tweet. Jones will play, but he’ll be limited as he is still recovering from offseason hip surgery.
- RT Marcus Gilbert will not play for the Cardinals today, as Darren Urban relays on the team’s website. Gilbert is nursing a knee injury.