Chargers To Sign Antonio Gates
The Chargers and Antonio Gates are getting back together. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets that the Bolts and the future Hall-of-Famer have agreed to a deal that will allow Gates to return to LA. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network adds (via Twitter) that the pact includes some reachable incentives to make it worth Gates’ while.
After young tight end Hunter Henry went down with a torn ACL in May, the Chargers, who had previously told Gates that he would not be re-signed for a 16th season with the club, reconsidered their position. The two sides have been in contact over the past several months, and while the Chargers had hoped to have Gates in the fold before training camp, they were finally able to get a deal done today.
The 38-year-old is coming off a career-low 316 receiving yards, but the rapport between him and quarterback Philip Rivers cannot be understated. And while Gates is obviously not the same player he was in his prime, he still represents a credible receiving threat at the tight end position, which the playoff-hopeful Chargers desperately needed. Although the club has plenty of talent at the wide receiver and running back positions, having a security blanket like Gates will help the offense reach its full potential.
Gates’ accomplishments in the league are well-known. The former basketball star has amassed over 11,500 receiving yards, third-highest among tight ends in league history, to go along with 114 touchdowns, three First Team All-Pro bids, and eight Pro Bowls.
The Chargers are still hopeful that Henry could return late in the season, and if he does, that will make the team all the more threatening down the stretch and potentially into the postseason.
AFC West Notes: Mack, Lynch, Henry
Yesterday’s trade that sent Khalil Mack from the Raiders to the Bears rocked the NFL world, and we can expect more details to trickle out in the coming days. For instance, Oakland GM Reggie McKenzie conceded yesterday that he never had any desire to trade Mack until the end. Per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, McKenzie said, “My whole thought process was how to get Khalil in here. Absolutely, it was here at the end, it was in the final hour that it kind of just hit and it hit hard and heavy. It was not the plan to trade him at all.”
McKenzie also said he was not afraid to pay top dollar for Mack, but he just could not justify Mack’s asking price. He said, “We presented him with an offer. We got the counter back and talked about it with (agent Joel Segal). What they were demanding, it just wasn’t going to work” (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal). McKenzie, though, did not elaborate on how Mack’s counteroffer to the Raiders compared with the contract he ultimately landed with the Bears. Gehlken also tweets that more than half the league inquired on Mack, and Oakland ultimately narrowed the list of suitors to teams that it believed could be picking high in the first round in 2019.
Now let’s round up several more rumors from the AFC West:
- Embattled QB Paxton Lynch is still on the Broncos‘ roster for now, but he may not be around for long. As James Palmer of the NFL Network tweets, Denver GM John Elway said he spoke with several free agent quarterbacks, but the QBs he was interested in did not have any interest in joining the Broncos. Elway did not name names, but it is clear that Denver could still move on from Lynch if the club can make an upgrade through free agency or the waiver wire.
- The Broncos waived impressive rookie OLB Jeff Holland yesterday and likely hope that he will go unclaimed so they can put him on the practice squad. Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic, however, tweets that she does not expected Holland to make it through waivers, as teams were expressing interest in him even before he was cut.
- We heard several weeks ago that Chargers TE Hunter Henry could return this season, and as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk points out, what the Bolts did during final cuts yesterday is in keeping with that report. Los Angeles elected to put Henry on the PUP list rather than injured reserve, which further supports the notion that, if the Chargers are in the playoff hunt late in the season, Henry could return to help get them over the hump.
- The Raiders released WR Martavis Bryant yesterday, as Bryant is facing yet another drug-related suspension.
- The Chiefs released CB David Amerson yesterday.
Giants Open To Trading Kyle Lauletta or Davis Webb
The Giants still have four quarterbacks after trimming their roster to 53 players yesterday, but the team will obviously not go into Week 1 with four signal-callers. As Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com reports, Big Blue is open to dealing either Davis Webb or Kyle Lauletta.
The Giants selected Webb in the third round of the 2017 draft, but new head coach Pat Shurmur and new GM Dave Gettleman do not have any ties to the California product. They do have ties to Lauletta, who was selected in the fourth round of this year’s draft, so it would certainly be surprising if they chose to trade the former Richmond QB.
Nonetheless, it was Lauletta, and not Webb, who played in the team’s final preseason game, so the Giants could have been preserving Webb as a trade chip, they could have been showcasing Lauletta to bolster his trade value, or both. If New York is able to find a taker for either young QB, 30-year-old Alex Tanney would likely remain as the team’s No. 3 QB, as Shurmur prefers to keep three quarterbacks on his roster.
Of course the Giants could elect to keep both Webb and Lauletta and continue to groom them for the future while cutting Tanney in favor of a player at a position of need like cornerback or defensive line.
Panthers Rework Luke Kuechly’s Contract
The Panthers have restructured star linebacker Luke Kuechly‘s contract by converting $6.8MM of his salary into a signing bonus, per ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link). The move gives Kuechly, who is coming off his fourth First Team All-Pro nod, a nice influx of cash while also creating $5.1MM of cap space for Carolina this year.
Kuechly remains under club control through 2021, and while teams generally do not like to convert salary into signing bonus, as it makes it more difficult to cut ties with a player before his contract expires, it seems unlikely that Carolina will want to move on from Kuechly anytime soon. Although the Boston College product has missed a number of games due to concussions, and although he has had surgery on both of his shoulders — indeed, he has not played a full 16-game season since 2014 — he remains the best inside linebacker in the game.
The 27-year-old will once again anchor the middle of the Panthers’ defense in 2018. Carolina made the playoffs last season and is hoping for a return trip this year, but the team’s offensive line is a major cause for concern at the moment. Indeed, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (via Twitter) that LT Matt Kalil is likely to miss at least the first three games of the regular season, and the Panthers have already placed RT Daryl Williams on injured reserve. Plus, left guard Amini Silatolu is dealing with a torn meniscus.
As such, Carolina could use some of its newfound cap space on an offensive lineman or two, and it could also look to upgrade its backup QB and safety situation. Theoretically, the Panthers could also look into an extension for wide receiver Devin Funchess.
Mike Gillislee To Visit Saints
Running back Mike Gillislee, whom the Patriots released yesterday, is visiting with the Saints this morning, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As Herbie Teope of NFL.com tweets, New Orleans would be a logical fit for Gillislee, as the club currently has just two running backs on the active roster after yesterday’s cuts (Alvin Kamara and rookie Boston Scott).
Last offseason, Gillislee signed with New England as a restricted free agent after an excellent 2016 campaign in Buffalo. But despite a three-touchdown debut for the Pats in the 2017 season opener, he could not carve out much of a role in Foxborough, and his release yesterday was anything but surprising. He finished his New England tenure with 383 rushing yards (3.7 per carry) and five touchdowns.
But the 27-year-old has plenty of ability, and he and Kamara could form a nice 1-2 punch in the Big Easy. When Mark Ingram returns from suspension, that trio would represent one of the best RB corps in the league, especially as they have complementary skill-sets.
Gillislee, a Florida product, was selected by the Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. He has spent his entire career in the AFC East, having played two seasons in Miami, two in Buffalo, and one in New England.
Browns Notes: Mayfield, Dez, Gonzalez
This does not come as a great shock, but 2018 No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield will open the season as the Browns’ backup signal-caller, as Jeff Schudel of the News-Herald tweets (though head coach Hue Jackson wants to inform his team of his decision before making it official). It was always understood that Tyrod Taylor, whom the Browns acquired in an offseason trade with the Bills, would serve as the team’s starting quarterback at least until Mayfield is deemed ready, and we recently heard that Cleveland is allegedly open to extending Taylor’s contract (he is eligible for free agency at season’s end).
The decision to name Mayfield the No. 2 QB, then, is actually more about the battle between Mayfield and Drew Stanton — Jackson said last week that he was still undecided as to which player would serve as the backup — than the “battle” between Mayfield and Taylor. Stanton, the long-time second-stringer who signed a two-year pact with the Browns in March, will be the team’s No. 3 quarterback, assuming Cleveland elects to keep three QBs.
Now let’s take a look at several more notes out of Cleveland:
- Josh Gordon will not play in the Browns’ preseason finale due to hamstring discomfort, but Jackson says the embattled wideout — who is expected to be ready for Week 1 — is “getting close,” per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (via Twitter).
- In her weekly mailbag, Cabot says the Browns have not ruled out signing Dez Bryant, who recently rejected the team’s contract offer. She says Bryant liked the Browns and clearly the team had interest in him, so things could change at any time.
- Cabot also suggests in her mailbag that Shon Coleman, who was given the first chance to succeed Joe Thomas at left tackle, could well be on the roster bubble.
- Jackson says he “thinks” Zane Gonzalez is in the lead in the Browns’ kicking battle, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
Colts Trade Antonio Morrison To Packers
The Colts have traded linebacker Antonio Morrison to the Packers, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Demovsky hears that Green Bay will send cornerback Lenzy Pipkins to Indianapolis in return, which has since been confirmed by multiple reporters.
Morrison, whom the Colts selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, started 15 games for the club last year. While he showed some promise, racking up 108 tackles in the middle of the Colts’ defense, he lacks the speed and athleticism that new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has been stressing. He was firmly on the roster bubble, so GM Chris Ballard decided to get something for him rather than potentially letting him go for nothing.
Indianapolis does need help at corner, and the team hopes that Pipkins will provide some depth in that regard. He started one game for Green Bay last year and appeared in 12, picking up 14 tackles and a pass defensed.
The Packers, meanwhile, needed help at linebacker, as rookie Oren Burks is expected to miss time with an injury (per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, via Twitter). Green Bay has already lost Jake Ryan for the season.
Eagles Release Corey Nelson
The Eagles have released linebacker Corey Nelson, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports (via Twitter). The moves does not come as much of a surprise, as we learned a few days ago that Philadelphia was expected to cut the Oklahoma product, which puts the team on track to pick up a sixth-round compensatory pick in the 2019 draft.
[RELATED: Carson Wentz Still Not Cleared For Contact]
Nelson spent the first four years of his career with the Broncos, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2014 draft. He mostly served as a special teams ace in Denver, although he did start six games during the 2016 campaign. As McLane tweets, the Eagles signed Nelson as a free agent this offseason with the purported intention of having him compete for the starting weak-side linebacker job. However, he was never really given time with the first-team defense, and he did not stand out during the reps he did get, which generally came with the third-string unit.
The Eagles will save about $1MM in cap space by releasing Nelson, though they will also take on $600K in dead money (the amount of Nelson’s signing bonus). Mike Klis of 9News tweets that he would not be surprised if the Broncos are interested in bringing Nelson back into the fold, while Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com suggests that the Dolphins could also be a fit (Twitter link).
The Eagles signed Jaboree Williams to take Nelson’s place on the 90-man roster.
Carson Wentz Not Cleared For Contact; Latest on Alshon Jeffery
Despite being cleared for 11-on-11 drills last weekend, Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has still not been cleared for contact, as Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports (via Twitter). We are less than 11 days away from the team’s September 6 opener against the Falcons, and as Zack Rosenblatt of NJ.com notes, head coach Doug Pederson has previously indicated that he would like Wentz to practice for a full week after being cleared for contact before he plays in an actual game.
Which means, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com observes (via Twitter), time is getting short if Wentz is to be under center on Week 1. Pederson, meanwhile, declined to say when Wentz might be cleared. He said simply, “[w]hen they clear him, he’ll be cleared.”
Recovery from torn ACLs typically takes nine to 12 months, and September 10 will mark nine months from the time of Wentz’s ACL tear. He has consistently maintained that it will be a close call as to whether he will be ready to go for the start of the regular season, and the fact that he has still not been cleared for contact casts his chances into deeper doubt. Of course, reigning Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles will serve as the team’s signal-caller until Wentz is ready (though after Foles’ atrocious preseason, Eagles fans may not be entirely comfortable with that prospect).
And, while Wentz’s recovery has dominated headlines when it comes to injured Eagles, McLane notes in a separate tweet that Pederson also did not have an update on wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who is still on the PUP list. If Jeffery remains on PUP when the season starts, he will be forced to miss at least the first six weeks of the season.
North Notes: Hundley, K. White, Hurst
Although many have assumed that the Packers will keep DeShone Kizer on their final roster — after all, Kizer is just one year removed from being a second-round draft pick, and Green Bay liked him enough to trade for him this offseason — Eric Baranczyk and Pete Dougherty of PackersNews.com believe the Packers should keep Brett Hundley and cut Kizer if it comes to that. Baranczyk and Dougherty say the game has slowed more for Hundley than it has for Kizer, and the fact that Green Bay recently traded for Kizer should not be a factor in the team’s decision (after all, the Packers were likely to cut Damarious Randall anyway if Cleveland hadn’t been willing to deal Kizer for him). Ideally, the Packers would be able to swing a trade for one of Hundley or Kizer, but failing that, the Packers News scribes think GM Brian Gutekunst should stick with Hundley, who did not play very well in relief of the injured Aaron Rodgers last year.
Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the league’s North divisions:
- Wide receivers Kevin White and Javon Wims both improved their chances of making the Bears‘ 53-man roster during Chicago’s preseason victory over Kansas City last night, as Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. White, of course, was the No. 7 overall pick of the 2015 draft — and GM Ryan Pace‘s first-ever draft choice — but injuries have almost completely wiped out the first three years of his NFL career. Wims was a seventh-round selection in this year’s draft, and Jahns believes the Bears should keep both players and six receivers overall, including Josh Bellamy.
- Although Mackensie Alexander is battling an ankle injury, he is expected to start as the Vikings‘ slot corner — and “quarterback of the defense” in head coach Mike Zimmer‘s scheme — if he is healthy, as Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune reports. However, first-round rookie Mike Hughes — who is also battling an undisclosed injury — has been pushing for first-team reps, which is fairly remarkable when considering that he did not play in the slot in college. Hughes could overtake Alexander down the line, but in any case, Minnesota appears to be well-set at the position in the long-term. Alexander, a 2016 second-rounder, has made tremendous strides in his third summer with the club.
- Though they had been enjoying an injury- and drama-free offseason, the Ravens have been hit hard with unwelcome news over the past few days. They lost rookie TE Hayden Hurst for three-to-four weeks, they saw star CB Jimmy Smith suspended for four games — though they at least knew that was coming — and now Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic has more bad news to report. Zrebiec tweets that emerging third-year defensive tackle Willie Henry will miss several weeks with a hernia, while promising rookie safety DeShon Elliott may be out for the season with a forearm injury. Zrebiec adds that the recent spate of bad luck will impact Baltimore’s initial roster construction, because while the team will likely carry Hurst and Henry on the 53-man roster until they are ready to return, the Ravens may need to keep an extra tight end and defensive lineman until that happens (Twitter link). Elliott, meanwhile, is an IR candidate. Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com reports that Henry had surgery for his hernia and Hurst has had surgery for the stress fracture in his foot (Twitter links).
- Browns head coach Hue Jackson wants to keep six wide receivers on the team’s regular-season roster, as Steve Doerschuk of the Akron Beacon Journal writes. Josh Gordon, Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway, and Rashard Higgins make up four of those six wideouts, while sixth-round rookie Damion Ratley also stands a good chance. That means veteran Jeff Janis and relative unknowns Derrick Willies, Da’Mari Scott, and C.J. Board could be fighting it out for the last spot.