Chargers To Re-Sign RB Branden Oliver
The Chargers have agreed to re-sign running back Branden Oliver to a one-year deal, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Exact terms of the deal are not yet known, but it’s quite possible that he has no guaranteed cash, so his roster spot is not a certainty. 
Oliver was non-tendered by the Bolts earlier this month, allowing him to explore free agency unencumbered. We did not hear any rumblings of free agent visits or outside interest, so it’s possible that Oliver didn’t find much of a market for his services. He’ll now return to the Bolts, presumably at a lower price than the one-year, $1.797MM original round tender.
Oliver became a focal part of the Chargers’ rushing game in 2014 amidst injuries in the backfield. In 2015, an injury of his own landed him on IR midway through the season. Then, last summer, he suffered an Achilles tear in August and never returned to action. Oliver has not seen the field since November 1, 2015.
The Chargers added running back Kenjon Barner to the fold this week and they now have five RBs in total.
Front Office Rumors: Bills, 49ers, Colts
Earlier today, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com brought us news on the Redskins’ GM search. Further down in his column, he presented more front office news from around the NFL. Here’s a look at the highlights:
- New Bills coach Sean McDermott could convince ownership to import front office guys with whom he has a relationship. JLC floats the name of Panthers director of player personnel Don Gregory and notes that there are “already rumblings that the marriage of McDermott and Bills GM Doug Whaley” will not last.
- The 49ers are also looking to add to the front office. This makes sense given that new GM John Lynch is a front office neophyte.
- New Colts GM Chris Ballard may want to shake up the scouting core, but league sources tell JLC that he may have to wait a year since the evaluators that are already there have more time to go on their contracts. Still, Ballard badly wants to poach Seahawks executive Ed Dodds. If Indy can land him, he’ll probably get a promotion over his current title. Jets director of college scouting Rex Hogan is also a Ballard target, but JLC hears that he still has a good amount of time left on his contract and might be harder to pry away.
- Bears exec Morocco Brown, who has history with Ballard, could be a possible candidate for the Colts and 49ers. JLC notes that Brown had a solid relationship with new SF coach Kyle Shanahan in D.C.
UCLA CB Fabian Moreau Undergoes Surgery
UCLA cornerback Fabian Moreau, a possible first-round pick, had successful surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter links). His recovery timetable will be four-to-six months, but one source tells Garafolo that there is some hope he can be ready in time for training camp. 
Word of the surgery, of course, will hurt Moreau’s stock. However, if he can really recover within that timetable, he might not fall far. A team willing to be patient might be willing to take the UCLA product somewhere in the second round. Moreau is widely considered to be one of the best cornerbacks in this year’s class, though the overall depth at the position could lead teams in another direction near the top of the draft.
The most recent rankings from NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah (before word of the surgery broke) had Moreau as the No. 42 prospect overall and the eighth-best cornerback. ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper and Todd McShay did not have him going in the first round of their latest mock drafts.
Latest On Redskins’ GM Search
The Redskins are casting a wide net in their search for a general manager, but they’re already finding that several top executives are not interested in working for them. Redskins officials are looking at some of the more successful teams in the league to find a highly qualified candidates, but several targets have already removed themselves from consideration, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora. 
La Canfora doesn’t list specific names of execs who have been considered, but he hears that the search has included front office people with the Steelers, Seahawks, and Packers. I would speculate that the list of candidates could include Packers Director of Football Operations Eliot Wolf, Packers Director of Player Personnel Brian Gutekunst, and Seahawks co-Directors of Player Personnel Scott Fitterer and Trent Kirchner. However, based on what JLC is hearing, they might not have any interest in the job.
Front office guys from around the league have multiple concerns about the gig. It’s not clear who would really have the power in D.C. given the history of meddling from team president Bruce Allen and owner Dan Snyder. Furthermore, the team’s proposed GM salary is in the $1.5MM range, and that might not be enough money to make a top candidate overlook all of the red flags in Washington. There’s also concern about whether Snyder will be willing to pump the necessary resources into scouts and talent evaluators.
So far, former Bucs GM Mark Dominik and ex-Chargers GM A.J. Smith have been among the names linked to the opening, but JLC hears that neither guy is expected to land the job. Former Redskins quarterback Doug Williams and NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock have also been mentioned as possibilities. In the past, La Canfora has opined that Redskins executive Alex Santos would make a good internal candidate for the job and today he also put forth the name of Washington cap guru Eric Schaffer.
As we’ve heard previously, no hire will be made before the draft in late April, but JLC gets the sense that the Redskins also don’t want to let the process linger too far beyond the draft either.
Latest On Raiders, Las Vegas
It’s not a done deal just yet, but all (neon) signs are pointing towards the Raiders moving to Las Vegas. The NFL has set a range for the Raiders’ Las Vegas relocation fee that is far less than what the Rams and Chargers each paid to move to Los Angeles, sources tell Albert Breer of The MMQB. The Raiders would pay between $325MM and $375MM for the right to move to Sin City instead of the $650MM paid by the L.A. teams. That’s one hurdle down for owner Mark Davis, who has less cash at his disposal than most owners.
[RELATED: Raiders Still In Running To Land LB Zach Brown]
Now, the proposed move will likely be put to a vote at next week’s annual league meeting, which is probably a sign that the league feels it has the necessary 24 votes for approval. Specifically, the vote is expected to take place on Monday, NFL.com’s Judy Battista tweets. NFL owners aren’t crazy about the idea of leaving the Bay Area, particularly after the 49ers have left the Raiders an opportunity to add fans in the North and East Bay, but there are no viable proposals to keep the team in Oakland, Breer writes.
Even assuming that the vote passes early next week, there are still some issues that the NFL will want clarity on. Namely, the league will want to see the exact terms of the lease given that the city of Las Vegas will be contributing a record amount of public money. NFL owners want to ensure that the Raiders are getting the appropriate amount of revenue out of the building before OKing the proposal, which is why their approval could be conditional, according to Breer.
There’s also the matter of Sheldon Adelson and his business ties in the city of Las Vegas. Now that he is no longer a partner in the deal, there is some concern in NFL circles that he could use his connections to make life difficult for the Raiders. However, word is that Adelson privately told folks during the Super Bowl in Houston that he wouldn’t stand in the way of the team moving forward without him, Breer hears.
In the longer term, Breer gets the sense that another team could eventually wind up in Oakland, given the area’s potential. The Raiders are not leaving Oakland for lack of fan support or dollars in the region, but rather because of the city’s unwillingness to make a deal that it feels would be heavily tilted against taxpayers. However, things can always change and a new regime in the municipality could help pave the way for the NFL to someday return.
Saints Interested In Johnny Manziel?
Drew Brees isn’t getting any younger and the Saints have to start thinking about who his successor might be. As the Saints explore backup QBs (and potential heirs), an unlikely name has popped up. Saints coach Sean Payton appears to have taken an interest in Johnny Manziel, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Payton and Manziel were spotted together having breakfast during Super Bowl week, he adds, and they discussed a return to football. There are no indications that the Saints are planning to sign him at this time, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes, but things can change.
[RELATED: Follow Pro Football Rumors On Instagram]
As Rapoport notes, the Saints could still take on another backup for Brees in 2017. As of this writing, Luke McCown is the only other QB on the roster, but I can’t imagine that a Manziel signing would displace him. McCown knows the playbook and would give New Orleans a safety net in the event that Manziel’s demons reemerge.
In early March, there was word that Manziel was drawing “real” NFL interest. Manziel says he is sober and focusing on his comeback and he’s reportedly willing to volunteer himself for drug testing. Of course, if he gets signed, the NFL will force Manziel to take frequent drug tests anyway. He’ll also likely have to serve a suspension before taking the field.
Manziel’s off-field behavior cost him his roster spot in Cleveland, but he didn’t do that much on the field either. The now 24-year-old made eight starts and played in 15 total games for Cleveland, completing 57% of his passes for 1,675 yards with seven touchdowns against seven interceptions. His overall passer rating was 74.4.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Vikings, Four Others Interested In Rod Streater
The Vikings looking at free agent wide receiver Rod Streater, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. The Colts, Seahawks, Browns, and incumbent 49ers are also in the mix, but Tomasson says that no deal imminent. 
Streater, 29, is ranked as one of our top fifteen wide receivers left on the open market. Once upon a time, Streater appeared to be on the verge of big things with the Raiders. Unfortunately, after catching 60 passes for 888 yards in 2013, he was derailed by injuries. After appearing in just four games for Oakland between 2014 and 2015, he wound up with the Niners on a one-year deal. He had 18 catches for 191 yards and two touchdowns for San Francisco while appearing in all 16 regular season games.
The Vikings have Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Jarius Wright, and Laquon Treadwell at receiver but Streater could be brought in to compete with Isaac Fruechte at the WR5 spot. The Niners technically have ten receivers under contract, including free agent additions Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin, Aldrick Robinson, and DeAndre Carter.
Jaguars To Sign TE Mychal Rivera
The Jaguars have agreed to terms with tight end Mychal Rivera, Jeff Darlington of ESPN tweets. It’s a two-year deal with a max value of $6.75MM, but year two is a team option, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com adds (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Jaguars Offered Dontari Poe More Money Than Falcons]
Rivera started 13 games for the Raiders between the 2013 and 2014 seasons. The ’14 campaign was a career year as he logged 58 receptions, 534 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. In 2016, Clive Walford surpassed him on the depth chart. It has been long known that the Raiders were likely to move on from him.
Rivera now joins Marcedes Lewis atop the tight end depth chart. Lesser known tight ends Ben Koyack, Neal Sterling, and Alex Ellis are also on the roster for the time being. The Jaguars have been on the lookout for TE help ever since trading Julius Thomas to the Dolphins in February. The intra-state swap sent Thomas to Miami in exchange for a 2017 seventh-round pick. Then, in a separate deal, left tackle Branden Albert came to Jacksonville for a 2018 seventh-round selection.
Packers Host RB Christine Michael On Visit
The Packers hosted running back Christine Michael on a visit Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The team also hosted offensive tackle Byron Bell. 
[RELATED: Ricky Jean-Francois Visits Packers]
Michael, who has bounced around a bit, finished out the 2016 season with Green Bay. In six games with the Packers, he had 31 carries for 114 yards and one touchdown. Between his time with the Seahawks and Packers last season, C-Mike averaged a so-so 3.9 yards per carry. The Packers could be open to a reunion given their lack of depth at running back. As it stands, Ty Montgomery is their top RB with with former UDFAs Don Jackson and John Crockett in reserve.
I have Michael listed as the eighth-best tailback left on the open market. Adrian Peterson, LeGarrette Blount, Jamaal Charles, ballroom dancing enthusiast Rashad Jennings, Tim Hightower, DeAngelo Williams, and Chris Johnson are all ahead of him on my list.
Bell did not play last season after dislocating his ankle during Titans OTAs. In the previous year, however, he started 16 games at three different spots: eight at right tackle, seven at left guard, and one at left tackle. I have him down as one of the ten best tackle options left in free agency.
Titans To Sign OL Tim Lelito
The Titans are signing former Saints guard Tim Lelito, according to his agents at Element Sports Group (Twitter link). Terms of the deal are not yet known. The Lions were among the teams with interest in the lineman.
Heading into Wednesday, I had Lelito ranked as the third-best interior lineman still available. The 27-year-old (28 in June) appeared in all 16 games last season and has only missed one regular season contest in his four years with New Orleans. He graded out No. 49 guard in the league last season, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF gave him a solid mark for his pass blocking with a less impressive score on running plays.
The Titans project to start Quinton Spain and Josh Kline at the guard positions and they’re hoping for a repeat of their 2016 production. Last season, Pro Football Focus ranked Spain as the NFL’s 18th best guard while Kline placed 26th. Lelito might not start, but he’ll at least see a good amount of snaps as a rotational piece. Guards Sebastian Tretola and Josue Matias are also on the bench.
With Lelito gone, Niners free agent Andrew Tiller stands as our top-ranked guard.