Latest On Chargers, Joey Bosa
It’s late June and the Chargers have yet to sign Joey Bosa, the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft. The two sides were said to be haggling over offset language, though agent Todd France tells Alex Marvez of Sirius XM that the negotiations are more complicated than that. 
[RELATED: Why The Chargers Could Sign Eugene Monroe]
“You are a little more boxed in from the pure dollar standpoint, total dollars, but there are a lot of moving parts,” he said (transcript via NFL.com). “Language-wise, there’s different things you can look at. And, then, obviously, how you structure it, especially in those top 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 picks in the first round, whether those bonuses in the second and third, fourth year — those training-camp roster bonuses — do you not want those? What’s the cash flow? What’s the deferral? Those types of things.”
Meanwhile, Chargers’ president of football operations John Spanos claims that offset language is the main hangup in getting a deal formally signed.
“I would say that there are a lot of things in our business that come with the territory and negotiating contracts are one of them. That’s part of the business,” he told 1090 in San Diego. “Was it disappointing to have 89 players instead of 90 in for camp? Sure. But these things tend to work themselves out and the good thing was, when Joey Bosa was here he looks great.”
With no offset language, the Chargers would pay Bosa the balance of his four-year guaranteed contract even if they release him midway through the deal. Then, theoretically, Bosa could collect two salaries upon signing elsewhere. With offset language in place, the Chargers would be off the hook for Bosa’s salary with his new team, paying him only the difference. The Bolts see offset language as the biggest barrier to a deal, but Bosa’s agent apparently has other qualms outside of that.
Before acquiring the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, the Eagles reached out to Carson Wentz‘s camp to confirm that he would agree to offsets. However, the Rams do not believe in offset language and, subsequently, they did not include offsets in their deal with No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff. I would imagine that the precedent set by the Rams in this year’s draft has been brought up quite a bit from Bosa’s side of the table.
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
La Canfora On Panthers, Gettleman, Saints
Here’s the latest from Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com:
- In a recent interview, Panthers GM Dave Gettleman discussed the Josh Norman situation and had some bold words for player agents. “I’d like to think agents have figured out they can’t scare me; they can’t squeeze me. I’m not going to panic. It’s a waste of time,” he said. More than one player rep found that quote to be off-putting, La Canfora writes, especially since the team – with a couple of exceptions – has yet to really make good on the talk of reallocating the money that would have gone to Norman. While Ryan Kalil and Michael Oher both have new deals, the Kawann Short situation looms large in Charlotte and people in the football world are now paying extra close attention to how it plays out. Ultimately, La Canfora feels that many of Gettleman’s words would have been better left unsaid. I’m inclined to agree, though I have a hard time imagining a scenario in which players and agents become unwilling to sign with the Panthers as a result.
- There are a lot of people in the NFL world who are breathing a sigh of relief now that the Saints ownership battle appears to be over. Last week, owner Tom Benson reached an accord with his estranged heirs that will keep Benson in power and put the legal turmoil behind him. The settlement still requires the approval of the league’s owners, but La Canfora believes that Benson is unlikely not to get the OK of 24 of his peers. Still, even if the team winds up in the hands of wife Gayle Benson, some owners will be concerned about her ability to manage the organization long-term.
- La Canfora doesn’t see the Jets coming up with solutions to truly placate disgruntled stars Ryan Fitzpatrick and Muhammad Wilkerson. Recently, Wilkerson lashed out at the Jets and opined that the team doesn’t truly want him back. Meanwhile, things remain at a stalemate between the Jets and Fitzpatrick.
Redskins Won’t Extend Chris Baker
Kirk Cousins isn’t just the Redskins’ top priority when it comes to extensions this offseason – he’s the only player they’re interested in extending, according to ESPN.com’s John Keim (video link). That means that a handful of notable veterans, including defensive lineman Chris Baker, will be playing out their contracts in 2016. 
Recently, Baker indicated that he would like to sign an extension with the Redskins, though he hasn’t discussed a new deal with the team at all this year. However, after taking care of tight end Jordan Reed with a massive five-year, ~$48MM deal, Washington seems to only want to address their quarterback while addressing every other pending free agent after the 2016 season. Baker, 28, is coming off a breakout season in which he amassed career highs in appearances (16, to go with 11 starts), tackles (53), sacks (six) and forced fumbles (three). Thanks to his output in 2015, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Baker a solid 22nd out of 83 qualifying interior defenders.
If Baker offers a repeat performance of his 2015 season, he’ll be in line for a significant pay raise in March. Currently, Baker stands as one of the league’s best values as he plays out the three year, $9MM contract extension he inked with the Redskins in February 2014. Baker’s back-loaded contract calls for him to count for $4.275MM against the cap in the coming year. This year, Baker is slated to start at left end and he hopes that he won’t have to play much on the interior line.
“I’ve solidified myself as a good left end,” Baker said in April. “So I’d like to stay at my position and use my athleticism to make plays. I’m willing to do what it takes to make sure the team wins, but hopefully they leave me at left end and use the other noses we have or some of the younger guys we’re going to draft.”
Meanwhile, echoing previous reports, Keim says that the Redskins also will not pursue extensions for wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon. With first-round pick Josh Doctson in the mix, it seems unlikely that both players will be back for 2017 and it’s also possible that neither player will remain in the nation’s capital.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: J. Long, Raiders, Vegas, Vikings
Some league insiders believe that offensive tackle Jake Long‘s legs are “shot,” according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That bit of news clashes with a report from Sunday, in which Long himself claimed that he is finally healthy and ready for a new opportunity. The 31-year-old Long only appeared in four games with the Falcons last season, but he did score a workout with the Bears earlier this month. Unfortunately for Long, Chicago went with fellow offensive lineman Nate Chandler instead, so Long will continue to sit on the free agent market for the time being.
Here’s more from around the NFL…
- Despite some talk to the contrary, the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee will in fact recommend a stadium plan for the Raiders, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. The plan may not be OK’d on Thursday, he adds, but he hears that it will happen sometime soon. The MGM Grand is fighting the stadium and they could look to counter any approval via the legislature.
- After adding Kelechi Osemele, Bruce Irvin, and Sean Smith this offseason, ESPN.com’s AFC West writers debated whether the Raiders stand as the most improved team in the division. Jeff Legwold writes that he would be extremely surprised if Oakland didn’t end the playoff drought and notes that Denver made the playoffs in 2014 after a similar free agency binge netted them DeMarcus Ware, Emmanuel Sanders, and T.J. Ward.
- After spending the offseason putting better pieces around Teddy Bridgewater, the Vikings should be even better than they were in 2015 when they captured the NFC North crown, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com writes. This spring, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman signed established veterans Alex Boone and Andre Smith to start on the offensive line while also bolstering the secondary.
- The Saints are excited about Canadian import Erik Harris, as Christopher Dabe of The Times-Picayune writes. “He has been a pleasant surprise,” head coach Sean Payton said. “When you get a player from Canada, it is really a free agent signing, so you have not had to use a draft pick.” As shown on Roster Resource, the former Hamilton Tiger-Cats standout is vying with Alden Darby to occupy one of the final safety spots on the team.
West Notes: Donald, Seahawks, Monroe, Rams
Agent Todd France believes that Rams lineman Aaron Donald will soon be in line for a monster contract extension a la fellow defensive tackles Fletcher Cox, Ndamukong Suh, and Marcell Dareus (Twitter link via Alex Marvez of SiriusXM). Donald, 25, was named the AP Defensive Rookie of the year in 2014 after a stellar freshman campaign. Last year, he played in all 16 games for the Rams and amped up his overall production, notching 11 sacks and 69 total tackles.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- The Seahawks have been linked to free agent tackle Eugene Monroe, but Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times doesn’t see it happening and envisions some other team paying him the ~$5-6MM he’s probably seeking. Some observers feel that the Seahawks could use a boost on the O-Line, but Condotta writes that they are more content with what they have than some may think. As the Seahawks’ page on Roster Resource shows, the Seahawks are currently slated to trot out Garry Gilliam at left tackle, Mark Glowinski at left guard, Justin Britt at center, Germain Ifedi at right guard and J’Marcus Webb at right tackle.
- Chiefs fifth-round receiver Tyreek Hill has the most unusual contract of any rookie in the 2016 class, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe writes. Hill received the slotted $218K of guaranteed cash, but KC slashed his signing bonus to $70K. In exchange, Hill received guaranteed money in the form of 2017 base salary and offseason roster bonuses and gave him a total of ~$150K in roster bonuses over the length of the deal for staying on the team each year.
- More from Volin, who writes that other NFL teams can’t be happy with the Rams‘ refusal to include offset language in their rookie contracts. Offset language, of course, prevents a player from collecting on two salaries in the event that he is cut and signed by another squad. In cases where there is offset language, the team only owes the difference between the old and new salary. The Rams and Jaguars, however, are not putting this provision in deals and the Rams specifically are setting a bad precedent for other teams by doing things this way with No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff.
Alabama’s Cam Robinson Won’t Face Charges
One of the country’s top NFL Draft prospects received some huge news today. Alabama left tackle Cam Robinson was previously facing a felony weapons charge after being arrested in May, but the district attorney in Monroe, Louisiana has decided not to pursue prosecution, Michael Casagrande of AL.com writes.
Police arrested Robinson and Alabama defensive back Laurence “Hootie” Jones for the illegal possession of stolen firearms, a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance, and an additional charge of carrying a weapon in the presence of illegal narcotics. According to the police report, there was a bag of marijuana and a handgun in plain sight in addition to a stolen handgun found under the passenger seat.
The 6-foot-6, 327 pound rising junior is universally considered to be one of the ten best talents eligible for the 2017 draft. Today’s development is good news for Robinson’s draft stock, though he will certainly face questions from concerned NFL teams. Robinson’s performance on the field and behavior off the field will be critical for his future prospects. If Robinson can demonstrate that his May arrest was a one-off error in judgement – and that he doesn’t have a predilection for carrying illegal firearms – he could very well keep his status as a top 10 pick.
One of two returning starters for the Tide last season, Robinson has blocked for second-round pick T.J. Yeldon and Heisman winner Derrick Henry, helping guide those respective ball-carriers to 17 100-yard rushing performances over the last two seasons. Jones, meanwhile, is not a starter, but he does hold some NFL potential.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Pro Football Rumors Features
Pro Football Rumors passes along the latest news and rumors on NFL player movement 365 days a year, but those aren’t the only updates you’ll see on the site. On our right sidebar, you’ll find a number of additional features and featured posts. Here’s a rundown of a few of them:
- Using your iOs and Android devices, you can use our app to follow the latest stories on PFR, MLB Trade Rumors, and Hoops Rumors. The Trade Rumors app is highly customizable, allowing you to add feeds for any of the 92 MLB, NBA, and NFL teams, as well as for any of the thousands of players in our archives.
- While many of the top players have already come off the board, you can keep tabs on the remaining 2016 veteran free agents by position using our list, which will be updated throughout the spring.
- Our top 50 free agents list has been updated to reflect the contracts signed by the players featured on the list. Only two players in our top 50 remain unsigned.
- Since the 2015 season ended, many teams have hired new head coaches and made changes at offensive and defensive coordinator. For a complete breakdown of this year’s notable coaching changes, check out our recap.
- Looking for a full team-by-team rundown of the 2016 NFL Draft? We’ve got you covered.
- The NFL isn’t known as a trade-happy league, but a number of big-name players have already been involved in deals this year. You can revisit all of this year’s moves by using our recap of 2016 NFL trades.
- The Pro Football Rumors glossary highlights a number of aspects of the NFL’s salary cap, free agency, and Collective Bargaining Agreement. Feel free to let us know if there’s a specific concept that you’d like us to discuss in a future Glossary piece.
- We value your input at PFR, which is why we regularly publish polls and have a regular feature called Pigskin Links, in which we highlight a few interesting recent articles from football blogs. You can find our poll archives here and our Pigskin Links pieces right here.
- Want to weigh in on the hottest topics in the NFL? Keep an eye out for our Community Tailgate feature where we encourage you to make your voice heard in the comment section.
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- While a handful of our notable articles can be found under the “Featured Posts” section on the right sidebar, the PFR Originals archive rounds up all the original posts from our staff. Recently, we looked at potential landing spots for free agent tackle Eugene Monroe and running back Arian Foster.
NFC East Notes: Eagles, Tulloch, Cowboys
The Eagles have a brand new coach this season and ESPN.com’s panel of NFC East writers pondered whether the rest of the division would be happy to have Chip Kelly out of their hair or perhaps be a little more fearful of Doug Pederson. The group notes that the Cowboys seemed to do pretty well against Kelly’s high-motored offense while the Giants on the other hand went 1-5 against Kelly with their lone win coming against fill-in QB Matt Barkley. The Redskins, meanwhile, lost their first three contests against Kelly but won the last three showdowns.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- Jimmy Kempski of The Philly Voice wondered if the Eagles should sign linebacker Stephen Tulloch if and when he becomes available. The veteran linebacker was excused from Lions minicamp last week, which could be an indication that his release is imminent. Tulloch played for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz in Tennessee and the Eagles’ linebacker depth is pretty thin, as shown on Roster Resource. The Eagles are slated to go into the season with starting linebackers Nigel Bradham, Jordan Hicks, and Mychal Kendricks, plus primary backup Najee Goode. After that, there’s a dropoff in talent.
- Ryan Russell has a good chance to earn a roster spot with the Cowboys thanks to their issues at defensive end, Todd Archer of ESPN.com writes. Russell was in the doghouse for much of 2015 but he has been working with the first team for most of the spring as DeMarcus Lawrence recovers from back surgery and Benson Mayowa heals up from knee surgery. Of course, the Cowboys could also use some extra DE depth as Lawrence and Randy Gregory will be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season.
- While other franchise tagged players are grumbling, Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins is content to play out the 2016 season at his slated $19.95MM salary. That’s because the QB knows his price will continue to rise if the Redskins tag him again next offseason. It would cost Washington $23.94MM to tag Cousins in 2017 and $34.47MM to do the same in 2018.
- The Giants reportedly would like to put Eugene Monroe at right tackle, but there are conflicting reports as to whether the veteran would be willing to make that move.
NFL, NFLPA Clashing Over PED Investigation
Late last year, the NFL was rocked by an Al Jazeera documentary in which several superstars were ID’d as potential performance enhancing drug users. Months later, we have little in the way of any additional word on the allegations. In a column today for The MMQB, Emily Kaplan writes that bureaucratic tension between the NFL and the NFLPA could be holding things up. 
In the documentary, Indiana-based Charles Sly was secretly recorded as he blabbed about supplying Peyton Manning, James Harrison, Clay Matthews, Mike Neal, Julius Peppers, and others with PEDs. On the cusp of the six month anniversary of the bombshell, however, the league has yet to interview one current player who was named in the report, Kaplan hears. The league has conducted interviews “in relation” to the documentary, but the NFL is champing at the bit to talk directly with the players named.
“We have pushed to do them sooner,” NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart said of player interviews. “[The union has] articulated some reasons why they can’t be done right away.”
Lockhart went on to say that the league office is aiming to complete the interviews before training camp begins, but he said that the interviews will be conducted during camp, if necessary.
Since Manning is no longer an active player, he cannot be forced to speak to the league about the accusations though, by the same token, he is free to discuss anything he wants with the league without being hindered by the union. However, Manning is reportedly hoping to hold a front office position at some point, and that could motivate him to discuss things with the NFL.
Neal, meanwhile, still wants to play football and he believes that the documentary has “heavily, heavily, heavily, heavily, heavily” influenced his extended free agency.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Lions Notes: Roberts, Boldin, Bostic
The door is open for Lions wide receiver Andre Roberts to earn a spot with the team, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. As the Lions’ page on Roster Resource shows, Golden Tate and Marvin Jones stand as the team’s top receivers with Jeremy Kerley, T.J. Jones, and Boldin vying for the No. 3 job. However, Kerley missed part of OTAs with an injury and Corey Fuller is out indefinitely following foot surgery, so Roberts definitely has an opening. Shortly after signing with the team, Roberts said the Lions told him they plan to use him as both a slot and outside receiver, and he could also compete for the punt return job.
The 28-year-old didn’t get a chance to shine with the Redskins, but now he could carve out a great opportunity for himself. In addition to Roberts, could we see another notable receiver join the Lions? Here’s today’s look at Detroit:
- The Lions could still bring in a veteran and Anquan Boldin is a guy to pay attention to, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. The Lions hosted Boldin on a visit last week on the same day that they signed Roberts to a deal, but it sounds like the team is still very much considering him. The Lions could comfortably go into the season with their current group of receivers, but Boldin would give Detroit another experienced option with a long history of high-end production. Boldin, 35, has reportedly been working out in South Florida and staying in shape as he waits for the right opportunity.
- In a separate piece, Rothstein sees the Lions only keeping five linebackers which would mean that that recent trade acquisition Jon Bostic wouldn’t make the team. The team could roll into 2016 with DeAndre Levy, Tahir Whitehead, Josh Bynes, Antwione Williams, and Kyle Van Noy as the complete group, but Bostic and Zaviar Gooden are working to change the minds of coaches. The former second-round pick was traded from the Patriots to the Lions in May in exchange for conditional 2017 seventh-round selection.
- Late last week, the Lions added tight end Orson Charles.