AFC West Notes: Chargers, Gates, Chiefs, Hill
The Chargers have had private talks with Antonio Gates about his status, GM Tom Telesco tells reporters (Twitter link via Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com). Williams’ read on the comments is that Gates will not be back, which makes sense since we have not heard much about the 39-year-old in recent months.
The Chargers brought Gates back for a 16th season after losing Hunter Henry to a season-ending injury, but they no longer have a dire need for tight end help. Barring something unforeseen, it sounds like they’ll finally move on from the eight-time Pro Bowler.
Here’s more from the AFC West:
- There are ways the Chiefs could protect themselves in a potential new Tyreek Hill deal, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com writes. The Chiefs usually favor deals with substantial signing bonuses, but in this case, they could follow the 49ers’ team-friendly blueprint of bonuses that are metered out at specific dates. For example, they could advance the dates for injury guarantees, pack much of the compensation into annual per-game active roster bonuses, and broad language to shield against future incidents.
- Raiders fullback Keith Smith suffered a knee injury while training and will be out a few weeks to begin training camp, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. It’s possible they’ll sign another fullback as he recovers and Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal (on Twitter) suggests that rookie Alec Ingold may push for a 53-man roster spot in his absence. Smith is due a $1.4MM salary in 2019 while Ingold is slated for just $495K.
- The Broncos ended their kicking competition this week while opening up a punting battle.
Jaguars To Work Out Josh Robinson
Former New Orleans defensive back Josh Robinson will work out for the Jaguars on Thursday, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Robinson could be a depth option for the Jags as training camp gets underway, giving them another corner behind Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, and D.J. Hayden.
Robinson appeared in eleven games for the Saints last season as a reserve. Before that, he spent the first four years of his career with the Vikings and was with the Bucs in 2016 and 2017. The 2012 third-round pick has 85 career appearances to his credit with 21 starts and five interceptions.
In other Jaguars news, the club offered a deal to standout defensive end Yannick Ngakoue this week, but it fell short of his expectations.
Dolphins To Host Allen Hurns
Wide receiver Allen Hurns is healthy and will visit the Dolphins on Thursday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The Cowboys are still interested in bringing him back as well, Schefter hears. 
The Cowboys released Hurns earlier this week when he declined to accept a pay cut. Presumably, the Cowboys would only be interested in bringing him back on a cheaper deal with little or no guarantees.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, could use some depth to support their top quartet of DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills, Albert Wilson, and Jakeem Grant. Hurns, who once caught 64 passes for 1,031 yards and ten touchdowns for another Florida team, could represent a low-risk, high-upside addition for the Fins.
Patriots To Sign TE Lance Kendricks
The Patriots have signed tight end Lance Kendricks, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Kendricks, they hope, will help to fill the void after Rob Gronkowski‘s retirement. 
Kendricks, of course, is not as accomplished as Gronk, though no other tight end in the NFL can make that claim. However, Kendricks did have 19 catches for the Packers last year and offers the experience of 125 career games for the Rams and Packers.
Kendricks’ best recent season came in 2016 when he hauled in 50 catches for 499 yards and two touchdowns for L.A. Earlier in his career, he had a 42/519/4 campaign for St. Louis as an NFL sophomore.
In addition to Kendricks, the Pats have Ben Watson, Matt LaCosse, Andrew Beck, Stephen Anderson, Ryan Izzo, and Jakob Johnson at tight end. With Watson set to start the year on suspension, LaCosse may open the year as the club’s No. 1 tight end, unless Kendricks has something to say about it in the coming weeks.
NFC West Rumors: Seahawks, Rams, Kupp
You can expect the Seahawks to add a veteran defensive tackle following Jarran Reed‘s suspension, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com tweets. He also offers a couple of names to keep an eye on: Earl Mitchell and Corey Liuget have both been linked to Seattle and are still available.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- Rams receiver Cooper Kupp will not have to start training camp on the physically unable to perform list, Steve Wyche of NFL Media tweets. That’s huge for Kupp, who tore his left ACL in November. The receiver has been vocal about his desire to play in Week 1 and it sounds like he’ll be ready to go for the opener if all goes well from here. Last year, Kupp had 40 catches for 566 yards and six scores before succumbing to injury.
- A minor bit of news – Cardinals lineman Justin Pugh will shift from right guard back to his native left guard this season (Twitter link via Pugh). Pugh, 29 in August, started in all seven of his games for the Cardinals last year before landing on IR in November. The former first-round pick, unfortunately, has not played a full season since his 2013 rookie year.
AFC North Notes: Bengals, Green, Ravens
Here’s a look at the AFC North:
- Tyler Boyd‘s new extension will impact the ongoing extension talks between the Bengals and A.J. Green, as The Athletic’s Jay Morrison writes. Still, for what it’s worth, director of player personnel Duke Tobin says that they are separate matters. “It’s not an either/or. It’s a both,” Tobin said. “And we’ll see where we can go with the other. We would like to retain both of them, and we will work to do that and see what we can get done as we go here. It’s nice when you are not the only good receiver on a football team, it helps you. Tyler has been great in that he’s really versatile for us, and he can play a number of different positions. They are different-style guys for our game, and they complement each other well. So whether (Boyd’s) No. 1 or No. 2 or whatever, he’s a good football player and he’s been rewarded for that.”
- Good news for the Ravens. According to the transactions wire, defensive tackles Michael Pierce and Daylon Mack and outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson have all passed their physicals. This means that they’re off the non-football injury list and available to practice when things get underway on Thursday. It should be noted that their NFI designation was different from the one that would have automatically ruled them out for a portion of the year, but it’s still a promising sign for the defense.
- The Browns met with the agent for disgruntled running back Duke Johnson this week.
Jaguars Offer Deal To Yannick Ngakoue
The Jaguars offered a new deal to Yannick Ngakoue, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Surprisingly, they pitched a short-term two-year deal to the youngster – a contract worth over $19MM per year with $50MM+ over the first two years. After that, Ngakoue’s camp broke off talks with the Jags. 
Still only 24, many figured that the Jaguars’ eventual offer to Ngakoue would be of the long-term variety. Apparently, the Jaguars appear willing to save some money in the near term and forego the opportunity to lock the Maryland product down through the majority of his prime seasons.
We don’t know the length of the Jaguars’ (declined) proposal, but from the sound of it, they probably pitched something less than four years. Meanwhile, Ngakoue is aiming higher. This offseason, Frank Clark inked a five-year, $105MM deal with the Chiefs with $62.3MM guaranteed. Meanwhile, Demarcus Lawrence signed a similar deal with the Cowboys that included $65MM in total guarantees. For reference: Clark is 26, Lawrence is 27, and Ngakoue just turned 24 in March.
After Clark and Lawrence nabbed deals worth ~$21MM per year on average, Ngakoue is unlikely to take any less. He’s also
Texans Rumors: Clowney, O’Brien, Ossenfort
Here’s the latest on the Texans:
- The Texans do not expect Jadeveon Clowney to report to camp, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (video link). Still, there is reason to believe that he will not miss any regular season games. Pelissero hears that Clowney is studying his playbook and is still in regular contact with teammates, which isn’t the behavior of someone planning an extended holdout. One source close to Clowney even said he’d be “shocked” if the edge rusher was not on the field for Week 1.
- The Texans’ reconfigured front office has head coach Bill O’Brien on top, Albert Breer of The MMQB writes. For now, everything will run through him in an operation that is likely to mirror New England’s. The rest of the plan goes like this: chief negotiator Chris Olsen will oversee the cap, director of player personnel Matt Bazirgan will handle pro scouting, college scouting director James Liipfert will do exactly what his title states, and EVP Jack Easterby will continue to have a jack-of-all-trades role.
- On a related note, Breer hears that O’Brien liked New England college scouting director Monti Ossenfort as a GM candidate. Still, it sounds like the Texans are still waiting things out until they can land Nick Caserio.
Bengals Seeking Offensive Line Help
Thinned by injuries and a recent retirement, the Bengals are on the lookout for offensive line help (link via team website). Duke Tobin, the club’s director of player personnel, says he’ll be keeping his ear to the street over the coming weeks.
“We’ll have to find some. Some of the guys have to be able to play multiple positions,” Tobin said. “While they’re having to compete outside, they’ll also have to compete inside. We’re going to have to look and see. As we go through the cut-down process and look at the teams and have discussions, we’ll see what if anything we can add to the group and if we add nothing, somebody in that group has to bubble up.”
It has been a rough stretch for Cincinnati. First, the club lost first-round left tackle Jonah Williams for the year to a torn labrum. Then, veteran guard Clint Boling retired due to a series of issues. Initially, the plan was to halt Cordy Glenn‘s planned switch to the interior to fill in for Williams. Already, that wasn’t ideal. Now, they’re dangerously thin in the front five.
Previously, head coach Zac Taylor expressed confidence in his current unit and indicated that they would find the help they needed from within. Now, we know that the Bengals will be keeping an eye out for available O-Linemen.
Chargers’ Melvin Gordon To Skip Camp
As expected, Melvin Gordon will not be on hand for training camp (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). Gordon, of course, is holding out in an effort to land a lucrative new deal. 
For each day that Gordon misses in training camp, the Chargers can fine him up to $40K. It’s a major risk and a major blow to his bank account, but in Gordon’s estimation, it’s worthwhile.
When looking at the history of running backs in the NFL – and their injury history in particular – Gordon’s push for financial security makes plenty of sense. Granted, running back holdouts don’t necessarily pay off. Le’Veon Bell famously skipped the 2018 season in an effort to preserve his body and reach free agency riches, but his four-year, $52MM deal with the Jets fell shy of his asking price.
This week, we heard that the Chargers have not budged in talks. Gordon, meanwhile, has expressed a desire to stay with the Chargers for the long haul.