City Of Los Angeles - Pro Football Rumors

Chargers Notes: Policy, Barksdale, Spanos

May 18th, 2015 at 9:21pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers and Raiders have hired Carmen Policy to oversee the potential football project the two teams would share, according to Daniel Kaplan of the Sports Business Journal (on Twitter). Policy, who held senior roles with the 49ers and Browns and has been out of the NFL for over a decade, believes that the NFL will put the project “on the fast track.” Since leaving the NFL, Policy’s main occupation has been his winery in Napa, but he says he’s excited to be back in football in some capacity. Here’s more on the Chargers..

Right tackle Joe Barksdale is visiting the Chargers, as Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego writes. The veteran started 29 games the past two seasons, all at right tackle, for the Rams.
Chargers Chairman of the Board Dean Spanos announced that his two sons will be elevated to President-level roles. A.G. Spanos has been named President – Business Operations and John Spanos has assumed the role of President – Football Operations. John held the position of executive vice president of football operations for the past two seasons.
Dean Spanos will now focus on the Chargers’ stadium situation, Jim Trotter of ESPN.com writes.

Extra Points: Rams, Washington, Lions

May 16th, 2015 at 8:54pm CST by Zachary Links

As Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com tweeted Friday morning, Washington confirmed that quarterback Connor Halliday isn’t in attendance at the club’s rookie minicamp. Halliday, who signed with Washington as an undrafted free agent last week, decided to retire before his NFL career had even begun, writes Liz Clarke of the Washington Post.

For now, the unexpected retirement leaves Washington with three quarterbacks on its roster — Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, and Colt McCoy. However, the team may still bring in one more arm to replace Halliday and to get through the offseason. More from around the NFL..

Dave Peacock, the co-leader of the St. Louis stadium task force, can see a scenario in which Stan Kroenke moves to Los Angeles but St. Louis retains the Rams, as Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. “It’s possible we have different ownership of the (Rams) because I think (Kroenke) is really committed to Los Angeles,” Peacock said. “I’m not against Stan going to Los Angeles, I just don’t want our team there. This is why we’re spending most of our time with the league — we think this is an NFL issue.”
With Brian Orakpo gone and with Ryan Kerrigan being the most accomplished outside linebacker left in Washington, John Keim of ESPN.com wonders how much Kerrigan will be moved around. Kerrigan was effective rushing from other areas besides the left outside linebacker spot two years ago, particularly against guards, so there’s reason to believe that he can succeed in different positions. Still, he’s comfortable coming from the left side, particularly because he’s deaf in his left ear.
The Lions brought a fourth quarterback to training camp last year, James Franklin, and he didn’t take a snap in an exhibition game. This year, UDFA Anthony Boone is joining a team that already features Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, and Kellen Moore, and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press wonders if he’ll suffer a similar fate.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFL May Ask Rams, Chargers To Share Stadium

May 13th, 2015 at 8:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) heard that the NFL may push the Rams to share a stadium with the Chargers in Inglewood, California. The development comes as a surprise since the Chargers and Raiders have been working together to build a stadium in the Los Angeles area.

There’s still a long way to go before the Chargers and Rams shack up together, Cole adds, but it’s another permutation in the list of possibilities for the Los Angeles market. Rams owner Stan Kroenke has been pushing to build a stadium that would be occupied only by his team and while he has been viewed as the frontrunner, the league has made it known that it’s preference is to put two teams in L.A. Putting the Rams and Chargers together could be the best of both worlds for Roger Goodell & Co.

Just a few weeks ago, the Raiders and Chargers secured the approval of the Carson City Council for a privately funded NFL stadium. Regardless of which project/proposal wins out, neither the Inglewood nor the Carson stadium would be ready for several years. Therefore, any team moving to the nation’s second largest media market would need a temporary home in the interim.

The Rams, who have played in St. Louis’ Edward Jones Dome since 1995, are free to break their lease and relocate after next season. The same holds true for the Raiders and Chargers in their respective stadiums.

AFC West Notes: L.A., Broncos, Crabtree

April 23rd, 2015 at 7:29pm CST by Zachary Links

There’s a new coach in Oakland and a new vibe in Raiders camp, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. “It’s very intense,” defensive end Justin Tuck said. “That’s fine. We need some intensity around here.” Del Rio’s staff has been demanding from the get-go of the team’s voluntary program in hopes of turning things around for one of the league’s worst teams in 2014. Here’s more from the AFC West..

Two months after unveiling plans and renderings for a stadium in Carson, California, the Chargers and Raiders have completely overhauled their design for the $1.7-billion project, as Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times write. Although the original renderings were created with input from only the Chargers, the new design is the result of almost two months of collaboration between the franchises. The revised plans, detailed in the article, show a futuristic open-air venue with a peristyle intentionally reminiscent of the one at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
Tight end no longer exists as a top priority for the Broncos after re-signing Virgil Green and obtaining free agents Owen Daniels and James Casey. However, Denver could still take a long look at University of Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams, Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post writes. ESPN analyst Todd McShay told Renck that Williams could very well be the first tight end off the board in this year’s draft.
Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree is glad to be wanted and needed in Oakland and “can’t wait to go play,” Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group writes. Crabtree signed for a lot less than he envisioned this offseason but he says he’s eager to show what he’s capable of and wants to shed the diva reputation that has followed him for some time.

Latest On Los Angeles Stadium Talks

April 23rd, 2015 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, the Carson City Council unanimously approved a proposal to move forward with a privately funded NFL stadium in the city. While that decision doesn’t represent a major development, it’s another step forward in the process, as the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders vie for a potential spot in the Los Angeles area. Here are the latest updates on the saga:

Representatives of NFL stadium plans for Inglewood, Carson, and St. Louis met with the Committe on Los Angeles Opportunities in New York on Wednesday, and made presentations to the committe, writes Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. Those in attendance included commissioner Roger Goodell, Steelers owner Art Rooney II, and the five other owners who make up the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities.
As Farmer outlines, the St. Louis group went first, giving a half-hour presentation. Rams owner Stan Kroenke then made an hour-long presentation on the Inglewood proposal, and Chargers owner Dean Spanos and Raiders owner Mark Davis followed that by presenting for an hour about the Carson plan.
The Raiders and Chargers issued a joint statement following their presentation, per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. The statement read, in part: “The goal of the presentation was to update the owners on the LA stadium site in Carson, which was fully entitled on Tuesday night. In addition, we presented a new stadium design for LA that is the result of two months of close collaboration between the teams. Goldman Sachs representatives were at the meeting to answer questions about the financing plan. And, finally, both teams updated the owners on the situation in our home markets.”
According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter), Goldman Sachs reps reiterated during the Carson presentation that the proposed stadium could be done with one team — it doesn’t necessarily hinge on both the Chargers and Raiders relocating.
Rams COO Kevin Demoff was also at the meeting, with the St. Louis Stadium Task Force, sources tell Andy Banker of FOX2 St. Louis. Banker adds that the St. Louis presentation was described as very detailed and very impressive.
The various stadium proposal groups are expected to give similar presentations to a larger group of owners during the NFL meetings in San Francisco next month, according to Farmer and Bair.

Carson City Council OK’s Stadium Project

April 22nd, 2015 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

Following in the footsteps of Inglewood, the Carson City Council unanimously approved a proposal for a privately funded NFL stadium on Tuesday night, according to Tim Logan and Nathan Feeno of the Los Angeles Times. Whereas the Inglewood stadium project centers on the Rams, the Carson proposal was put forth by the Raiders and Chargers.

Like Inglewood, Carson received the signatures necessary to avoid scheduling a public vote for later in the summer, and will also be able to skip lengthy environmental reviews. City Council voted 3-0 in favor of the project. However, while the $1.7 billion stadium proposal now has local approval, that’s just one early step in what will be a long process.

As the Times piece outlines, the 26-page initiative petition related to the project pledged that no tax dollars will be used, but provided very few specific details about the stadium’s construction. In addition to the L.A. stadium proposals for Inglewood and Carson, the cities of St. Louis, San Diego, and Oakland are also working to keep their franchises with new stadiums.

While there has been some optimism about one or two NFL franchises moving to the Los Angeles area as soon as the 2016 season, neither the Inglewood nor the Carson stadium would be ready for several years, so any team moving to L.A. would need a temporary home in the interim.

Extra Points: L.A., Dolphins, Chiefs, 49ers

April 16th, 2015 at 10:40pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Rounding up the latest NFL news as Thursday comes to a close. . .

Howard Balzer tweets that Rams, Raiders, and Chargers representatives will update their Los Angeles stadium plans next Wednesday and Thursday. Additionally, Balzer reports that a St. Louis task force will meet with league officials and six owners next week to discuss a potential new stadium. The Rams, who have played in St. Louis’ Edward Jones Dome since 1995, are free to break their lease and relocate after next season. The same holds true for the Raiders and Chargers.
The Dolphins have shown significant interest in cornerbacks and wide receiver prospects this year, and two of their latest pre-draft visitors happen to play those positions. Connecticut corner Byron Jones and Ohio State wideout Devin Smith are both on the team’s radar, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
The Chiefs had an official visit with Pittsburg State cornerback De’Vante Bausby on Wednesday, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Bausby, who was in attendance at KC’s local pro day last week, will likely be a late-round pick in the draft.
The 49ers will hold their local pro day on Friday. One of the 65 players who will partake is older than all but three members of the 49ers’ roster. That player is Nate Boyer, 34, a former Green Beret and Iraq war veteran who didn’t play organized football until the age of 29. The ex-University of Texas long snapper could land a contract with the 49ers, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch, who notes that the team has carried two players at the position in recent years.

Carson Stadium Project Takes Step Forward

April 15th, 2015 at 9:34pm CST by Rory Parks

The Carson stadium project took a big step forward today, as the Los Angeles County Registrar’s office has certified the signatures obtained in support of the project, according to Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times. The Carson proposal is the brainchild of the Chargers and Raiders, who are planning a shared, $1.7 billion stadium in Carson–which is on the edge of Los Angeles–if both teams are unable to get new stadiums in their current cities.

Of course, Rams owner Stan Kroenke is hoping to build an 80,000-seat stadium in Inglewood, roughly 10 miles from downtown LA, and we heard just a few weeks ago that Kroenke, whose proposal was approved by the Inglewood City Council back in February, was farther along in the process than the Carson group. However, the verification of signatures in support of the Carson project is an important milestone, as ESPN’s Adam Caplan notes. Caplan writes, “The proposal will go to the City Council, which could vote as soon as Tuesday to schedule an election or consider the plan without sending it to local voters.”

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reiterates, there will not be two stadiums in Los Angeles; either the Carson project or the Inglewood project will win out (assuming, of course, that all teams currently in the mix to move to LA do not stay put, which is looking increasingly unlikely). Meanwhile, Florio writes that the project that would keep the Chargers in San Diego is lagging far behind both LA proposals, as it “lacks a stadium design, specific funding sources, or support from the Chargers.” The Carson government is capitalizing on that lack of progress, and in so doing, it might have gained a little ground on Kroenke.

Chargers Notes: Los Angeles, Draft, D. Smith

April 14th, 2015 at 8:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

NFL executive Eric Grubman says the league is considering moving up the deadlines in place for relocation to Los Angeles, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). Accelerating the current timeframe, which runs from January 1 to February 15, makes sense, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, because a shorter window would limit distractions for the applying team. Altering the deadline would seem to make it more likely that the Chargers (or Rams or Raiders) will eventually move to L.A.

Here’s more from San Diego…

Grubman said a club interested in relocating simply needs to “engage in a good faith effort” to remain in their home city, tweets Gehlken. “It doesn’t need to exhaust all possibilities,” Grubman added, before noting that in his opinion, the Chargers have done enough to justify relocating (link).
Adam Day, the chairman of the stadium task force in San Diego, said his group is “on target” to present a stadium funding plan to the city’s mayor by its May 21 deadline, per Gehlken (Twitter link).
Fresno State safety Derron Smith has worked out for the Chargers, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter links), who adds that Smith has also had workouts with the Bengals, Jaguars, and Raiders, while also meeting with the Colts.
Earlier today, we learned that the Chargers worked out quarterback prospects Marcus Mariota and Brett Hundley.

Extra Points: Tillman, Talib, Los Angeles, Peterson

April 8th, 2015 at 10:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Wednesday night…

Former Bears cornerback Charles Tillman visited the Panthers earlier this evening, reports ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson (via Twitter). The reporter notes that the two sides have yet to discuss a contract.
Rebecca Lopez of WFAA-TV in Dallas reports (via Twitter) that Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib is being investigated for aggravated assault earlier this morning. The 29-year-old’s brother, Yaqub, is also being investigated by police. According to ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold, the pair were questioned by police early Wednesday, but no one was arrested.
Addressing a rumor going around, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) dismisses the notion that the Eagles have any real interest in acquiring Johnny Manziel. According to Cole, the Browns tossed out the idea in a conversation with Philadelphia, but it didn’t gain any traction. Of course, Cleveland also reportedly offered the Eagles a first-round pick for Sam Bradford.
In an extensive and interesting piece, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times examines nine potential outcomes for an NFL move to Los Angeles, including scenarios in which multiple teams relocate and scenarios in which just one of the Rams, Chargers, or Raiders makes the move.
The NFL submitted it’s appeal to the Eighth Circuit Court regarding Adrian Peterson, according to USA Today’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). Once it’s filed, the NFL Player’s Association will have 14 days to respond. As Pelissero notes (via Twitter), the appeal “has more to do with precedent than Peterson,” adding that the running back could realistically be reinstated regardless of the outcome.
Count Reggie Bush among those who are rooting for Australian rugby star Jarryd Hayne to make the 49ers. The running back expressed his confidence to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “I’m sure he’ll make it, I don’t think there’s any doubt in anybody’s mind he’ll make the roster,” Bush said. “He has all the talents and athleticism to be able to play in this league and to be able to play at a high level in this league…I think making the team is actually the least of his worries.”

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

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