Chargers Put Brandon Flowers, Corey Liuget On IR
A season that’s going to send the Chargers to their first top-10 draft pick since 2004 won’t feature Brandon Flowers or Corey Liuget for the home stretch, with the team opting to place both defensive starters on injured reserve, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on Twitter).
San Diego activated rookie defensive lineman Darius Philon from IR-DTR in one of its two corresponding moves.
The team also promoted quarterback Brad Sorensen off the practice squad as an insurance policy against Philip Rivers‘ illness, one that’s not expected to force him to miss Sunday’s game against the Chiefs, Gehlken reports.
Both Flowers and Liuget signed lucrative contracts with the Chargers prior to this season.
A fifth-year veteran who signed a five-year, $51.25MM extension, Liuget struggled with a foot injury. Flowers, who joined the Chargers last season as a free agent, left last week’s game against the Broncos with a knee malady.
Liuget totaled 60 straight starts before missing Week 9 against the Bears before resuming his role as a starting end in the Chargers’ 3-4 scheme. He notched three sacks and led Chargers defensive linemen with 35 tackles but rated as Pro Football Focus’ 76th-best interior defensive lineman.
Also mirroring the Chargers’ freefall, Flowers did not live up to the form he displayed when he relocated from Kansas City on a one-year deal last season. PFF ranked him as its fifth-worst regular cornerback. The 11th-highest-paid corner in the league after signing a four-year deal in March that pays him $9MM+ AAV, Flowers is under contract through the 2018 season.
The Chargers placed Philon, a sixth-round pick this year, on IR-DTR after Week 5. The rookie figures to get a long look after missing so much time and Liuget’s sudden shelving further thinning out an injury-plagued team.
San Diego’s already lost Keenan Allen and experienced rampant offensive line issues in its woeful season. These latest moves will increase the Chargers’ chances of procuring a potential top-5 pick. They’d pick at No. 3 in the first round if the season ended today.
Chargers GM On Weddle, Rivers, Liuget
Chargers general manager Tom Telesco is a busy man. Having just completed an extension for defensive lineman Corey Liuget, Telesco will now shift his focus to two other key members of the team: safety Eric Weddle and quarterback Philip Rivers.
Weddle skipped the team’s voluntary workouts, and he’s also spoken out against the organization’s handling of negotiations. The 30-year-old is entering the final year of his five-year, $40MM contract. Meanwhile, Rivers is set to be a free agent following the 2015 season, and he’ll be paid $15.75MM in the final year of his contract. The 33-year-old was mentioned in trade rumors throughout the offseason.
Telesco talked with Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith of The Mighty 1090 AM radio late last week, and ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams transcribed the conversation. We previously passed along some of Telesco’s quotes regarding Weddle, but we’ve compiled some of the other intriguing soundbites below…
On the ongoing negotiations with Weddle, and whether the safety will show up to minicamp next week:
“Each negotiation, each discussion is just different. In his case, he’s up there at the top of the market where he’s paid right now.”
“I expect him to, but we’ll see next week. But I’d expect him to be here. … He’s a pro. He’s a big part of this team. We know everything about him. We’ll know he’ll be ready to go. I’m not worried about that at all.”
On the organization’s discussions with Rivers:
“We still have open lines of communication, but there’s really nothing new to report right now. We’ll continue to hopefully talk and see how it goes.”
“The numbers are pretty big, so the conversations do take some time. But we’ll keep working at it, and we’ll see where it goes.”
On Liuget’s five-year extension:
“It was nice to get him extended. Corey is a very disruptive layer, and he plays a very important position in our defense. The 3-tech defensive tackle makes that whole front go, and he has that type of ability. He turned 25 just a couple months ago. He still has a really high ceiling. There’s still a lot of good football in front of him, and still a lot of skills in front of him. So I don’t even think we’ve seen the finished product yet.”
Details On Corey Liguet’s Extension
The full details of Corey Liuget‘s contract extension with the Chargers have surfaced, and the 25-year-old defensive lineman did very well for himself. When news of Liuget’s new deal first broke, I speculated that he would fall into the second tier of 3-4 defensive ends rather than joining players like J.J. Watt, Cameron Jordan, Calais Campbell, and Jurrell Casey in the first tier.
However, the Chargers’ agreement with Liuget indicates that the team is paying him not only for what he has done so far in his career, but for what the club believes he can do over the next several years. Liuget’s deal places him fourth among 3-4 defensive ends in annual salary, falling in just behind Jordan’s new contract, suggesting that San Diego thinks the former first-round pick is still on the rise.
Here are the details on Liguet’s extension, via Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link) and Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post:
- New money on five-year extension: $51.25MM ($10.25MM per year)
- Total money on six-year contract: $56.727MM ($9.455MM per year)
- Signing bonus: $7.5MM
- Total guaranteed money: $30.477MM
- Total fully guaranteed money: $18.977MM
- Annual base salaries:
- 2015: $1MM
- 2016: $3MM
- 2017: $8MM
- 2018: $8MM
- 2019: $7.5MM
- 2020: $8.25MM
- Annual salary cap numbers:
- 2015: $7.977MM
- 2016: $10MM
- 2017: $9.5MM
- 2018: $9.5MM
- 2019: $10.25MM
- 2020: $9.5MM
- Roster bonuses:
- 2015: $5.477MM (due today)
- 2016: $5MM (due third day of league year)
- 2019: $1.25MM (due third day of league year)
- 2020: $1.25MM (due third day of league year)
West Notes: Cardinals, Liuget, D. Thomas
The Cardinals are deep enough at certain positions that GM Steve Keim says he could look to make trades later this summer, Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic writes.
“It’s a good concern, (but) for the first time we have a certain amount of depth here where we’re either going to have the ability to trade a player, or two, or four or five at certain positions that can not only make other NFL rosters, but could potentially start for some teams,” Keim told the Doug and Wolf show on Arizona Sports 98.7. “So I have to be active and make sure that I address that situation so we’re not just releasing players and allowing teams to pick them up.”
More from the West divisions..
- Corey Liuget‘s extension with the Chargers calls for him to earn nearly $20MM fully guaranteed at the time of signing, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. Liuget, who turned 25 in March, notched a career-high 57 tackles and recorded 4.5 sacks to go along with a pair of forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
- Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is upset that Denver hasn’t hammered out a new deal with wide receiver Demaryius Thomas, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. No. 18 wants his favorite target back on the practice field, but that might not happen anytime soon if the two sides can’t bridge their gap.
- Rodney Hudson got a fat five-year, $44.5MM deal (with $20MM guaranteed) from the Raiders and his teammates say he’s worth every penny, as Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave is inclined to agree. “Rodney’s done a terrific job. He’s been more than what we anticipated,” Musgrave said. “He has better movement than I think we expected from our film study and from watching from the other sideline. He’s done a great job of pulling. Guards and tackles pull a bunch in our system, but the center needs to at times, and he’s able to do that.”
Chargers Sign Corey Liuget To Extension
TUESDAY, 3:29pm: The Chargers announced that they have signed Liuget to an extension.
“Corey is a consummate team player who goes about his work in an unselfish manner,” GM Tom Telesco said. “His preparation and dedication to the game and the Chargers has been evident since day one. Corey is talented, tough and durable, and plays a very important role in our defense. This extension is another reflection of our commitment to investing in our core players and homegrown talent.”
MONDAY, 8:16pm: The deal is expected to add five years to Liuget’s deal for a little north of $10MM per year, sources tell Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego.
3:33:pm: The Chargers and defensive lineman Corey Liuget are putting the finishing touches on a long-term contract extension, which should be done soon, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune first reported (via Twitter) that an extension, characterized by Rapoport as “lucrative,” appeared imminent — Liuget himself told Gehlken that he hoped it would get done within the next few days.
Liuget, who turned 25 in March, has been a key contributor at defensive end for the Chargers since being selected in the first round of the 2011 draft. The former 18th overall pick has started 61 regular season contests for the club in his four seasons, including all 16 games in each of the last three years. In 2014, Liuget notched a career-high 57 tackles and recorded 4.5 sacks to go along with a pair of forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
As a first-round pick, Liuget had a fifth-year option tacked onto the end of his rookie contract, which the Chargers exercised last offseason. That option called for the Illinois product to earn a $5.477MM base salary in 2015, though that number will likely be altered when an extension is finalized, with Liguet’s payout for ’15 increasing while his cap hit decreases.
While Liuget has been a reliable contributor for the Chargers over the last few seasons, and his new extension was considered a “priority” for the club this spring, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has given him a mix of positive and negative grades throughout his career, and he’s not an elite pass rusher. As such, while Cameron Jordan‘s recent extension with the Saints may have been a point of comparison in negotiations with the Chargers, I wouldn’t expect Liuget’s deal to be in quite the same neighborhood as Jordan’s new contract.
As Over The Cap’s data shows, Jordan is part of a group of four 3-4 defensive ends that are paid significantly more annually than other players at the position, with Jordan, J.J. Watt, Calais Campbell, and Jurrell Casey all earning at least $9MM per year. My guess is that Liuget’s new deal will place him in the second tier of 3-4 defensive ends, rather than amongst that top group.
Locking up Liuget is big for the Chargers, but the team will still have several core players in line for unrestricted free agency following the 2015 season. Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates, and Eric Weddle are among the San Diego veterans entering contract years.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Winston, Liuget, Harris
Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is high on rookie quarterback Jameis Winston, as Jenna Laine of Sports Talk Florida writes. However, he says the real test of his abilities is yet to come. “He’s a first-overall pick. Of course you see the talent,” McCoy said of Winston. “You’ve got to give it some time, guys. Everything is real basic right now. Until we put on pads and I can actually chase him, then I’ll tell you how good he is.”
- There has been a lot of positive momentum in the Chargers‘ efforts to sign defensive end Corey Liuget to a contract extension, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. The two sides are getting closer, according to a source that spoke with Gehlken.
- Titans cornerback Brandon Harris suffered a torn ACL during today’s practice, according to a source that spoke with Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean (on Twitter). Harris, who signed a one-year deal with the Titans during the offseason, now faces a lengthy rehab process. The 25-year-old earned 112 defensive snaps for the Titans in 2014, recording 11 tackles and three passes defended. He was selected by the Texans in the second round of the 2011 draft and although he wasn’t expected to play a starring role this year, he was being counted upon for depth at the cornerback position.
- Falcons coach Dan Quinn supported the team’s quick decision to release linebacker Prince Shembo, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution writes. Naturally, Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who went through the Michael Vick federal dog fighting investigation of 2007, was involved in the decision to release Shembo.
- The Ravens were glad to snag cornerback Tray Walker in the fourth round of this year’s draft, Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun writes. The Ravens knew that the Texas Southern product was drawing widespread interest, so they were over the moon to get him at No. 136. “He’s a guy that we had targeted,” said Ravens coach John Harbaugh. “We really hoped to get him in the draft. He’s a guy that we wanted to get in the mid-rounds. We were looking to try to draft him, and we were able to do it.“
- The Dolphins should be happy that they got Ryan Tannehill‘s deal done before Cam Newton‘s new pact with the Panthers, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets. The total money given to Tannehill may not have changed, but the contract security likely would have been different.
- The Chargers and mayor Kevin Faulconer met to discuss the possibility of a new stadium on Tuesday, as Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes. “Today we and our negotiating team met with Chargers chairman Dean Spanos and his adviser Mark Fabiani for more than an hour,” Faulconer’s spokesperson Craig Gustafson said in a prepared statement. “It was a productive discussion on a variety of issues, and both parties agreed to meet again within the next several days.”
Chargers Not Talking Contract With Weddle
The Chargers have informed Eric Weddle‘s agent David Canter that they won’t be engaging in extension talks this year, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The veteran safety didn’t report to the team’s OTAs, in the hopes of negotiating a new contract, but it doesn’t appear that will happen.
“He’ll be excited about playing this year and then hit free agency,” Canter said of his client, adding: “We’re disappointed and will continue to be disappointed. But Eric will go balls-out this season.”
Weddle is scheduled to make $7.5MM in base salary in the final year of a five-year, $40MM deal, making him the fourth-highest paid safety in terms of total compensation in 2015. In late April, GM Tom Telesco indicated that, while he was focused on the draft at that point, he eventually wanted to discuss Weddle’s contract, so the new stance is a little surprising. It’s possible that the team will revisit negotiations following the season, before the 30-year-old reaches free agency.
Weddle has been the Chargers’ starting safety since 2008 and he has not missed a regular season start since the 2009 season. In 2014, Weddle racked up 114 total tackles to go along with eight pass deflections and an interception. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated the three-time Pro Bowler as the best overall safety in the NFL last season with a +18.9 overall grade.
Here are a couple other notes on Chargers’ extension candidates:
- While they may not be negotiating with Weddle, the Chargers are “quietly working on an extension” for defensive lineman Corey Liuget, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Liuget is a “priority” for the club. The 25-year-old is currently on track to play the 2015 season on his fifth-year option salary of $5.477MM.
- John Clayton of ESPN.com examines the Philip Rivers contract situation, concluding that it’s “highly unlikely” that the quarterback plays for anyone but the Chargers in 2016. If the franchise moves to Los Angeles, however, it may take a little extra money to convince Rivers to re-up.
Texans Exercise Fifth-Year Option On J.J. Watt
The Texans have officially exercised the 5th-year option on defensive end J.J. Watt for 2015, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The deadline to do so was on May 3rd, but Houston decided not to wait.
Yates adds that the Ravens have done the same with cornerback Jimmy Smith and ditto for the Chargers and defensive lineman Corey Liuget. The Jets are believed to have done the same for defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson.
The 6’6″ Watt is coming off of a season in which he registered 65 tackles, 10.5 sacks, seven pass deflections, and four forced fumbles. The season prior to that was the 25-year-old’s monster breakout season – he racked up 69 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 16 pass deflections, and four forced fumbles en route to his first Pro Bowl. Watt has also been tremendously durable over the course of his three year career, playing in all 16 games in each campaign.
We heard in late March that the Ravens would pick up Smith’s fifth-year option, but the Ravens were hoping to work out a long-term deal with him. Smith will earn $6.898MM in 2015, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). His salary is guaranteed only for injury at present. It will become fully guaranteed for skill if he’s on the roster for the first day of the 2015 league year.
Liuget, 24, is coming off of his second consecutive productive season for San Diego, racking up 12.5 sacks between 2012 and ’13. Wilkerson and the Jets have both been open about their desire to work out a new long-term pact but in the interim, the Temple product will have to settle for a $6.97MM salary in 2014.