Dwight Lowery

Chargers Reach 53-Man Limit

The Chargers announced 37 player moves on Saturday, bringing them down to the 53-man limit. Here’s the full breakdown.

Released:

Waived:

Waived/Injured:

Reserve/Suspended:

Reserve/Injured:

Barner seemed to have a decent chance of cracking the roster as a pass-catching back, particularly after the loss of Danny Woodhead. On 27 carries last season, Barner averaged a career-best 4.8 yards per attempt.

Clemens, 33, was slated to return for a fourth season as Philip Rivers‘ backup. Instead, that job will go to Cardale Jones, who was acquired in a trade with Buffalo earlier this offseason.

Chargers To Release Dwight Lowery

The Chargers will release veteran safety Dwight Lowery, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).Dwight Lowery (Vertical)

Lowery had been competing with Tre Boston for the Los Angeles’ starting safety job opposite Jahleel Addae, and appears to have lost the battle. The Chargers also invested draft picks in their secondary, as they added both Desmond King and Rayshawn Jenkins this spring.

The 31-year-old Lowery started all 16 games for the Chargers a season ago, racking up 60 tackles and one interception in the process. He had two years left on his contract, and Los Angeles will incur $500K in dead money in each of the next two seasons as a result of Lowery’s release.

Free Agent Rumors: Robinson, Raiders, Weddle

Can Nate Robinson go from the pages of Hoops Rumors to Pro Football Rumors? In a YouTube video released this week, the diminutive former NBA guard announced that he is going to make a run at the NFL. The well-produced video features testimonials from Marcedes Lewis and Brendon Ayanbadejo, former NBA teammates Jamal Crawford and Glen Davis, as well as former football coach Rick Neuheisel, all of whom insist that Robinson is perhaps the only athlete who could make the transition from professional basketball to professional football.

Robinson originally went to the University of Washington on a football scholarship and made a name for himself on the gridiron with his electrifying plays, but it has been many years since he tried his hand at football. The 31-year-old (32 in May) did not say which position he would like to play in the NFL, but he spoke about both offense and defense in the video, inferring that he might try to market himself as being able to play on either side of the ball.

Here’s the latest news on some of this week’s more typical NFL free agents:

  • The Raiders are zeroing in on Eric Weddle, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. It’s not immediately clear whether Weddle has a visit scheduled with Oakland. We learned last night that the Steelers are also fond of the veteran.
  • The plan is for Akiem Hicks to visit the Bears tomorrow, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
  • Safety Rashad Johnson is traveling Friday for a visit with the Titans, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Chargers GM Tom Telesco says he’s ready for the second wave of free agency, as ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams writes. Telesco also says that he is open to newly signed safety Dwight Lowery serving as a stopgap for Eric Weddle.
  • Cardinals free agent linebacker Sean Weatherspoon will meet with the Falcons on Friday, per Jay Adams of the Falcons (on Twitter).

AFC Contract Details: Osweiler, Ivory, Iloka

Here are the latest updates on many recently agreed-upon or signed contracts from around the AFC:

AFC West:

  • Brandon Mebane, DT (Chargers): Three years, $13.5MM. $5.5MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
  • Jaye Howard, DT (Chiefs): Two years, $10MM. $8.26MM guaranteed. $5MM bonus. $3.27MM guaranteed at signing for injury. Pro Bowl escalator worth up to $2MM $12,500 per-game active roster bonuses worth up to $200K in 2016. $15,625 per-game active roster bonuses worth up to $250K in 2017 (Twitter links via Wilson).
  • Dwight Lowery, S (Chargers): Three years, $7.2MM. $1.5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Frank Zombo, LB (Chiefs): Three years, $3.6MM. $500K signing bonus. Roster bonus of $100K in 2016 and $150K the next two seasons (Twitter link via Wilson).

AFC South:

  • Brock Osweiler, QB (Texans): Four years, $72MM. $37MM fully guaranteed in first two years – $21MM in 2016 ($12MM signing bonus, $5MM roster bonus, $4MM salary), $16MM in 2017. The remaining $35MM is non-guaranteed, including $18MM salary in 2018 and $13MM in 2019. Deal includes a $4MM roster bonus due March 2019 (all Twitter links courtesy of USA Today’s Tom Pelissero).
  • Chris Ivory, RB (Jaguars): Five years, $32MM. $10MM guaranteed. $5MM bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Jeff Allen, G (Texans): Four years, $28MM. $12MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus. $3MM roster bonus due this month. Annual per-game roster bonus worth $31,250 (Twitter links via Wilson).
  • Brad Nortman, P (Jaguars): Four years, $8.8MM. $1.65MM guaranteed. $650K roster bonus in 2016 (Twitter link via Wilson).

AFC North:

AFC East:

  • Richie Incognito, G (Bills): Three years, $15.75MM. $3.45MM signing bonus. $2MM base salary in 2016 is fully guaranteed. $100K workout bonuses in each season (link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
  • Isa Abdul-Quddus, S (Dolphins): Three years, $12.75MM. $2.5MM signing bonus. $6MM in guarantees (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • James Develin, FB (Patriots): One year, $750K. $150K playing time incentives. $50K signing bonus. $25K workout bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).

Chargers Sign Dwight Lowery

The Chargers have added some depth and experience to their defense backfield, as the team announced that they’ve signed veteran safety Dwight Lowery to a three-year contract.

The journeyman had one of his best seasons in 2015 with the Colts. The 30-year-old started all 16 games, finishing with 76 tackles, one sack, four interceptions, and nine passes defended. The eight-year veteran also spent time with the Jets, Jaguars, and Falcons, compiling 266 tackles, five sacks, and 16 interceptions throughout his career.

Despite his apparent improvement this past year, Pro Football Focus wasn’t particularly fond of his performance. Lowery ranked 49th among those at his position, although he was the Colts’ highest-rated safety. He ranked eighth in our list of the top free agent safeties.

Contract Details: Smith, Lowery, Moore

Here are details on some of the NFL’s most recently-signed contracts, all via the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson on Twitter. We’ll make sure to update you on any other contract details as they become available…

Colts To Sign Dwight Lowery

The Colts have agreed to terms of a contract with safety Dwight Lowery, reports Mike Wells of ESPN (via Twitter).

Lowery had visited with the Colts earlier this week. He played in 2014 with the Falcons, recording a career high 85 tackles and intercepting two passes in 15 starts, writes Mike Chappell of RTV6 (via Twitter).

Lowery also spent time with the Jaguars and Jets, playing both safety and corner during his career. He had been effective more often than not in both of his first two stops, although experienced limited playing time, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He still graded out slightly positive in his first full year as a starter in 2014.

FA Notes: Wisniewski, Lowery, Housler, Sam

One of the last of our top 50 free agents who is still without a deal, center Stefen Wisniewski has seen his market move slowly in part because he underwent shoulder surgery this offseason to repair a torn labrum. However, things may be picking up for the former Raider.

According to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter), Wisniewski visited the Patriots earlier this week, and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets that the center visited the Jaguars today. There’s no deal with either team in place yet, but it could just be a matter of time until Wisniewski find a new home.

Here’s more on Wisniewski and a few other free agents:

  • The Vikings could use an interior lineman like Wisniewski, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities says (via Twitter) that Minnesota hasn’t expressed any interest in the veteran free agent.
  • According to Breer (via Twitter), free agent safety Dwight Lowery visited the Colts this week. The last update on the Lowery front came two weeks ago, when he admitted the Falcons hadn’t shown a ton of interest in re-signing him.
  • The Bengals are hosting tight end Rob Housler for a free agent visit on Thursday, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Tyler Eifert figures to take on a bigger role for Cincinnati in 2015 if he’s back to full health, but with Jermaine Gresham unlikely to return, the Bengals could use another tight end. Housler has also visited Atlanta and Baltimore, and received a contract offer from the Ravens.
  • Tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi, who spent time on the Browns‘ and Ravens‘ practice squads in 2014, is visiting the Vikings and Buccaneers this week, according to Wilson.
  • The Montreal Alouettes hold Michael Sam‘s CFL rights, and general manager Jim Popp told Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette this week that he believes his team has a “50/50” shot at signing the former Rams draftee.

FA Notes: Newman, Johnson, Clay, Lowery

As Peter King of The MMQB.com observes in his latest column, spending big in free agency often doesn’t translate to wins in the next season or two. As such, this year’s spenders – such as the Jets, Eagles, Dolphins, and Jaguars – should be wary about how much of an on-field impact their signings will have in 2015. A team like the Ravens, on the other hand, has enjoyed great success by consistently letting big free agents leave for other teams, then collecting compensatory picks for those players and replenishing the roster with young talent.

Here are a few more free agent updates:

  • Veteran cornerback Terence Newman will turn 37 in September, but he intends to continue his playing career. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Newman visited the Vikings yesterday, and is headed to New England today to meet with the Patriots.
  • When Michael Johnson‘s new four-year contract with the Bengals was initially reported, figures of $20MM and $24MM were cited as the overall value of the deal. Rapoport offers some clarity on that front, tweeting that the $20MM base value increases to $24MM if Johnson records 10 or more sacks during the 2015 season.
  • Rex Ryan has been the “driving force” behind the Bills‘ pursuit of tight end Charles Clay, a source tells Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. Having become familiar with the Dolphins tight end over the last few years of AFC East divisional games, Ryan badly wants Clay in Buffalo, and the Bills continue to prepare an offer sheet for Miami’s transition player.
  • Safety Dwight Lowery admits that the Falcons haven’t shown much interest in re-signing him, and says he hasn’t spoken to new head coach Dan Quinn, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. Atlanta is still without a starting free safety, so it’s possible the team will circle back to Lowery at some point.
  • Referring to an article in Australia’s Courier-Mail, former Seahawks defensive lineman Jesse Williams suggested in a tweet that he didn’t actually speak to the outlet. The Courier-Mail piece indicated that Williams himself said he expected to re-sign with Seattle, so it’s not clear whether or not a new deal with the club is actually in the works.
  • Earlier today, I listed a few of the top free agents still on the board at each position.

FA Rumors: Giants, Hardy, Ridley, Falcons

With free agency set to open in a matter of hours, the Giants are zeroing in on a running back scheduled to his the open market later today, reports Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. According to Vacchiano, the team is “very serious” about trying to sign Shane Vereen, with one source suggesting it’s possible a deal could get done shortly after the market opens at 3:00pm central time. The report echoes what we heard last night from Albert Breer of the NFL Network, who classified the Giants’ interest in Vereen as “significant.”

As we wait to see whether the Giants can get anything done with the longtime Patriot, let’s check in on a few more Tuesday morning free agency updates….

  • One general manager tells Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that at least six teams are interested in free agent pash rusher Greg Hardy. A Monday report indicated most potential suitors would like to hear what sort of discipline Hardy will face from the league following his legal issues before they make a bid.
  • The Vikings have inquired on free-agent-to-be Stevan Ridley, a source tells Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. However, Ridley would likely only be an option for Minnesota if Adrian Peterson doesn’t return.
  • Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link) believes O’Brien Schofield is the most likely free agent to sign with the Falcons. Schofield, an outside pass rusher, played for Dan Quinn‘s defense in Seattle.
  • Safety Ron Parker has been linked to a lot of teams within the past few days, so it’s no surprise that McClure says his price is getting pretty steep (Twitter link). It may be too expensive for the Falcons, who could look to re-sign Dwight Lowery instead, per McClure.
  • Safety Devin McCourty is no longer a free agent, having re-signed with the Patriots, but if he had reached the open market, the Eagles were one of three teams willing to offer him more than the $9.5MM per year New England gave him, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.