HEADLINES

Los Angeles Chargers News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/20

September 19th, 2020 at 5:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves. There are many, as teams take advantage of the rule change allowing 55-man rosters ahead of regular-season games. Teams can dress 48 players for games this season, up from 46.

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/19/20

September 19th, 2020 at 4:57pm CST by Ben Levine

Recent practice squad notes from around the league:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

  • Signed: WR Hakeem Butler
  • Released: S T.J. Green, T Aaron Monteiro

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: OL Brandon Walton

Of course, the big news here surrounds Callaway. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (via Twitter) that the wideout has earned an additional four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. This means he’ll be eligible to return to the field in Week 8.

Callaway will continue to sit on the Dolphins’ practice squad suspended list, per Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com. The 23-year-old will still be allowed to attend meetings, but he can’t practice with the squad until his suspension ends.

The talented wideout out of Florida fell to the Browns in the fourth round of the 2018 draft thanks in part to a 2016 four-game suspension from former head coach Jim McElwain. Callaway immediately contributed in Cleveland, hauling in 43 receptions for 586 and five scores during his rookie campaign. However, the receiver was suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season after violating the substance-abuse policy, and he underwhelmed in the four games following his return (eight receptions, 89 yards).

He was slapped with a 10-game ban late last year, and the suspension was supposed to last through the third week of the 2020 season. Thanks to the latest suspension, Callaway won’t see the field through the first seven weeks of the season.

Chargers C Mike Pouncey Out For Season

September 17th, 2020 at 3:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers will be without their veteran center for the entirety of the 2020 season. GM Tom Telesco announced Thursday Mike Pouncey plans to undergo surgery to repair a hip injury.

Pouncey will go under the knife at some point in September, and the procedure will prevent him from playing this season. The Bolts will place Pouncey on IR and promote fullback Gabe Nabers to their 53-man roster.

For arguably the NFL’s most injury-prone team, this represents a major setback. Both Pouncey and Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner missed the Chargers’ opener, and Pouncey joins All-Pro safety Derwin James in being out for the season. Starting linebacker Drue Tranquill also suffered a broken ankle against the Bengals.

For Pouncey, it looks like a crossroads moment. The former Dolphins starter missed 11 games last season due to a neck injury last season. He was medically cleared to return this summer, but the hip troubles that the Florida alum experienced with the Dolphins continue to plague him. During the 2017 season, Pouncey said he will at some point early in his post-playing life he will need a hip replacement.

Still, the former first-round pick rebounded in his first Bolts season to make the Pro Bowl. The Chargers then signed Pouncey to a one-year extension, but his contract expires after the 2020 slate. Pouncey, 31, stands to head into free agency a major question mark.

Los Angeles moved guard Dan Feeney to center against Cincinnati, sliding contract-year lineman Forrest Lamp back into its lineup at guard. Lamp has failed to live up to his second-round billing thus far but may now have a key opportunity in a contract year.

2020 NFL Cap Space, By Team

September 17th, 2020 at 3:02pm CST by Zachary Links

Cap management has been extra complicated in the NFL this year. After ~70 NFL players opted out of the 2020 season, teams were left with holes and plenty of available dollars to fill the gaps. At first, the ongoing uncertainty over next year’s salary cap had teams nervous about large-scale commitments. Now, it seems like we’re getting back to business as usual.

Recent deals for Saints star Alvin Kamara, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and others demonstrate the league’s long-term confidence. In turn, we’ve seen cap figures change dramatically in September.

Here’s the rundown of each team’s estimated cap space for the 2020 season, via Over The Cap:

  1. Cleveland Browns – $33.4MM
  2. New York Jets – $28.6MM
  3. Dallas Cowboys — $27.5MM
  4. New England Patriots – $26.3MM
  5. Washington Football Team – $25.8MM
  6. Denver Broncos – $25.7MM
  7. Jacksonville Jaguars – $25.2MM
  8. Philadelphia Eagles – $20MM
  9. Detroit Lions – $18MM
  10. Miami Dolphins – $16.7MM
  11. Baltimore Ravens – $14.2MM
  12. Los Angeles Chargers – $11.8MM
  13. Cincinnati Bengals – $11.6MM
  14. Arizona Cardinals – $11.4MM
  15. Indianapolis Colts – $11.3MM
  16. San Francisco 49ers – $11.2MM
  17. Pittsburgh Steelers – $10.9MM
  18. Chicago Bears – $9.9MM
  19. New York Giants – $9.6MM
  20. Houston Texans – $9.6MM
  21. Tennessee Titans – $9.4MM
  22. New Orleans Saints – $8.8MM
  23. Green Bay Packers – $8.7MM
  24. Los Angeles Rams – $7.7MM
  25. Las Vegas Raiders – $7.4MM
  26. Carolina Panthers – $6.9MM
  27. Kansas City Chiefs – $6.6MM
  28. Buffalo Bills – $6.5MM
  29. Seattle Seahawks – $6.2MM
  30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – $3.7MM
  31. Atlanta Falcons – $3.3MM
  32. Minnesota Vikings – $2MM

Chargers Work Out RB Bilal Powell

September 15th, 2020 at 4:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Longtime Jets running back Bilal Powell made a trip to Los Angeles on Tuesday. The Chargers worked out the veteran, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

The Bolts also auditioned younger backs as well, with Tom Pelissero of NFL.com noting Jordan Scarlett and Brian Herrien took part in the Tuesday running back workout (Twitter link). Ex-Chargers running back Troymaine Pope also participated in the audition, per the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson (on Twitter).

Powell re-signed with the Jets in 2019, doing so after suffering a severe injury in 2018. The nine-year veteran has resided in free agency since March. The Chargers, however, have a potential opening at this position. Justin Jackson is dealing with a quadriceps injury.

Chargers HC Anthony Lynn was the Jets’ running backs coach during Powell’s first five years with the team. Powell, 31, mostly served as a complementary back in New York but played with the Jets from 2011-19. He submitted three seasons with 900-plus yards from scrimmage from 2013-17. Powell played in 13 Jets games last season, totaling 262 scrimmage yards.

The Panthers drafted Scarlett in the 2019 fifth round out of Florida, while Herrien went to training camp with the Browns this year. A veteran UDFA who made his NFL debut in 2016, Pope played 14 games with the Bolts last year.

The Chargers have Austin Ekeler entrenched as their starter, and fourth-round rookie Josh Kelly rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals in Week 1.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/15/20

September 15th, 2020 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Chargers LB Drue Tranquill Likely Has Broken Ankle

September 13th, 2020 at 7:35pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Chargers escaped with a narrow victory over the Bengals in Week 1, but they didn’t make it out unscathed. Linebacker Drue Tranquill was carted off with an ankle injury, and the initial belief is he broke his ankle, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Assuming that’s the case, then his season is likely over. It’s a tough break for the young Notre Dame product, who was drafted in the fourth-round last year. He started three games while appearing in 15 and playing around 40 percent of the defensive snaps. He was ticketed for an even bigger role this time around, which makes this a devastating blow.

The Chargers’ defense is loaded with talent on the defensive line and in the secondary, but linebacking is the one question mark. Guys like Kyzir White and first-round rookie Kenneth Murray will be even more important now.

The unit played well and mostly held Joe Burrow in check Sunday, but this isn’t the first significant injury to the defense. All-Pro safety Derwin James, of course, was just lost for the season with a knee injury. Another year, another crop of health issues for the Chargers…

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/20

September 12th, 2020 at 4:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves. Many of these roster decisions involve practice squad promotions. Under the new CBA, teams are permitted to promote two P-squad players without corresponding roster moves per week. Teams can carry 55 players on their rosters for game days and can have up to 48 active.

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Promoted: RB Nathan Cottrell, TE Ben Ellefson

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Nate Brooks

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Football Team

Chargers’ Mike Pouncey To Miss Time?

September 11th, 2020 at 1:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Chargers center Mike Pouncey missed practice this week with a hip injury, and he’s likely to also miss the season opener against the Bengals, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The severity of the injury isn’t immediately clear, but history suggests that this could be another long recovery for the four-time Pro Bowler. 

[RELATED: Chargers, Keenan Allen Agree On Extension]

Pouncey’s hip limited him to just five games in 2016 and clearly hindered him in 2017, his final year with the Dolphins. In 2018, his first year with the Chargers, he was back to his usual self. Starting in all 16 games, Pouncey was named to his first career Pro Bowl. Then, last year, a neck injury shut him down after just five games.

At one point, doctors advised Pouncey that he would eventually need hip replacement surgery. Hopefully, that day never comes. At minimum, Pouncey is hoping to stave off anything major until later in life. Last year, Pouncey re-upped with the Chargers on a one-year, $9MM extension. After 2020, he’ll be out of contract and eligible for free agency.

The Bolts are already without star safety Derwin James, so they’ll have to get by without some of their best talent on both sides of the ball. After passing on interior offensive lineman in this year’s draft, the Chargers may look to slide Dan Feeney from left guard to center.

Chargers, Keenan Allen Agree On Extension

September 5th, 2020 at 1:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

Keenan Allen‘s consistency over the past few years will result in a massive payday. The Chargers are giving their No. 1 wide receiver a four-year deal worth more than $80MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Officially, it’s a four-year, $80.1MM pact, Terez Paylor of Yahoo.com tweets.

This will make Allen the NFL’s second-highest-paid wideout — behind only Julio Jones. It represents the second extension of Allen’s career; he signed his first in 2016. Allen was set to enter the 2020 season as the league’s 18th-highest-paid receiver.

Illustrating how much the wideout market has changed over the past four years, Allen’s deal will come with $50MM guaranteed, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter). That will place the veteran weapon seventh among wideouts. Allen’s 2016 pact was worth $24MM guaranteed.

One of the league’s premier route runners, Allen has been the Bolts’ No. 1 wideout practically since the team drafted him in the 2013 third round. He missed extensive time in 2015 and ’16 due to injuries but has shown tremendous consistency since. The 28-year-old target has made the past three Pro Bowls, playing in every game over that span, and has scored six touchdowns in each of those seasons. After a career-high 1,393 yards in 2017, Allen eclipsed 1,190 yards in 2018 and ’19.

With Mike Williams uncertain for Week 1, and the Bolts not possessing much in the way of proven targets behind their starting duo, Allen’s status on the team has never been more important. He will be essential when the Chargers hand the reins to first-round quarterback Justin Herbert.

Load More Posts