Chargers Sign OL Oday Aboushi
Oday Aboushi will make his way to a sixth team. The veteran offensive lineman signed with the Chargers on Saturday, the team has since announced. It’s a one-year, $1.75MM deal, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
Primarily a guard, Aboushi has been used as a starter and a backup throughout his career. This includes eight starts with the Lions last season. In between being drafted by the Jets and his two-year Lions stay, Aboushi also played for the Texans, Seahawks and Cardinals.
While Aboushi has never started more than 10 games in a season, he did open all eight of the games he played last season as a first-string Lion. Pro Football Focus gave the ex-Virginia Cavalier a top-30 grade among guards for his work. Overall, Aboushi has started 42 games in eight seasons. The 2021 season will be Aboushi’s age-30 campaign.
Aboushi represents the latest in a string of Bolts offensive line investments. He will follow All-Pro center Corey Linsley in going from the NFC North to Los Angeles, and ex-Steelers starter Matt Feiler committed to join the Bolts as well.
The Chargers are retooling up front. Mike Pouncey‘s retirement preceded the release of Pro Bowl guard Trai Turner and the free agency defection (to the Jets) of fellow guard starter Dan Feeney. The Bolts should still be expected to address their O-line in the draft and may continue to do so in free agency, but Aboushi — despite this low-end contract — may have a path to Los Angeles’ starting lineup.
Chargers To Sign Jared Cook
Tight end news is just flying in, and this time it’s the Chargers finding a replacement for Hunter Henry. Los Angeles has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with veteran Jared Cook, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The pact has a max value of $6MM, Schefter notes. The deal comes with $4.5MM guaranteed, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Cook’s last contract was worth $15.5MM over two years with the Saints, so he’s taking a bit of a pay cut for this season.
It’s a nice signing for the Chargers after they lost Henry to the Patriots on a massive deal, and Cook was one of the bigger name players left on the board. Cook is 33 now, but has remained an effective pass-catcher over the middle. This will now be the sixth team in Cook’s career that started as a third-round pick of the Titans back in 2009.
From Tennessee he made his way to the Rams, then the Packers, then the Raiders (where he had his best season in 2018), and finally the Saints the past two years. His production dipped a bit in 2020, but he still had 504 yards and seven touchdowns despite Drew Brees missing a handful of games and failing to push the ball downfield in others.
He was a Pro Bowler each of the previous two seasons in 2018 and 2019. In 2018 with the Raiders he had 896 yards and six touchdowns, and 705 yards and nine touchdowns the following year with New Orleans. Los Angeles had been linked to the Zach Ertz talks as a possible trade partner, but this now likely takes them out of the running there.
With Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and Austin Ekeler all still in the fold, Justin Herbert will once again have a very solid group of weapons as he enters his sophomore campaign. The Chargers have also upgraded his offensive line big time, so watch out for this offense in 2021.
NFL Contract Details: Bolts, Griffin, Broncos
With the tampering period in full swing, here are some of the latest contract details to emerge:
- Chargers C Corey Linsley: Five years, $62.5MM. $26MM guaranteed, $13MM signing bonus. Linsley is due $26MM through 2022, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Linsley’s 2021 base salary ($4MM) is fully guaranteed. His 2022 base salary ($9MM) is guaranteed for injury at signing; it becomes fully guaranteed if he is on the Bolts’ roster on Day 2 of the 2022 league year, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Jaguars CB Shaquill Griffin: Three years, $40MM. $23.5MM fully guaranteed, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. $12MM signing bonus, base salaries of $1MM, $11.5MM and $11.5MM. Griffin is due a $1MM roster bonus in 2023, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
- Lions DE Romeo Okwara: Three years, $39MM. $14MM signing bonus, $20MM fully guaranteed. Another $5MM will be guaranteed by next March, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).
- Broncos DL Shelby Harris: Three years, $27MM. $9MM signing bonus. Harris’ $1MM 2021 base salary and $5.5MM of his $7.5MM 2022 base are guaranteed, Wilson tweets.
- Patriots DB Jalen Mills: Four years, $24MM. $2.5MM signing bonus, $3MM base salary in 2021, $4.5MM in ’22. Williams will have $3.5MM of his 2022 base salary fully guaranteed, Breer tweets.
- Panthers OL Cameron Erving: Two years, $10MM. This contract includes base salaries of $990K and $2.01MM, with Wilson tweeting a March 2022 roster bonus of $2.5MM is guaranteed.
- 49ers CB Jason Verrett: One year, $5.5MM. $2MM signing bonus, $2.5MM base salary, $1MM in per-game roster bonuses. Another $1MM is available via incentives, Yates tweets.
Chargers To Sign OL Matt Feiler
Minutes after Bud Dupree agreed to terms with the Titans, the Steelers will lose another of their free agents. Matt Feiler agreed to terms with the Chargers on Monday night, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The four-year veteran will sign a three-year, $21MM agreement with the Bolts. Feiler has worked as a Steelers starter for the past three years.
This move comes hours after the Chargers agreed to terms with Corey Linsley on a center-record contract. Feiler figures to have a spot on the Bolts’ starting O-line as well. Where he lands will be interesting. Feiler has seen time at both tackle and guard, taking over for Marcus Gilbert at right tackle and spending time on Pittsburgh’s interior line as well. Pro Football Focus graded Feiler as a middling guard starter last season but has charted him as an upper-echelon lineman throughout his career.
With Los Angeles, Feiler’s spot would seem to be guard. The Chargers paid up for Bryan Bulaga at right tackle last year. They just cut guard Trai Turner and have fellow guard Dan Feeney set for free agency. Feiler’s position notwithstanding, he represents more resources thrown into protecting Justin Herbert going forward.
The Steelers have brought back B.J. Finney but have some major questions up front going forward. They have now lost Feiler and perennial Pro Bowler Maurkice Pouncey, and left tackle Alejandro Villanueva may well be on his way out as well.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/15/21
We’ve compiled a handful of tender decisions below:
- The Cardinals are tendering linebacker Dennis Gardeck at a second-round value, which is worth around $3.38MM. The former undrafted free agent has spent his entire three-year career with Arizona, primarily appearing on special teams. However, the 26-year-old took on a bigger defensive role in 2020, finished with seven sacks in only 93 snaps. Gardeck tore his ACL late in the season, so his status for 2021 is in doubt.
- The Chargers won’t be tendering defensive end Isaac Rochell, which comes as a bit of a surprise. The 25-year-old had a solid season for Los Angeles, starting six games while compiling 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Rochell has 9.5 career sacks and 12 QB hits in 51 career games.
- The Packers have tendered wideout Malik Taylor, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter). After spending much of his rookie season on Green Bay’s practice squad, Taylor managed to appear in 15 games for the Packers this past season. He ultimately hauled in five receptions for 66 yards and one touchdown. He also returned a pair of kicks and compiled three tackles.
- The Bills won’t be tendering cornerback Levi Wallace, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (via Twitter). However, there’s still a chance the 25-year-old lands back in Buffalo. The cornerback has started 28 games for Buffalo over the past two years, compiling four interceptions and 17 passes defended.
- The Cowboys are tendering wideout Cedrick Wilson and nose tackle Antwaun Woods. Wilson has appeared in 22 games over the past two years, compiling 25 touches for 223 yards from scrimmage. Woods has started 32 of his 39 games for Dallas over the past three years, compiling 80, four tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.
Chargers To Re-Sign CB Michael Davis
Having just released Casey Hayward, the Chargers agreed to terms with one of their younger cornerbacks. They will keep Michael Davis off the free agent market via three-year deal, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo (on Twitter).
A key Los Angeles contributor, Davis will stay in southern California and receive $15MM guaranteed to do so, per Garafolo (on Twitter). He received interest from a few other teams as well but will play his fifth season in L.A.
A year ago, the Bolts gave Davis a second-round tender. He intercepted a career-high three passes last year, following a 2019 season in which he nabbed two picks. The former UDFA graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 55 overall cornerback in 2020.
The Chargers have parted ways with two All-Pro corners over the past several months, having traded Desmond King — who also dabbled at safety in L.A. — to the Titans ahead of their Hayward cut. Going into the new league year, Davis and Chris Harris are the Bolts’ top corners.
Chargers To Sign C Corey Linsley
After cutting multiple key veteran starters last week, the Chargers will use some of those funds to make a big addition on their offensive line. They are signing longtime Packers center Corey Linsley, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
The deal, which will reunite Linsley with former Green Bay O-line mate Bryan Bulaga, is expected to make Linsley the NFL’s highest-paid center. Linsley expected to hit the market, and after the Packers prioritized Aaron Jones just before the legal tampering period began, his Wisconsin exit appeared a near-certainty.
It is a five-year, $62.5MM contract, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. That will come in just above Ryan Kelly‘s recently established center-record contract.
Linsley broke through in his contract year, becoming an All-Pro blocker. Pro Football Focus slotted him as far and away the No. 1 overall center. The Bolts have battled issues up front for years, and their investments in Mike Pouncey and Trai Turner did not end up working out especially well. Pouncey retired after missing all of last season, and Turner saw his run of Pro Bowls stop after an injury-plagued 2020. The Chargers cut Turner last week.
This will give Justin Herbert a high-end offensive lineman to work with as well. Linsley and Bulaga were also teammates from 2014-19. The Packers signed Linsley to an extension that ran through 2020 but could not strike a deal to keep him off this year’s market. The 2021 season will be Linsley’s age-30 campaign.
Linsley will represent a key free agency loss for the Packers, who cut 2020 starter Ricky Wagner last month. The Jets were also interested in Linsley, likely joining several other teams, but the Chargers moved quickly to secure his services. Los Angeles still has holes on its offensive front, however, so Linsley might not be their last big upgrade here.
AFC West Notes: V. Miller, Henry, T. Brown
Here’s a quick roundup of some AFC West rumblings:
- There is still no clarity on whether the Broncos will bring back LB Von Miller in 2021. As Mike Klis of 9News.com writes, new Denver GM George Paton met with Miller for the first time last week, and Klis believes a paycut is no longer on the table. Miller is due an $18MM salary in 2021, and by March 16, Paton must decide whether to pick up an option that would guarantee $7MM of that $18MM payout. While the Broncos would prefer to have Miller take a cut, given that he missed the entire 2020 season, J.J. Watt‘s new $14MM/year deal with the Cardinals suggests that Miller would be disinclined to do so. Which means that Paton has the difficult task of deciding between a major financial hit for an aging star coming off a serious injury and releasing one of the greatest defensive players in franchise history. The good news is that Miller appears to be back to full speed, at least according to a workout video he recently posted to Instagram.
- The Chargers decided against putting the franchise tag on TE Hunter Henry, but Henry is still open to returning to the Bolts. “I will say I’m not ruling out the Chargers,” Henry recently told TMZ Sports. “I’m not ruling out the Chargers and I won’t rule out the Chargers.” Though Henry comes with some health concerns, he is also just 26 and still has the chance to be one of the league’s top receiving TEs. He also has the chance to serve as one of Justin Herbert‘s top targets for the foreseeable future — a proposition that he admits could lead him back to LA — but he will have no shortage of suitors when the legal tampering period opens tomorrow.
- Before he was traded to the Patriots, former Raiders tackle Trent Brown was considered a release candidate. But as Jeff Howe of The Athletic tweets, Vegas had no intention of cutting Brown (at least not yet). The club planned to bring him to training camp to earn his keep, but New England’s offer, along with Brown’s willingness to rework his contract, triggered the deal. Still, Brown’s hold on his roster spot in Vegas couldn’t have been very strong, as the Raiders dealt him and a 2022 seventh-rounder for a 2022 fifth-rounder.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/21
Teams have until March 17 to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents. . Some teams are already making their calls in advance of March 17. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:
RFAs
Non-Tendered:
- Chargers: OL Cole Toner
- Steelers: OLB Olasunkanmi Adeniyi
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Steelers: LB Robert Spillane
Chargers Release CB Casey Hayward
One of the better free agent signings in recent years, Casey Hayward will be forced to head back to the market. The Chargers are releasing the veteran cornerback, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The team announced the move.
A former Packer, Hayward spent the past five seasons with the Bolts. The Chargers will save $9.75MM by cutting Hayward in the final year of his contract. They attempted to trade Hayward first.
“I’ve known for a couple of days,” Hayward said (via veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson, on Twitter) of the Bolts’ plans to move on. “I know they were seeing if they could trade me, wanting to keep my salary the same. I’m definitely open to new possibilities now. I want to play at least a couple more years.”
This marks a major change for the Bolts, who saw their initial Hayward contract — three years, $15.3MM — produce two Pro Bowls and a second-team All-Pro honor. Hayward agreed to a three-year, $34.25MM re-up ahead of the 2018 season.
Going into the 2020 slate, the Chargers had three All-Pro corners — Hayward, Desmond King and 2020 signing Chris Harris. Entering free agency, Harris is the only one left for a Bolts defense that will transition to Brandon Staley‘s scheme. While Staley was only with the Broncos for one season and helmed the outside linebackers during his Denver stint, Harris was with the team during Staley’s stay.
Hayward, 31, led the NFL with seven INTs in 2016. He picked off four passes in his second Chargers season, another Pro Bowl slate, and was a key presence for a Chargers defense that ranked third overall in the team’s 2018 playoff campaign. The nine-year veteran’s play tailed off last season, with Pro Football Focus slotting him outside the top 60 players at his position.
With the cuts of Hayward and Trai Turner, the Chargers have moved their cap-space figure north of $45MM. This will help the now-Justin Herbert-centered team in need areas. The offensive line certainly profiles as one. But with Hayward gone and Michael Davis a free agent-to-be, cornerback will be an area to address as well.