Los Angeles Chargers Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Chargers, Austin Ekeler Agree To Deal

March 6th, 2020 at 1:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers have identified the running back they’d like to keep for the long haul. Instead of Melvin Gordon, former UDFA Austin Ekeler now has a second Bolts contract.

Ekeler agreed to a four-year, $24.5MM deal on Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). This pact will include $15MM in guaranteed money. Ekeler was a restricted free agent but is now locked up through the 2023 season.

This represents a remarkable rise for Ekeler, who entered the league in 2017 undrafted out of Division II Western State (Colo.). While he backed up Gordon for most of his first two seasons, Ekeler thrived in a starting role and then alongside the former first-round pick in 2019.

He finished with 993 receiving yards — fifth-most ever in a season for a pure running back — and totaled 1,550 from scrimmage. Ekeler added 11 touchdowns and became the first Charger in 34 years to post a 100-100 game, which occurred against the Jaguars in December. His 10.3 receiving yards after catch ranked second in the NFL, per ESPN Stats & Info.

A report pointed Gordon toward free agency Thursday, and this Ekeler accord confirms it. After Gordon became extension-eligible in January 2018, the sides went two years without agreeing to terms. And Gordon’s 2019 holdout undoubtedly benefited his backup’s case for a payday. Ekeler agreed to his re-up — at a price south of what Gordon sought during his holdout — after being extension-eligible for barely two months. The Bolts and Ekeler began negotiating the extension in January, Schefter adds.

At 24, Ekeler is two years younger than Gordon and has logged 443 career touches — well behind Gordon’s 1,283. The Chargers should be able to rely on their passing-down back for a few more seasons, while Gordon will now have a chance to gauge his value on the open market.

Melvin Gordon To Test Free Agency

March 5th, 2020 at 1:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Melvin Gordon said as recently as late January he wanted to stay with the Chargers, it appears he will hit free agency. The expectation is the running back will be allowed to test the market, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.

This does not exactly come as a big surprise, given Gordon’s history with the Bolts. The 2015 first-round pick held out into last season, and the Chargers broke off negotiations until 2020. Talks certainly do not appear to have gone in a positive direction, and the two-time Pro Bowler will be one of the bigger names on the market.

However, Gordon’s free agency trip comes at potentially bad time. Deals for the likes of David Johnson, Todd Gurley and Le’Veon Bell have not worked out for the respective teams. With the running back market in a stagnant place before those contracts were authorized, and the draft set to produce more cheap labor, it is not a great time to be a free agent at this position.

Gordon has averaged fewer than five yards per carry in four of his five seasons, and last year, current RFA Austin Ekeler outplayed him in the Bolts backfield. Gordon, though, totaled at least 1,375 yards from scrimmage from 2016-18 and scored 12 touchdowns in each of those seasons. He will generate interest. This proposed CBA could produce major salary cap spikes over the next few years, possibly enticing a running back-needy team to offer a nice contract come March.

Chargers, Panthers Agree To Okung/Turner Swap

March 4th, 2020 at 6:01pm CST by Zachary Links

6:01pm: Turner wants a new contract, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. It remains to be seen whether the Chargers would be willing to give him a deal that reflects the current guard market.

4:44pm: The Chargers and Panthers have reached tentative agreement on a trade that would send tackle Russell Okung to Carolina and guard Trai Turner to L.A., according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). It’s a swap of two big-time and big-bodied offensive lineman that addresses areas of need for both teams.

The deal is not yet official, but it sounds like the core pieces are in place. Once the new league year begins on March 18, the deal can be finalized.

The Panthers started shopping Turner earlier this month and it didn’t take long for a deal to come together. He’s got two years to go on his four-year, $45MM pact, but the Chargers are happy to pick up what’s left of the tab. The contract is not cheap by any stretch, but the guard market has rapidly advanced to the point where interior enforcers are getting ~$15MM year.

Turner, who has made the Pro Bowl for the last five years, has 84 career games and 80 NFL starts to his credit. Last year, he graded out as the No. 31 ranked guard in the league, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus. In 2015 – his coming-out party – he positioned as one of the game’s very best.

Okung was skeptical of his future with the Chargers and vocal about his complaints against the team. His L.A. tenure has been a bit of a mixed bag. In Year One, Okung earned Pro Bowl honors. Unfortunately, he lost much of last season due to blood clots in his lungs and a painful groin injury. All in all, he appeared in just six games for the Chargers.

No one expected Okung to fetch a ton on the trade block – he has one year left on his four-year, $53MM deal and the Bolts seemed likely to cut ties. His contract calls for a sizable $16.7MM cap hit; the Chargers had an escape hatch, however, that would have left them with just $3.5MM on the books.

The Chargers already have more than $50MM in available cap room and shedding Okung’s deal would push them into $60MM+ territory. They can direct those funds towards finding Philip Rivers‘ replacement or stick with Tyrod Taylor as their starter and spread the funds all around.

Okung, who is also looking to lead the NFLPA’s charge in CBA discussions, would probably be happy to rejoin offensive line coach Pat Meyer.

Chargers, Travis Benjamin To Part Ways

March 3rd, 2020 at 8:34am CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers and wide receiver Travis Benjamin are “mutually parting ways,” a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Benjamin will hit the open market in a couple of weeks and he apparently won’t be discussing a new deal with the Bolts.

Benjamin joined the Chargers as a free agent in 2016 after talks with the incumbent Browns broke down. He landed a four-year, $24MM deal with $13MM guaranteed, a solid payout for a player who came out of nowhere to post 68 receptions, 966 yards, and five touchdowns in his platform year.

Since then, Benjamin’s production has been in decline. In Year One with the Chargers, he posted a 47/677/4 line. After the move to L.A., things cooled – 34/567/4 in 2017, 12/186/1 in 2018, and, thanks to injuries, he had just six grabs in five games last year.

Benjamin won’t be the only Chargers veteran leaving L.A. Quarterback Philip Rivers – an even more notable San Diego import – will be signing elsewhere in March.

At wide receiver, the Chargers will have some work to do – they don’t have a lot of proven talent on hand, outside of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

QB Rumors: Stafford, Dalton, Saints

March 1st, 2020 at 9:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

A rumor surfaced recently indicating the Lions discussed a Matthew Stafford trade. GM Bob Quinn denied this, and multiple key parties were quick to state the 11-year veteran quarterback does not want to leave Detroit. Stafford’s agent, Tom Condon, informed NFL.com’s Michael Silver his client does not want a trade (Twitter link). The quarterback’s wife, Kelly Stafford, shared on her Instagram (Twitter links via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett) they are not angling for a new NFL city. Matthew Stafford, 32, is under contract for three more seasons.

Here is the latest from the quarterback realm, moving to a passer who very much is available for trade:

Despite the Saints set to start a 41-year-old Drew Brees and apply a high tender to intriguing gadget player/backup Taysom Hill, they may not be prepared to draft a passer this year. Although some mock drafts have the Saints taking Utah State’s Jordan Love, Larry Holder of The Athletic notes (subscription required) the Saints do not appear to be interested. The Saints hold the No. 24 pick in the draft, and it might now be a surprise to see Love still on the board at that point.
Brees-Hill 2020 looks like the Saints’ plan. Combine buzz centered around Bridgewater’s next team, with Holder speaking to no NFL decision-maker who expected Brees’ backup of the past two years to return. Sean Payton said it would be unrealistic for the Saints to bring back all three, and Bridgewater is expected to receive interest as a starter in free agency. The Bears, Buccaneers, Chargers, Panthers and Patriots may possess some interest, Holder hears. Though, unlike Tom Brady and Philip Rivers, no team has been connected to Bridgewater yet.
Like Brady and Rivers, Andy Dalton has also been connected to a team. The Bears discussed a trade with the Bengals but may have to battle other teams for the nine-year veteran starter. Dalton’s agent has been working with the Bengals on potential Dalton deals, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com names the Colts and Patriots — in addition to the Bears — as teams who could potentially have interest in the contract-year passer (video link). The Colts have been connected to Rivers at multiple junctures this week, while some around the league have indeed viewed New England as a landing spot for Dalton if Brady does decide to defect in free agency. Cincinnati and New England have made multiple trades involving high-profile Bengals, and the same two decision-makers — Mike Brown and Bill Belichick — remain in place from when Corey Dillon and Chad Johnson were dealt to New England in 2004 and 2011, respectively.

Chargers Hire Analytics Head

February 29th, 2020 at 9:54pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Chargers are becoming the latest team to emphasize the importance of analytics in their front office. Los Angeles hired Aditya Krishnan away from Cleveland to become their director of analytics, according to Seth Walder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Walder notes that the Chargers didn’t have any analytics employees prior to hiring Krishnan, and it’ll be interesting to see if this is the start of a new department to report to GM Tom Telesco. Krishnan had previously served as an analyst with the Browns.

Chargers To Franchise Tag Hunter Henry?

February 28th, 2020 at 9:26pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Chargers have a few high profile offensive players set to become free agents, including Philip Rivers, Hunter Henry, and Melvin Gordon. While they’ve already announced that they’ll be letting Rivers walk, they have no plans to let Henry follow him out the door.

Henry “absolutely” will be getting the franchise tag, from what Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports hears. We heard back in January that the Chargers were considering the transition tag for the young tight end, but it sounds like they aren’t even willing to take that risk. The transition tag is a non-exclusive tag that gives the team the right to match any offer that the player gets in free agency. This is shaping up to be the most exciting tight end market in years, with plenty of big names getting new deals. Austin Hooper is about to enter unrestricted free agency and is expected to land a huge contract, while George Kittle is reportedly likely to get a record-breaking extension soon.

Kittle is widely expected to reset the market, and the last we heard was he’ll get at a minimum $13MM annually. The top of the tight end market right now is currently around $10MM, and it will be interesting to see what the slightly lower tier guys like Henry and Hooper get.

The Chargers are going to have a new quarterback under center in 2020, and quite possibly a rookie, so it makes sense why they’d want a reliable tight end. Henry showed a lot of promise his first two years in the league, then missed all of 2018 with a torn ACL. He missed four games this past season with a different knee injury, racking up a very solid 652 yards and four touchdowns in 12 contests. The Arkansas product is still only 25, and with less than three full seasons under his belt, he should still have plenty of room to grow. The Chargers have indicated they want to work out a long-term deal, and it would be a bit of a surprise if he doesn’t get one at some point after he’s tagged.

Chargers, Colts, Raiders Meet With Tom Brady’s Camp

February 27th, 2020 at 3:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The biggest domino on the quarterback free agent market continues to move into position. Tom Brady‘s representation met with the Chargers, Raiders and Colts on Thursday at the Combine, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

Teams are not permitted to negotiate during these meetings, as they are before the legal tampering period. But the Brady market continues to take shape. While this year’s tampering period will not commence until March 16, the Patriots may view these late-February meetings as a key part of the Brady process.

Brady leaving New England is starting to look like an increasingly live proposition, but other teams discussing the future Hall of Fame quarterback will help the Patriots know what they’re up against. No Pats negotiations are on tap yet, however.

The Chargers and Raiders have been linked to Brady for weeks; the Colts are a new team in the Brady mix. But many around the league view Philip Rivers as the likelier Indianapolis get. With former Chargers offensive staffers Frank Reich and Nick Sirianni in command of the Colts’ attack, the team is interested in Rivers. But Brady is now on Indy’s radar too.

Despite being four years older, Brady finished ahead of Rivers in 2019 QBR (16th to 23rd) and is obviously the more accomplished player. But the Brady market looks to be more aggressive than the one forming for Rivers. The Colts were in the AFC divisional round in 2018; they would be an intriguing team for Brady, who wants to land in a competitive situation.

At the week’s outset, Jim Irsay said everything was on the table regarding the Colts’ quarterback situation. Ex-Brady backup Jacoby Brissett is penciled in as the starter, but it’s looking more and more likely he will not be back as Indianapolis’ QB1 by September.

The Patriots are in the position of needing to upgrade at the skill positions — potentially in order to convince Brady to stay — while uncertain of their cap space. The CBA also looms over this situation, considering the Pats’ 2019 Brady deal attached void years onto the passer’s contract and would tag the team with $13.5MM in dead money March 18. That cap hit cannot be spread out unless a new CBA is agreed to in the meantime.

Hunter Henry A Franchise Tag Option?

February 23rd, 2020 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the CBA coming down to the wire before the 2020 league year, teams may be able use both their franchise and transition tags this offseason. There will be many players mentioned in tag rumors this week. The tight end market could lose a key member, with Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com writing it makes sense for the Chargers to tag Hunter Henry at the near-$11MM price. That move would help a Tom Brady pursuit. Additionally, Rosenthal sees Ryan Tannehill‘s franchise tag making a Derrick Henry transition tag sensible for the Titans. The running back transition tag is projected to come in at less than $9MM. If a new CBA is agreed to, however, teams can only use either their franchise or transition tags. That would complicate matters for the Titans.

Chargers, Russell Okung To Part Ways?

February 20th, 2020 at 1:50pm CST by Zachary Links

It doesn’t sound like Russell Okung will return for another season with the Chargers. The left tackle is “skeptical” of the Chargers’ direction and his future with the team, ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson tweets.

Okung, who has never been one to pull punches, has one year to go on the four-year, $53MM deal he signed in 2017. He’s currently set to count for $16.7MM against the cap. Releasing him would save more than $13MM of that sum with just $3.5MM left.

Okung, 33 in October, made the Pro Bowl in his first year with L.A. Unfortunately, blood clots in his lungs landed him on the NFI list to start the 2019 season and a groin injury sidelined him near the end. In total, he was limited to just six games.

The Chargers’ offensive line struggled mightily on the whole, so Okung isn’t the only party questioning the partnership. Currently, the Chargers have just over $50MM in available cap room – dropping Okung would give them about $64MM to work with, allowing them to land a big-time tackle on the open market and, potentially, their next starting quarterback.

Internally, the Chargers don’t have a shoe-in candidate to take over for Okung, though Trey Pipkins and Sam Tevi could be part of the solution.

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