More NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/30/19

Today’s practice squad updates:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

  • Signed: LB James Vaughters
  • Placed on injured list: LB Fadol Brown

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: TE Codey McElroy

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

More Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/19

Today’s minor moves:

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

  • Claimed off waivers (Giants): LB Tae Davis

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Promoted from practice squad: CB Tevaughn Campbell

Miami Dolphins

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Redskins

Chargers Waive K Chase McLaughlin

The Chargers waived kicker Chase McLaughlin, according to Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan. Los Angeles signed McLaughlin back in October to fill in for Michael Badgley while he was dealing with a groin injury. Given that no reports have emerged tying the Chargers to another kicker, it seems likely to expect Badgley to return to the field.

Originally, the Chargers had their punter, Ty Long, handle both punting and kicking duties to start the season. Through four games, Long was 7 of 9 on field goals and 9 of 9 on extra points, but after their Week 4 victory against the Dolphins he appeared to come up limping. While Long has continued handling punting duties, McLaughlin stepped in over the past four weeks and maintained similar success.

McLaughlin, a rookie, served as the kicker for Illinois from 2016-2018. After going undrafted, he signed with the Bills as an undrafted free agent. He quickly was released in Buffalo and then caught on with Minnesota’s practice squad before being released once again before catching on in Los Angeles.

In his four games as the Chargers kicker, McLaughlin handled kickoff duties, made 6 of 9 field goal attempts and was 7 of 7 on extra points. McLaughlin did make a field goal from beyond 5o yards but also missed three of his four attempts between 40 and 49 yards.

Badgley, in his second season out of Miami, was one of the most accurate kickers as a rookie in 2018. Last season, over 10 games, he made 15 of 16 field goal attempts with just one miss on 28 PAT tries.

Shane Steichen To Call Chargers’ Plays

The Chargers fired their offensive coordinator on Monday night and, technically speaking, they do not have a new one just yet. They do, however, have a new play-caller: QB coach Shane Steichen will be at the wheel, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). 

[RELATED: Chargers Fire OC Ken Whisenhunt]

Head coach Anthony Lynn, meanwhile, will be heavily involved. That only makes sense since offense is Lynn’s bread and butter – he was a running backs coach for the bulk of his NFL coaching career and served as the Bills’ OC in 2016. Towards the end of the year, he succeeded Rex Ryan as the interim head coach before moving on to the L.A. job.

Lynn traveled the NFL throughout his assistant coaching career, but Steichen has spent most of his sideline time with the Chargers, dating back to 2011. Since 2016, he’s managed Philip Rivers & his backups as the Bolts’ QB coach.

Steichen takes over for Ken Whisenhunt, who got the heave-ho on Monday night. The Chargers haven’t cracked 40 yards rushing in any of their last four games (despite having Melvin Gordon on the field) and they ranked just 23rd in points under Whisenhunt this year.

With a new de facto OC, the Chargers will look for their second straight win when they face the Packers in L.A. on Sunday.

Chargers Fire OC Ken Whisenhunt

Ken Whisenhunt‘s second stint with the Chargers has come to an end. The team announced tonight that they have fired their offensive coordinator.

“This is not an easy decision and definitely not one that I take lightly,” said head coach Anthony Lynn. “You win as a team, and you lose as a team. It’s never about just one person. At the end of the day, however, I simply felt a change was needed at this time. I want to thank Ken for his years of service to the Chargers organization and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”

The Chargers hired Whisenhunt as their offensive coordinator back in 2016. This was the coach’s second stint with the organization, as he previously served as offensive coordinator between his tenures as the Cardinals and Titans head coach. The Chargers offense saw a bit of a renaissance upon Whisenhunt’s hiring, as the team finished fourth in yards during the 2017 campaign and sixth in points during the 2018 campaign.

However, the offense has struggled a bit in 2019, as the team ranks towards the bottom-half of the league in yards (17th), points (23rd), and giveaways (20th). This could partly be attributed to the inconsistent running game, especially following Melvin Gordon‘s return; the Chargers are currently bottom-10 in most rushing categories. The team hasn’t scored more than 20 points since their late-September win over the Dolphins, and they narrowly avoided a four-game losing streak this past weekend.

Trade Notes: Chargers, Gordon, Howard

Some league officials have linked the Lions and Bills to Chargers star running back Melvin Gordon (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler). Both clubs could be in the market for running back help and both would make ample sense for Gordon – if the Bolts are willing to lower their asking price a bit.

The Chargers haven’t been too keen on moving Gordon, despite the drama-filled offseason and holdout that ventured into the regular season. It’s possible that he could be pried loose for the right price, however, since he’ll be out-of-contract following the 2019 season.

Through four games played, Gordon hasn’t looked like his old self: he’s got just 2.5 yards per carry, plus two touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving). Last year, in 12 contests, Gordon averaged 5.1 yards per tote with 14 TDs in total.

Here’s more from around the NFL as we gear up for trade deadline day:

  • The Dolphins are getting calls about cornerback Xavien Howard, Albert Breer of The MMQB reports. Howard says he’s not seeking a trade, and the Dolphins would do well to keep the 26-year-old for future seasons, but that’s not keeping other clubs from inquiring. Thanks to the five-year extension he inked with Miami in the offseason, Howard is under contract through the 2024 season.
  • Interest in Broncos cornerback Chris Harris seems to have cooled a bit, due in part to the asking price, Troy Renck of Denver7 hears. The Eagles and Texans were among the clubs with serious interest, but the Eagles’ D has turned things around and the Texans seem to have already address their CB needs. Meanwhile, the Broncos are paper thin at cornerback, so Renck senses that they won’t consider moving him for less than a third-round choice. Harris, meanwhile, wants to finish out 2019 in Denver, where he and his wife are expecting their fourth child.
  • In case you missed it: The Redskins are now open to trading Trent Williams.

Trade Rumors: Hopkins, Slay, Hooper

The trade deadline is two days away, so there are plenty of rumors to pass along. Of course, many of those rumors center around this year’s non-contenders, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says that two such teams — the Redskins and Bengals — continue to rebuff inquiries concerning veterans who should be available. Rival GMs have grown increasingly frustrated with Washington and Cincinnati, and La Canfora says opposing clubs have become resigned to the fact that they are not going to be able to swing a deal with those obstinate franchises. That means that a number of big names — Trent Williams, Ryan Kerrigan, A.J. Green, and Carlos Dunlap, to name a few — are looking more and more likely to stay put.

Now for more trade rumors from around the league, starting with another nugget out of Cincinnati:

  • Michael Lombardi of The Athletic agrees that the Bengals are likely to stand pat at the deadline for the most part, but he does believe the club will move tight end Tyler Eifert.
  • Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is decidedly not on the trading block, but teams have still called Houston to ask about the star wideout, as Jay Glazer of FOX Sports tweets. That obviously sounds like clubs doing their due diligence more than anything else, and Glazer acknowledges that it would take an awful lot for the Texans to move Hopkins.
  • The Lions have received calls on CB Darius Slay, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It would take a big offer to pry Slay from Detroit, but in the wake of Slay’s comments earlier this week, maybe the Lions will be more inclined to move him.
  • RB-needy teams have called the Seahawks to inquire on Rashaad Penny, as Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reports (video link). Penny is not on the block, per se, but the 2018 first-rounder is drawing interest. In the same video, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says Chargers RB Melvin Gordon could also be on the move.
  • Schefter reports that the 49ers have received calls on backup QB C.J. Beathard, whom Schefter suggests could be on the move.
  • The Falcons have fielded calls on DT Tyeler Davison, per Lombardi, but Atlanta has told other teams Davison will not be moved. The team is also going to hang on to TE Austin Hooper, as Schefter tweets.
  • The Giants are likely to cut Nate Solder after the season, so Lombardi believes Big Blue should go ahead and trade him now (though HC Pat Shurmur, whose job could be in jeopardy, would likely resist such a move). The Browns continue to be in the market for OT help, as Schefter writes, and the Patriots may also be interested in a reunion with Solder. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com says Solder was not a viable option for Cleveland as of the middle of last week, but that could change in the next couple of days.
  • Janoris Jenkins is another member of the Giants who could be on the move, and while he is likely open to joining a contender, he just wants New York to be transparent with their plans for him, as Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post writes. That sentiment was also expressed by former Giants like Landon Collins and Odell Beckham Jr., who both felt as though Shurmur and GM Dave Gettleman were not straightforward with them. Dunleavy names the Chiefs as a potential landing spot for Jenkins.
  • Interest remains heavy on Broncos vets Chris Harris Jr. and Derek Wolfe, as La Canfora writes. Denver is open to moving Harris and Wolfe, and rival GMs expect the Broncos to make those trades happen.

Patriots Notes: Trades, Brady, Gronk

The Patriots made a couple of notable trades over the past week, acquiring wide receiver Mohamed Sanu and jettisoning defensive end Michael Bennett. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports that the team is not done dealing, and his sources say New England is continuing its efforts to strengthen its offense.

Even with Sanu in the fold, La Canfora says the Pats are still expected to pursue receiver help, and although all indications are that the Bengals won’t trade A.J. Green prior to Tuesday’s deadline, rival GMs expect Bill Belichick to take a run at him just the same. As reported previously, the club is also interested in bolstering its tight end group, and Cincinnati’s Tyler Eifert and Tampa’s O.J. Howard appeal to the Patriots. Additionally, New England remains in the market for O-line upgrades, with Washington’s Trent Williams, Cincinnati’s Cordy Glenn, and old friend and current Giant Nate Solder also potential targets.

Now for more out of Foxborough:

  • Despite La Canfora’s report that the Patriots will continue to be aggressive in the trade market, Michael Lombardi of The Athletic says the Pats are not involved in any deals right now, as they are quite limited in cap room (Twitter link). The Bennett trade helped to facilitate the Sanu acquisition, but if New England is going to make another splash, it may need to cut or restructure another player.
  • For the first time in 20 years, Tom Brady‘s future is uncertain, and one of the league’s most respected reporters, Adam Schefter, recently said that Brady staying with the Pats beyond 2019 is less likely than his retiring or suiting up for another club. Another of the NFL’s most prominent scribes, Ian Rapoport, doesn’t go as far as Schefter, but he does say that Brady’s tone with respect to his future has changed dramatically, and RapSheet confirms that TB12’s 2020 plans are very much up in the air (video link). On the other hand, Schefter points out that Brady’s strong relationships with Belichick and owner Robert Kraft — which were reportedly strained not that long ago — could convince the future Hall-of-Famer to stay in New England.
  • If Brady does play elsewhere in 2020, La Canfora says the Chargers would hold significant appeal to him given his connections to SoCal and his increasing interest in Hollywood.
  • Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski recently stated in no uncertain terms that he would remain retired, but as Stefan Geller of the Boston Herald writes, that could still change. Gronk is calling on the league to allow players to use CBD products to aid in their recoveries, and if that happens, he suggested he could come back. “I also want to have the option to get back into the game, and if I’m banned next year, I can’t,” Gronkowski said. Gronkowski, obviously, is using CBD products and recently partnered with CBD Medic.
  • Tom Pelissero of NFL.com names Patriots special teams/WRs coach Joe Judge and ILB coach Jerod Mayo as two assistants who could garner head coaching interest during next year’s coaching carousel. While it would be a stretch to see the 33-year-old Mayo as an HC in 2020, especially since he just became an NFL coach seven month ago, it would not be surprising to see him get an interview.

Chargers Activate T Russell Okung

Russell Okung is set to make his season debut Sunday. The Chargers activated their top tackle and placed rookie safety Nasir Adderley on IR.

Okung battled blood clot issues for several weeks and began this season on the Bolts’ NFI list. After returning to practice earlier this month, the 10th-year left tackle will soon be back in action. This represents some rare good news for the Chargers on the injury front.

The Bolts have used second-year UDFA Trent Scott at left tackle in all seven games this season. Okung, 32, obviously represents a notable upgrade and will begin his third season in this post. The former top-10 pick started 15 games for each of the past two Chargers teams, making the Pro Bowl in 2017. His return comes for a Chargers team that’s been ravaged by injuries at nearly every position, helping lead to a 2-5 start.

A second-round pick, Adderley only played 10 defensive snaps this season. The Delaware product has missed the past three Bolts games. He has dealt with a hamstring injury and will now have the chance to rehab and prepare for his sophomore NFL campaign. Adderley will join fellow safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips on IR. Both are candidates to return this season, James in particular.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/23/2019

Today’s practice squad updates:

Atlanta Falcons

Denver Broncos

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

  • Signed: OL Aaron Monteiro

New Orleans Saints

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