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Los Angeles Chargers News & Rumors

Draft Pick Signings: 5/12/18

May 12th, 2018 at 9:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are today’s rookie signings:

  • The Buccaneers have signed third-round offensive lineman Alex Cappa, reports Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). The Division II Humboldt State product was the GNAC offensive lineman of the year for four straight seasons, and he was a unanimous All-American in 2017. Cappa primarily played tackle in college, but he could end up being a versatile reserve lineman for the Buccaneers.
  • The Chargers announced that they have signed third-round defensive tackle Justin Jones to a four-year contract. Interestingly, the Bolts’ first 2018 pick signing comes from the third round, which generally produces the biggest hiccups in terms of negotiations. Jones played on the N.C. State defensive line on which Bradley Chubb starred and fellow 2018 draftees B.J. Hill and Kentavius Street played. Jones finished with 22.5 tackles in three seasons with the Wolfpack.

OL Orlando Franklin To Retire

May 5th, 2018 at 3:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

A day after the Redskins released him, Orlando Franklin is ready to call it a career.

The former second-round pick and six-year NFL starter will not attempt to play an eighth NFL season. Franklin, 30, posted on Instagram that he will retire to spend time with his wife and son in Denver.

Franklin’s best seasons came with the Broncos, who selected him in the second round in 2011. He served as Denver’s starting right tackle for three seasons before the team relocated him to left guard prior to the 2014 season. That move helped Franklin, who enjoyed a solid contract campaign and signed a five-year, $36.5MM deal with the Chargers that came with $20MM guaranteed.

While Franklin could not replicate the success he had in Denver with San Diego, he started for two seasons with the Bolts. Injuries limited him to 10 games with the Chargers in 2015, but he returned to man their left guard spot for 16 contests in ’16. The Chargers released him last year, which led to short stays with the Saints and Redskins. Franklin played in one game with Washington last season.

Overall, the former Miami Hurricane started 89 of the 90 regular-season games in which he played. He also started for the Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Chargers Exercise Melvin Gordon’s Option

May 2nd, 2018 at 12:58pm CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here, but the Chargers have officially picked up Melvin Gordon‘s option for the 2019 season (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Chargers general manager Tom Telesco indicated last month that he would add the additional year to Gordon’s deal. 

Gordon, the No. 15 pick in the ’15 draft, will earn $5.605MM in the 2019 season. The option is guaranteed for injury only, so the Chargers could theoretically bail on the extra year if Gordon’s performance slips for non-health reasons.

Gordon is coming off a career-high 1,105 yards on the ground, so the Chargers seem pretty likely to move forward with the fifth-year. Gordon also had 58 catches for 476 yards and four touchdowns in 2017.

The Wisconsin product got off to a slow start in his NFL career as he averaged just 3.5 yards per carry as a rookie. Over the last two years, he has stepped that up to a more respectable 3.9 yards per tote average as the Bolts’ primary rusher. He has also shown the ability to perform in the red zone with 18 rushing TDs and six receiving TDs to his credit over the last two years.

Chargers Confirm They're Ending Gates Era

April 30th, 2018 at 9:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last week, news broke that the Chargers and Antonio Gates would not reunite for a 16th season. The Bolts confirmed this on Monday.

Last week, news broke that the Chargers and Antonio Gates would not reunite for a 16th season. The Bolts confirmed this on Monday.

“Antonio is not only one of the best Chargers of all-time, but he’s one of the best football players in the history of our game,” Tom Telesco said, via Ricky Henne of Chargers.com. “He has meant so much to this organization — both on the field, off the field, in San Diego, in Los Angeles — and we can’t say enough about the type of person he is, and player.

The Chargers signed former Broncos starter Virgil Green this offseason, and the blocking tight end will pair with Hunter Henry. Gates wants to catch on elsewhere and play what would be his age-38 season. His 114 touchdown receptions are the most by a tight end in NFL history and sixth all-time for any pass-catcher.

Chargers Sign 21 Undrafted Free Agents

April 29th, 2018 at 1:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers have agreed to terms with the following 21 undrafted college free agents:

  • Tony Brown, CB (Alabama)
  • B.J. Clay, CB (Georgia State)
  • Zachary Crabtree, T, (Oklahoma State)
  • Chris Durant, T (William & Mary)
  • Marcus Edmond, CB, (Clemson)
  • Brandon Facyson, CB, (Virginia Tech)
  • Zack Golditch, G, (Colorado State)
  • Bijhon Jackson, DT, (Arkansas)
  • Albert Havili, DE, (Eastern Washington)
  • D’Juan Hines, LB, (Houston)
  • Cole Hunt, TE, (TCU)
  • Tevin Lawson, DE, (Nicolls State)
  • Ben Johnson, TE, (Kansas)
  • J.J. Jones, WR, (West Georgia)
  • Anthony Manzo-Lewis, FB, (Albany)
  • Detrez Newsome, RB, (Western Carolina)
  • Steven Richardson, DT, (Minnesota)
  • Nic Shimonek, QB, (Texas Tech)
  • Trenton Scott, G, (Grambling State)
  • Kent Shelby, WR, (McNeese State)
  • Shane Tripucka, P, (Texas A&M)

Draft Rumors: Sutton, Chargers, Landry

April 27th, 2018 at 4:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys exited Round 1 without taking a wide receiver, but the team is aiming for one in the second round. Dallas is hoping SMU’s Courtland Sutton is available, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. La Canfora notes the Saints are also interested in Sutton, whom some mocks had going in Round 1. New Orleans’ interest is noteworthy due to the deep arsenal of wide receivers on its roster, with Cameron Meredith now in the fold and Brandon Coleman having re-signed. But Ted Ginn is now 33. The Cowboys, conversely, need a wideout now after cutting Dez Bryant. Coupled with the news of Jason Witten‘s rumored departure and it’s logical to assume the Cowboys will exit Day 2 with a pass-catcher. Dallas’ next pick is at No. 50, and rumors of a possible Earl Thomas swap have emerged. Should the Cowboys unload their second-round selection for the All-Pro safety, they will almost certainly miss out on Sutton being there. And they may even have to trade up to land him regardless.

Here’s the latest from the draft world as Day 2 looms:

  • The Chargers have not drafted a quarterback since 2013, but La Canfora tweets a lot of buzz has surfaced about the Bolts’ interest in Mason Rudolph. Viewed as this draft’s sixth-best quarterback prospect, Rudolph may require the Chargers to trade up. The Bolts did their homework on this draft’s quarterback prospects, and that included a workout with the Oklahoma State passer.
  • And the Bolts are indeed considering a trade-up from their No. 48 position, per La Canfora, who adds the Chiefs are inquiring about a move north as well (Twitter link). Kansas City considered moving into the back end of the first round but decided against, and Brett Veach said those talks weren’t too close to producing a deal. However, the Chiefs don’t pick until No. 54 and have several needs across their defense.
  • Boston College standout pass rusher Harold Landry is still be on the board entering Round 2, and injury concerns may be at the root of it. Some teams have flagged Landry for medical reasons, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (on Twitter), adding knee and back issues have impeded a possible pick. Landry played in only eight games for Boston College last season, missing time with an ankle malady. However, he registered 16.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss as a junior in 2016. It may be up to a team that doesn’t view Landry’s issues as enough of an investment deterrent to take him off the board Friday night.
  • The Browns are high on Georgia running back Nick Chubb, La Canfora notes (via Twitter). Cleveland was linked to Saquon Barkley but didn’t have a chance to get him at No. 4. John Dorsey acquired the reigning NFL rushing champion, Kareem Hunt, in the third round last year. The Browns recently signed Carlos Hyde and have Duke Johnson entering a contract year.
  • Former Wichita State basketball player Shaq Morris has an interesting decision on his hands, it appears. Morris is determining if he will try to make an NBA push or, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter), try his hand at an NFL career. The 6-foot-7, 270-pound athlete averaged a career-high 14.0 points per game last season for the Shockers and finished as the now-American Athletic Conference program’s all-time dunks leader. Garafolo reports Morris has hired NFL agent David Canter and will entertain interest from teams. Morris played high school football and may be attempting to follow in the footsteps of Antonio Gates, Julius Thomas and others whose college careers mostly commenced on basketball courts.

Chargers Won’t Re-Sign TE Antonio Gates

April 27th, 2018 at 3:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Antonio Gates’ time with the Chargers appears to be over. The Bolts informed the tight end this offseason that they do not plan to bring him back to Los Angeles, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. However, Gates wants to continue playing, so it sounds like he’ll finish his career elsewhere.

Gates will turn 38 in June, but he believes that he still has something left in the tank. The Chargers do not necessarily agree. Last year, he saw less targets than youngster Hunter Henry and finished out with just 30 catches for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Those were his lowest totals in each category since his 2003 season.

The NFL’s all-time leader in touchdown receptions among tight ends with 114, Gates served in a complementary role last season. He caught three TD passes to eclipse Tony Gonzalez in this category, but the 30 receptions and 316 yards marked significant production dips from his 2016 slate.

The eight-time Pro Bowl pass-catcher has only played for one team since coming into the league as a UDFA out of Kent State. But the Bolts look set to turn to Henry, who has emerged as their go-to tight end in his two seasons. Gates signed a two-year deal with the Chargers in 2016 and made $11MM. He’ll surely have to play on a one-year commitment if he lands elsewhere.

Browns, Colts Lead League In Cap Space

April 25th, 2018 at 2:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns and Colts have the most cap room of any team in the NFL heading into draft, as Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes. Here’s the official rundown of every team’s cap space for 2018 on the eve of draft weekend:

  1. Browns – $69.5MM
  2. Colts – $59.8MM
  3. 49ers – $43.8MM
  4. Titans – $35.8MM
  5. Texans -$35.6MM
  6. Bears – $24.1MM
  7. Jets – $21.9MM
  8. Bills – $19.4MM
  9. Jaguars – $18.6MM
  10. Cardinals – $18.1MM
  11. Redskins -$17.1MM
  12. Bengals – $16.8MM
  13. Packers – $16.2MM
  14. Vikings – $15.5MM
  15. Broncos – $14.6MM
  16. Patriots – $13.8MM
  17. Buccaneers – $12.3MM
  18. Cowboys -$11.9MM
  19. Chargers – $11.4MM
  20. Lions – $9.4MM
  21. Giants -$9.4MM
  22. Ravens – $8.8MM
  23. Seahawks – $7.6MM
  24. Chiefs – $6.7MM
  25. Saints – $5.7MM
  26. Panthers – $5.2MM
  27. Dolphins – $2.9MM
  28. Eagles – $2.2MM
  29. Steelers – $2MM
  30. Raiders – $1.8MM
  31. Falcons – $1.3MM
  32. Rams – $264K

Chargers Plan To Exercise Melvin Gordon Fifth-Year Option

April 23rd, 2018 at 5:36pm CST by Micah Powell

Though nothing is official, the Chargers intend to exercise the fifth-year option on running back Melvin Gordon, general manager Tom Telesco told reporters at his pre-draft press conference, ESPN’s Eric D. Williams writes.

“I think right now the plan is to exercise the option,” Telesco said. “But right now we’re just focused on the draft.”

As a running back drafted at No. 15 in 2015, Gordon would be scheduled to make $5.605MM in 2019. Though Gordon has been inconsistent throughout his three-year career, that number is still a solid bargain for the Chargers.

Gordon has rushed for 2,743 yards and 18 touchdowns in his career. He is coming off a career-high 1,105 yards on the ground and he also added 58 grabs for 476 yards and four touchdowns. In 2016, Gordon rebounded from a difficult rookie campaign to earn his only Pro Bowl selection.

 

Dwight Freeney Retires From NFL

April 19th, 2018 at 3:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Dwight Freeney is calling it a career. After 16 seasons in the NFL, Freeney will sign a one-day contract with Indianapolis to retire as a member of the Colts. 

Freeney entered the league as the No. 11 pick in the 2002 NFL Draft. Since then, he has racked up seven Pro Bowl nods, three first-team All-Pro selections, and a Super Bowl ring.

Freeney, 38, will be best remembered for his time in blue and white, where he amassed 107. 5 sacks across eleven seasons. All in all, he has 125.5 career sacks to his credit, tying him for 17th all-time in NFL history.

The Colts averaged 11 wins per year during Freeney’s run with the Colts and had 11 sacks in his 22 playoff games with the team. Many thought the Colts were reaching when they selected Freeney in ’02, but he turned out to be the perfect fit for first-year head coach Tony Dungy.

“Bill [Polian] had seen Dwight and thought he was exactly the guy I had been talking about,” Dungy said of Freeney. “We’re sitting at No. 11 in the first round and people looked at his size and thought it was too high to draft him. Bill, to his credit, said, ‘If this is going to be the big piece of the puzzle, let’s not worry about where we take Dwight and what other people think. Let’s get the guy who is going to be the perfect piece.’ Dwight was the straw that stirred the drink.”

The Syracuse product played in three Super Bowls — two with the Colts, one with the Falcons — and started in 19 postseason games. All seven of Freeney’s double-digit sack seasons came with the Colts.

Following his Colts run, which ran through the 2012 season, Freeney played with five more teams. His most notable post-Indianapolis season came with the 2015 Cardinals, for whom he registered eight sacks and helped to the NFC title game despite being an off-the-bench edge rusher. He recorded three sacks in each of the past two seasons, playing in Atlanta, Seattle and Detroit. Prior to Arizona, Freeney spent two seasons in San Diego.

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