- Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com polled five NFL execs regarding Mayfield’s best destination and didn’t get one definitive answer. While some quarterback-needy teams came up, two decision-makers mentioned the Saints and Chargers as Mayfield fits. Both suggest multiyear apprenticeships behind Brees and Philip Rivers. However, a source told Matt Miller of Bleacher Report Rivers’ resurgence has “basically shut down” the prospect of the Bolts making a quarterback-of-the-future pick in the upcoming first round. Rivers turned 36 on Friday.
Today’s practice squad updates:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: RB Terrence Magee
- Waived: DB Jeremy Boykins
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: CB Robertson Daniel
Buffalo Bills
- Signed: P Cory Carter, S Dean Marlowe
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: LB Richie Brown
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Will Pericak, TE Colin Thompson
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: S Justin Currie
- Waived: WR Rannell Hall
Detroit Lions
- Signed: C Leo Koloamatangi
- Waived: S Stefan McClure
Denver Broncos
- Signed: OL Jeremiah Poutasi
- Waived: OL Gabe Ikard
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: TE Robert Tonyan
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Devin Lucien, CB Josh Thornton
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: T Andreas Knappe
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: CB Sammy Seamster
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: TE Braedon Bowman
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Jason King
Oakland Raiders
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: T Isaiah Battle, WR Cyril Grayson, DT Garrison Smith
- Waived: TE Steve Donatell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DE Sterling Bailey
Washington Redskins
- Signed: LB Pete Robertson
- Waived: S Orion Stewart
The Chargers won’t go with a two-kicker setup on Sunday, choosing instead to place Nick Novak on IR.
The team announced the move, one that will make room on the roster for practice squad promotion Travis Coons, who begin his Bolts game tenure by kicking against his former team. Coons’ upcoming Browns work will make him the fourth kicker to participate for the Chargers this season, with Novak replacing YoungHoe Koo and punter Drew Kaser stepping in for an injured Novak on Thanksgiving.
Novak aggravated a back injury against the Cowboys, and it will almost certainly end his season. Coons has not kicked in a game since the 2015 season. Novak finished his 13th NFL campaign going 9-for-13 on field goal tries and making 17 of his 18 extra points.
Novak spent training camp with the Texans, with whom the 36-year-old specialist kicked for the previous two seasons. But the Texans cut him. Once Koo’s struggles became too much for the Bolts, they turned to Novak — their kicker from 2011-14.
The Chargers will see yet another kicker suit up for them in a game this season. They made the decision to promote Travis Coons from their practice squad, according to agent Brett Tessler (on Twitter).
Tessler added his client will be kicking for the Bolts against the Browns. Nick Novak aggravating a back injury on Thanksgiving led to the Chargers signing Coons to their taxi squad earlier this week, and it looks like the team will be giving him another week to recover.
The Bolts are set to carry two kickers on their active roster, and Coons would be their fourth this season. YoungHoe Koo beat out Josh Lambo in training camp, but after early-season struggles, the Chargers reacquired Novak. Punter Drew Kaser then filled in for the kicker on Thanksgiving.
Coons hasn’t kicked in a regular-season game since the 2015 season, when he served as the Browns’ kicker for 16 games.
Today’s practice squad updates:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Darius Victor
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: LB Darnell Sankey
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: RB Aaron Green
Denver Broncos
- Signed: CB Michael Hunter
Detroit Lions
- Signed: DE Jeremiah Valoaga
- Waived: LB Thurston Armbrister
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: LB Ahmad Thomas
Houston Texans
- Signed: QB Taylor Heinicke, TE Ryan Malleck, WR DeAndrew White
The Chargers worked out veteran kickers on Tuesday and are planning to sign Travis Coons to their practice squad, Field Yates of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).
This will serve as a Nick Novak insurance policy. Novak is dealing with a back injury, one that caused him to kick through noticeable pain against the Cowboys. Eric Williams of ESPN.com tweets the Chargers believe Novak can kick against the Browns on Sunday, but Coons will be a backup plan.
Williams reported the Bolts were holding a kicker workout, and veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer reports (on Twitter) Sam Ficken, Marshall Koehn and Jason Myers joined Coons for the showcase. The Bolts appeared to have called in a long snapper, Jeff Overbaugh, to work with them as well, per Balzer.
Coons will take his place on the Chargers’ 10-man taxi squad.
He worked out for the Lions earlier this season after spending time with the Rams during training camp. The Raiders also rostered Coons, who last kicked for the 2015 Browns. The 25-year-old served as Cleveland’s kicker for all 16 games that season. He made 28 of 32 field goals as a rookie, but Patrick Murray beat him out for the job during the 2016 preseason.
This workout featured different kickers than the October gathering in L.A., arranged because of a Novak ankle ailment. At that point, the Bolts hosted initial 2017 kicking option Younghoe Koo, along with Andrew Franks. Myers attended both workouts. Former Charger specialist Josh Lambo replaced Myers in Jacksonville.
After jumping out to a 5-0 start this year, the Chiefs have lost four of their last five games, making themselves vulnerable to the surging Chargers and even the Raiders in the AFC West. The team’s offensive struggles have contributed to that swoon, and quarterback Alex Smith has fallen off a bit after a torrid first half. He is coming off a miserable performance in Kansas City’s loss to the lowly Giants last week, but Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that the Chiefs would only turn to rookie first-rounder Patrick Mahomes if Smith were to get hurt. Smith will remain under center the rest of the year, though Kansas City still plans to shop him in the offseason as it prepares to usher in the Mahomes era.
- We learned Friday that Chargers rookie wideout Mike Williams avoided an ACL tear during his team’s Thanksgiving Day win over the Cowboys, and Rapoport tweets that Williams has been diagnosed with a bone bruise. While Williams is expected to miss next week’s contest against the Browns, he will be week-to-week thereafter, which is a big deal for a team that has forced its way back into the playoff hunt.
The Chargers received encouraging news about receiver Mike Williams on Friday night. Despite some concern that the talented rookie playmaker would “miss time” thanks to an injury he suffered on Thanksgiving, the team has learned that Williams did not injure his ACL, reports Dan Woike of The San Diego Union-Tribune.
“He’s still being evaluated right now, doctors and trainers. We’ll see where he goes from there,” head coach Anthony Lynn said. “…As of now, I’ve just been told ACL, that’s been ruled out, which was very good news for me. I think we can deal with the rest, and lot of it may depend on pain tolerance as well.”
The former Clemson star exited Thursday’s game against the Cowboys after just one snap as he was seen limping off the field in a great amount of pain. The injury appeared to be non-contact.
While Friday’s news is encouraging for the wideout, it’s still been sort of a lost year for the 2017 seventh overall pick. Williams missed the Chargers first five games with a back injury and was just beginning to integrate himself more in the Los Angeles offense.
However, the news could have been much worse for all involved as there’s now a better chance that the injury is less serious than first anticipated.
- The Chargers did not escape their Thanksgiving Day bout with the Cowboys unscathed. Kicker Nick Novak sustained a back injury and his status has led the team to possibly tryout kickers next week, Eric Williams of ESPN reports (Twitter link).
- Staying in Los Angeles, the Chargers also expect rookie wideout Mike Williams to miss time, though it has ruled out an ACL injury, Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams writes. Williams was carted off the field with an injury during the game.
Just as the Chargers are making a serious push to do something no non-Chargers team has done since the AFL-NFL merger — make the playoffs after starting 0-4 — their first-round pick has encountered familiar trouble.
Mike Williams left Thursday’s game with a knee injury, and while this is a different malady than the back ailment that shelved the talented pass-catcher for much of the offseason and into the early portion of his rookie slate, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter) the team is concerned about Williams’ setback.
Williams will undergo an MRI on Friday, per Rapoport, who adds the Chargers are worried he will miss game time. That said, the team believes as of now Williams did not damage his ACL during the Bolts’ Thanksgiving Day win over the Cowboys.
The Clemson product who missed most of the 2015 season with a neck injury has been eased into his run with the Chargers. He’s played in six games and has only been targeted 15 times, catching nine passes for 84 yards. The Bolts are deep at wide receiver, though, with Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin also supplementing Keenan Allen.