Chargers Met With Johnathan Hankins
Although Johnathan Hankins is only 26 and has been an NFL starter for the past four seasons, he’s without a team less than two weeks before most franchises’ 2018 seasons begin. But he’s confident he’ll find a home soon, and another suitor emerged recently.
It’s not certain when this visit occurred, but it was revealed during an interview with Brady Quinn and A.J. Hawk on Sirius XM Radio Hankins met with the Chargers this offseason. The former Giants and Colts interior defender added he’s had discussions with teams and is trying to determine the best landing spot.
“I believe I’ll be with a team pretty soon,” Hankins said during the interview. “I’ve just been really talking to teams and trying to figure out what would be the best fit. Just taking my time with things, and I feel like I’ll be with at team very soon, before the season gets started.”
The Colts released Hankins in mid-March. He since met with the Jets in April and worked out for the Browns earlier this month, but no deals materialized. The Chargers will play the first four games without Corey Liuget due to a suspension, and although they did add defensive tackle Justin Jones in the third round, Hankins would supply depth. He graded as a top-20 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus, last season and was productive with the Giants prior to initially hitting free agency.
It’s likely Hankins will have to settle for a one-year deal at a lower-than-expected rate, similar to the some of this year’s top free agent safeties who mysteriously languished unattached for months. But he remains one of the best available players heading into the season.
Chargers Deciding Between Smith, Jones
- The Chargers are likely to keep just two quarterbacks, which makes sense given Philip Rivers‘ historic durability. Los Angeles’ starter has taken first-string snaps in every game since succeeding Drew Brees in 2006. As a result, Yates adds that either Cardale Jones or Geno Smith is a cut candidate. The Bolts, though, aren’t certain which one will be given his walking papers. Smith is a vested veteran and would head into free agency if released, while Jones would be subject to waivers. Neither is attached to a contract worth more than $1MM.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: RB Darius Victor
Buffalo Bills
- Released: S L.J. McCray
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: CB Darius Hillary
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OL Kyle Bosch, OL Matthew Diaz
- Waived: WR Ricky Jeune, OL Dustin Stanton
Houston Texans
- Released: WR Chris Thompson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Released from IR: S Don Carey
Los Angeles Chargers
- Claimed off waivers (Texans): DT Marcus Hardison
- Waived/injured: OL Zachary Crabtree
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: RB Larry Rose
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: TE Anthony Denham
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: RB Ja’Quan Gardner
- Waived: S Chanceller James
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: LB Deontae Skinner
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/22/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: DT Tani Tupou, DT Nigel Williams
- Released: TE Chris Bazile, WR Austin Wolf
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: RB Tion Green
- Waived/Injured: RB Josh Ferguson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: RB Terrell Watson
- Waived/Injured: LB James Onwualu
Chargers Place Jaylen Watkins On IR
The Chargers announced that they’ve placed safety Jaylen Watkins on injured reserve after he suffered a torn ACL in Saturday night’s preseason games, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Watkins, 26, wasn’t expected to start for Los Angeles in 2017, as the club will deploy first-round pick Derwin James and Jahleel Addae at safety. But the former fourth-round pick could have offered valuable depth, as Watkins appeared in 36 games during a four-year run with the Eagles. Philadelphia opted not to tender Watkins as a restricted free agent this offseason, and he subsequently met with the 49ers before landing with the Chargers.
Even with Watkins sidelined, Los Angeles has enough safety depth to get by in 2018. James and Addae project to be backed up by Rayshawn Jenkins and Adrian Phillips, while A.J. Hendy could be kept on the the Chargers’ practice squad. Fourth-round rookie Kyzir White, drafted nominally as a safety, is expected to play a sub-package linebacker role in LA.
To replace Watkins on their roster, the Chargers announced that they’ve claimed defensive back Micah Hannemann off waivers from the Browns.
Melvin Gordon Believes His Next Contract Will Look Like Todd Gurley's
Chargers running back Melvin Gordon will not be eligible for unrestricted free agency until after the 2019 season, as the Bolts picked up his fifth-year option for 2019 back in May. He cracked the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career last season, and he continues to be a force as a receiver out of the backfield. Nonetheless, as Jack Wang of the Orange County Register writes, Gordon still has a long way to go before he can command the type of contract that fellow 2015 first-rounder Todd Gurley recently pulled down (Gordon, after all, has yet to average four yards per carry in his three seasons in the league).
Hunter Henry Could Return In 2018?
Chargers tight end Hunter Henry is now three months removed from undergoing surgery for a torn ACL, and there is reportedly a “glimmer of hope” the third-year pro could return during the 2018 campaign, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com.
Most ACL injuries require a minimum nine-month recover period, a timeline which should have ruled out Henry for the regular season. But Henry has been moving well during Los Angeles’ training camp, per Williams, who adds Henry “doesn’t look like someone who believes [his] season is over.”
The Chargers will almost surely place Henry on injured reserve during roster cutdowns in September, but there’s a chance he could be designated as an IR/return player. (A player with that designation must be carried through to his club’s respective initial 53-man roster before being moved to IR.) Henry would be able to play after missing Los Angeles’ first eight games, meaning he could return on November 11, just shy of six months after his ACL surgery.
At that point, the Chargers’ team record and standing within the AFC West would likely play a role in their decision on Henry. If Los Angeles isn’t in contention, it won’t risk Henry’s health in a lost season. As Williams notes, the Chargers must take into account the 23-year-old Henry’s long-term outlook with the club, not just his potential 2018 impact.
Without Henry available, the Chargers will begin the season with Virgil Green as their top tight end, while Sean Culkin, Braedon Bowman, Je’Ron Hamm, Cole Hunt, and Ben Johnson are also on the roster. However, Los Angeles is still negotiating with franchise icon Antonio Gates, who reportedly won’t play for any team besides the Chargers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/18/18
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on non-football injury list: WR Josh Gordon
- Signed: TE Stephen Baggett, DL Blaine Woodson
- Waived: DB Micah Hannemann
- Waived/injured: TE Julian Allen
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB LeShun Daniels
- Waived from injured reserve: LB C.J. Johnson
- Placed on reserve/retired list: RB Akeem Judd
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: LB Kyle Coleman
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: WR Darius Prince
- Waived: DT Adam Reth
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived from injured reserve: TE Donnie Ernsberger
Washington Redskins
- Signed: OL Kendall Calhoun, DB Darius Hillary, WR Allenzae Staggers
- Waived: LB Jeff Knox, DL Jalen Wilkerson
- Waived/injured: RB Martez Carter
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/16/18
Today’s minor moves:
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed: DL Albert Havili (from Chargers)
- Waived/Injured: DT Marquavius Lewis
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LS Tanner Carew
- Waived/Injured: LB Andrew Trumbetti
Denver Broncos
- Signed: DT DeQuinton Osborne
- Waived/injured: DT Paul Boyette
Chargers Claim TE Je’Ron Hamm
The Chargers added a tight end to their roster today, but it probably wasn’t the player fans were hoping for. The team announced that they’ve claimed tight end Je’Ron Hamm off waivers from the Seahawks. To make room on the roster, the Chargers waived wideout Marcus Peterson.
The 26-year-old Hamm has bounced around the NFL since going undrafted out of Louisiana-Monroe back in 2014. He had a pair of receptions for 13 yards in 2015 with the 49ers, and he’s also had stints with the Saints, Redskins, and Seahawks. He signed with Seattle back in July, and after being waived and re-signed, he was waived a second time yesterday.
Of course, following the season-ending injury to Hunter Henry, there’s been plenty of speculation that the Chargers would re-sign veteran Antonio Gates. Head coach Anthony Lynn recently said that negotiations were ongoing, and the need for a veteran was clear after Chargers tight ends accounted for five drops during the team’s preseason opener. However, for the time being, the team is rolling with Hamm, Virgil Green, Sean Culkin, and Braedon Bowman.
Peterson signed with the Chargers earlier this month. He became the first Seton Hill University alumni to sign with an NFL team.