Chargers Notes: Gates, Jones, Smith, Nwosu
After Hunter Henry was lost for the season with a torn ACL, it was immediately speculated that the Chargers might look to bring back Antonio Gates. Gates’ NFL career appeared to be over after the Chargers indicated they were moving on, but Henry’s injury threw him a lifeline.
Gates isn’t interested in playing for any other team, and the two sides had talks right after Henry went down. Despite there still being no deal in place with the preseason already underway, Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said “we’re still talking with him” after the Chargers’ game against the Cardinals, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN. Williams points out that the Chargers tight ends accounted for five drops in the preseason opener, and Lynn said “we need to make more plays at the tight end position.” It all sounds like eventually something will get done with Gates.
Here’s more from Los Angeles:
- In the race to be Philip Rivers‘ backup between Geno Smith and Cardale Jones, Smith “appeared to seize control of the competition” with his strong performance in the first week of the preseason, Williams writes. Smith threw for over 200 yards while Jones, who started the game, threw for only 50 on 12 attempts.
- Williams writes that rookie linebacker Uchenna Nwosu could start right away for the team. Nwosu, the 48th overall pick in this year’s draft from USC, had a sack and two quarterback hits in his professional debut.
- In case you missed it, we took a look at the Chargers’ situation at guard as Forrest Lamp continues to rehab from a knee injury.
Schofield Filling In For Lamp
The Chargers are seemingly never able to stay healthy, and this year hasn’t been any different. They’ve already lost Hunter Henry and Jason Verrett to season ending injuries. Last year’s second round pick, guard Forrest Lamp, has been expected to start for the team in 2018, but has been very slow in recovering from a knee injury that cost him his whole rookie season.
Given Lamp’s history, it’s entirely possible Schofield ends up being a starting guard for the Chargers this year. Here’s more from the AFC:
Chargers' Free Safety Job Up For Grabs
- The Chargers‘ starting free safety job remains up for grabs, as Eric Williams of ESPN.com tweets. Jahleel Addae, Desmond King, and Jaylen Watkins have all seen action with the starters at that position.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/18
Today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: LB Cap Capi
- Waived/injured: DE Bryson Albright
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived: DE Ja’Von Rolland-Jones
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: OL Korren Kirven, DE Joby Saint Fleur
- Waived: DE James Hearns, RB Trey Williams
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G Nick Callender
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: CB Channing Stribling, WR Marcus Peterson
- Placed on IR: TE Austin Roberts
New England Patriots
- Waived/injured: G Nate Theaker
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: TE Bucky Hodges, OT Kyle Meadows
- Waived: LB Darnell Leslie, TE Ryan Malleck
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed CB Jeremy Boykins, LB Josh Forrest
- Waived: S Alex Carter, TE Je’Ron Hamm
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: RB Dare Ogunbowale
- Waived: RB Dalton Crossan
Chargers' HC On CB Depth
- The Chargers got an injury scare this week when cornerback Trevor Williams left camp on crutches. The early word on his ankle is promising, but if Williams’ condition worsens, it sounds like the Chargers will explore outside help. “If Trevor’s ankle is bad, then I would be concerned about the depth there,” coach Anthony Lynn said (via the Associated Press). “But I’m also confident in those young guys behind him. They’re stepping up and making plays in practice, and there’s going to be a nice competition in that group.” The Chargers just lost Jason Verrett for the season, so another cornerback injury would be devastating for the team. Even before Williams’ injury, the Bolts were said to have interest in veteran Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
Chargers, Seahawks Interested In DRC
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie may be closer to finding an NFL home. The free agent is receiving interest from the Seahawks and Chargers, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 
The Seahawks are showing the most interest in DRC, Rapoport reports, but the Chargers’ are also in the mix thanks to their recent cornerback injury. Now that Jason Verrett is done for the year with an Achilles injury, DRC could step in as the club’s first cornerback off of the bench to support Desmond King and Casey Hayward.
The Seahawks, meanwhile, just recently waived DeAndre Elliott, leaving them thin at slot cornerback. DRC would help address that issue and he might also be able to contribute at safety when needed.
Last year, Rodgers-Cromartie earned a 77.2 overall score from Pro Football Focus, his lowest showing since 2012. He graded out as the 58th ranked cornerback in the NFL, portraying him as someone who is on the fringe of starter quality. His on-field performance was problematic, but there were also behavioral issues. Rodgers-Cromartie clashed with former coach Ben McAdoo on four separate occasions before being suspended “indefinitely” for conduct detrimental to the team. He was brought back after just one game, but teams could still be wary of his locker room influence.
Chargers Lose Another TE For Season
- In addition to the season-ending injuries sustained by Hunter Henry and Jason Verrett, the Chargers‘ recent spree of misfortune affected another tight end Sunday. Rookie UDFA Austin Roberts suffered a torn ACL and will miss the season, Anthony Lynn said (via Eric Williams of ESPN.com, on Twitter). Roberts was one of Josh Rosen‘s options at UCLA the past two seasons. The Bolts remain in discussions regarding an Antonio Gates reunion.
Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/18
Here are today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived: DE Moubarak Djeri
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed: C Erick Wren
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Kenneth Durden
- Placed on injured reserve: CB Sam Beal
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: DB Trovon Reed, WR Malik Turner
- Waived: TE Kayaune Ross
Chargers’ Jason Verrett Tears Achilles
Chargers cornerback Jason Verrett suffered a torn Achilles during a conditioning test, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via ESPN colleague Josina Anderson on Twitter). Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was the first to report (via Twitter) that Verrett sustained an injury that would likely cost him the season. Injuries have limited Verrett to just five total games over the past two seasons, so this is obviously devastating news for the 27-year-old. 
Verrett was a full participant in June’s minicamp and reportedly looked like his old self. The Bolts were cautiously optimistic about Verrett after he flashed the ability that earned him a Pro Bowl nod in 2015.
“We can be real special,” Verrett said recently when asked about the Chargers’ secondary. “I know it’s a tough for the coaches to make a decision on who’s going to go out there, just because of how deep we are. But I think just how tight we are as a group, it’s going to allow us to keep feeding off each other. Everyone’s going be wanting to get better each and every day because you know the guys behind you are going to want to be where you are.”
Without Verrett, the Bolts will lean more heavily on the likes of Casey Heyward, Trevor Williams, and Desmond King. It’s conceivable that they could also explore outside help, such as free agent Bashaud Breeland. Anderson reports that the team is keeping another big name free agent, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, in mind, but that there is no rush to bring DRC in at this time.
Verrett, a 2014 first-round selection, is entering the walk year of his contract. Between his two knee surgeries and this latest setback, Verrett’s future is very much in flux.
Extra Points: Gates, Chargers, Manziel, Richardson, AAF, Anthem
“Chargers GM Tom Telesco acknowledged ongoing talks with TE Antonio Gates’ representation Thursday, but no deal” tweets Eric D. Williams of ESPN. Telesco also added that he believes Gates “can still be effective in the Chargers’ offense.” The Chargers looked set to move on earlier this offseason, but then Hunter Henry was lost for the season with a torn ACL. The team immediately expressed interest in bringing back Gates, but things have been slow moving ever since.
It’s unclear what is holding up contract talks, but it’s not a huge deal for a player who’s been around as long as Gates has to miss some of training camp. Perhaps he just wants to wait as long as possible and put little wear on his body before returning right before the regular season. Gates has said he has no intention of retiring, and it’s extremely unlikely he signs with any other team than the Chargers. A deal should get done at some point, and it would be a surprise if it isn’t announced soon. The future Hall of Fame inductee turned 38 in June.
Here’s more from around the football universe:
- The Montreal Alouettes had been targeting Johnny Manziel for a while before they finally ended up trading for him, a source told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. The Alouettes had tried to acquire Manziel’s rights before he even signed with the CFL, but were rebuffed.
- Former number three overall pick Trent Richardson will sign with the Birmingham team in the newly created AAF, according to Matt Zenitz of AL.com. Richardson flamed out with the Browns and then Colts, and will be looking to revive his football career in the upstart league.
- The league and NFLPA have been talking and negotiating about the anthem policy since before the July 4th holiday, a source told Albert Breer of SI.com. Breer disagrees with the league’s course of action, arguing the new “policy was a poor way to try to move the focus back to football.”