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Los Angeles Chargers News & Rumors

AFC Notes: Pats, Gronk, Brady, Dolphins

October 10th, 2017 at 4:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots‘ decision to deactivate Rob Gronkowski for Thursday night’s game could cost him major money at the end of the season, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss points out. Gronkowski has played in 70.5% of the team’s snaps this season, which puts him on pace for the lowest possible incentives tier of $6.75MM. He can still reach the first ($10.75MM) and second tiers ($8.75MM) based on receptions, receiving yards, touchdowns, or All-Pro selection, but those markers will also be hard to reach without a certain volume of snaps.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Patriots quarterback Tom Brady suffered what is thought to be an AC joint sprain in his left, non-throwing shoulder, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He says he’ll play on Sunday against the Jets.
  • The Dolphins are expected to bring back assistant Dave DeGuglielmo to take over as the team’s new offensive line coach, Jeff Darlington of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).
  • Despite some recent optimism, it’s premature to say that Chargers first-round pick Mike Williams will be ready to make his NFL debut next week, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Cody Latimer, one of the Broncos‘ top special teamers, underwent a blood injection procedure in his right knee and could be out for the next game or so, Mike Klis of 9 News writes. Latimer has excelled as a kick returner so far this year with an average of 28.4 per attempt. He’s also a gunner on punt and kickoff coverage.
  • Former NFL safety Taylor Mays has signed with the CFL’s Roughriders, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The former second-round pick was most recently with the Bengals.

Team Official: Chargers Are Not Returning To San Diego

October 8th, 2017 at 11:51am CST by Rory Parks

Of course, the Chargers are losing the battle for Los Angeles at the moment, leading some to speculate that the league could choose to reverse course and ship the Bolts back from whence they came. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also suggests that Lockhart’s quote is not as unequivocal as it could be; Lockhart said there have been no discussions about a return to San Diego, not that a return will not happen. Plus, Florio points out that the Chargers source who spoke with Rapoport did so anonymously, which creates the impression that there’s something sensitive about the notion that the Chargers aren’t looking back.

A league spokesperson, Joe Lockhart, said earlier this week there have been no discussions about the Chargers returning to San Diego, and a team source confirmed as much to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The source said simply, “We’re not going back.”

Of course, the Chargers are losing the battle for Los Angeles at the moment, leading some to speculate that the league could choose to reverse course and ship the Bolts back from whence they came. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also suggests that Lockhart’s quote is not as unequivocal as it could be; Lockhart said there have been no discussions about a return to San Diego, not that a return will not happen. Plus, Florio points out that the Chargers source who spoke with Rapoport did so anonymously, which creates the impression that there’s something sensitive about the notion that the Chargers aren’t looking back.

That may be a bit of a reach, particularly since San Diego still does not have a stadium option, which prompted the move in the first place. Anything can happen, of course, but as of right now, it does not look as if the Chargers will be leaving LA.

Chargers WR Mike Williams To Debut In Week 6

October 8th, 2017 at 9:53am CST by Rory Parks

Chargers rookie wide receiver Mike Williams is set to make his NFL debut against the division-rival Raiders next week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Williams, whom Los Angeles selected with the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft, missed the team’s first four contests with a back injury, and he will miss today’s matchup with the Giants. However, barring any setbacks, he will finally take the field in Week 6.

Mike Williams

The back problems, of course, not only forced Williams to miss the first few games of the regular season, but it kept him on the sidelines for the entirety of training camp as well. But he has been practicing in pads since Week 2, as Schefter writes, so he may be ready to make an impact right away.

Williams, a Clemson product, caught 98 passes for 1,361 yards and 13 touchdowns for the national champion Tigers last year. It was believed at one point that his back could require season-ending surgery, but since that time, surgery was taken off the table and Los Angeles removed Williams from the PUP list so that he would not be forced to miss the first eight weeks of the regular season.

All reports for the past several months have been positive, which is welcome news for a Chargers club that has stumbled to an 0-4 record. While the playoffs are likely out of reach for the Bolts at this point, a significant contribution from Williams in 2017 would be a nice silver lining.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/7/17

October 7th, 2017 at 4:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • Andre Williams will return to the Chargers‘ active roster after the team announced the promotion of the running back from the practice squad. Los Angeles waived safety Dexter McCoil to make room on the 53-man. Branden Oliver being ruled out because of a hamstring injury led to this switch. Williams played one game last season but fared well, rushing for 87 yards against the Chiefs in Week 17. McCoil played in all 16 Bolts games as a rookie and two this season.
  • Cliff Avril‘s neck injury prompted the Seahawks to promote defensive end Branden Jackson from their practice squad, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com reports. To make room, Seattle waived linebacker Justin March-Lillard. Jackson played in three games with the Raiders last season.
  • The Jets promoted outside linebacker Freddie Bishop from their practice squad. Wide receiver Jalin Marshall is eligible to return after serving a four-game suspension, but it doesn’t look like he will be active Sunday in Cleveland.

Poll: Best AFC Free Agent Addition?

October 6th, 2017 at 5:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

A quarter of the NFL season is now in the books, which means we can accurately grade each and every free agent signing, right? Right?Mike Gillislee (Vertical)

Even if that’s not the case, it’s still possible to get a sense of how free agents are playing and whether they’re living up to their contacts through four games. With that in mind, we examined the best free agent signing on each AFC club before asking you to vote on the top overall AFC addition.

One note: we only looked at newcomers, so free agents that re-signed with their original clubs (Ravens defensive tackle Brandon Williams or Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, for example) aren’t included. On to the list!

Baltimore Ravens

  • Austin Howard, T: No NFL team has been hit harder by injuries in 2017 than the Ravens, and the club’s offensive line hasn’t been immune to health questions. Alex Lewis and Nico Siragusa — both counted on as starters at various points — are done for the season, while All World guard Marshal Yanda is also lost for the year after fracturing his leg in Week 2. Enter Howard, whom Baltimore signed after he was released by the Raiders. The 30-year-old has stepped in at right tackle, playing every offensive snap for the Ravens. While Baltimore’s offensive line still isn’t great (14th in adjusted sack rate, 19th in adjusted line yards), it’s not the disaster that it could have been, and that’s partially thanks to Howard.

Buffalo Bills

  • Jordan Poyer, S: Poyer had never been a full-time starter when the Bills inked him to a four-year, $13MM deal this offseason, but he’s been excellent through four games with Buffalo. Although he signed for roughly half of fellow free agent addition Micah Hyde‘s contract, Poyer actually tops Hyde in Pro Football Focus‘ safety rankings (No. 8 vs. No. 32). His performance is all the more impressive given that his 2016 campaign ended with a lacerated kidney. Poyer has racked up 15 tackles, two sacks, one interception, and five passes defensed in Sean McDermott‘s defense.

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Andre Smith, T: Cincinnati originally forged a reunion with Smith with the intent of shifting him to guard, but he’s instead rotated at both left and right tackle behind starters Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher. A collegiate blindside protector, Smith hadn’t played left tackle in the NFL until now, but he’s been surprisingly efficient. While he’s only played about half the snaps of Ogbuehi and Fisher, that could change if those former early-round draft picks don’t step up their game going forward.

Cleveland Browns

  • Jason McCourty, CB: Although the Browns dropped a combined $50MM guaranteed on Kevin Zeitler, Kenny Britt, and J.C. Tretter, it’s McCourty — whom Cleveland landed on two-year, $6MM deal — that’s performed the best through four contests. Though he had struggled in recent seasons, the now 30-year-old McCourty has returned to his 2010-13 level of play, as he’s graded as the No. 6 cornerback in the league, per PFF. There’s probably some regression coming, but McCourty has been worth every penny.

Denver Broncos

  • Ronald Leary, G: In sharp contrast to fellow free agent offensive line signing Menelik Watson (who allowed an astounding six sacks through the first two weeks of the season), Leary has stabilized the right guard position in Denver. The Broncos rank third in the league in rushing (both in yards and yards per carry) and eighth in rushing DVOA, and that’s due in no small part to Leary’s presence. Leary is all the more important given that Denver is currently splitting left guard snaps between Allen Barbre and Max Garcia.

Houston Texans

  • Marcus Gilchrist, S: The Texans didn’t bring in many free agents this offseason, and offensive tackle Breno Giacomini is the only other addition besides Gilchrist who’s seen significant playing time in 2017. Gilchrist, 28, has always been a solid defensive back, and he’s playing well in Houston’s secondary after a patellar tendon injury shortened his 2016 campaign. He’s only been on the field for 99 defensive snaps so far this season, but his playing time figures to increase as the year progresses.

Indianapolis Colts

  • Jabaal Sheard, DE: Do you think the Patriots, who have struggled to generate any sort of pass rush, would like to have Sheard back? Although he’s managed only one sack, Sheard has created a ton of pressure, and ranks as the No. 17 edge rusher in the NFL, per PFF. But he’s been even better against the run (No. 3, according to PFF), and he’s been one of the few bright spots on a poor Indianapolis defense. Signed through 2019 at $8.5MM annually, Sheard has been a bargain for the Colts.

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Calais Campbell, DE: As they have in past offseasons, the Jaguars ponied up for marquee free agents earlier this year, signing defensive backs A.J. Bouye and Barry Church in addition to Campbell. Through a quarter of the season, Campbell has lived up to his four-year, $60MM contract, as he’s already put up 5.5 sacks and 11.5 pressures, and has played like one of the league’s best pass-rushers. Jacksonville leads the league in adjusted sack rate, and Campbell’s presence has surely assisted second-year pro Yannick Ngakoue‘s in his four-sack campaign.

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Bennie Logan, DT: The only undefeated team in the NFL, the Chiefs are 4-0 without the help of many external additions. Logan inked a one-year, $8MM pact with Kansas City that was almost fully guaranteed after rejecting a “sizable” extension offer from the Eagles during the 2016 campaign. Logan, 27, has played 155 defensive through four games and served as a run-stuffer, but it’s too early to say whether he made a mistake in turning down a new deal from Philadelphia.

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Russell Okung, T: Okung’s four-year contract — which made him the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman — looked like an overpay from the minute it was signed, but there’s no arguing that Okung has played well since leaving the division rival Broncos for the Chargers. Los Angeles’ offensive line still isn’t good, but that’s not the fault of Okung. The Chargers average 6.03 yards when running around the left end (per Football Outsiders), a figure that ranks fifth in the league.

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

  • Mike Gillislee, RB: The Patriots surprisingly signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a five-year, $65MM deal this spring, but the former Bill has looked lost in coverage through four games in New England. Defensive lineman Lawrence Guy has been serviceable but not a difference-maker, leaving Gillislee as the Pats’ best free agent addition thus far. To be clear, Gillislee hasn’t been all that effective (especially after leading the league in yards per carry a season ago), but he’s managed to fall into the end zone four times. Not bad for a two-year, $6.4MM contract.

New York Jets

  • Morris Claiborne, CB: Similar to the Patriots and Jabaal Sheard, the Cowboys would probably like to have Claiborne back on their roster. While he’s not a shutdown cornerback, Claiborne offers competent play when healthy, and he’s played nearly every defensive snap for the Jets this year. Gang Green got Claiborne for only $5MM over one year, a discount largely due to Claiborne’s injury history. New York ranks 14th in passing defense DVOA.

Oakland Raiders

  • Jared Cook, TE: The Raiders needed to add another offensive weapon to supplement wideouts Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, and there are signs that Cook can be that third option. And in a season in which Crabtree has already dealt with injury, and Cooper has seemingly forgotten how to catch, Cook could be play an even larger role going forward. He could be especially critical as a safety blanket for EJ Manuel, who is now filling in at quarterback for the injury Derek Carr.

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • N/A: The only Steelers free agent addition that’s garnered any significant playing time is former Jaguars defensive tackle Tyson Alualu, and he’s been incredibly unproductive on 178 defensive snaps. Cornerback Coty Sensabaugh, who received $425K guaranteed on a two-year pact, has barely played.

Tennessee Titans

  • Eric Decker, WR: None of the Titans’ free agent signings have been great successes so far, and safety Jonathan Cyprien might have been choice here had he been able to stay healthy. Logan Ryan, too, has been acceptable, but he hasn’t been able to lift Tennessee’s passing defense out of the doldrums. Decker has only posted 12 receptions for 104 yards in 2017, but he’s been a great run-blocking wideout, which is critical in the Titans’ run-first offense. Sure, Tennessee isn’t paying Decker $4MM to block, but he’s at least contributing.

So, what do you think? Which of the free agents has been the best signing through a quarter of the 2017 season? Vote below, and leave your thoughts in the comments section:

Who was the best free agent addition in the AFC?
Calais Campbell, Jaguars 29.20% (332 votes)
Jordan Poyer, Bills 12.14% (138 votes)
Ronald Leary, Broncos 8.80% (100 votes)
Bennie Logan, Chiefs 7.83% (89 votes)
Mike Gillislee, Patriots 7.83% (89 votes)
Jabaal Sheard, Colts 7.12% (81 votes)
Jared Cook, Raiders 5.01% (57 votes)
Jason McCourty, Browns 4.66% (53 votes)
Morris Claiborne, Jets 4.57% (52 votes)
Austin Howard, Ravens 3.52% (40 votes)
Russell Okung, Chargers 3.34% (38 votes)
Eric Decker, Titans 2.81% (32 votes)
Andre Smith, Bengals 2.02% (23 votes)
Marcus Gilchrist, Texans 1.14% (13 votes)
Total Votes: 1,137

Chargers Work Out LB Josh Keyes

October 5th, 2017 at 7:00pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Linebacker Josh Keyes visited both the Chargers and Colts this week, Balzer tweets. These are the first known workouts for Keyes since the Falcons cut him prior to the season.

Chargers Sign K Nick Novak

October 5th, 2017 at 2:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers are bringing Nick Novak back. He’ll replace Younghoe Koo, who has been waived.

Koo won the Bolts’ kicking competition over Josh Lambo this offseason. The undrafted rookie had some hiccups in Week 2, however, and the team didn’t test him much after he missed two of three tries against Miami. The Chargers, now 0-4, lost that game by two points.
Nick Novak (Vertical)

Novak was released by Houston when he was edged out by second-year pro Ka’imi Fairbairn for the kicking job. He re-upped with the Texans on a one-year, $1.15MM deal this offseason, but had to settle for just the $250K signing bonus in the contract.

In 2016, Novak nailed 85.4% of his attempts last season, a tick above his career average. He was the Chargers’ full-time kicker from 2011 to 2014, making 101 of his 117 field goal attempts (86.3%) during his time in San Diego, including 11 of 17 from 50+ yards.

Vikings Work Out RB Stevan Ridley

October 4th, 2017 at 6:01pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In need of help at the running back position, the Vikings worked out free agents Stevan Ridley, Bobby Rainey, Troymaine Pope, and Josh Rounds, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).Stevan Ridley

At present, the Vikings have only two running backs on their roster after placing rookie Dalvin Cook — who suffered a torn ACL in Week 4 — on injured reserve. Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon will presumably split time in Minnesota’s backfield, while fullback C.J. Ham is also capable of playing tailback. While the Vikings could hypothetically promote Bronson Hill from their practice squad, one of the above free agents could give the club another option.

Ridley, of course, is most well-known for his four-year run with the Patriots, especially his 2012 campaign in which he totaled more than 1,200 yards on the ground and 12 rushing touchdowns. Injuries have sapped much of the now 28-year-old’s value since then, however, and Ridley has become something of a journeyman. He’s been employed by the Jets, Lions, Colts, Falcons, and — most recently — Broncos since 2015.

Rainey doesn’t quite rival Ridley’s history in terms of changing teams, but he’s been with five teams since entering the league in 2012. Typically used a passing back, Rainey spent the 2016 season with the Giants and was utilized heavily on special teams. He signed with the Ravens earlier this year, but couldn’t make it through final roster cutdowns.

Pope, 23, went undrafted out of Jacksonville State in 2016 and has since spent his NFL career with the Jets and Seahawks. In four career games, Pope has managed 12 carries for 44 yards and one reception for five yards. This year, Pope was part of the Colts’ offseason roster and also saw a few days of action on the club’s practice squad. The Vikings aren’t the only team interested in Pope, as he also has a workout scheduled with the Chargers, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

NFL: We’re Not Moving Chargers Back To SD

October 3rd, 2017 at 2:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers are in a “Fight For L.A.” and, so far, they’re losing. The Bolts are 0-4 and playing in front of crowds that cannot fill up the 27,000 StubHub Center, but the league says it will not reverse course on the move. Chargers cheerleader (vertical)

“There is no discussion of returning to San Diego from the league or the club,” a league spokesperson told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

We’re only one month into the Chargers’ inaugural season in Los Angeles, but it already looks like the team and the league may have made a judgement error. The Chargers have failed to forge a fanbase in a city where many residents cheer for the Raiders and most of the others have already aligned themselves with the Rams. That could all change quickly if the Chargers start winning games, but they’re on pace to miss the postseason for the fourth consecutive year.

The Chargers are slated to move into Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s Inglewood stadium in 2020. If things don’t pick up in the interim, the league may want to reconsider their gameplan.

Chargers’ Tuerk Not Yet Reinstated

October 2nd, 2017 at 5:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Several players are slated to return to action this week after starting the year with four-game bans, but that won’t be the case for center Max Tuerk. The Chargers lineman has not yet been reinstated because he has yet to complete his obligations as outlined by the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs, Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com tweets. Max Tuerk (vertical)

Tuerk was hit with the suspension late in training camp. At the time, he blamed a tainted supplement for the positive test.

“This offseason, I made the mistake of taking over-the-counter supplements,” Tuerk said in a statement. “In doing so, I opened myself up to the possibility of consuming a tainted supplement – something that ultimately led to a positive test for a banned substance. I accept responsibility for my actions and understand the NFL’s policy is very clear on this matter. This is a very hard way to learn a lesson, and I will never make this mistake again.”

Tuerk, a product of nearby USC, missed his entire rookie season due to injury. It’s not clear when he’ll finally make his NFL debut.

The Bolts lost to the Eagles 26-24 on Sunday, bringing them down to 0-4. Next up is a road contest against the winless Giants in which someone’s 0 has to go.

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