Draft Rumors: Sutton, Chargers, Landry
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
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
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:
- Browns – $69.5MM
- Colts – $59.8MM
- 49ers – $43.8MM
- Titans – $35.8MM
- Texans -$35.6MM
- Bears – $24.1MM
- Jets – $21.9MM
- Bills – $19.4MM
- Jaguars – $18.6MM
- Cardinals – $18.1MM
- Redskins -$17.1MM
- Bengals – $16.8MM
- Packers – $16.2MM
- Vikings – $15.5MM
- Broncos – $14.6MM
- Patriots – $13.8MM
- Buccaneers – $12.3MM
- Cowboys -$11.9MM
- Chargers – $11.4MM
- Lions – $9.4MM
- Giants -$9.4MM
- Ravens – $8.8MM
- Seahawks – $7.6MM
- Chiefs – $6.7MM
- Saints – $5.7MM
- Panthers – $5.2MM
- Dolphins – $2.9MM
- Eagles – $2.2MM
- Steelers – $2MM
- Raiders – $1.8MM
- Falcons – $1.3MM
- Rams – $264K
Chargers Plan To Exercise Melvin Gordon Fifth-Year Option
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
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.
Corey Liuget Accepts Pay Cut
- Not only is Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget suspended for the first quarter of the 2018 campaign, but he’s also accepted to a hefty pay reduction. Liuget’s base salary has been cut from $8.05MM to just $935K, as Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The former first-round pick will still earn $2.585MM in bonuses and can collect more cash via incentives, but his 2018 cap charge has been slashed from $9.5MM to $5.02MM. Liuget, 28, appeared in 12 games in 2017, posting 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks while grading as the NFL’s No. 32 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus
Chargers Pull RFA Tender On Chris McCain
The Chargers have withdrawn their qualifying offer from restricted free agent defensive end Chris McCain, ESPN’s Eric D. Williams writes. 
With the right-of-first-refusal tender removed, McCain is now free to sign with another team. Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn cited the reworking of Corey Liuget’s contract when addressing the withdrawn offer.
“This sport does have a business side to it. I think when you re-do Corey Liuget, it gives you some flexibility there and we did some things with Chris. We think Chris is a heck of a player. The door’s definitely open for him to come back. We’ll just how it works out.”
A practice squad signee with the Chargers in 2016, the fourth-year player out of Cal enjoyed a breakout season in Los Angeles in 2017, posting a career-high five sacks while appearing in a career-best 15 games.
Jets Claim K Nick Rose Off Waivers
The Jets were awarded kicker Nick Rose from the Chargers. Rose was dropped by L.A. on Friday and subjected to waivers. 
Last year, Rose filled in for the Redskins while Dustin Hopkins was sidelined with a hip injury. Rose did well in Hopkins’ absence, connecting 10 of 11 field goal attempts and 18 of 20 extra point tries. When Hopkins returned for the ‘Skins, Rose was released and later signed with the Chargers. Rose make only one of his three field goal tries in two games, which didn’t inspire confidence in L.A.
The Chargers plan to have Caleb Sturgis and Roberto Aguayo duke it out in camp for the team’s kicking job, though they could also look at other options given their field goal issues last year. Meanwhile, the Jets will pit Rose against Cairo Santos.
Chargers Rework Corey Liuget’s Contract
The Chargers and defensive tackle Corey Liuget have agreed to terms on a revised contract to keep him in Los Angeles for another season, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Liuget was set to earn $8MM in 2018, but his status was unclear heading into this year. 
Liuget will miss the first four games of the season after violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. The 28-year-old was already going to lose out on $2MM in base salary, but he’ll now make even less under the revised terms of his contract.
The former first-round pick appeared in 12 games in 2017, posting 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He graded out as the league’s No. 32 ranked interior run defender, per Pro Football Focus, and was especially proficient as a pass rusher. His 81.8 grade ranked 15th amongst all defensive tackles last year.
For the first month of the season, the Chargers will rely on reserves Darius Philon, Damion Square, and Kaleb Eulis to fill in for Liuget alongside Brandon Mebane. The Bolts may also bolster that unit through next week’s draft.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/15/18
Today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: K Nick Rose
Seattle Seahawks
- Re-signed: RB J.D. McKissic (ERFA)