Latest On Chargers’ Mike Williams
We have been hearing conflicting information on the status of Chargers rookie Mike Williams for the last few weeks. The wide receiver refuted talk that he could be out for the season, but head coach Anthony Lynn now admits that Williams’ could be out all year long. 
[RELATED: Chargers Acquire Cardale Jones]
“I’m hopeful that it’s not [a season-ending injury], but who knows? It could be,” Lynn said (via Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times).
On Sunday, the Chargers announced that Williams will be out for all of training camp, which at minimum is a bad sign for his early season availability. At one point, the word was that Williams may require season-ending surgery on his herniated disc but the Bolts, for now, are hoping to avoid such a drastic measure.
Losing Williams for the entire season would sting, but the Chargers could hypothetically withstand the loss with Keenan Allen, Travis Benjamin, Tyrell Williams, and Dontrelle Inman in the fold. However, if Allen gets injured again – he’s missed 23 games in the last two years – the Bolts will be left paper thin at wide receiver.
Mike Williams To Miss Training Camp
We learned on Friday that Chargers rookie wideout Mike Williams would begin training camp on the PUP list, but the team announced today that he will miss all of training camp.
The Chargers’ press release, passed along by ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), says Williams met with team doctors yesterday and will continue with the doctors’ plan to rehab and strengthen his back. As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, Williams has progressed past the “rest” phase of his recovery and will move on the rehab phase.
Needless to say, the fact that Williams will miss the entirety of his first training camp is a disappointing development for Los Angeles. Theoretically, he could still be ready for Week 1 of the regular season, but that is now very much in doubt, and even if he is able to play, it is fair to question how effective he would be without the benefit of training camp.
Earlier this month, it was believed that Williams may need season-ending surgery, but while surgery apparently was an option at one point, Williams improved enough since then to take surgery off the table for the time being. Luckily for the Chargers, they should have enough wide receiver depth to overcome Williams’ unavailability. The team boasts Keenan Allen, Travis Benjamin, Tyrell Williams, and Dontrelle Inman, giving the club ample weapons to withstand Williams’ recovery period.
Telesco: Chargers Been Eyeing Jones Since '16 Draft
The Chargers acquired quarterback Cardale Jones from the Bills earlier this week, giving them another signal-caller to backup Philip Rivers. However, if the organization had had their way, they would have had Jones on their squad last season.
General manager Tom Telesco admitted this week that the Chargers had been eyeing Jones since the 2016 draft, when they had the prospect in for a private workout. The organization was seemingly infatuated with the quarterback, but he was ultimately selected by the Bills in the fourth round.
Chargers Waive Eli Jenkins
Los Angeles Chargers
Mike Williams "Responding Well" To Treatment
- Chargers first-round wide receiver Mike Williams said last weekend that he expects to avoid surgery on his ailing back. The Bolts are also optimistic that will be the case, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com, who notes that Mike Williams will likely begin training camp on the physically unable to perform list. That wouldn’t necessarily rule out the ex-Clemson star for regular-season action, however, as the team’s hope is that he’ll be able to return during camp to work his way back in time for Week 1. General manager Tom Telesco revealed that the wideout has “been responding well” to treatment.
Chargers Acquire Cardale Jones
The Bills announced that they have traded quarterback Cardale Jones to the Chargers for a conditional draft pick. It’s a seventh-rounder in either 2018 or ’19, reports Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter).
The Chargers had been in the market to acquire another quarterback to compete for a spot behind starter Philip Rivers, having worked out veteran Robert Griffin III on Tuesday. While the Bolts’ meeting with RG3 went well, they’ve elected to go with Jones, who’s only a year removed from joining the Bills as a fourth-round pick. As a rookie, the former Ohio State star worked with Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn, who was the Bills’ offensive coordinator last year. On the heels of Rex Ryan‘s firing, Lynn served as the Bills’ interim head coach in Week 17 – a 30-10 loss to the Jets in which Jones saw his first pro action. The 24-year-old completed 6 of 11 passes for 96 yards and an interception.
The offseason regime change in Buffalo clearly helped lead to Jones’ demise with the club. The general manager who selected Jones, Doug Whaley, lost his job after the draft this year. Before that, the Bills, led by new head coach Sean McDermott, used a fifth-round pick on ex-Pitt standout Nathan Peterman. With Tyrod Taylor entrenched as the starter and veteran T.J. Yates also in the fold, there was no longer room for Jones in Buffalo. He’ll now push for a place behind Rivers, whose primary backup is Kellen Clemens. The Chargers also have developmental QBs Mike Bercovici and Eli Jenkins on hand.
Latest On RG3, Chargers
Robert Griffin III has generated scant interest since the Browns released him in March, but the quarterback may have a shot to latch on with the Chargers. Griffin’s Tuesday audition for the Bolts was a “positive” one, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, while Josina Anderson of ESPN reports that the two sides are likely to engage in followup conversations Wednesday (Twitter link).
“He looked good,” a team source told Anderson. “The young man can move, he’s athletic, he can throw the ball. Some guys are proven and you know them; with Robert you just want to make sure he is healthy and moving around well.”
That praise seems to bode well for Griffin, though the Chargers are undecided on whether to sign the 27-year-old to push for a spot behind starter Philip Rivers.
“We are trying to put together the best roster before we go into camp,” noted the source. “We’re always looking to upgrade, and everyone is on board with that in this organization.”
When you compare their career resumes, RG3 would be an upgrade over the Chargers’ current No. 2 signal-caller, Kellen Clemens. However, the majority of Griffin’s NFL success came as a rookie with the Redskins in 2012, when he was among the best, most electrifying players in the game. Injuries and ineffectiveness beset Griffin over the past four years, which explains why he remains without a job as August nears. For now, it seems the Chargers are his best hope of landing somewhere in the near future.
Could Vincent Jackson Be A Fit For Chargers?
- Following news that Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams might need season-ending surgery on a herniated disk in his back, ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams explored whether the team could bring back veteran Vincent Jackson. The writer ultimately believes that he wouldn’t be a fit, as the team could rely on a number of young players to fill the void. Alternatively, the team could opt for a number of free agents (including Stevie Johnson and Vincent Brown) who are more familiar with the team’s current offensive scheme. Jackson spent the first seven seasons of his career in San Diego, earning a pair of Pro Bowl selections.
[SOURCE LINK]
Robert Griffin III To Work Out For Chargers
Robert Griffin III has finally secured that elusive work out. According to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), the quarterback is set to work out for the Chargers tomorrow.
The former second-overall pick seemingly hasn’t generated any interest this offseason, as this is the first reported workout for the 27-year-old. The Seahawks previously expressed interest in the former Rookie of the Year, but the team ultimately opted for Austin Davis. Reports from earlier this month indicated that there was “mild interest” in the embattled quarterback, and it was believed that several teams would be willing to give him an opportunity during training camp. While he’s waited for an invite, Griffin has been training in Florida with former Browns assistance coach Pep Hamilton.
Teams are presumably wary of Griffin’s extensive injury history, as the quarterback has yet to make it through one of his NFL seasons unscathed. After not appearing in a single game during the 2015 season, Griffin made five starts for the Browns last year before succumbing to a shoulder injury. The quarterback completed only 59.2-percent of his passes in 2016, throwing for 886 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. He still showed the ability to run the ball, as he compiled 190 rushing yards and two touchdowns on only 31 carries.
Besides starter Philip Rivers, the Chargers are currently rostering three quarterbacks in veteran Kellen Clemens, Mike Bercovici, and undrafted rookie Eli Jenkins. ESPN’s Eric Williams tweets that coach Anthony Lynn has been on the look out for a mobile backup quarterback, and Griffin would certainly fit the bill.
Latest On Chargers Rookie WR Mike Williams
Conflicting reports emerged this week regarding the health status of Chargers rookie wideout Mike Williams, and today Williams attempted to clarify the nature of his back injury, according to James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link).
“I’m good,” Williams said. “Everything good. The back situation. That was some false information being released. I don’t know who released it, but everything is good.”
While Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported Wednesday that Williams may require season-ending surgery for a herniated disc, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com indicated that surgery wasn’t on the table for the No. 7 overall pick. Still, Williams is likely to begin training on active/PUP, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com, which theoretically means he could start the regular season on reserve/PUP, which requires an absence of six weeks.
Williams is “feeling better” following a recent epidural, tweets Garafolo, but even if he is forced to miss time, Los Angeles should have enough wide receiver depth to overcome his unavailability. The Chargers boast Keenan Allen, Travis Benjamin, Tyrell Williams, and Dontrelle Inman, giving the club ample weapons to withstand Williams’ hypothetical recovery period.