Chargers Considering WR Mike Williams?
Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams worked out for the Chargers on Thursday and the Titans on Saturday, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). His workout with the Chargers is particularly noteworthy since they haven’t really connected to him much during the draft process. Earlier this morning, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report also indicated Williams could be a possibility for Los Angeles at No. 7.
It would make some sense for the Bolts to target a wide receiver in the first round, even though that hasn’t been the popular prognostication for them. After Keenan Allen, the Chargers’ top receivers are Tyrell Williams, Travis Benjamin, and Dontrelle Inman. While Williams and Inman were surprising contributors in 2016, Allen hasn’t been able to stay healthy in recent seasons. Of course, Allen’s health issues have generally been on the one-time variety — lacerated kidney, torn ACL — but they’re still concerning.
Williams, at 6’4″, 218 pounds, would give Los Angeles’ offense another boost after the unit ranked 19th in DVOA a year ago. In his junior season at Clemson, Williams put up 98 receptions for 1,361 yards and 11 touchdowns. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com favorably compares him to former NFLer Plaxico Burress.
Chargers Eyeing Mike Williams
- The Chargers could surprise and go with Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams at pick No. 7, a source told Miller. Los Angeles already boasts Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, and Dontrelle Inman at wideout, so the Bolts could also consider Ohio State safety Malik Hooker, per Miller.
Chargers Linked To Davis Webb
Cal quarterback Davis Webb is expected to be selected at some point in the middle of Round 2 of the draft, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com. Webb has been mentioned as a possible first-round pick, and the dearth of quarterback options could certainly push him up the board. But Day 2 looks more likely, per Pauline, who adds the Jets, Saints, Chargers, and Cardinals have shown the most interest in Pauline thus far. Those final three teams, notably, currently employ veteran signal-callers, which would allow Webb at least one year of development.
Chargers Re-Sign Dontrelle Inman
- Restricted free agent wide receiver Dontrelle Inman has signed his second-round tender, the Chargers announced today. Inman will now earn a non-guaranteed $2.797MM base salary for the 2017 campaign. The 28-year-old former undrafted free agent broke out last season, catching 58 balls, 810 yards, and four touchdowns from quarterback Philip Rivers. Inman will return to a Los Angeles wideout corps that includes Keenan Allen, Tyrell Williams, and Travis Benjamin.
PFR’s 2017 Live NFL Mock Draft
The 2017 NFL Draft begins on Thursday night, and Pro Football Rumors is back with its second mock draft of the year. While our initial mock attempted to project what will happen in Round 1, we’ve taken a different approach for mock draft 2.0.
PFR editor Zach Links and I conducted this live mock draft on Tuesday morning, rotating picks and breaking down what we would do were we in charge of these selections. We posted each pick on Twitter, followed by a short explanation of our thought process on this page.
Here’s the complete mock:
1. Cleveland Browns (Zach) – Myles Garrett, LB, Texas A&M
I suspect this is the easiest pick either one of us will make all day. Garrett is the best pure talent in this year’s draft and the Browns would be foolish to go in any other direction at the top of the draft.
2. San Francisco 49ers (Dallas) – Malik Hooker, S, Ohio State
Reports that the 49ers are considering a quarterback with the second overall selection stand out as a potential smokescreen, and instead San Francisco uses the No. 2 pick to bolster its defense. Hooker, who recently earned a full medical clearance following combine rechecks, has been commonly linked to the Chargers as a perfect fit for Los Angeles defensive coordinator Gus Bradley‘s scheme. But the 49ers are running the same defensive look as the Chargers under new DC Robert Saleh, and Hooker would give the team a centerfielder with the upside of an Earl Thomas. San Francisco’s plan to convert nickel cornerback Jimmie Ward to safety won’t stop it from adding Hooker, who is possibly the draft’s No. 2 overall prospect.
3. Chicago Bears (Zach) – Solomon Thomas, DL, Stanford
Dallas’ bold pick left my Bears with a golden opportunity. The Bears could go safety or cornerback in this scenario, but the talent of Thomas is too good to pass up. Thomas can be used on both the inside and outside of the Bears’ defensive line and I see him as one of the safest talents on the board.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (Dallas) – Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
No, we didn’t forget the Jaguars used a top-five pick on Jalen Ramsey in 2016 and then handed a $67.5MM contract to A.J. Bouye in free agency last month. But one of Ramsey’s key selling points last year was his versatility: while he’s a shutdown corner at his best, Ramsey can man the slot, cover tight ends, and dabble at safety. As such, adding Conley doesn’t mean Jacksonville is facing cornerback overload, especially given that NFL clubs are in the nickel more than two-thirds of the time. Conley is viewed as a safer prospect than his Ohio State teammate Marshon Lattimore, and he’d give the Jaguars a Broncos-like secondary.
5. Tennessee Titans (Zach) – Marshon Lattimore, CB, Ohio State
The Titans, arguably, get the best cornerback available in the draft even though they are the second team to address the position. No, we don’t have a ton of film to go on for Lattimore, but his combine numbers indicate that he could be a megastar. Few teams in the NFL would have a young cornerback duo like the Titans if they can pair Logan Ryan with Lattimore.
6. Cleveland Browns (projected trade with Jets) (Dallas) – Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina
In need of a franchise quarterback, the Browns send the No. 12 and No. 52 pick to the Jets in exchange for No. 6 with the intention of drafting Trubisky. It’s a slight overpay for Cleveland (at least, based on Chase Stuart of Football Perspective‘s draft value chart, which is likely what the Browns front offices uses), but it does the deal anyway to land a long-term option under center. Given that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is reportedly pressing the club to select a quarterback early — and the fact the Cleveland may still be considering Trubisky with the first overall selection — landing the UNC signal-caller at No. 5 for the cost of a mid-second-round pick is a move the Browns can’t pass up.
7. Los Angeles Chargers (Zach) – Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama
In this scenario, it seems like Allen’s subpar workouts have led to a bit of a drop. His size (6’3″) is a bit of a concern, but he has the ability to be an effective defensive end while spending some time on the inside as well. Allen would look great lining up on the opposite end of Joey Bosa.
8. Carolina Panthers (Dallas) – Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
Sitting at pick No. 8, the Panthers certainly have options. General manager Dave Gettleman & Co. could go after a running back like Leonard Fournette or Christian McCaffrey, bring in a young edge rusher to play alongside veterans like Charles Johnson and Julius Peppers, or even reach for an offensive tackle given Michael Oher‘s health questions. With Ted Ginn Jr. and Corey Brown having defected via free agency, the Panthers need another wideout to pair with Kelvin Benjamin. Enter Davis, who topped 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns in each of the past three seasons.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (Zach) – Reuben Foster, LB, Alabama
Foster’s stock, by all accounts, is slipping after he turned in a diluted urine sample and got into an argument with a hospital worker at the combine. However, with other teams in the market for an inside linebacker (like the Jets at No. 12, for example), it would be somewhat risky to trade down into the teens and expect Foster to still be there. The Bengals have been willing to overlook character concerns in the past, so I see no reason why they can’t do the same here and land the Alabama star.
10. Buffalo Bills (Dallas) – Jamal Adams, S, LSU
While the Bills gave Jordan Poyer a four-year deal with $6MM in guarantees earlier this offseason, I’m still not convinced Buffalo views him as a definite starter. Those questions come to the forefront with Adams still on the board, and the Bills don’t hesitate to take the LSU defensive back. With ex-Packer Micah Hyde also in the fold, Buffalo can field one of the more diverse and flexible safety tandems in the league. Adams is viewed as a leader in the locker room, and has been favorably compared to former Cowboys All Pro Darren Woodson by Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
Chargers Exercise CB Jason Verrett’s Option
Late last week, Chargers GM Tom Telesco said the team would exercise cornerback Jason Verrett‘s fifth-year option (Twitter link via Eric Williams of ESPN.com). On Monday, the Bolts made it official. 
Verrett, 26 in May, missed all but four games last season thanks to a partially torn ACL. Injuries also limited him as a rookie, but he showed what he could do in a full season of work in 2015. In 14 games that season, Verrett earned his first career Pro Bowl nod with 47 total tackles, three interceptions, and 12 passes defensed.
Before being placed on IR, Verrett tried to play through the injury. While his toughness was admirable, his play was clearly suffering as a result. Through four games, Pro Football Focus pegged him as just No. 71 out of 114 qualified corners in the NFL. In the year prior, he was among PFF’s best cornerbacks.
Verrett, the No. 25 overall pick in the 2014 draft, will start opposite of Casey Hayward in 2017. Safeties Dwight Lowery and Jahleel Addae will round out the starting secondary.
Chargers Met With Nathan Peterman
- Both the Chargers and Cardinals have hosted Pittsburgh quarterback Nathan Peterman on visits, as Peterman himself explained on Pro Football Talk Live. Peterman, who is likely to be selected on Day 2 of the draft, is viewed as a high-floor signal-caller in the vein of an Andy Dalton. Los Angeles and Arizona each employ veteran quarterbacks in Philip Rivers and Carson Palmer and could be looking to find long-term successors under center. The Chargers, notably, have been more open about their desire to land a youthful passer in 2017, and are reportedly putting in “ample work” on the 2017 class.
Chargers Offered Mo Alie-Cox Deal
- On a conference call with reporters, new Colts addition Mo Alie-Cox said that the Buccaneers, Chargers, and Seahawks were among the teams that also made offers (Twitter links via Stephen Holder of the Indy Star). The former VCU basketball player added that he picked the Colts in part because coach Chuck Pagano reminded him of (former VCU coach) Shaka Smart. Some teams thought Alie-Cox could play defensive end, but he’ll be a tight end with the Colts.
Chargers Putting In “Due Diligence” On Mitch Trubisky
The Chargers are doing “due diligence” on North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com.
The drum beat signalling a possible Los Angeles quarterback draft pick has gotten louder in recent weeks, as both franchise owner Dean Spanos and head coach Anthony Lynn have expressed their willingness to bring in a young signal-caller behind Philip Rivers. The Chargers are reportedly “serious” about finding a successor to Rivers, and have been linked to DeShone Kizer (Notre Dame), Davis Webb (California), and Joshua Dobbs (Tennessee) thus far.
Overall, the Chargers are putting in “ample work” on the 2017 quarterback class, but it’s unclear if the team will use the seventh overall pick on a passer. Los Angeles has other needs on its roster, and if, for example, a safety such as Ohio State’s Malik Hooker or LSU’s Jamal Adams is still on the board, the Chargers may be hard-pressed to pass up an immediate contributor in favor of a long-term prospect.
Los Angeles is far from the only team with interest in Trubisky, as Matt Miller of Bleacher Report indicated earlier today the Browns could trade up from No. 12 to No. 5 or No. 6 in order to land the UNC quarterback. In that scenario, Cleveland would not only be moving ahead of the Bills, who reportedly are intrigued by Trubisky, but in front of the Chargers at No. 7.
Chargers To Re-Sign TE Jeff Cumberland
The Chargers are expected to re-sign veteran tight end Jeff Cumberland, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Cumberland is looking to get back on track after missing the entire 2016 season to injury. 
Cumberland, 30 in May, signed a one-year, minimum deal with the Chargers last offseason. Unfortunately, the ex-Jet suffered a torn Achilles in August, ending his season before it could begin.
Always viewed as more of a blocker than a receiving threat, Cumberland caught a total of 78 passes for the Jets from 2012 to 2014, starting 38 games for the team during that stretch and recording 10 touchdowns. However, he saw his number called a whole lot less in 2015, as Ryan Fitzpatrick didn’t use his tight ends much. Cumberland had just five receptions on 14 targets in that season.
The kind of role the Bolts have in mind for Cumberland remains to be seen. Already, the Chargers have young standout Hunter Henry and Antonio Gates atop the TE depth chart with 6’5″ athletes Sean McGrath and Asante Cleveland in support. Cumberland’s deal might not include any guaranteed cash, so his spot on the 53-man roster is far form a certainty.