- Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports examined the job security of each NFL head coach entering the season. In La Canfora’s estimation, Rex Ryan (Bills), Gus Bradley (Jaguars), Jim Caldwell (Lions), Mike McCoy (Chargers), Marvin Lewis (Bengals), Bill O’Brien (Texans) and Jason Garrett (Cowboys) are the least secure coaches going into this year. Of that group, two (Lewis and O’Brien) were at the helm of playoff teams last season. Ryan has only been in Buffalo for a year, making him the shortest-tenured member of the septet.
- San Diego voters cut three candidates for City Attorney this week, which seems to bode poorly for the Chargers’ plans for a $1.15 billion downtown stadium and convention center, writes Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The two candidates who advanced, Republican Robert Hickey and Democrat Mara Elliott, are on record as saying the Chargers’ plan will need two-thirds voter approval. Bryan Pease, who received the fewest votes and is now out of the running, thought the stadium could come to fruition with a 50 percent plus one vote. In regards to the city helping fund a stadium, Elliott said, “I’d rather see the money go toward something that benefits the public. Public safety, roads, our infrastructure is crumbling. We’ve got water issues in the City of San Diego. So in my opinion, there are more critical concerns for San Diegans than there is building a private Chargers stadium.” The Chargers have until Jan. 15, 2017, to join the Rams in Los Angeles, so it stands to reason that they’ll depart by then if a stadium deal isn’t reached.
TUESDAY, 6:09pm: The Chargers are offering Allen more than $10MM annually, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), who adds that the two sides aren’t all that far apart in talks.
MONDAY, 7:57pm: The Chargers are exploring a long-term deal with wide receiver Keenan Allen, sources tell Connor Orr of NFL.com. Allen and the club are interested in working out an accord with a length of four or five years, according to Orr.
Extension talks between San Diego and Allen have been rumored for some time, as Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported in March that the club was expected to reach out to its star pass-catcher following once free agency and the draft concluded. Both those markers have passed, of course, but Gehlken tweets today that the situation is “still developing,” indicating that it’s too soon to say whether these negotiations will result in a deal.
Allen has been a force since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2013, and is still only 24 years old. After topping 1,000 yards receiving and scoring eight touchdowns during his rookie campaign, Allen came back down to earth in 2014, but was on pace for the best season of his career last year. With 67 receptions and 725 yards under his belt through only eight games, Allen suffered a lacerated kidney and was forced to miss the rest of the campaign. He’s expected to be fully healthy for the 2016 season, but it’s easy to wonder what might have been.
Given his career stats, Allen’s camp is sure to ask — at a minimum — to match the four-year, $40MM extension inked by Jaguars receiver Allen Hurns last week. Hurns and Allen are the same age, but Allen could surely argue that he’s worth more than than Jacksonville pass-catcher. An $11MM annual salary, making Allen the eighth-highest paid receiver in the NFL, isn’t out of the question, and the Chargers star should also top $20MM in guarantees.
Were the two sides to reach an impasse between now and next spring, the Chargers could hold the franchise tag over Allen’s head, allowing them to control him for one more season (at least). The wide receiver franchise figure was $14.599MM in 2015, so San Diego would need to be willing to carry a cap charge north of $15MM in order to retain Allen if it goes down that road.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
- The Chargers‘ offensive line should be better if it’s simply healthier, but relying on oft-injured players to stay healthy is not always a good strategy, as Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes. San Diego will count on two players — left tackle King Dunlap and center Matt Slauson — who are already 30 years old and have dealt with various ailments in the past. At center, at least, the Chargers do have a young option in third-round pick Max Tuerk.
The concern with Arian Foster has always been health. Foster, who will turn 30 in August, racked up 6,472 rushing yards during his seven years as a Texan, and earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2010 to 2012, averaging about 1,900 all purpose yards and 16 touchdowns in those seasons. But he’s now coming off a major injury, having ruptured his Achilles in late October of last year.
As he’s presumably still recovering from that malady, Foster apparently won’t work out for teams until late July, so it could be awhile before he finds a new club. Still, as we noted when ranking him as the third-best offensive free agent remaining on the open market, Foster possesses the highest upside of any player still on the board, meaning that he should be able to generate interest around the league.
Let’s take a look at the clubs that could make sense as fits for Foster in the coming months…
- Denver Broncos — Foster spent the first five years of his career under Gary Kubiak in Houston, so it would make sense that the current Broncos head coach would have interest in his former bellcow back. There hasn’t yet been any reported link between Denver and Foster, and perhaps the club feels that their backfield is too crowded given that they re-signed both C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman — handing the former a four-year, $18MM deal — and used a fourth-round pick on Devontae Booker. But if they’d have him, Foster might welcome the opportunity to not only play in a zone-based scheme that he knows well, but to join the defending Super Bowl champions.
- Detroit Lions — After finishing dead last in the NFL in rushing yards last season, the Lions haven’t done much to address their backfield, having only signed Stevan Ridley in free agency while using a seventh-round pick on Dwayne Washington. Detroit did invest in its offensive line, spending a first-round pick on Taylor Decker (who looks to be the club’s preferred option at left tackle) while picking up Graham Glasgow and Joe Dahl, who figure to be key reserves during their rookie seasons, in rounds three and five, respectively. But adding another back to their rotation, and limiting their dependence on Ameer Abdullah (who underwent shoulder surgery over the offseason), Theo Riddick, and Zach Zenner, might be the best route for the Lions.
- Indianapolis Colts — Like the Lions, the Colts chose to address their rushing game concerns not by adding to the crop of backs, but by concentrating on their offensive line, using four draft picks (including their first-rounder) on front five help. Indy’s running back depth chart is still perilously thin behind 33-year-old Frank Gore, with Robert Turbin and Jordan Todman representing the best fill-in options if Gore goes down. New offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski will reportedly add more zone-blocking concepts to the Colts’ game-plan, so Foster, who’s spent his career in that scheme, might feel at home.
- Miami Dolphins — Miami was the first known club to show interest in Foster, having him in for a visit at the end of March. While that meeting didn’t result in a deal getting finalized, the Dolphins are reportedly still monitoring Foster’s free agency, likely waiting for him to show signs of full health. Head coach Adam Gase has said that second-year running back Jay Ajayi has the inside track at leading Miami’s backfield in touches, and the team spent a third-round pick on fellow back Kenyan Drake, but after striking out on C.J. Anderson, Chris Johnson, and Ezekiel Elliott over the past several months, the Dolphins are clearly in the market for another runner as they seek to replace Lamar Miller.
- New England Patriots — The Patriots have spent the past few months adding solid veteran role players like Chris Long, Terrance Knighton, Shea McClellin, Nate Washington, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bill Belichick & Co. wrap the offseason by signing Foster. New England reportedly had “preliminary interest” in Foster last month, and he’d make for a nice fit in a backfield that includes LeGarrette Blount, Dion Lewis, James White, Donald Brown, and Brandon Bolden. That stable of backs would mean that Foster wouldn’t be required to carry the full load, and limited touches could be a boon to his health.
- Oakland Raiders — Latavius Murray was one of only seven running backs to rush for more than 1,000 yards in 2015, and he did so behind an offensive line that ranked just 19th in adjusted line yards. But the Raiders seemed set on adding another back this offseason, expressing interest in both Doug Martin and DeMarco Murray before drafting DeAndre Washington in the fifth round. Oakland is clearly an ascending team, with a young offensive core that already includes Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Clive Walford, and Murray. A playmaker of Foster’s talent could be the final piece that allows them to knock off the Broncos in the AFC West.
- Philadelphia Eagles — Having already shipped out DeMarco Murray, the Eagles have dealt with trade rumors regarding fellow running back Darren Sproles — while both team and player have downplayed any such speculation, Sproles could be in danger of not making Philadelphia’s final roster even if he isn’t dealt away, as Over the Cap’s performance-neutral Expected Contract Value metric gives Sproles a 92% chance of being released. With Ryan Mathews and fifth-round rookie Wendell Smallwood the only guarantees to earn roster spots, a veteran like Foster could add a spark and depth to a backfield that could use both.
- San Diego Chargers — San Diego had high hopes for its rushing attack after trading up to select Melvin Gordon in the first round of last year’s draft, but offensive line injuries and Gordon’s own poor play led to the Chargers finishing 31st in rushing DVOA. Gordon then had microfracture surgery in January, and while his long-term prognosis is positive, serious knee injuries are always unwelcome news for young running backs. The Chargers have the useful Danny Woodhead, the small-statured Branden Oliver, and the wonderfully-named Dreamius Smith behind Gordon, but there’s certainly room for another back.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
- The Chargers‘ decision on whether or not to stay in San Diego could percolate through the end of the 2016 regular season, sources tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who outlines some of the potential legal challenges that could stifle the team’s options. The decision can’t wait for too long, as the Chargers’ to move to Los Angeles expires on January 15, 2017.
The latest heir apparent to Antonio Gates, Hunter Henry signed his four-year rookie deal with the Chargers, the team announced on its website
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He’s the sixth member of the Chargers’ eight-man draft class to agree to terms. Joey Bosa and third-round center Max Tuerk are the only holdouts.
A second-round pick out of Arkansas and a player viewed as the top tight end in the 2016 class, Henry will succeed Ladarius Green as the player the Bolts are grooming to replace the resilient Gates. Green’s signing with the Steelers after four years of Gates apprenticeship created a sizable void that Henry will now attempt to fill.
With the Razorbacks, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound performer caught 116 passes for 1,661 yards in three seasons, the last finishing with San Diego’s No. 2 tight end winning the John Mackey award and being a consensus first-team All-American.
San Diego made a bigger investment in Henry than it did with Gates or Green, with the second-round selection being the first time the Bolts have used such a pick on a tight end since taking Mikhael Ricks in Round 2 in 1998.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
Here are today’s minor moves.
- The Steelers have signed fourth-round offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins, as Teresa Varley of Steelers.com writes. Hawkins offers experience at both left and right tackle but he’s expected to play on the left side for Pittsburgh. “He can come in here and help right away by competing and pushing the guys and making them better,” said offensive line coach Mike Munchak. “It just makes the group better when you can bring in a good athlete and a good player that has the ability to compete and help us become better. “We feel this guy can come in and learn from the guys we have, push the guys that we have and now it’s just a matter of how quickly we feel he can contribute.”
- The Cardinals signed wide receiver Marquis Bundy, safety Tyrequek Zimmerman, and guard Jake Bernstein to return to the 90-man roster limit, Kyle Odegard of AZCardinals.com tweets.
- The Chargers have agreed to sign guard/tackle Brett Boyko, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- To make room, the Chargers waived offensive lineman Zeth Ramsay, as Eric Williams of ESPN.com tweets. The Bolts now have 17 offensive linemen on their 90-man roster.
- The Lions announced that they have signed UDFA kicker Devon Bell and waived punter Kyle Christy. Bell, a Mississippi State product, played in all 13 games last year and averaged 62.1 yards per kickoff, while also punting nine times for 370 yards (41.1 avg).
- The Jaguars have signed guard Patrick Omameh and released offensive lineman Patrick Miller, as Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com tweets. Omameh has played in 30 games over the course of his NFL career.
- The Redskins signed UDFA wide receiver Jarvis Turner, Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post tweets.
- The Seahawks signed fullback Kyle Coleman, as Wilson tweets. A rookie with tight end experience who played at Arkansas State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Coleman will possibly audition at multiple spots in Seattle, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times writes.
- The Jets announced that they’ve signed guard Mike Liedtke, while adding that they’ve cleared a roster spot by waiving tackle Luke Marquardt.
- Now entering his contract year, it’s time for Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram to put his money where his talent is, Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego writes. Last season, Ingram notched at least one sack in each of the team’s final five games. If he can produce across a full season in 2016, he’ll be in line for a major payday, whether it be from San Diego or elsewhere.
- Non-union construction workers are frustrated with the latest proposal for a new Chargers stadium in San Diego, David Garrick of U-T San Diego writes. It’s not immediately clear whether these non-union laborers would have any ability to stand in the way of the proposal as it’s currently put together.
- The Chargers have cut offensive tackle Zeth Ramsay, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Ramsey signed with the Chargers in April as an undrafted free agent from Colorado Mesa.