Los Angeles Chargers Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Joey Bosa Will Not Report To Chargers Today

By Zachary Links | at July 29, 2016 9:27 am

Chargers first round pick Joey Bosa will not report with his teammates today as he remains unsigned, according to Steve Wyche of NFL.com (on Twitter). The timing of bonus payouts and offset language are believed to be the sticking points in negotiations.

While Bosa’s battle with the Bolts over his rookie contract has been known for some time, few expected this dispute to drag into training camp. The No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft seems serious about getting what he wants in his rookie deal and he is out to prove his point as he stays home today.

Bosa is obviously a big part of the Chargers’ plans for this season and his absence is undoubtedly frustrating for the team. Recently, in a PFR exclusive, scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas gave an in-depth look at Bosa and the rest of San Diego’s rookie class:

“Bosa is scheduled to start at left defensive end, where the Chargers let former second round pick, Kendall Reyes, also leave the complex to join Weddle in Baltimore. After a promising rookie year that saw Reyes tally 5.5 sacks, nine stops for loss and nineteen QB pressures, Reyes failed to impress during his three years as a starter, making two sacks and 32 hits through fifteen assignments with the first unit last year.

While Bosa only sealed the deal with five sacks in 2015, he did record fourteen QB chase-downs, including eight on third-down snaps and two on fourth-down plays. While he was effective as a pass rusher in 2014, he really has yet to develop an array of pass rush moves, relying more on his length and raw power to beat blocks on his path to the quarterback. He is known more for that power, but as he matures, he needs to be more efficient with his swim- and rip-move techniques. In any event, he can be an impact player for the Chargers in 2016 – once he gets his contract sorted out.”

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, guard Joshua Garnett stands as the only other remaining first-round holdout. Rapoport (on Twitter) hears that there probably won’t be a holdout from the No. 28 overall pick and a deal should get done shortly.

Photo courtesy of PFR on Instagram.

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Impact Rookies: San Diego Chargers

By Zachary Links | at July 27, 2016 9:22 am

The old adage that defense wins championships may or may not be true, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a title-winning team that didn’t build heavily through the draft. Rookie classes, naturally, are evaluated on the perceived upside of the NFL newcomers, but which rookies are ready to contribute right out of the gate? And, how do they fit in with their new team schematically?

To help us forecast the immediate future of these NFL neophytes, we enlisted the help of draft guru Dave-Te Thomas who has served as a scouting personnel consultant to NFL teams for multiple decades.

Today, we continue PFR’s Impact Rookie series with his insight on the San Diego Chargers’ draft class:

First Round – Joey Bosa, DE (Ohio State, No. 3 overall)

Is San Diego regretting their draft day surprise? Many felt that Jalen Ramsey was a perfect fit for the Bolts as he could have filled the free safety role. Instead, they passed on the best defensive player in the draft to take defensive end Joey Bosa. As camp approaches, Bosa and the front office are at an impasse over his contract.

Bosa is scheduled to start at left defensive end, where the Chargers let former second round pick, Kendall Reyes, also leave the complex to join Weddle in Baltimore. After a promising rookie year that saw Reyes tally 5.5 sacks, nine stops for loss and nineteen QB pressures, Reyes failed to impress during his three years as a starter, making two sacks and 32 hits through fifteen assignments with the first unit last year.

Bosa was suspended for the 2015 season opener and was slow to get back into his usual “bull in a china shop” self in 2015. Coming off a 12-sack, 21.0-tackle-for-loss 2014 national championship campaign, Bosa saw his numbers dip to five sacks in 2015. He did post sixteen stops behind the line of scrimmage, tying for 15th on the school season-record list, adding fourteen QB pressures. Eight of his tackles in the backfield came on third-down snaps and the opponents were held to a rushing average of 0.43 yards on plays directed at him. He would close out his career third in OSU annals with 26 sacks and fourth with 50.5 tackles-for-loss.

Bosa’s outstanding instincts shined throughout his career. He displays improvement in the strength department, as his body has begun to mature to NFL level. The first thing you notice on film is that he plays with a high motor and has excellent initial quickness to surprise the lethargic offensive lineman. He shows above average balance working down the line and in pursuit. He gains advantage with his sudden moves and change of direction agility, doing a nice job of using his hands and arm extension to avoid low blocks and maintain balance on the move. He is a quick twitch type of player with the natural movement skills to pursue from the backside, shooting the inside gaps, evident by his pass defense performance that flattened Christian Hackenberg on a fourth-and-5 play to secure a victory over Penn State in 2014. He shows good body control working down the line to take an inside gap as a bull rusher. He runs with a long stride, building acceleration nicely. He flashes initial quickness along with sudden explosiveness off the line to surprise a lethargic blocker, and on the move, he is not as quick to redirect.

Read more about the Chargers’ rookie class..

Second Round – Hunter Henry, TE (Arkansas, No. 35 overall)

With Antonio Gates starting to show his age and Ladarius Green bolting to Pittsburgh, the team’s plans for a two-tight end scheme led them to take the best tight end in the draft in the second round. Mackey Award winner, Hunter Henry, is the heir apparent to Gates’ throne, but is already penciled in to play opposite Gates in 2016.

In three seasons with the Razorbacks, Henry has compiled 1,661 yards with nine touchdowns behind 116 receptions (14.32 ypc) that included thirty starting assignments through 38 appearances. He was rated the top tight end in the country coming out of Pulaski Academy, where he snared 107 passes for 1,449 yards and fifteen touchdowns as a senior. The previous year, he delivered 64 grabs for 1,093 yards and sixteen more scores.

While those numbers verify his pedigree as a receiver, Henry is still a work in progress in another critical factor of a tight end’s game – blocking. The Freshman All-American started ten times in 2013, as he grabbed 37 balls for 513 yards and a pair of scores. His yardage total ranked third among major college freshmen tight ends. As a sophomore, he started seven games while delivering 28 receptions for 409 yards and four scores for a predominantly run-oriented offensive team.

In 2015, Henry put it all together and was named as the nation’s top tight end. The All-American and All-Southeastern Conference pick paced Arkansas with 51 receptions, tied for ninth on the school’s overall record chart. The only Razorback tight end to catch more passes in a season was fellow Mackey Award winner, D.J. Williams (54 in 2010 and 61 in 2008).

Henry has soft, large hands and good flexibility to reach high or go low for the tossed ball. He is a natural hands catcher, but will use his body to absorb the ball when working in a crowd with defenders draped all over him. He does a very nice job of catching the ball without having to break stride on slants and posts. He rarely drops the pigskin, but his timing can be off when going for the jump balls, resulting in a good amount of passes getting batted away from him by smaller defenders. If he can iron that out in camp this summer, he’ll take off in the fall.

Third Round – Max Tuerk, C (USC, No. 66 overall)

While ownership and city officials have yet to decide if the Chargers will remain in San Diego, the general manager and his scouting department tried to follow through with their primary mission – improving one of the worst offensive lines in football. They hope they have found a solution at their revolving door at center by snatching away Bears guard Matt Slauson to take over duties in the pivot.

With Slauson’s versatility in mind, he could be just a patchwork fix at the position, especially if third round steal, Max Tuerk is quick to recover from knee woes that sidelined him for the second part of the 2015 schedule. Slauson might have to shift to left guard, as 2015 signee, Orlando Franklin, missed six games with ankle and knee problems last year and also appeared to be out of shape when he was on the field. Center Chris Watt also continues to deal with knee problems that made him an observer following surgery during minicamp.

Teurk’s versatility made him very appealing to NFL teams. If not for a 2014 season slump, followed by a still-recovering-from left knee ligament tear, this big, physical, and aggressive blocker could have gone much higher. As a third round choice, he could turn out to be the “value pick” of the draft at this position. Through 38 career starts for USC, he joined the first unit at center for eighteen games, adding fourteen assignments at left guard, five more at left tackle and one lone start as a right tackle.

Teurk shows adequate foot speed, with good agility and balance playing along the line. His overall strength is well above average for a player at his position and while he was taller than most centers in college, he has good athleticism, body control and change of direction ability for the short pulls. There is some hip stiffness that becomes noticeable when he has to sudden redirect, but he is really explosive coming off the snap and does a fine job of staying low in his pads and shuffling his feet well to mirror. He is the strongest player on the team, and while he can simply rely on his brute strength, he is savvy using his hands well to latch on and ride the defender out when trying to maintain and widen the rush lanes. He does a nice job of adjusting to movement in pass protection and plays with a flat back, demonstrating good balance when trying to recover (what you see on film is that he is sudden in his attack coming off the snap). He is considered a type that can consistently turn his man once he snaps the ball and engages the opponent, as few big interior blockers have his ability to use his hand placement and leg drive to generate movement. He runs with a normal stride and builds his acceleration nicely getting into the second level. He has good body control on the move, and even with some tightness in his hips (mostly seen on long runs), it is rare to see him labor when having to move laterally down the line.

Fifth Round – Jatavis Brown, LB/S (Akron State, No. 175 overall)

Brown is the perfect example of big things coming in small packages. Somehow, the NFL decision makers who put together the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine list did not deem the Zips’ team captain one of the top 330 draft prospects. First, this is a high-level performer who has produced 345 tackles, twice going over the century mark. He recorded eighteen sacks among his 41.5 stops-for-loss and caused ten fumbles in the process while lining up at weak-side outside linebacker.

Yes, his size was an issue, most NFL execs will tell you, as Brown measures in at only 5:10.7 and weighs 227 pounds, not exactly awesome numbers for a second level performer. That is, until you dig deeper. Then, you need to view his Pro Day figures – 1.53 seconds in the 10-yard dash, 2.6 in the 20-yard and 4.44 in the 40-yard dash. Only nine defensive players at the Combine ran faster and they were all defensive backs. The only linebacker in attendance at Indianapolis to run under 4.5 was Ohio State’s Darron Lee (4.47).

The three-time All-Mid American Conference first-team selection was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, as he collected a team-best 116 tackles, establishing school season-records with twelve sacks and twenty stops behind the line of scrimmage. His career total of 41.5 stops-for-loss set the Akron all-time mark. All four of his forced fumbles were recovered and three set up Akron scoring drives last year, as his lone interception also set up a Zips touchdown drive.

Brown lacks ideal height for the linebacker position, but he has a thick, muscular frame with a tight abdomen, broad shoulders, good arm muscle definition, a high, big bubble, thick thighs and calves. He has outstanding closing quickness and timed speed. He has the range to make plays at the opposite end of the field and demonstrates good balance and body control taking on blockers at the point of attack. He is an explosive hitter who stays low in his pads and can slip and avoid blocks when redirecting inside. Brown most likely will be playing with a chip on his shoulder and the opposition will see that right away.

Dave-Te Thomas owns and operates The NFL Draft Report, a service providing insight to league scouting departments for over 40 years. All year round, you can read Thomas’ in-depth reviews of both blue chip prospects and diamonds in the rough by visiting the NFL Draft Report blog.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Joey Bosa, Chargers

By Dallas Robinson | at July 25, 2016 8:07 pm

The Joey Bosa stalemate continues to drag on, and even though Bosa is now one of only three draft picks (all first-rounders represented by CAA) who is still unsigned, Chargers general manager Tom Telesco isn’t sure if a deal can be hammered out this week before training camp begins on Saturday.

“I don’t know,” Telesco told 1090 AM when asked if Bosa would attend the start of camp, according to Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. “I guess we’ll see. I really don’t know if he’ll [show up]. We’re still working on it. Hopefully we’ll get something done, but I don’t know.

“We’ve never really had an issue signing draft picks since I’ve been here,” Telesco continued. “We’ve actually been one of the quicker teams in getting guys done. Especially when it’s not really over money — or guaranteed money — I know people get puzzled by it. But it really just comes down to generally this — there’s some things that are negotiable, and money always is negotiable, obviously — but there’s certain things in contracts language-wise, whether you’re picked third, 33rd or 203rd, there’s certain things of consistency and doing things the same way for everyone on the team.”

As Telesco alludes to, Bosa and his camp are not only arguing to not include offset language in his rookie contract, but also to change the payout structure of his fully guaranteed signing bonus. San Diego typically also uses offset clauses in its rookie deals, and as Williams adds, the club also likes to spread out the payment of bonuses to its first-year players.

With no offset language, the Chargers would pay Bosa the balance of his four-year guaranteed contract even if they release him midway through the deal. Then, theoretically, Bosa could collect two salaries upon signing elsewhere. With offset language in place, the Chargers would be off the hook for Bosa’s salary with his new team, paying him only the difference. The Bolts see offset language as the biggest barrier to a deal, but Bosa’s agent apparently has other qualms outside of that.

Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

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Offseason In Review: San Diego Chargers

By Dallas Robinson | at July 21, 2016 11:00 am

The Chargers bottomed out in 2015, posting their worst record since 2003 and securing their first top-five draft pick since the club selected Philip Rivers. But with that top draft choice, and a lot of money coming off the books, San Diego had a chance to remake its roster this offseason while also attempting to deal with relocation concerns.

Notable signings:

Travis Benjamin, WR: Four years, $24MM. $13MM guaranteed.
Joe Barksdale, T: Four years, $22.2MM. $10.5MM guaranteed.
Casey Hayward, CB: Three years, $15.3MM. $6.8MM guaranteed.
Antonio Gates, TE: Two years, $11MM. $6MM guaranteed.
Brandon Mebane, DT: Three years, $13.5MM. $5.5MM guaranteed.
Dwight Lowery, S: Three years, $7.2MM. $1.5MM guaranteed.
Matt Slauson, OL: One year, $3MM. $600K guaranteed.
Chris Hairston, OL: Two years, $2.9MM. $550K guaranteed.
Kellen Clemens, QB: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Jeff Cumberland, TE: One year, minimum salary benefit. $80K guaranteed.
Jahleel Addae, S: One year, $2.553MM. Signed second-round RFA tender.
Damion Square, DL: One year, $725K.

The Chargers’ offensive line in 2015 was, in a word, messy. Injuries sapped any potential the unit might have exhibited prior to the season, leaving tackle Joe Barksdale as the only starter who appeared in all 16 games. King Dunlap, Orlando Franklin, Chris Watt, and D.J. Fluker — a group that earned more than $21MM in cash in 2015 — missed a combined 30 games, leaving subpar options such Trevor Robinson, Kenny Wiggins, and Chris Hairston to fill in. In fact, nine San Diego offensive linemen played more than 100 snaps, and the club fielded 24 different line combinations, fourth-most in the NFL (latter stat courtesy of Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com).

And while the Chargers’ front office is banking on improved health to ameliorate an offensive line that ranked 31st in adjusted line yards, the club didn’t simply rest of its laurels. San Diego’s first move was to re-sign Barksdale, locking up its right tackle through the 2019 season. Barksdale, 28, is a fine player — he ranked as the No. 21 tackle in the league last year, according to Pro Football Focus, and graded among the top-50 at his position in 2014.

But Barksdale sat on the 2015 open market until the end of May before agreeing to a one-year, minimum salary pact with the Chargers. His new contract, on the other hand, makes Barksdale the eighth-highest paid right tackle in terms of annual value, and his $10.5MM in guarantees is fourth-largest among non-rookie contracts at his position. Perhaps San Diego feels some sort of debt towards Barksdale after he was the only part of its offensive line that didn’t end up in tatters last season. But the Chargers re-signed Barksdale before he reached free agency this spring, meaning the club didn’t let him test his market. Handing a right tackle who struggled to find a job a year prior a contract of this magnitude seems like a misstep and an overpay.

San Diego also re-signed swing tackle Hairston to a two-year deal (and are surely hoping he isn’t required to play as much as he did last year), and then inked veteran Matt Slauson after he was released by the Bears. The 30-year-old Slauson spent his entire career at guard until injuries in Chicago forced him to move to the pivot in 2015. He was effective at both spots, and his release came as a surprise, but the Chargers now have a solid veteran in the middle of their offensive line at an affordable price. San Diego drafted center Max Tuerk in third round of this year’s draft, but Slauson is fully expected to start in the middle.

Aside from the offensive line, the other area targeted by the Chargers during the free agent period was the secondary, which makes sense given that the club ranked 19th in opposing passer rating, 18th in passing yards allowed, and 21st in passing defense DVOA. While Jason Verrett remains one of the best corners in the NFL, veteran Brandon Flowers struggled with conditioning and admittedly grew complacent after landing a large deal last spring. Flowers was moved inside last season, but he’ll move back out after San Diego agreed to terms with slot cornerback Casey Hayward.

Hayward is proof that either NFL teams are especially wary of injury history, or that clubs still aren’t paying for slot corners despite the propagation of three wide receiver sets. While secondary options such as Josh Norman, Janoris Jenkins, and Sean Smith all signed for at least $9.5MM annually, Hayward will average only $5.1MM per season with the Chargers despite grading out as the 16th-best corner in the league per PFF.

Admittedly, Hayward’s health concerns may have lowered his price tag, as a hamstring injury wiped out most of his 2013 campaign. But he’s been on the field for every game during the past two seasons, and even began to play on the outside in 2015. It’s conceivable that Hayward will start opposite Verrett in San Diego’s base package before moving inside in the nickel, but either way, the Chargers scored a free agent steal with the 26-year-old.

Elsewhere in the defensive backfield, San Diego brought in veteran safety Dwight Lowery, inking the 30-year-old to a three-year pact. Lowery has bounced around the league since joining the Jets as a fourth-round pick in 2008, spending time with the Jaguars, Falcons, and most recently, the Colts. He’s been up-and-down throughout his career, and is probably a replacement-level safety at this point, but Lowery will help solidify a secondary that is now without franchise mainstay Eric Weddle.

Speaking of organizational icons, the Chargers agreed to a two-year deal to retain tight end Antonio Gates, who is entering his 14th season with the team. Gates, who turned 36 years old last month, is a surefire future Hall of Famer, as only Tony Gonzalez posted more approximate value among tight ends. And while Gates has no speed left which to speak of, he can still play, as evidenced by his 56 receptions and five touchdowns in only 11 games last season.

But San Diego re-signed Gates at the expense of fellow tight Ladarius Green, who is not only a full decade younger than Gates, but proved he could post similar results during the first four games of the year when Gates was suspended. Additionally, Green actually signed for cheaper than Gates in terms of annual value and guarantees. Yes, Green’s total contract is worth more, but he’ll earn less over the next two seasons than Gates, and will likely produce more, as well.

Jeff Cumberland, meanwhile, is likely wishing he would’ve waited until after the draft before signing with a new club, as his role as the Chargers’ second tight end role has been usurped by second-round draft pick Hunter Henry. Bolts tight end coach John McNulty said last month that Cumberland is “still carving out” his role, which figures to entail a lot of special teams work, given that Henry is an excellent blocker and doesn’t figure to come off the field much, especially since San Diego uses a lot of two tight end sets.

Aside from the two tight ends, the Chargers’ only other notable skill position signing was that of former Browns wide receiver Travis Benjamin, who also drew interest from the Texans and Chiefs before agreeing to a four-year deal. Benjamin, 26, ranks 15th in yards per reception among receivers with at least 100 catches since 2012 (the year Benjamin was drafted), so he’ll be an eerily similar replacement for Malcom Floyd, who regularly averaged more than 17 yards per reception.

Still, it’s fair to wonder how productive Benajmin will be in San Diego given that offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt has returned to town, bringing his quick-passing offense with him. During Whisenhunt’s previous stint as OC (2013), Floyd missed almost the entire season with injury, so it’s difficult to visualize how a deep threat will be used in Whisenhunt’s scheme. In a system that relies on getting the ball out swiftly in order to alleviate any offensive line concerns, and focuses more on receptions from running backs, tight ends, and possession receivers like Keenan Allen, Benjamin might struggle to live up to his contract.

Finally, the Chargers added a stout presence to the interior of a defensive line that struggled against the run last season (31st in rushing defense DVOA, 27th in rushing yards allowed), luring defensive tackle Brandon Mebane away from the Seahawks with a three-year contract. Like Barksdale on the offensive side of the ball, Mebane is a fine defender, but this deal strikes as an overpay.

Mebane, 31, won’t be doing much more than acting as a run-stuffer in San Diego, and younger players with better skillsets got paid less on the open market this spring. Jaye Howard scored a very similar contract with the Chiefs, but he’s four years younger than Mebane and a superior defender. Ian Williams is only 26, and while injury concerns killed his market, the Chargers could’ve taken a risk on someone like the 49ers defensive tackle. Former Lions/Titans defender Sammie Lee Hill offers similar production to Mebane, and he’s still sitting on the free agent market, meaning he’ll likely have to settle for a minimum salary deal. San Diego had other ways to spend this money — and address their defensive line — making the Mebane contract ill-advised.

Continue reading about the Chargers’ offseason…

Donald Brown, RB: Released
Donald Butler, LB: Released
Kavell Conner, LB: Released
Malcom Floyd, WR: Retired
Ladarius Green, TE
David Johnson, FB
Cordarro Law, DL
Jeff Linkenbach, OL
Joe Mays, LB
Ricardo Mathews, DL
John Phillips, TE
Kendall Reyes, DL
Patrick Robinson, CB
Brandian Ross, CB
Mike Scifres, P: Released
Johnnie Troutman, G
J.D. Walton, C
Eric Weddle, S

While he’s at the bottom of the list alphabetically, Eric Weddle is atop the Chargers’ notable losses in terms of organizational impact. Since being selected in the first round of the 2007 draft, Weddle started 122 games for San Diego, earning first-team All Pro honors twice. And while he’s still an above-average safety, Weddle was looking for a hefty contract in free agency, and got one, landing a four-year, $26MM deal with the Ravens. Guaranteeing a 31-year-old defensive back $13MM probably isn’t the best idea for a club that it’s the midst of a semi-rebuild, and given all the acrimony that occurred between Weddle and the Chargers last season, there was no chance he’d return to the Bolts.

The San Diego front office told Weddle that his contract would not be extended prior to the season, but things grew more tense later in the year, when the Chargers fined Weddle $10K for remaining on the field during halftime of a game to watch his daughter perform in a dance ceremony. Weddle and agent David Canter initially declined to go public about the fine, but the agent opened up after the Chargers placed the safety on IR in Week 17, a move that was made against his wishes. Per Canter, the team also informed Weddle that there would be no room for him to travel on the team plane to the regular season finale in Denver.

No such rancor existed between Malcom Floyd and the franchise, as the veteran receiver left the Chargers of his own accord after 11 seasons with the club. Floyd, 34, announced prior to the 2015 campaign that he would retire following the season, and a torn labrum and a concussion likely didn’t make him lean toward staying. Certainly a success story, Floyd entered the league as an undrafted free agent, and bounced off and on San Diego’s roster for several seasons before sticking, earning a role as a big-play threat and producing solid numbers as recently as 2014, when he recorded 52 receptions for 856 yards and a career-high six touchdowns.

Another offensive playmaker, tight end Ladarius Green, also left the squad, inking a four-year deal to join the Steelers as a free agent. We touched on this above when discussing Antonio Gates, but it’s worth reiterating: even though Gates is a franchise legend, the smart move would have been to retain Green instead. Green is younger and cheaper, and when paired with rookie Hunter Henry could have formed a lethal combination for years to come. Sentimentality leans in the direction of Gates, but pragmatism says Green was the right choice.

Donald Brown has never lived up to his first-round draft status (unless one counts internet memes on a résumé), but he still has a role in the league as a special teams player and an occasional third-down back. That skill-set isn’t worth $3.5MM, however, and that’s the total the Chargers were able to clear off their cap by releasing Brown earlier this year. With Melvin Gordon, Danny Woodhead, and Branden Oliver on the roster, there simply wasn’t a spot on the club for Brown or his salary.

The remainder of San Diego’s offensive losses were bit players, but tight end John Phillips did play on 550 snaps last season. More than half that number came on special teams, however, and his role as an inline blocking tight end has been stolen by Henry and/or Jeff Cumberland. The same goes for hybrid tight end/fullback David Johnson, who will join Green in Pittsburgh. Offensive guard Johnnie Troutman, meanwhile, started 24 games from 2013-14, but spent all last year on injured reserve after breaking his arm, and wasn’t tendered as a restricted free agent after the season.

While Weddle and Floyd generated the most headlines by their absence, it was punter Mike Scifres who actually had the longest tenure with the Chargers, having been with the club since 2003. The writing was on the wall when San Diego selected Drew Kaser in the sixth round, as a punter doesn’t get drafted unless he’s going to start. The Bolts saved roughly $3.5MM by releasing Scifres, which made it a no-brainer move, and the veteran specialist found a new job about a month later, signing with the NFC Champion Panthers.

On defense, cornerback Patrick Robinson is gone after delivering an excellent return on a one-year, ~$3MM deal after having somewhat flamed out as a former first-round pick of the Saints. Robinson experienced a breakout during his age-28 season, grading out among the top-30 cornerbacks in the league, according to PFF. Still, the Chargers were right to let him leave for the Colts, with whom he signed a three-year, $14MM pact, because San Diego replaced him with an even better defensive back in Casey Hayward.

Back in 2014, Donald Butler signed a seven-year contract extension with the Chargers, but that deal could essentially be split into two halves. If San Diego had retained the veteran linebacker for the 2016 season, the club would have been on the hook for a $12MM option bonus due to be paid in 2017. So, after selecting Denzel Perryman in 2015 and Joshua Perry in this year’s draft, San Diego cut ties with Butler, who was coming off the worst season of his career. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune has accused Butler of “losing interest” after receiving his massive payday, and other clubs might share that assessment given that Butler is still on the open market.

Along the front, San Diego chose not to re-sign defensive lineman Kendall Reyes and Ricardo Mathews, both of whom appeared in all 16 games for the club last season (Reyes started 15 games). With Joey Bosa now in tow, there wasn’t going to be a role for either veteran, and the pair didn’t exactly solidify their presence on the roster with their play last season, as both Reyes and Mathews ranked among the four-worst interior defenders in the NFL in 2015, according to PFF.

Draft picks:

1-3: Joey Bosa, DE/OLB (Ohio State)
2-35: Hunter Henry, TE (Arkansas)
3-66: Max Tuerk, C (USC)
4-102: Joshua Perry, LB (Ohio State)
5-175: Jatavis Brown, LB (Akron)
6-179: Drew Kaser, P (Texas A&M)
6-198: Derek Watt, FB (Wisconsin)
7-224: Donavon Clark, OL (Michigan State)

No one saw the Chargers selection of Ohio State edge rusher Joey Bosa coming, as most observers believed San Diego would target defensive back Jalen Ramsey, defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, or one of the top available offensive lineman. Much of that blindness may have been due to the fact that Bosa doesn’t look like a classic 3-4 defensive end, but at 6’5″, 270 pounds, he fits the mold of today’s edge rusher.

Defensive coordinator John Pagano is likely to use Bosa in a number of ways, and Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com argued for as much earlier this year, writing that the Chargers should attempt to rush Bosa from a stand-up position. But it looks like Bosa is going to play a standard five-technique role, but instead of monitoring two gaps, he’ll instead be asked to serve as a one-gap penetrator. Jonathan Stephanson of ElevenWarriors.com posted an excellent analysis of Bosa’s fit in the Bolts’ 3-4 scheme earlier this year.

Of course, Bosa won’t be providing any production for San Diego until he gets on the field, which isn’t going to happen until he signs his rookie contract. Bosa is one of only three 2016 picks (all first-rounders) who have yet to sign on the dotted line, and it’s unclear where things stand between Bosa and Chargers management. San Diego wants Bosa to agree to include offset language in his pact, while Bosa and his camp wants to improve his overall cash flow.

We touched on Hunter Henry‘s role a bit earlier, and every indication is that he’ll take over the Ladarius Green role in 2016. Depending on the speed of his development, there’s no reason he can’t become a nearly every-down player during his rookie season before taking over for Antonio Gates in the long term. Max Tuerk, however, is looking at a bench role during the upcoming season, but he could be asked to play on the inside — possibly at guard in addition to center — if injuries strike.

Joshua Perry was a favorite of the Pro Football Focus crowd, which noted that he the OSU product only missed nine tackles over the past two years — he and fellow linebacker Jatavis Brown will compete for backup roles, but will see most of their time on special teams. The selection of Drew Kaser meant veteran Mike Scifres was released, while Derek Watt will be asked to help rejuvenate the career of his old college teammate, running back Melvin Gordon.

Extensions and Restructures:

Keenan Allen, WR: Extended through 2020. Four years, $45MM. $20.656MM guaranteed. $4MM available via escalators
King Dunlap, T: Accepted pay cut, creating $1.2MM in cap space by reducing 2016 base salary from $4.5MM to a guaranteed $3.3MM. Can earn $1.2MM through playtime incentives.

Given that Keenan Allen, Doug Baldwin, and Allen Hurns all signed recent extensions with their respective clubs, it’s fair to compare the trio and examine which player received the most favorable contact, especially given that they’ve all posted similar statistics over the past few seasons. Of the three, Baldwin received the largest annual value ($11.5MM to Allen’s $11.25MM), but Allen garnered the most guaranteed money, securing $20.656MM. Hurns lags behind in both categories, but that’s to be expected given that he was under contract for both 2016 and 2017 (via restricted free agency).

So, yes, Allen probably came out on top among this group, but that’s not to say the Chargers didn’t win this negotiation, as Allen also offers the highest-upside of the three. In 2015, Allen posted 67 receptions for 725 yards and four touchdowns….in only eight games. Allen had an outside shot of topping the single-season record for catches (143 by Marvin Harrison in 2002) before he lacerated his kidney in November. Given the serious nature of that injury, it’s not surprising that Allen chose to take financial security now rather than testing free agency, and Allen’s agent, appearing on a recent episode of Andrew Brandt’s Business of Sports podcast, said that he preferred to get Allen locked up before any other receiver contracts lowered his potential salary floor.

But Allen will be able to hit free agency again with an excellent chance of cashing out a second time, because he’s incredibly young. Born in April 1992, Allen was the sixth-youngest player in the entire 2013 draft. He’s younger than Hurns, who entered the league a year later. And he’s only four months older than Josh Doctson, who was drafted this year. Allen will be entering his age-28 season the next time he reaches the open market, and could easily score another large deal.

Other:

Have the option of relocating to Los Angeles, with a deadline of January 2017.
Extended head coach Mike McCoy through 2017.
Hired Ken Whisenhunt as offensive coordinator to replace Frank Reich.
Hired former Jaguars DC Bob Babich as linebackers coach.
Exercised 2017 fifth-year option for G D.J. Fluker ($8.821MM).
Claimed QB Zach Mettenberger off waivers.
Signed 20 undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.

The Chargers won’t immediately follow the Rams to Los Angeles in 2016, but they do have they the chance to do in the next six months or so, as they have until next January to make a decision. If the club does decide to stay in San Diego, it will receive $100MM that will go towards building a new stadium. A stadium effort will listed on a November ballot, but it’s not expected to be approved, and Los Angeles still looks like the most likely landing spot for the Bolts, although Las Vegas is thought to be another option.

On the field, the Chargers prevented head coach Mike McCoy from entering a lame-duck season by inking him to a one-year extension (after deciding to not fire him), and also brought back Ken Whisenhunt as offensive coordinator, placing him back in the post he held for the 2013 season. San Diego ranked second in offensive DVOA the season, as quarterback Philip Rivers experienced an excellent season under Whisenhunt’s coaching. Whisenhunt wasn’t the only import from Tennessee, however, as San Diego also claimed former Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger off waivers, perhaps in the hope that he can become a high-quality backup with Whisenhunt’s help.

The Chargers picked up D.J. Fluker‘s fifth-year option for 2017, and in doing so, handed him a higher salary than any right guard currently on the books. Of course, Fluker’s base salary for next season isn’t fully guaranteed, and he can be released if he doesn’t suffer a major injury between now and next spring. But the club may have backed itself into a corner, as Fluker’s agent is going to start any extension negotiations with an $8MM+ asking price.

Top 10 cap hits for 2016:

Philip Rivers, QB: $21,000,000
Corey Liuget, DL: $10,000,000
Brandon Flowers, CB: $9,750,000
Melvin Ingram, LB: $7,751,000
Orlando Franklin, G: $7,200,000
Donald Butler, LB: $6,690,000 (dead money)
Antonio Gates, TE: $5,500,000
King Dunlap, T: $5,143,750
Casey Hayward, CB: $5,133,333
Joe Barksdale, T: $4,550,000

The AFC West looks to be one of the more interesting divisions in the NFL. The Super Bowl champion Broncos lost pieces from perhaps the league’s best defense and are dealing with a new quarterback situation, while the Wild Card Chiefs are looking to take over division crown. The Raiders, however, are also ascending, and look to seriously compete in the West for the first time in years. So where does that leave the Chargers? Likely near the bottom of the standings, but that doesn’t mean they’ll approach 12 losses again. A slight jump in the win department is possible (probable, even), and while an outside shot at a Wild Card berth is on the table, 8-8 looks to be a more realistic goal.

Information from Over the Cap, Spotrac, and Roster Resource was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

1 comment Los Angeles Chargers Newsstand Offseason In Review PFR Originals

Latest On Joey Bosa

By Dallas Robinson | at July 17, 2016 4:36 pm

No. 3 overall pick Joey Bosa continues to haggle with the Chargers over his rookie deal, and while negotiations haven’t yet gotten unpleasant, that could change if the battle goes on much longer, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Bosa and his agent are reportedly angling to remove offset language from his contract, and to improve the overall cash flow of the pact. For what it’s worth, former agent and current CBSSports.com contributor Joel Corry recently said that Bosa and his camp have a much better shot at upgrading the payout schedule than getting rid of offsets. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk argues that San Diego should cave on both issues, noting that getting Bosa into camp is far more important than possibly recouping a small amount of cash years down the road, a view we’ve espoused on PFR.

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Latest On Chargers’ Stadium Efforts

By Rory Parks | at July 10, 2016 9:40 am

The Chargers have submitted enough signatures in support of their downtown stadium proposal to the city of San Diego to land the proposal on the November ballot, according to the City Clerk’s Office (report via 10News.com). The Chargers submitted 110,380 signatures collected over a six-week period for consideration, and a random sampling of 3% of the signatures indicated that the team had collected more than enough to send the measure to the San Diego City Council, which is expected to formally place the initiative on the ballot.

But while the Chargers have cleared one major hurdle in their efforts to remain in San Diego, most sources with knowledge of the situation believe that voters will not approve the plan. Those voters will need to decide if they want to increase the hotel room tax to 16.5%, up from its current effective rate of 12.5%. The proceeds generated by that tax hike would help fund the $1.8 billion plan, which calls for a 61,500-seat facility in the East Village. $650MM of that cost would be footed by the Chargers, who would pay $350MM of their own money while obtaining a $300MM loan from the NFL.

Hoteliers, predictably, are expected to heavily oppose the initiative, but the rest of the San Diego citizenry doesn’t seem especially fond of the idea either. As Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today observes, the team presented polling data to the NFL last year that showed about 65% disapproval of public funding for a new stadium in San Diego.

A recent and unrelated court case in California has also complicated matters quite a bit. Back in March, a California appellate court held that citizens’ initiatives like this one required only a simple majority of more than 50%, as opposed to the two-thirds majority that is typically required when a tax hike is proposed by a government agency. However, the California Supreme Court has vacated that ruling pending its decision on the matter, and that decision will probably not be rendered before November. As such, the Chargers will likely need the full two-thirds majority to approve their stadium plan.

If the San Diego measure does not receive the requisite voter support, team president Dean Spanos has an agreement in place to have the Chargers become the second team in the Rams’ future Los Angeles home.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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Chargers Sign Third-Rounder Max Tuerk

By Connor J. Byrne | at July 9, 2016 10:00 am

SATURDAY, 10:00am: The Chargers announced the deal via their website.

THURSDAY, 1:44pm: The Chargers have signed third-round pick Max Tuerk, reports Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). With Tuerk signed, first-round defensive end Joey Bosa – the No. 3 overall selection – is now the only member of the Chargers’ eight-player draft class who hasn’t put pen to paper on a rookie contract.

The 66th overall pick, Tuerk was a standout at nearby USC, where he played guard, tackle and center and totaled 38 starts. A season-ending knee injury concluded Tuerk’s career with the Trojans five games into his senior campaign in 2015, but he should be ready to go for his first year in the NFL. As Roster Resource shows, Tuerk joins a center group that includes free agent pickup Matt Slauson, Chris Watt and Trevor Robinson.

Bosa, meanwhile, is one of only three first-rounders without a deal. As of late June, the ex-Ohio State star and the Chargers were at loggerheads over the offset language in his contract.

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Trevor Robinson's Roster Spot In Jeopardy

By Connor J. Byrne | at July 8, 2016 1:33 pm

Center Trevor Robinson is a potential cap casualty for the Chargers this summer, reports Tom Krasovic of the San Diego-Union Tribune. By moving on from Robinson, the Bolts would save $2.3MM and take on just $75K in dead money. If the team keeps the 26-year-old, it could be after restructuring his deal, per Krasovic. Robinson, who’s still not 100 percent from a shoulder injury he suffered last season, made 13 starts in 15 appearances for the Chargers in 2015. San Diego has since added free agent pickup Matt Slauson and third-rounder Max Tuerk to the fray at center.

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Latest On Chargers, City Of San Diego

By Connor J. Byrne | at July 7, 2016 11:45 am

Even if the Chargers only need 50 percent – not 66.6 percent – of voters to approve public funding for a new stadium, they still could have a difficult time garnering enough support, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Chargers stadium advisor Fred Maas claims that San Diego residents who don’t live in a hotel “won’t pay a dime” to keep the team there, but Florio is skeptical, pointing out that money coming from a hotel tax could have other public uses instead. Further, those who vote no would be doing so because they don’t want any part of helping subsidize the NFL – a $13 billion-per-year industry – Florio adds.

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Chargers Could Be Set For Undesirable Location

By Sam Robinson | at July 6, 2016 11:17 am

A poll conducted by Competitive Edge Research showed the Chargers‘ downtown stadium measure probably wouldn’t pass even if just 50% of the vote was needed, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. A California State Supreme Court decision, though, currently would require the measure to receive a two-thirds majority to pass, stacking the odds against the Chargers. Cole tweets the team’s options could be remaining in Mission Valley or sharing a stadium with the Rams in Inglewood, adding the team prefers neither option. The NFL reporter said Tuesday the Chargers were looking at an Eastern Los Angeles site as well.

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