HEADLINES

Los Angeles Chargers News & Rumors

West Notes: A. Smith, Floyd, Foles

November 17th, 2015 at 8:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier tonight, we learned that the NFL has suspended Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith for one calendar year, meaning that he cannot return to the gridiron until November 2016. Smith’s deal with Oakland only lasts through the end of the 2015 season, but based on the joint statements issued by the player and the team Tuesday night, it sounds like a reunion is very likely.

“Aldon has been a positive addition to the Raiders. He remains prominently in our long term plans and we will continue to support this member of our family as he gets the help that he needs,” the Raiders said in the press release.

Smith, meanwhile, said that he looks “forward to rejoining the team next year.” Here’s more out of the AFC and NFC West:

  • Malcom Floyd, 34, has said all year that the 2015 season would be his farewell tour. However, after suffering a serious shoulder injury, Chargers teammate Antonio Gates doesn’t see that as a certainty. “Now, I think there’s a little doubt in his mind because of how he went out,” Gates said, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. “I put more doubt in his mind because I want him to come back. I’m like ‘Dude, you can’t go out like this.'” Meanwhile, sources familiar with Floyd’s thinking tell Gehlken that the odds of him returning in 2016 are no longer zero.
  • The Rams‘ extension with Nick Foles calls for him to earn a guaranteed $6MM roster bonus due on the third day of the league year, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. The Rams can avoid his modest $1.75MM salary (guaranteed for injury only) by cutting him, but they cannot get out of paying that $6MM bonus. In theory, the Rams could trade Foles and rid themselves of that expense, but it seems unlikely that they’ll find a taker after Foles was benched in favor of Case Keenum.
  • Foles isn’t happy about being benched, but the Rams quarterback respects Jeff Fisher’s decision, as Florio writes. “You don’t expect [to be benched],” Foles told reporters. “It’s just one of those things that — I respect Coach Fisher to start off. Of course, I want to be out there, but it’s his decision to make, and I respect it. I love Case [Keenum] to death. He’s one of my favorite people in the world, so I’m going to be right there to support him every step of the way and help him in any way possible.”

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/17/15

November 17th, 2015 at 5:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: DE B.J. McBryde (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
  • Cut: DT Eric Crume

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Oakland Raiders

San Diego Chargers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: DT Justin Hamilton, DB Trovon Reed (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times)

St. Louis Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Los Angeles Relocation Fee To Be $500MM+

November 16th, 2015 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

NFL owners have informally decided on a relocation fee worth between $500MM and $600MM per franchise for a potential Los Angeles relocation, reports Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal (via Twitter). According to Kaplan (via Twitter), the amount isn’t yet set in stone, but people within the league expect it to be in that $500-600MM range.

The NFL’s relocation policy dictates that a relocating franchise “will ordinarily be expected to pay a transfer fee to the league” in order to compensate the rest of the league’s teams for loss of opportunity to move to that new market themselves, as well as to account for a potential increase in the value of the relocating franchise. Kaplan had indicated (via Twitter) in August that the league may look to share a portion of a relocating team’s profits this time around, rather than charging a straight relocation fee, but it looks like that won’t happen.

Kaplan’s latest report falls somewhat in line with what Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune heard way back in April. At the time, Canepa wrote that the Los Angeles relocation fee could be worth upwards of a half billion dollars, suggesting that he thought it should be even higher than that.

The relocation fee shouldn’t be an issue for any team interested in moving to Los Angeles, though the fact that Kaplan specifies the fee applies “per team” is worth noting. There had been some speculation in the past that the Raiders and Chargers would split the relocation fee if the Carson project were to move forward, but it sounds like that’s not the case. It will be interesting to see if owners are more inclined to support the relocation of two teams rather than one, since that would mean essentially doubling that relocation fee.

Sunday Roundup: O’Brien, Harbaugh, Lacy

November 15th, 2015 at 12:45pm CST by Rory Parks

As the early Week 10 games get underway, let’s take a look at some notes from around the league:

  • Texans owner Bob McNair is understandably disappointed with his club’s performance this year under second-year head coach Bill O’Brien, and rumors persist that O’Brien could be on his way out at the end of the season while GM Rick Smith, long a McNair favorite, could stay in Houston. If that happens, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes that O’Brien is “very intrigued” by the head coaching job at the University of Maryland, which is a more attractive position than some outsiders may realize. O’Brien fits Maryland’s criteria–a relatively young offensive mind who can run a quality pro-style offense–and he previously served as an assistant coach with the Terrapins. Current Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich is also reportedly interested in the job.
  • Although it was expected that Texans TE Ryan Griffin would play this week, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle reports that the team did not activate Griffin from the Injured Reserve-Designated To Return list before a Saturday afternoon deadline, meaning he will have to wait until next week to get back into game action. As Wilson writes, Griffin has recovered from a sprained MCL suffered during the season-opener against Kansas City, but he is still working his way back into football shape.
  • After Michigan’s narrow win over Indiana last night, an Indiana-based reporter began to ask Wolverines head coach–and former Colts quarterback–Jim Harbaugh if he would have any interest in the Colts head coaching position should it become available at the end of the season, as is widely expected. Per Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com, Harbaugh did not allow the reporter to finish the question, saying simply, “Stop. Just stop yourself. No comment.” 
  • Eddie Lacy was a surprise entry on the Packers‘ inactive list today, but he has disappointed all season. Some of Lacy’s struggles can be attributed to injury, some to poor blocking, and some to Lacy’s physical condition (he is noticeably heavier than last year). As Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com writes, Lacy is facing a crossroads in his young career, and Green Bay hopes that the emergence of James Starks, coupled with Lacy’s difficulties, will spur the latter back to his previous level of success.
  • Mark Kiszla and Troy Renck of The Denver Post debate whether the Broncos should give backup quarterback Brock Osweiler some snaps down the stretch in order to preserve Peyton Manning for what will likely be his last playoff run. As long as a first-round bye is at stake, Osweiler will remain on the sidelines, unless the outcome of a particular game is no longer in doubt.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com breaks down the upcoming free agent and trade markets for quarterbacks.

Latest On Los Angeles

November 15th, 2015 at 11:37am CST by Rory Parks

11:37am: In a separate piece, La Canfora reports that former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo, Jr. is in discussions with Raiders owner Mark Davis about joining Davis’ ownership group. Davis, who has been actively seeking minority partners that would inject additional capital into his franchise in advance of the team’s potential move to LA, has previously been very reluctant to yield any controlling interest in the club to others, but given DeBartolo’s excellent reputation around the league, and given that the Carson project still needs to procure more support from other league owners to move forward, Davis may be willing to make an exception. Nothing is imminent at this time, but this is still a development worth keeping an eye on.

10:59am: We heard earlier this week that although the Carson stadium proposal put forth by the Chargers and Raiders continues to gain momentum– particularly now that Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger has agreed to become chairman of the project–there are still a number of high-profile owners who back the Inglewood project, which would see Rams owner Stan Kroenke move his club to Los Angeles.

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, those high-profile holdouts include Jerry Jones of the Cowboys, Robert Kraft of the Patriots, Dan Snyder of Washington, Jeffrey Lurie of the Eagles, Woody Johnson of the Jets, Ziggy Wilf of the Vikings, and Steve Biscotti of the Ravens. Bengals owner Mike Brown, meanwhile, frequently abstains from voting and would therefore be counted as a “nay” vote for either project. The Bills, Falcons, and 49ers apparently hold the “swing votes.”

As La Canfora writes, a number of owners were concerned that the Spanos and Davis families’ lack of prior experience in deals of this magnitude would be a major blow to the Carson project. However, the inclusion of Iger, who would “oversee the design, construction and development of the stadium, as well as set the vision for the marketing, branding and in-game experience,” has largely assuaged that concern. But the Carson project still does not have quite enough support from other owners to move forward. Either bid would need the approval of 24 owners, and La Canfora says that while the Carson bid has grown increasingly viable with the addition of Iger, the Kroenke supporters could still quash it.

Nonetheless, Iger’s decision to come aboard at this point in the process could signal his belief that the Carson project will obtain the ownership support it needs. While the Carson team will need at least one of the current Kroenke backers to change his vote, it appears increasingly likely that will happen.

Tom Telesco Safe, Mike McCoy Unsafe?

November 15th, 2015 at 9:52am CST by Rory Parks

Since the Chargers hired GM Tom Telesco and head coach Mike McCoy within a week of each other two-and-a-half seasons ago, the team has compiled a 20-21 record, which has led some to believe that both men will be relieved of their duties at the end of the 2015 season. However, as Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune writes, Telesco, at least, will get one more season to right the ship.

Acee says that three sources familiar with the inclinations of John Spanos, the team’s president of football operations, say Spanos prefers continuity among his top decision-makers, and Spanos apparently believes that injuries, more than poor roster construction, are to blame for the Chargers’ 2-7 record. Of course, Telesco’s predilection for small and speedy players could be a cause of the team’s rash of injuries, and it also has had a direct impact on the team’s performance. As Acee notes, “[t]he defense is preposterously undersized and relatively unphysical,” and even before the injuries, there were not many players on the defensive side of the ball that were worthy of a starting job.

On the other hand, Telesco did manage to piece together a contending club during his first two seasons in San Diego despite inheriting the “ashes of an aging roster,” and it’s not as though many of the players who are currently struggling with injury had any type of injury history in college that should have made Telesco wary of drafting them. While Telesco has been an abject failure in free agency–see Jacoby Jones and Derek Cox–Spanos is willing to provide his first-time GM a little leeway.

The same may not be true, however, for McCoy. Although there are no concrete rumors concerning the head coach’s job security, Acee writes that the team “is more likely to wind up with changes on the coaching staff than in the personnel department.” It is fair to wonder why McCoy, who has been tasked with fielding a competitive club with a roster that has been ravaged by injury and hamstrung by Telesco’s decision-making, should be held more responsible than Telesco himself for the team’s poor performance, but Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk may have an answer. Telesco, Florio says, is apparently willing to defer to Spanos, who is more directly involved with personnel decisions than most NFL owners and part-owners.

Spanos’ decisions, of course, will be even more significant if the team ultimately move to Los Angeles. As Florio writes, the Chargers would be competing with the Raiders for fans and revenue, so they will need a strong personnel man and head coach to lead them into a new era. Whether Telesco and McCoy are the right choices remain to be seen, but at the moment, it appears as though Telesco will have the opportunity to prove himself while McCoy may not.

Extra Points: Mayo, Pats, Welker

November 13th, 2015 at 8:55pm CST by Luke Adams

While there’s virtually no way he’ll return to the Patriots on his current contract, linebacker Jerod Mayo‘s time in New England may not be over after this season, says Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. In his latest mailbag, Howe suggests that if Mayo can get healthy, it’s possible he and the Pats could work out a reworked contract to bring him back. In my look last week at the Patriots’ 2016 cap situation, I identified Mayo as the team’s most likely cap casualty.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • If you’re a fan of the Steelers, Cowboys, Chargers, Ravens, or Packers, and you feel like your team has had worse-than-usual injury luck this year, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com is inclined to agree. In his latest piece, Seifert identifies those five teams as the ones that have been hit hardest by injuries this season.
  • The Giants are scheduled to work out free agent linebacker Alex Singleton next Tuesday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Singleton, who was waived by the Seahawks prior to the regular season, has also auditioned for the Chiefs, Bengals, Browns, Jaguars, and Washington this year.
  • According to reports from Tom Pelissero of USA Today and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links), Wes Welker‘s new one-year deal with the Rams includes a $200K signing bonus to go along with a base salary worth approximately $456K (prorated total of $970K). The veteran wideout can also earn up to $200K in per-game roster bonuses ($25K per game), plus another $100K via catch- and yard-based incentives.

Extra Points: Stafford, Los Angeles, Packers

November 11th, 2015 at 9:12pm CST by Zachary Links

If Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is made available, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) would expect the Texans, 49ers, Browns, and Jets to all express interest given their quarterback needs. Stafford has reasonable base salaries of $17MM and $16.5MM (both non-guaranteed) in 2016 and 2017, so he could have appeal to clubs despite his struggles. Meanwhile, teams looking at QBs feel that Stafford has more to offer than any signal caller in the draft.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • Jets owner Woody Johnson says a decision on Los Angeles could come after January and perhaps even as late as March, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. It sounds like we’ll have to wait a while before we learn the fate of the Raiders, Rams, and Chargers.
  • The Packers worked out defensive tackle Toby Johnson, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Saints worked out wide receiver Damarr Aultman, cornerback Dwight Bentley, and fullback Trey Millard, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Patriots worked out offensive tackle Reid Fragel, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
  • Former Texans wide receiver DeVier Posey worked out for the Bengals today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).

Practice Squad Updates: 11/11/15

November 11th, 2015 at 4:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a rundown of Wednesday’s practice squad moves from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: CB Kevin White (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)

Cleveland Browns

Miami Dolphins

San Diego Chargers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

West Notes: Armstrong, Floyd, Welker

November 11th, 2015 at 3:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Police are looking into whether Raiders linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong illegally taunted a police dog before a game against the Steelers on Sunday, as an Associated Press report outlines. Chief Deputy Kevin Kraus says a player lifted his shirt, beat his chest and barked at the K-9 before telling a deputy to release the dog. Needless to say, the deputy did not follow Armstrong’s orders.

Taunting a police dog is a third-degree felony in Pennsylvania, so the consequences could potentially be severe for the linebacker. It’s not a concern for Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio though, who downplayed the story during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (link via FOX Sports).

“I’ve caught wind of this story. I’m going to put it in the ‘silly’ category,” Del Rio said. “I think once the facts come to light I don’t think there’s going to be much of an issue. I wouldn’t make too much of it.”

Here’s more from around the NFL’s West divisions:

  • Chargers wide receiver Malcom Floyd suffered a torn labrum on Monday night, a source tells Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (Twitter link). According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Floyd plans to rehab the injury and “see how it goes,” with the hopes of playing through it. The 34-year-old has previously stated that 2015 will be his final season in the NFL, so it would be an unfortunate end if he had to shut it down early.
  • In his latest column for Bleacher Report, Mike Freeman examines the Rams‘ decision to sign Wes Welker, and – more importantly – Welker’s decision to continue his NFL career despite possible health risks. Freeman hears from a source that Welker has “taken great care of his finances,” and is returning to action because he doesn’t want to stop playing yet, not because he needs the money.
  • Linebacker Nico Johnson, who signed yesterday with the Giants’ practice squad, also had a workout this week with the Rams, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link).
  • Wilson also passes along the names of several players who auditioned for the Seahawks this week, including tight end Cameron Clear, quarterback Jake Heaps, defensive lineman Glenn Foster, safety Jonathan Dowling, and cornerback Keon Lyn (Twitter link).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Load More Posts