West Notes: Chargers, Barksdale, 49ers, Kelly
Let’s take a look at the latest news and notes from the NFL’s two West divisions:
- Right tackle Joe Barksdale hopes his upcoming foray into free agency goes smoother than it did last season, writes Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Barksdale notably remained unsigned until mid-May of last year before finally latching on with the Chargers, with whom he went on to start all 16 games. After settling for a base salary/signing bonus of just over $1MM in 2015, Barskdale should be able to get a pay bump this season, be it with San Diego or another club looking for offensive line help.
- Defensive line is a key area of need for the 49ers this offseason, says Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Defensive tackle Ian Williams is a free agent and could command a hefty contract on the open market, and the remaining options on the roster lack depth, as Arik Armstead, Glenn Dorsey, and Quinton Dial headline an uninspiring unit. But even if San Francisco fails to re-sign Williams, the club could use an early draft pick on a defensive lineman, and this year’s collegiate class is especially strong at that position.
- Speaking of Armstead, the former Oregon Duck and current 49er is confident that new head coach Chip Kelly will help turn things around in the Bay Area. “I think [Kelly] is going to get us on the right path,” Armstead told Bleacher Report’s Uninterrupted (link via CSNBayArea.com). “It’s going to be a lot of hard work this year. But I think it’s going to be beneficial to our team. The sky is the limit for us, really, it can’t really get any worse than last season.”
Chargers Likely To Re-Sign Antonio Gates
Veteran tight end Antonio Gates is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on March 9, but the longtime Charger doesn’t figure to hit actually hit the open market. San Diego is expected to meet with Gates’ agent Tom Condon at the combine next week, and the presumption is that the two sides will hammer out a deal, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune, who reports that an “air of formality” surrounds the discussions.
[RELATED: Chargers free agent Eric Weddle hopes to join contending team]
“We’ll talk to Tom Condon in a little more detail in Indy, and we’ll talk to Ladarius [Green]‘s guy in Indy as well,” general manger Tom Telesco told Gehlken. “It’s February, and we’ve got until September to get the position together the best way we see fit. So, we’ll see. Through our own players, through free agency and through the draft, we’ll see.”
As Telesco notes, fellow tight end Green is a free agent as well, as are two other Chargers tight ends, John Phillips and David Johnson. The 25-year-old Green played the most snaps of the bunch, while Phillips is a core special teamer, having played on nearly 70% of San Diego’s special teams snaps. With more than $31MM in projected cap space, the Chargers should be able to retain whomever they want from their tight end group (though it’s possible Green will seek an opportunity where he could be the clear cut starter).
For his part, Gates, 35, had previously expressed his desire to play in 2016, noting his displeasure with how the Chargers — who ended up posting a 4-12 record — played in 2015. And just last month, Telesco indicated that he’d love to have Gates back in San Diego, so it’s not surprising that Gehlken reports that contract talks are expected to be a breeze.
Gates’ counting stats were down last year, but that was largely because of his four-game absence due of a PED suspension. On a rate basis, his productivity was in line with recent seasons, as he averaged 57.3 receiving yards per game while scoring five times. Coming off a five-year deal that paid him more than $7MM annually, Gates could ask for the same yearly value, albeit on a shorter contract.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
AFC Rumors: Bolts, Reid, Miller, Jets, Titans
A Chargers-led citizen’s initiative could help solve stadium cost issues at the Mission Valley, Calif., site that hovered at the center of discussions prior to the Bolts’ Carson overtures, David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
This process involves the sale of 75 acres of the 166-acre Qualcomm Stadium site, a transaction that could net $225MM that would go toward funding the proposed $1.1 billion Chargers stadium, San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer’s task force’s estimates. That would help significantly, considering the new stadium still requires $350MM in taxpayer funds to go along with $300MM from the NFL and additional money generated by personal seat licenses, among other streams of revenue.
“They did it in Carson and another group of lawyers did it in Inglewood, so it certainly could be done in San Diego in pretty much the same way,” city attorney Jerry Goldsmith told Garrick. “It would involve re-zoning; it would involve voter approval of not only a stadium but ancillary development, and it would include bypassing the California Environmental Quality Act if it’s done right.”
Garrick, however, makes it clear the Chargers haven’t committed to pursue this route, as the sides still have a long way to go before anything substantial emerges in this long-running saga.
Let’s take a look at the latest transpiring in the AFC.
- Andy Reid won’t join the Chiefs‘ contingent at next week’s NFL Scouting Combine due to knee replacement surgery, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com reports. The 57-year-old coach had this surgery last year and attended the Combine, but he missed this year’s Senior Bowl and won’t trek to Indianapolis as well.
- The Jets have engaged in contract talks with Chris Ivory‘s camp, but Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News believes the seventh-year running back will test the market. Ivory would join Lamar Miller, Doug Martin and Matt Forte as free agency’s top ball-carriers, should Gang Green fail to keep him off the market.
- Lamar Miller‘s roots in Miami could induce the Dolphins to give him a low-ball offer in free agency and incite the fifth-year running back to bolt, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Miller attended the University of Miami and was born in the city in which he played his first four NFL seasons. Florio also speculates DeMarco Murray‘s first-year flop with the Eagles will make it harder for this year’s crop of fifth-year runners, Miller and Martin, to receive a Murray-like deal.
- The Titans will address the wide receiver position in the draft, Jim Wyatt of Titans.com writes in a mailbag. Coming off his worst season, Kendall Wright currently is set to enter his fifth-year option campaign, and Justin Hunter is also entering a contract year. Wyatt notes the team’s investment in the position will not come at No. 1 overall, given that there isn’t a wide receiver that’s projected to possess that kind of value.
Eric Weddle Hopes To Join Contending Team
5:43pm: Chargers GM Tom Telesco confirmed today that the Chargers won’t use their franchise tag this year, which is the latest indication that Weddle will be able to hit the open market next month, writes Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
12:28pm: Back in January, free agent safety Eric Weddle suggested there’s virtually no chance he’ll re-sign with the Chargers this winter after the relationship between the player and team grew increasingly fractured, particularly toward the end of the 2015 season. Around the same time, Weddle told Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune what sort of factors he’ll prioritize when he reaches the open market, citing a desire to contend for a Super Bowl as an important one.
“In the next three or four years, are they going to be competitive, are they going to be division winners, are we going to have a chance at the Super Bowl?” Weddle asked hypothetically, referring to teams that might pursue him. The veteran safety also mentioned a few more factors that will play a role in his decision: “The division, where they see me fitting, how can I help, will I be what they want, is it a good fit? I think I can play any scheme, so that’s not really an issue.”
Of course, considering Weddle referred to the possibility of winning a Super Bowl with his next team “in the next three or four years,” his definition of a potential contender may be generous. He might not reciprocate interest from a team like the Titans, which still looks multiple years away from legit contention, but a rising club like the Raiders could make a strong pitch to Weddle in free agency, despite the fact that they haven’t been to the postseason in more than a decade.
Weddle, 31, has spent all nine seasons of his NFL career with the Chargers, capped off by what was perhaps his most unusual year since entering the league. After being told by the team that his contract wouldn’t be extended prior to the season, the three-time Pro Bowler reported to camp and played well during the season, logging 76 tackles and six passes defended in 13 games.
While the contract situation was one point of contention between the two sides, the year ended on an even more acrimonious note, with the Chargers reportedly informing Weddle late in the season that he was being fined $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.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Notes: Osweiler, 49ers, Chargers, Rams
Will the Broncos retain Brock Osweiler and install him as the team’s new starting QB in 2016, in the event that Peyton Manning retires? Running back Ronnie Hillman thinks so.
“It’s not my decision, but letting him go would not be too smart,” Hillman told SiriusXM NFL Radio (via Twitter).
Of course, Hillman himself might not be back in 2016, considering he’s also approaching free agency. The 24-year-old is coming off his best season, but he has been up and down during his four years in Denver, and he didn’t make a real impact in the playoffs — he ran for just 54 yards on 32 postseason carries, including zero yards on five attempts in the Super Bowl.
Here’s more from out of the NFL’s West divisions:
- In a pair of pieces for the Sacramento Bee, Matt Barrows previews the decisions facing the 49ers in their offensive backfield this offseason, as the team looks to address its quarterback and running back situations. According to Barrows, the draft combine will provide a prime opportunity for the Niners to assess the QBs set to hit the market, along with potential draft targets.
- Mark Whicker of the Los Angeles Daily News is extremely skeptical that the Chargers will get the votes they need from the city of San Diego to approve a new stadium.
- The Seahawks, Chiefs, and Broncos are among the teams in great position to pick up extra picks for the 2017 draft, as Nick Konte of Over the Cap explains in his early look at next year’s compensatory picks.
- Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com wonders if Robert Griffin III might be a good fit in Los Angeles. Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said last year that he likes the idea of having a mobile quarterback who can extend plays, which seems to apply to RGIII’s skill set.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Sunday Roundup: T. Jackson, Osweiler, Jags
The brief post-Super Bowl lull has set in on the NFL world, but the first day of free agency is right around the corner, and you can bet that there will soon be reports concerning contract extensions, franchise tags, etc. As we await that deluge, let’s take a look at some news and notes from around the league:
- Seahawks backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is expected to test the free agent market this year, according to Jessamyn McIntyre of 710 ESPN Seattle (via Twitter). McIntyre reports that there was a strong market for Jackson’s services last season before he ultimately decided to re-up with Seattle.
- Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders what it will take for the Broncos to retain Brock Osweiler, especially since there are likely to be a number of teams like the Texans, Jets, and Rams potentially willing to bid against Denver for his services. We learned yesterday that a contract with an AAV of around $9MM would probably not be enough to prevent Osweiler from testing the free agent market, and Florio appears to concur with that sentiment.
- Kevin Acee of The San Diego Times-Tribune explores potential stadium sites in San Diego that the Chargers might consider, concluding that the Mission Valley site, although less exciting, is more likely than the East Village option.
- Although there have been rumors that the Jaguars will consider adding an offensive tackle this offseason, Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union would be surprised if that happened. O’Halloran notes that the Jaguars’ two starting tackles, Luke Joeckel and Jermey Parnell, currently account for the third and fourth highest cap charges on the roster, respectively, and he adds that no starting-caliber free agent tackle would sign with Jacksonville at this point.
- Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer looks at the biggest issues facing the Panthers this offseason. He believes that Carolina will ultimately put the franchise tag on Josh Norman and should ask defensive end Charles Johnson to rework his current deal.
- Although he may be a bit biased, former NFL GM and well-respected football mind Bill Polian believes the Lions made the right decision in retaining Jim Caldwell, per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Polian points to the team’s drastic improvement in the second half of the 2015 season and the players’ support of Caldwell as indicators that Caldwell is the right man for the job.
2016 Proven Performance Escalators
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.
If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure is projected to be $1.696MM in 2016. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2016 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:
49ers: Gerald Hodges, LB
Bears: Marquess Wilson, WR
Buccaneers: William Gholston, DE; Mike Glennon, QB; Akeem Spence, DT
Cardinals: Andre Ellington, RB; Tyrann Mathieu, CB/S; Alex Okafor, LB
Chargers: Keenan Allen, WR
Colts: Sio Moore, LB; Hugh Thornton, G
Cowboys: J.J. Wilcox, S; Terrance Williams, WR
Dolphins: Jelani Jenkins, LB; Dallas Thomas, T; Dion Sims, TE; Kenny Stills, WR
Eagles: Bennie Logan, DT
Falcons: Kemal Ishmael, S; Levine Toilolo, TE
Jaguars: Josh Evans, S; Dwayne Gratz, CB
Jets: Brian Winters, G
Lions: Larry Warford, G
Packers: David Bakhtiari, T; Micah Hyde, S
Patriots: Duron Harmon, S; Chris Jones, DT; Logan Ryan, CB
Raiders: Mychal Rivera, TE
Rams: T.J. McDonald, S
Ravens: Ricky Wagner, T; Brandon Williams, DT
Saints: Terron Armstead, T; John Jenkins, DT
Seahawks: Luke Willson, TE
Steelers: Markus Wheaton, WR
Titans: Brian Schwenke, C
Washington: Jordan Reed, TE
West Rumors: L.A., Irvin, Bailey, Morgan
In a terrific piece for ESPN The Magazine and Outside The Lines, Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. provide an in-depth timeline for how the Rams‘ move to Los Angeles played out, describing the process as having turned into an “open war” among NFL owners, many of whom would have preferred to see the Chargers‘ and Raiders‘ Carson plan approved.
The story is chock-full of fascinating details, and is worth reading in its entirety. However, one of the most intriguing items relates to the Raiders — according to the ESPN duo, most team owners wanted to avoid having the Raiders return to Los Angeles, in part because there were concerns about Al Davis‘ burned bridges, and local gangs co-opting team apparel. Those reservations ran so deep, the report suggests, that some owners wouldn’t even consider the Carson proposal.
If that’s true, one has to wonder if the league will allow the Raiders to make the move to Los Angeles a year from now, if the Chargers are ultimately able to work out a deal to remain in San Diego, passing their L.A. option onto Mark Davis and the Raiders. It’s believed that the same deal agreed to by the Chargers would be on the table for the Raiders, but we’ll have to wait to see if that’s indeed the case.
Here’s more out of the NFL’s West divisions:
- It is believed to be “highly unlikely” that the Seahawks will re-sign or franchise Bruce Irvin before he becomes a free agent next month, says Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Assuming he does, in fact, reach the open market, Irvin is on track for a big payday, according to Florio, who suggests that the linebacker should easily surpass $10MM as teams prioritize pass rushers.
- Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said in December that wide receiver Stedman Bailey, who was shot in the head twice last fall, likely wouldn’t play football again. However, Bailey isn’t willing to call it a career quite yet. Although he acknowledges the health risks and says that he doesn’t want to risk further serious injury to his head, Bailey will try to “continue to live out my dream,” he says in a YouTube video (link via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk).
- Former NFL wide receiver Josh Morgan accidentally shot himself with a loaded gun and was charged with misdemeanor reckless use of a firearm, according to TMZ Sports. Morgan, who was selected by the 49ers in the sixth round of the 2008 draft, spent seven seasons in the NFL with San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Philip Rivers’ 2016 Salary Becomes Fully Guaranteed
The 2016 base salary for Philip Rivers has become fully guaranteed, since the Chargers quarterback remains on the team’s roster beyond the second day of the NFL’s waiver period. Rivers is now assured of earning a $16.5MM salary for the coming season, an amount that was previously guaranteed for injury only.
[RELATED: Chargers, city officials to discuss stadium]
The fact that Rivers’ salary has become fully guaranteed is no surprise, since he just signed his new extension with San Diego in August, and showed no signs of slowing down during the 2015 season. Although the Chargers struggled, posting a 4-12 record, Rivers was as productive as ever, leading the league with 437 completions and racking up 4,792 passing yards to go along with 29 touchdown passes.
When taking into account his $16.5MM salary and $4.5MM of prorated bonus money, Rivers’ contract will count against the Chargers’ cap for $21MM this season. The team now won’t have a decision to make on its veteran quarterback until the second day of the 2017 waiver period, when $11MM of his $14MM salary for ’17 becomes fully guaranteed.
While Rivers was the only noteworthy player whose contract called for his salary to become fully guaranteed if he remained on his team’s roster beyond Tuesday, there are several players who are in a similar boat on Wednesday.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Saints safety Jairus Byrd, Browns cornerback Joe Haden, and Raiders linebacker Curtis Lofton are among the players who will see their 2016 salaries – or at least a significant chunk of them – become fully guaranteed if they’re not released today, per Joel Corry of CBSSports.com.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: Combine, Brees, Chargers
The NFL has decided that prospects that have been convicted of domestic violence and sexual assault will be barred from the NFL scouting combine, as Chase Goodbread of NFL.com writes. “It is important for us to remain strongly committed to league values as we demonstrate to our fans, future players, coaches, general managers, and others who support our game that character matters,” stated NFL Football Operations Executive Vice President Troy Vincent in the memo to NFL teams. Last year, Tennessee linebacker A.J. Johnson was uninvited from the combine at the last minute after he was indicted on two counts of aggravated rape. He went undrafted and his court case is still pending.
Here’s more from around the NFL:
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com ran down 18 key NFL offseason dates and notable contract deadlines. As he details, the third day of the waiver period – Wednesday, Feb. 10th – will be significant for a number of big-name players, including the Saints’ Drew Brees and Jairus Byrd, the Browns’ Joe Haden, and the Raiders’ Curtis Lofton.
- The Chargers finalized their coaching staff by naming former Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees as an offensive assistant and Marquice Williams as a special teams assistant, as Ricky Henne of Chargers.com writes. Rees quarterbacked the Irish from 2010-13, playing alongside current Bolts Manti Te’o, Chris Watt and Trevor Robinson.
- The Colts announced that they have hired Maurice Drayton as assistant special teams coach and Jemal Singleton as running backs coach. Drayton has 17 years of coaching experience, including 10 seasons at his alma mater, The Citadel. Singleton holds 14 years of collegiate coaching experience, including nine seasons at his alma mater, Air Force. He served as the special teams coordinator/running backs coach at Arkansas in 2015.