AFC West Notes: Chargers, Broncos, Raiders
Dean Spanos and San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer were scheduled to meet today in Spanos’ home, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Acee also reports the Chargers hired Fred Maas as a special adviser to Spanos, with the new hire being brought on to help the Chargers and San Diego place a measure on the November ballot regarding public funding for a new Chargers stadium.
Spanos wanted Maas to serve as the city’s liaison for stadium negotiations in 2014. After Maas withdrew his name from consideration, the Chargers’ chairman perhaps not coincidentally, expressed doubt to sources of Acee about a Chargers stadium solution in San Diego.
Special counsel Mark Fabiani will remain a part of these talks, Acee reports.
Here’s the latest coming out of the AFC West, starting with the Super Bowl champions.
- As father Bum Phillips would say, son Wade Phillips has finally “kicked down the door” with his Super Bowl win. The Broncos defensive coordinator helped to lead one of the league’s most fearsome defenses in 2015, but it’s a union that almost didn’t happen. Head coach Gary Kubiak‘s first choice for the job was actually Vance Joseph, formerly a Bengals assistant who recently left Cincinnati to become the Dolphins’ DC. In fact, John Clayton of ESPN.com hears there is a clause in Phillips’ current contract that could have made him a consultant if Joseph would have joined the team as coordinator in 2016.
- Von Miller is expected to receive the franchise tag, and Broncos GM John Elway is confident the sides can work out an extension agreement, Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press reports. “You never know, but we don’t want him to [leave]. We want Von to stay in Denver and we’re going to do everything we can to work it out,” Elway told media, including Stapleton. Miller, who will be 27 before next season, could command a deal potentially well north of the six-year, $101MM pact Justin Houston signed with the Chiefs last season. Houston’s negotiations became contentious at times. Super Bowl 50’s MVP told media, including Stapleton, he expects “peaceful” talks with the Broncos.
- Although Roger Goodell told media the league was working to help Oakland and San Diego find stadium solutions to remain in their markets, league executive VP Eric Grubman told the San Jose Mercury News (via Mark Purdy) he had not met with Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf and doesn’t have plans to do so. Purdy took Goodell’s brevity regarding Oakland the commissioner does not hold the Raiders‘ current troubles in high regard. Mark Davis confirmed the Raiders are negotiating another one-year lease at O.co Coliseum, but the Raiders are a bit behind the Chargers at this point in terms of finding a long-term solution in their city.
Zach Links contributed to this report
Chargers, City Officials To Discuss Stadium
Already, Dean Spanos and San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer have engaged in phone conversations regarding the Chargers’ future in the city and jointly met with San Diego county supervisor Ron Roberts. But team and city officials will meet this week to discuss the stadium project that would keep the Chargers in San Diego long-term, Eric Williams of ESPN.com reports.
The sides will discuss stadium proposals at Mission Valley, Calif., where Qualcomm Stadium is located, and a downtown initiative, with Wil
liams pointing out the parties need to agree on a site within the next two months to put the issue on the November ballot for a crucial vote on public funding.
San Diego’s proposal for a $1.1 billion Mission Valley stadium, made public midway through last season while the Chargers were fixated on Los Angeles, includes $200MM from the NFL and $350MM from the city, among other expenses. Under Faulconer’s proposal, a public
-money spending cap would be in place and force the Chargers to cover any cost overruns the project encounters.
Conversely, the Chargers would prefer a downtown site alongside the Padres’ Petco Park. JMI Reality, per Williams, laid out plans for a $1.4 billion retractable-roof stadium for the Chargers.
An obstacle obviously comes from the vote requiring public funds to be used.
The team hopes to use the citizens initiative effort, Williams writes, to bypass environmental concerns centering around the Mission Valley site and streamline this effort. This process would skirt the potential legal issues by being
exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act. Signatures of 67,000 registered voters, however, would be required by April 1 to ignite this process.
According to Williams, the Chargers assembled the same legal, land-use and financial team the organization deployed to craft a fully entitled site in Carson, Calif., last year.
Either way, the Chargers having a future in San Diego beyond 2016 will require significant development in the near future. Already agreeing to share Stan Kroenke‘s Inglewood site as leverage in these talks, the Chargers’ effort in San Diego will help determine how the Raiders proceed.
Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images
West Notes: Lynch, Irvin, Nolan, Cardinals
Appearing on Dave Mahler’s radio show on 950 KJR, former Seahawks fullback (and current NFL Network commentator) Michael Robinson said “it’s fair to assume” that Seattle will part ways with running back Marshawn Lynch prior to next season, per Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk. Seahawks general manager John Schneider said last month that Lynch may retire, but the smart play for Beast Mode is probably to force the team to release him, as he wouldn’t have to return signing bonus money if he’s cut. If Seattle does release Lynch, they’d save $6.5MM against their 2016 salary cap.
Let’s take a look at a few more notes from the West divisions:
- Vinny Curry‘s recent extension with the Eagles is a good sign for Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin, opines Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com. Curry’s contract — five years, $47MM, $18MM guaranteed — could set a target for Irvin, who is heading for unrestricted free agency, and as Kapadia notes, is probably a more versatile player than Curry. Irvin did suggest last month that he’d accept less money to stay in Seattle.
- Longtime NFL coach Mike Nolan expressed interest in the 49ers defensive coordinator position earlier this year, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). Nolan, of course, served as San Francisco’s head coach 2005-08, but spent last season as the Chargers’ linebackers coach. He’s been linked to the Cowboys’ defensive backs position this offseason.
- Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill believes that with a “couple more pieces,” his club will be a Super Bowl contender in 2016, writes Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. Bidwill voiced his faith in Arizona’s “core players,” which makes it sound as though the club will target upgrades on the margins. Indeed, head coach Bruce Arians said last month that while the Cardinals will look for pass rush help this offseason, they don’t expect to make a big splash in free agency.
- In their efforts to complete a deal for a new stadium, San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer and Chargers owner Dean Spanos have spoken by phone this week, but have yet to meet face-to-face, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The two sides are expected to begin more formal talks soon, per Acee.
Offseason Outlook: San Diego Chargers
Pending free agents:
- Jahleel Addae, S (RFA)
- Joe Barksdale, T
- Kellen Clemens, QB
- Malcom Floyd, WR
- Antonio Gates, TE
- Ladarius Green, TE
- Chris Hairston, T
- Dontrelle Inman, WR (ERFA)
- David Johnson, TE
- Cordarro Law, OLB (ERFA)
- Jeff Linkenbach, G
- Ricardo Mathews, DE
- Joe Mays, ILB
- John Phillips, TE
- Kendall Reyes, DE
- Patrick Robinson, CB
- Brandian Ross, CB (RFA)
- Damion Square, DE (RFA)
- Johnnie Troutman, G (RFA)
- Cassius Vaughn, CB
- J.D. Walton, C
- Eric Weddle, S
- Kenny Wiggins, T (ERFA)
Top 15 cap hits for 2016:
- Philip Rivers, QB: $21,000,000
- Corey Liuget, DE: $10,000,000
- Brandon Flowers, CB: $9,750,000
- Donald Butler, ILB: $9,280,000
- Melvin Ingram, OLB: $7,751,000
- Orlando Franklin, G: $7,200,000
- King Dunlap, T: $6,343,750
- Mike Scifres, P: $4,162,500
- Steve Johnson, WR: $3,900,000
- D.J. Fluker, T: $3,628,067
- Donald Brown, RB: $3,500,000
- Danny Woodhead, RB: $3,000,000
- Melvin Gordon, RB: $2,424,946
- Trevor Robinson, C: $2,375,000
- Jason Verrett, CB: $2,151,546
Notable coaching/front office changes:
- Head coach: Extended Mike McCoy‘s contract through 2017.
- Offensive coordinator: Hired former Titans HC Ken Whisenhunt to replace Frank Reich.
Draft:
- No. 3 overall pick
- Owe fifth-round pick to 49ers in deal for RB Melvin Gordon.
- Acquired sixth-round pick from Vikings in deal for T Jeremiah Sirles.
Other:
- Current projected cap room (via Over the Cap): $27.75MM
- Must exercise or decline fifth-year option for 2017 for T D.J. Fluker.
- Chargers will play in San Diego in 2016, but hold option to move to Los Angeles for 2017.
Overview:
After narrowly missing a playoff berth in 2014, with a 9-7 record, the Chargers came into the 2015 season determined to take a step forward and become a postseason contender. Instead, the team headed in the other direction.
Plagued by injuries, particularly on the offensive line, the Chargers’ offense struggled to put points on the board. The defense, an area of weakness in past seasons, didn’t improve at all, and the end result was a disappointing 4-12 season.
While the team’s on-the-field performance was a letdown, Chargers fans were preoccupied all season with concerns about the franchise’s long-term future in San Diego. Team owner Dean Spanos filed for relocation and was approved by his fellow NFL owners, who deemed San Diego’s stadium proposal as insufficient.
However, since those other team owners approved Stan Kroenke‘s Inglewood project, rather than the Carson plan put forth by the Chargers and Raiders, Spanos had the option of partnering with Kroenke in Los Angeles or returning to San Diego for another year. The Chargers opted for the latter scenario, meaning the team and the city – armed with an extra $100MM from the NFL – have another 12 months to try to improve their plan for a San Diego stadium. If those efforts fall short, 2016 may very well be the Chargers’ final year in San Diego.
The Chargers’ uncertain long-term future looms large over the offseason, but while Spanos and his closest confidantes work to solve that issue, the club’s top personnel decision-makers, including general manager Tom Telesco, must focus on improving the product on the field after an unsatisfactory 2015 showing.
Key Free Agents:
By working out a new contract with quarterback Philip Rivers last August, the Chargers ensured that their most noteworthy potential free agent won’t reach the open market this winter. However, the team’s list of free-agents-to-be still includes a handful of big names.
We’ll start with one longtime Charger who almost certainly be back with the team in 2016: Eric Weddle. The veteran safety, who failed to record an interception last season for the first time in his career, was still fairly effective on the field, but his relationship with the team seemed to grow more and more acrimonious as the year went on.
After refusing to discuss a potential extension in the summer, to the chagrin of Weddle and his agent, the Chargers placed the former second-round pick on injured reserve heading into Week 17, even though he felt he could play. Reports also indicated that the team fined Weddle $10K for remaining on the field during halftime to watch his daughter perform during a dance ceremony, and said there would be no room for him to travel on the team plane to the regular season finale in Denver. Several days after that game, Weddle publicly stated that he doesn’t think re-signing with the Chargers is a realistic possibility.
While Weddle spent nine years in San Diego, tight end Antonio Gates has been with the franchise even longer, having made his Chargers debut way back in 2003. He’s also eligible for free agency this offseason, and so is his understudy at the position, Ladarius Green. Gates has said he’d like to play for at least one more season, and the Chargers appear to reciprocate that interest, but it will be interesting to see what that means for Green.
Long viewed as Gates’ eventual replacement, Green has seen the veteran continue to get the majority of the targets at the position over the last few seasons. When Gates missed the first four weeks of the 2015 season due to a suspension, it looked like Green was poised to break out. However, after catching 26 balls in his first six contests, Green didn’t have more than two receptions in any game the rest of the way. Unless the Chargers are willing to give him a nice raise, it wouldn’t be a surprise for the 25-year-old to explore his options on the open market and potentially find a spot where he could get out of Gates’ shadow.
The Chargers’ offensive line was a mess in 2015, but one constant was offensive tackle Joe Barksdale. Not only was he the only lineman to start all 16 games for San Diego, but he was by far the team’s most reliable player up front, ranking 22nd among 81 qualified tackles, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades. Given the number of question marks facing the Chargers on the offensive line heading into 2016 in terms of both performance and health, it would make sense for the team to make a strong effort to bring Barksdale back into the fold.
The Chargers’ other free agent offensive linemen – including Chris Hairston, Jeff Linkenbach, and J.D. Walton – are more expendable, though it wouldn’t be a surprise to see one or two of them re-signed for continuity’s sake.
While none of the rest of the Chargers’ unrestricted free agents are must-sign players, cornerback Patrick Robinson was a nice complementary piece to Jason Verrett and Brandon Flowers in the secondary, and should be affordable enough to bring back. Restricted free agents Jahleel Addae, Johnnie Troutman, and Damion Square are also decent bets to receive low-end tenders.
Possible Cap Casualties:
Linebacker Donald Butler has a complicated contract that includes a $12MM option bonus in 2017. The Chargers must make their decision on that option this offseason, and given Butler’s underwhelming performance on the field, it seems obvious that San Diego will move on from him. Doing so would create more than $2.5MM in cap savings in 2016, and would remove his contract from the books entirely for the following four seasons.
The contract signed two years ago by Donald Brown raised some eyebrows at the time, and the running back hasn’t done a whole lot since then to justify the Chargers’ investment. Brown’s paltry 3.1 yards per carry average on his 144 attempts in San Diego can be attributed partially to the team’s ineffective offensive line, but it would still be a surprise if he’s on the roster by September. The Chargers could create $3.5MM in cap room by cutting him.
Other candidates to be cut include center Trevor Robinson and punter Mike Scifres. Robinson stayed relatively healthy compared to the rest of the Chargers’ offensive line in 2015, but PFF ranked him 37th out of 39 qualified centers, so the team could potentially replicate – or improve – his production at a lower cost.
As for Scifres, like Gates, he has been with the Chargers since 2003, so the club may prefer not to release him. But he ranked in the bottom half of the league in both total yards and net yards per punt last season, and his cap number ($4.163MM) is high for a punter. Depending on how aggressive San Diego is in free agency, the team may not need that extra cap room.
Positions Of Need:
As noted above, the Chargers’ offensive line was extremely shaky in 2015. Pro Football Focus ranked the group dead last in the NFL overall, placing it in the bottom five in terms of pass blocking, run blocking, and penalties taken, writing that the Chargers “just haven’t got it right on the line and it shows each and every game.”
Health issues are partly to blame for the offensive line’s ineffectiveness, but even when they were healthy, big-money investments like King Dunlap and Orlando Franklin were far from dominant in 2015, and D.J. Fluker has yet to play like an 11th overall pick. Even if Barksdale returns, the Chargers will have to assess nearly every spot on the line, deciding whether they want to continue to rely on the current group, or whether it’s time to make some significant changes.
It might make sense for the Chargers to take an approach to the 2016 draft that the Bengals did in 2015 — Cincinnati’s first two picks were offensive tackles, despite the fact that the team didn’t expect them to play right away. If the Chargers were to use the third overall pick on Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil, it would give the club an immediate starter, one who would likely be a cog on the offensive line for years to come.
After the free agent market produced mixed results for the Chargers a year ago, adding some young offensive line talent to the current group could create a strong insurance policy in the event that Dunlap, Franklin, and/or Fluker don’t play like San Diego believes they’re capable of playing. If the team does decide to revisit free agency for offensive line solutions, Byron Bell, who played for offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt in Tennessee, could be a player worth watching.
While some of the Chargers’ skill position players struggled in 2015, improved offensive line play would likely create a domino effect and allow some of those players to have bounce-back seasons in 2016 — Melvin Gordon, for instance, could be in line for a nice increase in production if the line creates some holes for him. The return of Whisenhunt as offensive coordinator also bodes well for the offense. As such, it makes sense for the Chargers to devote most of the rest of their resources to the defensive side of the ball.
San Diego should be fairly solid on the outside in 2016 — the cornerback group is a good one, particularly if Robinson returns, and outside linebackers Melvin Ingram and Jeremiah Attaochu played well in 2015. However, that still leaves a number of spots on the middle for the Chargers to address.
Corey Liuget is a nice piece on the club’s defensive line, but he didn’t get much help up front, making me wonder if the Chargers might take a long look at a veteran nose tackle in free agency. With Damon Harrison, Ian Williams, B.J. Raji, and Letroy Guion among the players whose contracts are expiring, there will be no shortage of potential options.
At inside linebacker, 2015 second-round pick Denzel Perryman took over Butler’s starting role in the second half of last season, and I’d expect him to run with that job next year. But he only has nine career starts to his name, and fellow starter Manti Te’o has had major issues against the run, so the Chargers might want to fortify this group with another veteran. Spending a day two or three draft pick on the position might not be a bad idea either, since top inside linebackers typically don’t come off the board right away.
Finally, with Weddle on his way out, the Chargers will be in the market for a new free safety. Reggie Nelson, Tashaun Gipson, Rodney McLeod, and Isa Abdul-Quddus are among the free agents at the position that could appeal to San Diego. And while the division-rival Chiefs are a good bet to lock up Eric Berry, the Chargers may want to take a look at his backup, Husain Abdullah, who played well as a full-time starter in 2014 and is also eligible for free agency.
Extension Candidates/Contract Issues:
Although the Chargers had a disappointing year on the whole in 2015, outside linebacker Melvin Ingram enjoyed his best season as a pro, establishing new career highs with 65 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. He’s under contract for one more year,
since San Diego exercised his fifth-year option for 2016 last spring. Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Chargers seriously explore a contract extension for their best pass rusher before the season begins.
Outside linebackers who can rack up double-digit sacks don’t come cheap, so if the Chargers intend to extend Ingram, it will almost certainly require an annual salary north of $7MM, and perhaps one much higher than that. A logical point of comparison if and when the two sides enter negotiations could be Bills pass rusher Jerry Hughes, whose 2014 numbers were very similar to the ones Ingram posted in 2015. Hughes, who had a slightly more extensive track record than Ingram, signed a five-year, $45MM contract that included nearly $18MM in fully guaranteed money.
Like Ingram, wide receiver Keenan Allen will be entering a contract year, and you could make the case that he’s the most important player on San Diego’s offense, outside of Philip Rivers. With 62 receptions in his first seven games, Allen was on pace to challenge the record for most catches in a season before a lacerated kidney in his eighth game prematurely ended his season.
Because Allen’s breakout season was cut short, his reps and the Chargers may have a hard time agreeing on his value this offseason. I’d expect Allen’s agent to aim for a T.Y. Hilton-type deal ($13MM per year), while San Diego may prefer something in the Randall Cobb range ($10MM per year). If the two sides can agree on the numbers, the Chargers will want to get something done as soon as possible, to ensure the 23-year-old remains under contract for years to come.
Overall Outlook:
As long as the Chargers still hold an option to move to Los Angeles in 2017, fans in San Diego will be apprehensive about getting too attached to the roster on the field. There’s some reason for optimism from a football standpoint though — if the Chargers can stay a little healthier in 2016 and fortify two or three key positions, there’s enough talent here for the team to bounce back to respectability.
The Chargers’ ability to take a major step forward and return to postseason contention will hinge on whether the team can put together an offensive line capable of keeping Rivers upright and creating holes for Gordon, and whether the club can add some defensive playmakers at up-the-middle positions. Those figure to be the areas GM Tom Telesco prioritizes as he makes his roster decisions this winter and spring.
Information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coaching Notes: Cowher, McDermott, Hirings
With CBS broadcasting this year’s Super Bowl, Bill Cowher is in San Francisco to cover the game for the network. But just because he’s on the media side of things now doesn’t mean he can avoid questions about a potential return to coaching.
Asked on Monday about that possibility, Cowher said that he didn’t have any contact with the Giants about their head coaching job after Tom Coughlin resigned, but the former Steelers head coach didn’t rule out a return to an NFL sideline, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News details.
“You know what? I’ve never shut a door,” Cowher said. “I don’t think you need to shut a door that you don’t need to. I’m very happy at CBS. I love what I’m doing. I’m 58 years old. I feel young. I still feel involved in the game. But this element of the game gives me a life that I was never able to experience before…. I never say never, but I’m very, very satisfied with where I’m at.”
Here are several more coaching-related updates from around the NFL:
- Speaking to the media on Monday night, Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott confirmed that he spoke to Howie Roseman about the Eagles‘ head coaching opening, despite not having a formal interview with the team, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We had some preliminary talks,” McDermott said. “It was clear from the beginning they wanted to go offense.”
- The Cowboys are looking to hire a replacement for defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson, who joined the Falcons, and the next coach Dallas is talking to is former 49ers head coach Mike Nolan, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
- Alex Marvez of FOX Sports has the details on a couple additions to the Browns‘ coaching staff, reporting (via Twitter) that the team has hired Johnny Holland and Eric Sanders. Holland, who had been working in the CFL, resigned from the B.C. Lions last month because he knew he would have a position on Hue Jackson‘s staff, according to Marvez, who adds that Holland will be the Browns’ inside linebackers coach (Twitter links). Sanders, a Stanford defensive assistant, will join the Browns in the same capacity.
- The Chargers have hired former Titans quarterbacks coach John McNulty as their new tight ends coach, according to Marvez (via Twitter). McNulty has a longtime connection to former Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt, who has now returned to the offensive coordinator role in San Diego.
- The Titans have completed their coaching staff, hiring Keith Willis as the team’s assistant defensive line coach and Brandon Blaney as a defensive assistant, the club announced in a press release.
West Notes: Raiders, Chargers, Kubiak, Stewart
In the news plenty this week for their flirtations with other cities, the Raiders haven’t engaged in any formal talks with Oakland about a new stadium, Matthew Artz of the Bay Area News Group reports.
Although the Raiders have discussed another one-year lease to play in their current home, O.co Coliseum, Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf confirmed no negotiations on a long-term playing site have occurred since relocation meetings took place Jan. 12 in Houston.
“I recognize that the Raiders have a powerful brand and that they will always have options outside of Oakland,” Schaaf said. “And, I remain committed to proving to them that Oakland has the most to offer them.”
The Raiders have been since connected to San Antonio, San Diego and, most recently, Las Vegas in their desperate attempt to leave Oakland and secure a new stadium. But Los Angeles will still be their most likely landing spot if the Chargers reach a deal with San Diego on a stadium agreement. They remain second in line to share the Inglewood stadium with the Rams if the Chargers end up succeeding on their leverage move in San Diego.
Any Chargers deal for a publicly aided new stadium will likely need to be finalized by this summer, Artz writes, in order to get the initiative on the November ballot. If not, the Raiders’ Los Angeles path clears.
“If the alternative is no deal in Oakland … or going to this fabulous new facility and not having to put any equity into it, it would be very hard for a reasonable businessman to turn that down,” stadium consultant Marc Ganis told Artz.
Here is the latest news on the Raiders and some of the other Western-division franchises.
- In a memo sent to all 32 teams, the league notifies franchises that they shouldn’t assume the Raiders will be barred from moving to Las Vegas and no such restrictions exist on teams moving to a particular city, Vincent Bonsignore of InsideSoCal.com reports. Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk notes such a move would be extremely unlikely to receive the 24 required votes from fellow owners.
- In a long profile of top Chargers counsel Mark Fabiani, who will presumably be involved along with Dean Spanos when the two sides resume negotiations, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Peter Rowe hears the Chargers were disinterested about the new stadium site when the sides last talked. This, of course, was before the owners designated Stan Kroenke‘s Inglewood site as Los Angeles’ new football epicenter. “[Fabiani] told us the Chargers were agnostic when it came to the stadium’s new location — it really didn’t matter to them. He told us to settle on a site, spend your time analyzing these two sites and then come up with a financial plan. That’s what we did,” said Tony Manolatos, spokesman for San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer’s stadium task force, “and then he was criticizing us every step of the way.” Prior to the owners’ decision, this stance, county supervisor Ron Roberts told Rowe, was designed to make it look like the Chargers were “unloved” in San Diego.
- Spanos overplayed his hand in his all-out pursuit of Los Angeles, Nick Canepa of the Union-Tribune writes. With talks set to likely increase between the Chargers and San Diego after being dormant for months, Canepa writes the city’s business power structure need to put their weight toward making the team’s preferred downtown stadium happen.
- When Mike Shanahan left his post as the then-Super Bowl champion 49ers OC in early 1995 to become the Broncos’ head coach, the 49ers wanted to give their OC job to then-33-year-old Gary Kubiak, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Kubiak instead accepted the same position with Shanahan in Denver and held that job for 11 seasons, which eventually led to his return in 2015.
- Officially questionable, Broncos safeties T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart each vowed to play in Super Bowl 50. While Ward’s ankle injury isn’t expected to keep him out, Stewart may have a harder time playing effectively. The first-year Broncos safety’s sprained MCL’s made it difficult thus far for lateral movement, with the former Ravens back-line bastion being able to only run in a straight line in his week off from practice, per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Stewart told media, including Pat Graham of the Associated Press, “Without a doubt in my mind, I’m playing.”
Fallout From Chargers’ 2016 Decision
In response to Dean Spanos’ decision on Friday to keep the Chargers in San Diego for at least another season, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Ron Roberts of the County Board of Supervisors jointly issued a statement (Twitter link via Faulconer):
“We appreciate Mr. Spanos’ commitment to staying in San Diego for the 2016 season to work with the region on a stadium solution. We look forward to discussing his vision for a new San Diego home for the Chargers, and will be working with him and our negotiating team on a fair and viable plan to put before voters. We have agreed to meet again in the near future.”
[RELATED: Chargers To Remain In San Diego For 2016]
Rams owner Stan Kroenke, whom Spanos could eventually join in Los Angeles if he’s unable to reach an agreement with San Diego, also released a statement (Twitter links – 1, 2, 3 – courtesy of the LA Daily News’ Vincent Bonsignore):
“The Los Angeles Rams have reached an agreement with the San Diego Chargers to join us in the new Inglewood
Stadium. If they choose to exercise their option to relocate within the next year, we look forward to partnering with the Chargers in Inglewood, but the decision of course is Dean’s to make.”
Spanos’ decision to stay or leave will obviously come down to whether he can get a new stadium built in San Diego. The Chargers would prefer their next venue be a joint stadium and convention center in downtown San Diego, reports ESPN’s Eric D. Williams, who notes that the team isn’t a fan of its current location, Mission Valley.
In an effort to move forward on their stadium/convention center plan, the Chargers are expected to create a citizens’ initiative in San Diego for a November ballot, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). If the Chargers get the necessary 60,000 signatures from voters, that would enable them to bypass requirements set by the California Environmental Quality Act, per Cole. Should the Bolts get their initiative on the ballot this year, the deadline on their LA decision could extend to 2018, write Kevin Acee and David Garrick of the San Diego Union-Tribune, and the extra year would allow for legal challenges or a second election.
Regardless of what happens long term, we know the Chargers will spend the 2016 season in San Diego, which has seemingly caused mixed reactions among some of their players. While franchise quarterback Philip Rivers is excited – “It’s good to know we get to make another run at it here,” he said, per Michael Gehlken of the Union-Tribune – a couple of his teammates came off as less enthusiastic about the news, even tweeting ultimatums to the club’s fans.
“The stadium better be packed. The fans got what they wanted,” receiver Keenan Allen wrote.
“Every home game better be sold out,” linebacker Melvin Ingram added.
According to ESPN’s attendance numbers, the Chargers had the 18th-most fans (a total of 534,180) at their games during the 2015-16 season and finished 22nd in capacity percentage (94.6). The figures rank as the Chargers’ highest in both categories since 2009.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Chargers To Remain In San Diego For 2016
Chargers owner Dean Spanos has issued a statement announcing that his franchise will remain in San Diego for the 2016 season, rather than immediately joining the Rams in Los Angeles. The Chargers will have until January 15, 2017 to move to L.A. if they so choose, but Spanos intends to work with the city of San Diego to try to come up with a long-term stadium solution to avoid relocation.
[RELATED: Rams, Chargers agree in principle to L.A. deal]
“Today I decided our team will stay in San Diego for the 2016 season and I hope for the long term in a new stadium,” Spanos said in his statement. “I have met with Mayor [Kevin] Faulconer and Supervisor [Ron] Roberts and I look forward to working closely with them and the business community to resolve our stadium dilemma. We have an option and an agreement with the Los Angeles Rams to go to Inglewood in the next year, but my focus is on San Diego.
“This has been our home for 55 years, and I want to keep the team here and provide the world-class stadium experience you deserve.”
As he alludes to in his remarks, Spanos’ announcement comes on the heels of the Rams and Chargers agreeing in principle to a deal that would see the team sharing a stadium in Inglewood. If the Chargers ultimately decide that the situation in San Diego is untenable, the team will still have the opportunity to team up with Stan Kroenke and the Rams in Los Angeles.
For now though, the Chargers remain focused on San Diego, and the club’s agreement in principle with the Rams could help improve its leverage for stadium talks with Mayor Faulconer and other San Diego leaders. The proposal put forth by the city a month ago was deemed unsatisfactory by the NFL when it gave the Chargers approval to relocate.
Although the Chargers will have most of the year to attempt to work with San Diego to come up with an improved stadium plan, the team thinks it might know within the next two or three months if a solution will be doable, tweets Jim Trotter of ESPN.com.
As commissioner Roger Goodell notes in a statement issued today (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today), the NFL has committed an extra $100MM – on top of its usual $200MM – to help the Chargers get something done in San Diego. That extra money, along with the team’s Inglewood agreement, could help grease the wheels as the two sides resume negotiations.
Spanos’ decision leaves the Raiders in limbo for now. Mark Davis‘ team will have the opportunity to follow the Rams in Los Angeles if the Chargers ultimately remain in San Diego, but because the Chargers’ final decision isn’t due until at least 2017, L.A. and San Diego both remain off the table as relocation options for the Raiders for the time being.
As they wait to see where the Chargers land, Davis and the Raiders figure to explore other cities, including San Antonio and Las Vegas, though it seems likely that the club will play in Oakland for at least the 2016 season.
As for the Rams, Kroenke is likely pleased to have the market to himself for the 2016 season, giving him a head-start on any other team that may eventually join him in Inglewood. The one downside for Kroenke is that the Rams reportedly can’t begin selling suites or personal seat licenses until at least February 2017 without a second team joining them in L.A.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams, Chargers Agree In Principle To L.A. Deal
The Rams and Chargers have agreed in principle to a deal that would see the two franchises sharing an NFL stadium in Inglewood, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. While such an agreement allows the Chargers to move to Los Angeles as early as 2016, the club has yet to officially make that decision.
As Acee explains, the Chargers will have until January 15, 2017 to announce whether or not the team will exercise its option to move to Los Angeles. If the club confirms in the coming weeks that it will make the move, relocation could occur immediately, for the 2016 season — the Chargers have already reportedly bought land in Santa Ana to potentially use for a team headquarters, and the L.A. Coliseum is expected to allow a second NFL team to join the Rams there on a temporary basis.
However, the Chargers could also use the agreement as leverage to attempt to work something out with the city of San Diego. If the team decides to try to make things work in its current home, it could spend the 2016 season at Qualcomm while negotiating with the city, in the hopes of coming up with a viable stadium plan before next January.
According to Acee, the Chargers’ deadline to make its Los Angeles decision could even be extended to 2018 if the team gets a stadium initiative on the ballot in San Diego this year. The extra year would allow for legal challenges or a second election. If the Chargers ultimately reach an agreement with the city of San Diego to remain there, the Raiders would get the opportunity to join the Rams in Inglewood.
With an agreement between the Rams and Chargers in place, the next step is for Chargers owner Dean Spanos to make a decision on the team’s short-term – and potentially long-term – home. If the team intends to move to Los Angeles for the 2016 season, it will have to make that decision by March 23, though an announcement one way or the other is expected to come well before then.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
West Notes: Chargers, Kaepernick, Manning
Those familiar with the proposal put on the table in Houston earlier this month for a Rams/Chargers partnership tell Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times that it makes more sense for the second team – the Chargers – to be a tenant instead of a co-owner for the Rams’ stadium project. As such, if the Chargers end up moving to Los Angeles, it will probably be as Stan Kroenke‘s tenant.
As Farmer and Fenno explain, the proposal that surfaced in Houston has remained relatively unchanged for the last two and a half weeks, so the current situation is viewed as “less of a back-and-forth negotiation than a choice confronting the Chargers.”
As we wait to find out what the Chargers decide, let’s check in on some items from around the NFL’s West divisions…
- Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, 49ers CEO Jed York pointed to the team’s salary cap room as one reason why it’s viable for Colin Kaepernick to remain in San Francisco in 2016. “This is a fresh start for everybody,” York said, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. “Colin needs to get back healthy, be ready to come in and compete, and we’ll see where it goes.”
- Joel Corry of CBSSports.com examines Peyton Manning‘s options if the future Hall-of-Famer decides to continue his career in 2016. Corry believes the Rams look like a logical suitor for Manning if the Broncos decided they didn’t want to keep him.
- Chip Kelly has added another assistant to his coaching staff, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that the 49ers have hired Colts safeties coach Roy Anderson as their defensive backs coach.
- Former Bears assistant Skip Peete is joining the Rams as the team’s new running backs coach, a source tells Thayer Evans of SI.com. Peete has previously served as the RBs coach in Oakland, Dallas, and Chicago.
- After undergoing surgery for Papillary Type 2 last spring, Seahawks defensive tackle Jesse Williams, who spent the 2015 season on the non-football illness list, tweets that he has been cleared to return to action. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times provides some details on Williams, who is eligible for exclusive rights free agency.