Los Angeles Chargers News & Rumors

AFC Notes: Miller, Rivers, Dareus, Jets

August 1st, 2015 at 9:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Two years ago, Broncos pass rusher Von Miller was suspended six games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse program, and missed nearly half the 2013 season. However, last season, he played all 16 of Denver’s regular season contests, and a source tells Mike Klis of 9NEWS that after not testing positive for two years, Miller is no longer in the league’s drug program.

Typically, multiple positive tests result in harsher and harsher penalties for players, as we’ve with someone like Josh Gordon. But a positive test for Miller at this point wouldn’t result in significant discipline, since his status has been reset, writes Klis. It’s an extremely positive development for Miller as he enters a contract year, since the Broncos will have less reason to be concerned about him missing games in the future, making the team more likely to offer him a lucrative extension.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers confirmed today that there are no new developments on the contract extension front, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports. According to Rivers, the two sides will likely shelve negotiations until 2016 if they don’t reach an agreement within the next 10 or 12 days.
According to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News, Marcell Dareus seems encouraged by the progress that has been made in contract discussions between him and the Bills, joking that he owes a thank-you to Ndamukong Suh for resetting the market this offseason.
Jets GM Mike Maccagnan expressed support for Sheldon Richardson following his recent arrest, indicating that he and the Jets will devote resources to helping the standout defensive lineman, as Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com outlines. However, Maccagnan was noncommittal on Richardson’s long-term future with the Jets, and acknowledged that there’s “a degree of trust that has been broken.”
Chargers defensive end Tenny Palepoi suffered a fractured foot, and will likely be sidelined for two months, a source tells Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Depending on how Palepoi’s recovery progresses, he could be a candidate for the injured reserve list with the designation to return, though the Chargers may prefer to save that one-time designation for someone else.

Latest On Philip Rivers’ Extension Talks

July 31st, 2015 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

After being the subject of several trade rumors earlier in the offseason, quarterback Philip Rivers reported to Chargers camp this week, and looks poised to continue his career with the team in 2015 and beyond. According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), Rivers is “hopeful” of signing an extension with San Diego within the next couple weeks.

While Rivers declined to discuss specific details of his contract talks with the Chargers, Cole hears from sources that the veteran quarterback’s next contract figures to exceed $20MM per year. That would be a significant bump for Rivers, whose current deal paid him $15.3MM annually, but it wouldn’t be a surprise. Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Newton, and now Russell Wilson have all signed contracts this offseason that exceed $20.75MM per year, and I’d expect Rivers’ next deal to be in the same ballpark.

Despite Rivers’ optimism about the chances of a deal getting done within the next couple weeks, the Chargers signal-caller also isn’t averse to playing out the 2015 season on his current deal, says Cole. According to the Bleacher Report scribe, Rivers will likely shut down extension discussions in a few weeks if the two sides still haven’t reached an agreement, since he wants to focus exclusively on football during the season.

Rivers, 33, is coming off a 2014 season in which he threw for 4,286 yards, 31 touchdowns, and a league-high 18 interceptions. The five-time Pro Bowler led San Diego to a 9-7 record, narrowly missing the postseason, despite the fact that the team was missing several key players due to injuries, and Rivers himself was banged up for much of the year.

AFC Notes: Brady, Weddle, Lewis, Kromer

July 30th, 2015 at 9:23pm CST by Zachary Links

A U.S. District Court judge ordered the NFL and NFLPA to try to resolve their differences over Tom Brady‘s suspension without litigation, as ESPN.com writes. Of course, it seems unlikely that the two sides will peacefully resolve the conflict regarding the Patriots quarterback. Here’s more from the AFC..

Chargers safety Eric Weddle says that he will not hold out from camp but added that he believes this will be his last year with the team, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. Weddle and the Bolts have been embroiled in a contract dispute all offseason and there has been no sign of the two compromising on an extension.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis wants to win a Super Bowl this season and “walk away” afterwards to leave the game on top, Paul Daugherty of The Cincinnati Enquirer writes.
Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer entered a written plea of not guilty in a Florida court, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. Kromer is scheduled for a September 2nd pre-trial hearing.

AFC Notes: S. Smith, Weddle, Bengals, Pats

July 29th, 2015 at 7:59pm CST by Zachary Links

While some players like the idea of going out on top, veteran receiver Steve Smith thinks he might continue playing even if the Ravens win the Super Bowl this season, per Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com.

“You still have the same bills, the same issues, you’re the same person,” Smith said, joking, “You don’t all of a sudden get free cable for life because you’ve won a Super Bowl.”

Here’s more from around the AFC:

As expected, Chargers safety Eric Weddle doesn’t have a new contract in place as San Diego’s training camp gets underway, so expect him to play out the 2015 season with an eye toward free agency in the winter, says Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
With James Wright done for the year, Coley Harvey of ESPN.com expects the Bengals to add one more receiver via free agency. Harvey ran down some notable names that are still available, including Reggie Wayne, Wes Welker, James Jones, and Dane Sanzenbacher. Greg Little, who will audition with the team this week, earned an honorable mention on his list.
Cornerback Tarell Brown got a one-year, $1.5MM deal from the Patriots, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets. Brown will receive a $100K bonus if he makes the team in Week 1, to go along with a $400K signing bonus and a $1MM base salary.
There was some confusion this week when the Dolphins re-signed quarterback Josh Freeman just four days after cutting him. However, as Field Yates of ESPN.com explains (via Twitter), Freeman’s new contract includes a split salary, which would allow the team to save money if the signal-caller gets hurt and lands on injured reserve.
After meeting with San Diego officials earlier this week to discuss the stadium situation there, NFL executive Eric Grubman was in East Bay today to talk about the Raiders‘ stadium progress, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Brady, Pettine, Broncos, Chargers

July 27th, 2015 at 9:11pm CST by Zachary Links

After Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti denied that he was among those pushing commissioner Roger Goodell to keep Tom Brady‘s full four-game suspension, Colts owner Jim Irsay issued a similar denial today.

“That’s not true at all,” Irsay told Zak Keefer of The Star when asked about a recent assertion made by ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio. “I haven’t talked to Roger Goodell about DeflateGate since late January. Not true. That’s not the way things work involving someone else’s business and someone else’s team. It’s not something I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been around ownership (in the NFL) for half a century.”

Irsay claims his last interaction with Goodell regarding the Deflategate controversy came months before the results of Ted Wells’ investigation were released in May. Here’s more out of the AFC..

Despite a recent report to the contrary, Browns coach Mike Pettine swears he’s on good terms with GM Ray Farmer, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal writes. “I think it was that late summer slow news day,” Pettine said. “The unfortunate thing is this: When you don’t win, when you have the history, or not so recent history of the Browns, to me, there’s not much credibility there. You can take an individual event and extrapolate that out to it has a negative connotation to it. That was the disappointing part of that.”
If the status of Antonio Smith‘s case doesn’t change, he could report to Broncos training camp on Thursday, Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post writes. Denver excused Smith from voluntary offseason workouts to tend to his personal matters but the club has remained in contact with him over the past two months and is expected to determine his status soon. If the Broncos decide they need more time to make a decision on Smith he cannot be fined for his absence from camp. Smith is being investigated following a complaint of sexual child abuse.
NFL executive Eric Grubman will visit San Diego again on Tuesday to get a briefing from the Chargers and local government officals on the progress of the stadium initiative, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets.

2015 Release Candidates: AFC West

July 25th, 2015 at 7:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Most clubs have fairly set rosters at this point, as OTA, minicamp, and preseason performances won’t do much to alter roster composition. The majority of key releases came in March, but there are still several scenarios where certain contributors could lose their roster spot in the coming months. For the most part, we’ll focus on situations where the cap savings would be in excess of $1MM.

Because free agency has already passed, financial ramifications won’t play a huge role in these decisions; there aren’t a ton of high-profile free agents on which to spend that saved money, so these calls will mostly be made based on performance. However, any cap space saved through these potential releases could be rolled over into 2016, so that’s something clubs have to consider.

We’ve already looked at the AFC East, NFC East, AFC North, NFC North, AFC South, and NFC South, so let’s dive into the AFC West…

Denver Broncos:

Andre Caldwell, WR: The Broncos have lost Eric Decker and Wes Welker in consecutive seasons, but that hasn’t led to an uptick in production for Caldwell, who has caught just 21 balls for less than 300 yards over the past two years. Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders will reprise their roles as Denver’s top two receivers in 2015, but Sanders will move to the slot in three-receiver sets, leaving unanswered the question of who will play the outside in such formations. The odds-on favorite is 2014 second-round pick Cody Latimer, who not only saw first-time reps while Thomas was away from camp as a frachise-tagged player, but received praise from head coach Gary Kubiak. So where does that leave Caldwell? Mostly as a viable fourth receiver and special teamer — he played on more than 40% of Denver’s ST snaps last year — who might not be worth his $1.55MM cap charge. But the Broncos have little to no depth behind him at receiver, so he probably sticks. Prediction: not released.

Kansas City Chiefs:

Chase Daniel, QB: The Chiefs are scheduled to spend the third-most on quarterbacks in 2015 — Alex Smith will only be the 10th-highest paid QB this season, meaning that positional spending is driven in large part by Chase Daniel. The league’s highest-paid backup, the 28-year-old Daniel will count for $4.8MM against Kansas City’s cap. He’s earning similar money to that of a third-tier starter, and given that he’s attempted fewer than 60 passes over the past two seasons, it might have made sense for the team to go cheaper at the No. 2 spot. But given that it’s almost time for training camp and the Chiefs aren’t in dire financial straits, they’ll probably just keep Daniel around to act as top-notch insurance in the event of a Smith injury. Prediction: not released.

Derrick Johnson, LB: Johnson, 32, missed the majority of last year after tearing his Achilles, and given that none his $5.25MM cap figure is guaranteed, it’s conceivable that the Chiefs could move on. But that probably won’t happen for two reasons. First, club owner Clark Hunt said in March that Johnson is safe. “There will be a point in time where we address [his contract],” Hunt said. “But it just hasn’t been germane to this point.” Second, Johnson is still a solid player, and Kansas City will need his contributions if it hopes to improve upon its No. 19 DVOA ranking. The Chiefs navigated through the offseason despite their salary cap troubles, and now have nearly $9MM in space, so clearing Johnson’s money isn’t completely necessary. Prediction: not released.

Oakland Raiders:

Austin Howard, OL: After spending two years as the Jets’ starting right tackle, Howard signed a five-year, $30MM deal to join Oakland prior to last season and promptly moved to right guard. He’s projected to move back to tackle for the upcoming season, with veteran Khalif Barnes taking over at RG, but the right side of the Raiders’ line is still unsettled. Third-year pro Menelik Watson is a candidate to edge out Howard for the right tackle job, and if that happens, Howard could conceivably shift back to guard, or be moved to the bench. Of course, a final option would be for the club to release him, saving $5MM tis season. But Oakland would incur more than $4MM in 2016 dead money by doing so, and though Howard’s play was poor last year, the Raiders aren’t in any position to be casting off players who possess any modicum of talent. Prediction: not released.

San Diego Chargers:

Donald Brown, RB: Brown’s three-year, $10.5MM ($4MM guaranteed) deal with the Chargers already looked like an overpay when it was signed, and following Brown’s dreadful 2014 season, the pact looks even worse. Following injuries to Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead, Brown had an opportunity to take the starting running back job, but was wholly ineffective, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry on 85 attempts. Brown, 28, is an effective pass-blocker, but with first-rounder Melvin Gordon in tow, Woodhead expected to regain his third-down role, and Brandon Oliver coming off an impressive year-end run, Brown doesn’t figure to have role. San Diego can save $3MM by releasing him, and would carry just over $1MM in dead money. Prediction: released.

John Phillips, TE: The 28-year-old Phillips didn’t see the field much in 2014 while acting as San Diego’s third tight end — he played on only 202 snaps, but still managed to post a disappointing -7.0 grade per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The Chargers could clear out Phillips’ $1.45MM base salary by cutting him, but with Antonio Gates suspended for the first four games of the season, Phillips will probably be back to serve as the club’s inline tight end while Ladarius Green acts the move option. Prediction: not released.

AFC Notes: Hunter, Heyward, Texans, Raiders

July 24th, 2015 at 11:17am CST by Zachary Links

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk doesn’t understand why Titans wide receiver Justin Hunter hasn’t been put on paid leave after allegedly punching a man in the face and breaking his jaw. Hunter currently faces five to 20 years in prison and a $100K fine, but the Titans are reportedly expected to have him in camp.

Technically, the conduct policy only says that a player may be placed on paid leave if he is charged with a crime or if a league investigation “leads the commissioner to believe that [the player] may have violated this policy.” Still, Florio feels that the NFL should show some consistency and sideline Hunter.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post has the complete breakdown of Cameron Heyward‘s extension. The Steelers defensive end will earn a $12MM signing bonus and a $15MM guarantee on his deal. He carries respective cap hits of $6.4MM, $10.4MM, $10.4MM, $11.4MM, $11.15MM, and $9.5MM from 2015 to 2020.
The Texans are working out former Boston College offensive tackle Matt Patchan, a league source tells Wilson. After going undrafted in 2014, Patchan signed with the Bucs, and spent time on the club’s practice squad last year.
Former agent Joel Corry of CBSSports.com identifies one or two players for each AFC team who are at some sort of career crossroads, or are facing make-or-break type seasons in 2015.
The Raiders wanted to upgrade the safety spot, and believe they did so by signing Nate Allen from Philadelphia this offseason, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes. The Raiders hope that Allen can play center field and free up Charles Woodson to make big plays down field. Of course, Allen has given up some big plays in the past and a skeptic might wonder if he’s the man for the job.
Adam Caplan of ESPN.com joined Mighty 1090 in San Diego (audio link) to discuss Ladarius Green‘s opportunity in the wake of Antonio Gates‘ suspension. The young Chargers tight end was widely expected to break out in 2014, but Gates was as good as ever to start the year and didn’t cede his starting job. Now, Green has an opportunity to shine with Gates sidelined.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Chargers Notes: Freeney, Los Angeles, San Diego

July 22nd, 2015 at 1:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a quick look at the latest on the Chargers..

During an appearance with Polian and Alex Marvez on SiriusXM NFL Radio (audio link), free agent Dwight Freeney said he hopes to be in camp with a team next month. “A lot of it is up in the air,” Freeney said (transcription from Josh Alper of PFT). “I have aspirations to play, but the thing is I have to be in the right situation for me. I can’t get put in a situation where I’m running away from the ball. I want to run toward the guy with the ball more than I’m running away.” Freeney had 3.5 sacks for the Chargers in 16 games last year and was credited with the third-most quarterback hurries by Pro Football Focus among 3-4 outside linebackers.
Emily Kaplan of The MMQB surveyed 100 Los Angeles residents to find out how much interest there is in having NFL football once again. Kaplan got a mixed bag of responses but, for the most part, Angelenos seemed excited or at least intrigued by the possibility. Meanwhile, NFL and real estate experts say that for the NFL to prosper in the current L.A. climate, a team would need to build more than just a stadium – they need to build an experience.
While there has been a lot of fretting over whether the Chargers might leave San Diego, Kevin Acee of the Union-Tribune says the local fans will get by without the Bolts if they head to Los Angeles.

Community Tailgate: Philip Rivers’ Contract

July 21st, 2015 at 5:06pm CST by Zachary Links

We’re still several weeks away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this month, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Today, we’ll be discussing Philip Rivers and his contract status. Monday night, we learned that the Bolts hope to have a new deal in place with their starting quarterback before the start of training camp. It wasn’t long ago that Rivers’ future beyond 2015 was highly in question. In fact, there were rumblings that he would be wearing a different uniform this spring. Outside of perhaps Adrian Peterson, no veteran Pro Bowler was mentioned more as a potential trade candidate in April as Rivers.

Ultimately, Rivers was not dealt for Marcus Mariota or anyone else. The signal caller is set to make a total of $17.42MM in his walk year and the Bolts seem hopeful that they’ll get a new deal done, despite Rivers’ reported reservations about playing in Los Angeles. It’s fair to wonder, however, if the two sides will see eye-to-eye on his value. Rivers started all 16 games for the Chargers last season and threw for 4,286 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. In 2014, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Rivers as the seventh-best quarterback in the league last season, putting him ahead of Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, and Peyton Manning. Still, Rivers is 33-year-old and it’s fair to wonder if he’ll continue playing at that level.

When all is said and done, do you expect the Chargers and Rivers to reach agreement on a new deal? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Extra Points: Rivers, Mathis, JPP

July 20th, 2015 at 9:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers hope that a new long-term deal with Philip Rivers will be in place before training camp, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It doesn’t sound like there has been much movement on an extension between the two sides to date, though the quarterback has indicated that he would like to finish his career in San Diego.

Rivers, 33, started all 16 games for the Chargers last season, just like he has done in every season since 2006 when he broke in as the starter. The veteran threw for 4,286 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Rivers as the seventh-best quarterback in the league last season, putting him ahead of Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, and Peyton Manning. Here’s more from around the NFL..

The Dolphins should sign guard Evan Mathis to cap their big offseason, Greg Cote of the Miami Herald writes. Miami’s most obvious weakness is at offensive guard and Mathis, released by the Eagles earlier this offseason, has been one of the league’s very best for years now. The 33-year-old also has Dolphins bloodlines – his uncle is Bob Baumhower, a five-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle.
Retired offensive lineman David Diehl says Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul faces “an uphill battle” after having a finger amputated, Christian Red of the Daily News writes. “There’s no denying how important it is for offensive linemen and defensive linemen to be able to punch, to grab and to pull and do all those things,” Diehl said. “(Pierre-Paul) went with amputation because he felt that was a way for him to get back to the football field quicker. He’s passionate about what he wants to do, and he wants to get back.”
Washington will look at other outside linebackers, but it’s uncertain if they will add anyone before the final cuts after the preseason, John Keim of ESPN.com writes. Meanwhile, Trent Murphy and Preston Smith are duking it out for the starting outside linebacker job opposite of Ryan Kerrigan.
Now that Demaryius Thomas has signed, Mark Kiszla, Woody Paige and Les Shapiro of the Denver Post (video link) discussed their predictions for what kind of season the Broncos star wide receiver will have.

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