Los Angeles Chargers News & Rumors

Extra Points: Rivers, Browner, Brady, Lions

July 19th, 2015 at 5:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The next year might be a time of major transition for the Chargers, who will be able to break their lease at season’s end and leave San Diego – their home since 1961 – potentially for Carson, Calif. Further, 11-year Charger and six-time Pro Bowl quarterback Philip Rivers is entering the final season of his contract and could conceivably be under center for another organization 12 months from now. Rivers has started every Chargers game since 2006, playoffs included, and been one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks during that span. However, the 33-year-old hasn’t shown much urgency in getting a long-term deal done with the Bolts, writes the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Michael Gehlken. Regardless of what happens with the Chargers, then, Rivers’ days as a San Diego institution may be winding down.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Former Seahawks cornerback Brandon Browner said Sunday at Richard Sherman‘s celebrity softball game that he’d like to return to Seattle when his contract is up, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). If Browner was serious, the timing of his comment is odd, as he recently joined the Saints on a three-year deal during free agency. Browner, who spent 2011-13 with the Seahawks, was a member of the Super Bowl-winning Patriots last season.
It’s been almost a month since Tom Brady‘s Deflategate appeal hearing, yet no ruling has come down. If Brady’s four-game suspension isn’t overturned, it could lead to a lawsuit against the league. However, there may be behind-the-scenes negotiations going on in hopes of preventing that, per Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today. “I do think they’re negotiating,” said Jodi Balsam, who was the league’s counsel for operations and litigation from 1994-2002 and its counsel for football operations from 2002-2007. “They may be back-channel conversations, but what the NFL wants is to get an implicit agreement from Brady’s people that a reduction in the number of suspended games would resolve the issue and put the brakes on any further litigation.”
The Lions’ offense is getting to work prior to training camp, tweets ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, who deduced from tight end Joseph Fauria‘s Instagram that he and some teammates are gathering in Atlanta to run routes. Quarterback Matthew Stafford said during the spring that members of Detroit’s offense would look to get some pre-camp work in, according to Rothstein (Twitter link), and it appears to be happening.

AFC Notes: Mariota, Chargers, Raiders, Jags

July 18th, 2015 at 5:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The odd standoff between the Titans and Marcus Mariota over offset language doesn’t look to be going over well for the franchise that’s been frequently thorough in negotiating with its top rookies and consistently forgotten for its recent play. A 2-14 team digging in over a matter that probably won’t come up with the face of a franchise devoid of many recognizable faces isn’t the best look, writes Geoffrey C. Arnold of the Oregonian.

Arnold notes the contracts of Dante Fowler Jr. and Todd Gurley, two injured top-10 picks, do not include offset language, which would save the drafting — and in this instance, cutting — franchise money in the event it has to prematurely separate from a player. And Arnold predicts a deal next week is unlikely, considering the Titans’ late official additions of Taylor Lewan, Chance Warmack and Kendall Wright, the first-round picks in the 2014, ’13 and ’12 drafts, respectively.

With Titans fans likely not losing much sleep over this minor point in Mariota’s contract, it’s not a good start to the relationship. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe went as far as saying this is a “terrible” beginning to the Titans-Mariota marriage, with an aura of distrust already swirling. Should Mariota be a bust, the Titans will have bigger problems than a few million dollars being lost, writes Volin, in the event they cave on offsets. If this indeed occurs, there will probably be new management overseeing the next quarterback’s contract negotiation.

Let’s look at some of the notes emerging from AFC cities on Saturday as training camps are less than two weeks away from beginning.

In light of St. Louis’ recent adjustment to its plan to keep the NFL in the city, San Diego is making a similar move. But like the Rams, the Chargers aren’t exactly that interested, writes Jonathan Horn of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The team broke off discussions with the city last month despite a stadium location being determined, and a Chargers spokesperson doesn’t see much progress in the near future. “I think the chances of getting anything done in San Diego in 2015 or even in the first part of 2016 are over for sure, but that doesn’t mean this process is over,” Chargers spokesperson Mark Fabiani told Horn.
Reportedly fined for his weight hovering above 230 last season, Trent Richardson is down to 225 now and hopes to play this season at around 222, reports Bill Vilona of the Pensacola News Journal. The former No. 3 overall pick is aiming to counter a steep fall from grace that now has him in a battle with Latavius Murray and Roy Helu for a Raiders starting gig that’s been anonymous for most of this century.
With Ace Sanders waived, the Jaguars will employ a new punt returner. Among the candidates, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union, are fifth-round pick Rashad Greene, former Seahawk Bryan Walters and Tandon Doss, who was slated to replace Sanders during the wideout’s suspension last year before he suffered a season-ending ankle injury.

AFC Notes: Raiders, Chargers, Tucker

July 16th, 2015 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) heard from people in the know that it’s not out of the question for the Raiders to play two years in San Antonio, Texas while a stadium is built for them in Los Angeles. Here’s more from the AFC, including updates on the Los Angeles situation..

By a 6-3 vote, the San Diego City Council authorized $2.1MM to fund an expedited environmental review for a new stadium at the Mission Valley site, Eric Williams of ESPN.com tweets. San Diego is working hard to find a way to keep the Chargers, though the allure of Los Angeles is strong.
Council members who voted in favor of the proposal endorsed that strategy, while council members in opposition called the accelerated environmental impact report an improper use of taxpayer money that wouldn’t help keep the Chargers, David Garrick of the Union Tribune writes. “People might say this is a fool’s errand,” councilman Scott Sherman said. “I still have faith with the right deal we can get the Chargers back here at the table. I think the NFL will tell the Chargers that ‘San Diego is committed, San Diego is ready to go and you guys need to come back to the table.’”
Stephen Gostkowski‘s new deal with the Patriots could provide a blueprint for the Ravens when it comes to their upcoming talks with kicker Justin Tucker, Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. Gostkowski, 31, has a longer track record than Tucker, but the Ravens kicker doesn’t take a back seat to anybody when it comes to accuracy. Tucker has been mum about his contract demands, saying only that he’d love to stay with the Ravens for his entire career. To make that happen, Zrebiec says the Ravens will likely need to eclipse the deal that the Patriots just gave Gostkowski.
The Browns will have a new director of player engagement in the near future. Jamil Northcutt, who has held the title since April 2014, and the franchise are expected to part ways in the coming weeks, a league source confirmed to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal. Northcutt previously worked with Browns GM Ray Farmer as a player development coordinator for the Chiefs.

Sunday Roundup: Bills, L.A., Dalton, McClain

July 12th, 2015 at 8:57pm CST by Rob DiRe

Among all the chaos surrounding Aaron Kromer in Buffalo, the Bills are more than likely going to be looking for a new offensive line coach for the upcoming season. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report is asked if the organization could convince former Bills offensive line coach Jim McNally out of retirement.

McNally spent 28 seasons as an NFL offensive line coach, retiring in 2007 after a four-year tenure in Buffalo. He semi-unretired in 2010 to serve as a consultant to the Jets under Rex Ryan for two years, before taking on a similar role with the Bengals, where he began and spent most of his NFL career.

Cole notes that at 71 years old, McNally isn’t a prime candidate for the job, but that he does have the background to make him an interesting option (via Twitter).

Here are some more notes from around the NFL:

With all the excitement surrounding the possibility of a team coming to Los Angeles, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times makes several predictions about what to expect in the coming months from the NFL regarding the potential move. Among them, he opines that San Diego and St. Louis will present their cases at the owners’ meeting in New York but Oakland will not, that the league will sign leases with one or two temporary stadiums by the end of the year, and that the NFL will begin counting potential season ticket holders this fall.
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton took some swings during the Legends and Celebrity Softball Game as part of All-Star Weekend in Cincinnati, but he arrived to a mix of boos and cheers among the hometown fans, writes Paul Dehner Jr. of Cincinnati.com. Dalton was not worried about the reaction, and went on to hit two mammoth home runs during the game, to which brought the cheers in the stadium, and plenty of snark from the Twitter faithful, many of which Dehner compiled in his piece.
With linebacker Sean Lee set to return for the Cowboys and Rolando McClain suspended for the season’s first four games, Bob Strum of the Dallas Morning News says he wouldn’t assume McClain will stick with Dallas all year, suggesting the club may decide at some point that the off-field issues aren’t worth it.
The Broncos have until Wednesday to reach a long-term deal with franchise player Demaryius Thomas, leading Benjamin Hochman and Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post to debate as to the receiver’s value. Noting that Denver has a limited Super Bowl window given Peyton Manning‘s age, the scribes agree that the club will want to work out an extension, ultimately landing on a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $65-70MM. PFR’s Luke Adams projected the exact same figures last June.
Staying in Denver, Broncos general manager John Elway is still positive that the disappointing 2014 draft class will have a bigger impact, even with a brand new coaching staff, according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com. Only Bradley Roby saw significant snaps, with a number of the players selected not seeing any action at all. Second-round pick Cody Latimer saw only 37 snaps at receiver for the season, but the group should see significantly increased roles in 2015.

Luke Adams and Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

AFC Rumors: Brady, Herron, Marks, Chargers

July 11th, 2015 at 5:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

Let’s look at some of the news coming out of AFC cities as we remain in the NFL’s mid-summer lull.

The optics of Tom Brady‘s Deflategate suspension remaining at four games won’t look good for the league if a player convicted by a judge in a non-jury trial in a domestic violence matter receives the same suspension as one connected to potentially doctoring footballs, writes Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe. Young notes Roger Goodell could reduce the Patriots quarterback’s suspension to just one game should the public relations-conscious commissioner see how “ridiculous” it looks to have these two offenses treated equally.
Sen’Derrick Marks could wind up on the physically unable to perform list after tearing his ACL in Week 17 of last year, notes Kevin Patra of NFL.com. The Jaguars‘ top interior defensive lineman stopped short of predicting an Adrian Peterson-like return to the field for Week 1 but believes he’ll be “pretty ready” for the Jags’ opener.
Eric Weddle should have plenty of motivation in what becomes an audition for what could be his last NFL contract, notes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. Williams notes the Chargers should still receive excellent safety play from Weddle despite his dissatisfaction with the organization, while the Pro Bowl talent will also be backed by “one of the better cornerback tandems in the league” in Brandon Flowers and Jason Verrett.
Dan Herron will enter the season as Frank Gore‘s definitive backup, writes Kevin Bowen of Colts.com, but opines that with Gore in the fold the Colts‘ alternating-possessions approach to backfield time might not apply anymore. They used this plenty last season, with the still-ineffective Trent Richardson being spelled by a spry Ahmad Bradshaw. But with Gore entering his age-32 season and Herron averaging 4.5 yards per tote (albeit in just 78 carries), the second-year runner should see his share of work to keep the five-time Pro Bowler fresh. Gore’s kept his average above four yards per carry in each of his 10 seasons, but that’s partially because the 49ers did a solid job spelling him. Gore hasn’t carried the ball more than 285 times in a season since 2006.

Largest 2015 Cap Hits By Team: AFC West

July 10th, 2015 at 6:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Before NFL training camps get underway later this month, we’re taking a closer look at the top 2015 cap hits for teams around the league. We began our series in June by focusing on the NFC East and AFC East divisions, before looking at the NFC North, AFC North, and NFC South last week. Earlier this week, we recapped the AFC South and NFC West, and today we’ll wrap up our series by concluding with the AFC West.

Listed below are the top 10 cap hits for the coming season for each of the four AFC West franchises, accompanied by some observations on the spending habits of those clubs. Let’s dive in….

Denver Broncos:

Peyton Manning, QB: $17,500,000
Demaryius Thomas, WR: $12,823,000
Von Miller, OLB: $9,754,000
DeMarcus Ware, OLB: $8,666,666
T.J. Ward, S: $7,750,000
Aqib Talib, CB: $6,968,750
Louis Vasquez, G: $6,250,000
Emmanuel Sanders, WR: $5,850,000
Britton Colquitt, P: $3,750,000
Chris Harris, CB: $3,000,000
Total: $82,312,416

The top three contracts on the Broncos’ list are all ones worth keeping an eye on. Manning’s cap number for 2015 was adjusted earlier in the offseason, bringing it down from $21.5MM, while Thomas and Miller are both candidates for extensions. Thomas’ figure is based on the franchise tag and Miller’s is based on the fifth-year option — presumably, the team would like to lock up at least one of those two players to a long-term contract this offseason to avoid having to decide between them for the franchise tag in 2016.

Elsewhere on the list, Sanders and Harris look like two of the NFL’s best bargains. Harris’ cap hit will jump to $9MM in 2016, but based on what Byron Maxwell received on the open market this winter, that still looks like a very fair price for one of the top cornerbacks in the league. As for Sanders, his cap charge continues to be very affordable next year, at just $6MM.

One name that jumps out on this list is Colquitt, who is a solid but unspectacular punter, ranking 23rd in net average last year. It looks like the team will probably carry him this year, but when his cap hit increases to $4MM in 2016, with just $750K in dead money, it may be time to bring in some legitimate competition at the position.

Kansas City Chiefs:

Alex Smith, QB: $15,600,000
Justin Houston, OLB: $13,195,000
Dwayne Bowe, WR: $8,894,118 (dead money)
Eric Berry, S: $8,357,700
Jamaal Charles, RB: $7,970,835
Sean Smith, CB: $7,750,000
Eric Fisher, LT: $6,051,954
Derrick Johnson, LB: $5,250,000
Tamba Hali, OLB: $4,964,706
Chase Daniel, QB: $4,800,000
Total: $82,834,313

Like the Broncos, the Chiefs have a franchise player near the top of their list of cap numbers, so if Houston reaches a long-term agreement with the club within the next few days, his number could be reduced.

Still, there are some unexpected names here for Kansas City — Bowe, for instance, will be playing in Cleveland this season while he continues to count for nearly $9MM against the Chiefs’ cap. It’s also not clear if Berry will be able to return to the field in 2015, though obviously his recovery from lymphoma is more important than any cap considerations.

When I looked at the NFC West earlier this week, I observed that the Cardinals were one of the league’s only teams with two quarterbacks amongst their top 10 cap charges. Kansas City is the other club to have that honor, and it’s somewhat surprising that Daniel’s contract hasn’t been addressed. The Chiefs clearly value him highly, having made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid backups, despite the fact that he has only thrown 75 passes in his career.

Oakland Raiders:

Rodney Hudson, C: $13,000,000
Dan Williams, DT: $8,000,000
Nate Allen, S: $7,000,000
Tyvon Branch, S: $6,671,000 (dead money)
Curtis Lofton, LB: $6,500,000
Austin Howard, RT: $6,400,000
Donald Penn, LT: $5,400,000
Justin Tuck, DE: $4,968,750
Khalil Mack, OLB: $4,244,773
Charles Woodson, S: $4,200,000
Total: $66,384,523

The Raiders entered the offseason with a boatload of cap room to use, and they took advantage by lavishing lucrative contracts onto a handful of free agents who may not have been entirely deserving of such big annual salaries.

Still, it’s worth pointing out that the figures here for Hudson, Williams, Allen, and Lofton aren’t quite representative of their per-year salaries — all four players will see their cap numbers decrease in future seasons, with Hudson dipping most drastically between 2015 and 2016, from $13MM to $7.7MM. The contracts themselves may not turn out to be smart investments, but Oakland was smart to allocate larger cap hits to 2015, when the team had cap space to burn.

The Raiders, like a handful of other teams we’ve examined so far, benefit from not having to spend big yet on their young quarterback, but the club’s spending habits at other positions are a little unusual. While most teams would invest most heavily in players on the outside – left tackles, edge rushers, wide receivers, and cornerbacks – the Raiders’ top 2015 cap hits are all for up-the-middle players, including a center, defensive tackle, safety, and inside linebacker.

San Diego Chargers:

Philip Rivers, QB: $17,416,668
Eric Weddle, S: $10,100,000
Antonio Gates, TE: $9,762,500
Corey Liuget, DT: $7,977,000
Donald Butler, LB: $5,480,000
Malcom Floyd, WR: $4,716,668
Orlando Franklin, G: $4,400,000
Mike Scifres, P: $4,347,500
Brandon Flowers, CB: $4,250,000
King Dunlap, LT: $4,125,000
Total: $72,575,336

The Chargers’ top 10 cap numbers for 2015 are made up nearly entirely of players who are entering the final year of their respective contracts and players who just signed new contracts with the club this offseason. Only Butler, who signed an extension in 2014, and Scifres, who is under contract for 2016, don’t meet this criteria.

Of the longtime Chargers entering the final year of their contracts, Rivers appears to have the best chance of reaching a long-term extension that would affect his cap number for 2015. Talks between the Chargers and Weddle haven’t gone well, Gates is facing a four-game suspension, and Floyd has talked about the possibility of retiring after the coming season.

As for the recently signed players, Liuget, Flowers, and Dunlap re-upped with San Diego this offseason, with Flowers and Dunlap narrowly avoiding reaching the open market, while Franklin was poached from the division-rival Broncos. All four players will see their cap numbers rise after this season, going from a combined $20.752 in 2015 to a total of $33.275 in 2016.

Information from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.

West Notes: Okung, Wilson, Broncos

July 6th, 2015 at 6:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Las Vegas has the Chargers as a longshot to win the Super Bowl and one popular gambling site has the Bolts at 50-1. Nick Canepa of The San Diego Union-Tribune says he isn’t a gambling man, but if he were, that’s a wager he would take. Canepa doesn’t expect the possibility of a relocation to affect the locker room and he also notes that the Chargers have won without the services of Antonio Gates, who will be suspended for the first month of the season. Here’s more from the AFC and NFC West..

Seahawks fans are intensely focused on Russell Wilson‘s contract situation, but the future of tackle Russell Okung is also uncertain at this time, as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes in his latest mailbag. Okung, a first-round choice in 2010, is entering the final season of his original six-year, $48.5MM pact. So far, there has been no indication that the Seahawks are working on a new deal, meaning that it will probably wait until after the 2015 season. Okung, 28 in October, has struggled to stay healthy over the course of his career, missing 21 games in total. Last year, Pro Football Focus (sub. req’d) was less than enamored with Okung’s play, giving him a slightly below average grade of -1.5.
Earlier today, Wilson conducted a Q&A at The Rock Church in California (YouTube link) and fielded a wide range of questions, including one pertaining to the possibility of playing baseball. When asked which sport he prefers, the Seahawks quarterback simply replied, “Both.” When asked if he will ever play both, Wilson responded: “I have no idea..I believe if anybody could do it, I could. And I believe God’s put me…gave me the ability to do it. I’ve done it my whole life.”
Six Broncos players who have started games for the team are poised for unrestricted free agency at season’s end, as Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com notes. That list includes Pro Bowl linebacker Von Miller, who was John Elway’s first selection on the job when he was taken No. 2 overall in the 2011 draft. 2013 was a struggle for Miller, beginning with a six-game suspension for attempting to cheat a drug test and ending with a torn ACL that ended his year early. However, advanced metrics suggested that Miller was far and away the best 4-3 outside linebacker in the league, even in that down year. In 2014, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Miller as the No. 2 4-3 OLB in the league, right behind Oakland standout Khalil Mack. Back in November, PFR’s Luke Adams evaluated Miller as an extension candidate.

Extra Points: Attaochu, Bowman, Bridgewater

July 5th, 2015 at 8:20pm CST by Rob DiRe

Earlier today, Rory Parks gave us a roundup of some notes from some early Sunday NFL news, including an update on Chris Borland‘s post-NFL life, Marcus Mariota’s potential holdout, and a couple of notes on the Saints, Browns, and Broncos.

Now, for anyone who was too busy watching the USA defeat Japan 5-2 in the World Cup, here are a couple more pieces of NFL news that trickled across the landscape this evening:

Second-year pass rusher Jeremiah Attaochu only had two sacks in limited snaps as a rookie, but is focused on improving that number in 2015, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. He writes that Attaochu trained in combine-related drills for much of last offseason, but is focused on football-specific drills and getting reps in practice to prepare him for an increased role with the Chargers this year.
The Dolphins signed Zackary Bowman this offseason to compete for the starting cornerback job across from Brent Grimes, but right now the leader for that spot is Jamar Taylor, writes James Walker of ESPN. Bowman hasn’t stood out in minicamps, and Walker writes he has about a 50 percent chance of making the final roster, depending on how many cornerbacks the team keeps on the depth chart.
The Vikings are excited about Teddy Bridgewater and how he got stronger as the season went on in 2014, especially offensive coordinator Norv Turner, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today in his offseason report. With Adrian Peterson, Kyle Rudolph, Matt Kalil, and Brandon Fusco all back healthy on available, and Mike Wallace added to the fold, Bridgewater is ready to break out as leader of the offense.
Detroit Lions’ beat writer Dave Birkett addressed a number of issues on a Q&A with Ste Hoare of TheRouteTree.com. Birkett believes that Ameer Abdullah will begin the season as a complement to Joique Bell in the role Reggie Bush filled, but expects him to eventually emerge as the feature back. He also addresses the concern that first-round pick Laken Tomlinson’s interest in the medical field could leave him to an early retirement in the vain of Borland, but Birkett does not believe the team is worried and writes that the Lions encourage his interests off-the-field.

AFC West Notes: Richardson, Thomas, San Diego

July 5th, 2015 at 3:34pm CST by Rob DiRe

New Raiders offensive line coach Mike Tice is very optimistic about the running game in 2015, and had nice things to say about all three of his top running backs, including the much-maligned Trent Richardson on his third NFL stop, according to Raiders.com. Latavius Murray and Richardson are pencilled in for large roles in the offense.

“Each one has their own style. I like the Murray kid. He really came on in that veteran mini-camp. He got his legs under him and showed some quickness, some good finish,” said Tice on SiruisXM NFL Radio. “I thought the young man out of Alabama came on. He lost some weight, his quickness came around.”

In addition to Murray and Richardson, Tice also had a glowing review of Roy Helu Jr..

“And then the young man we picked up out of Washington, a local boy out of San Ramon, I think he had an outstanding offseason and he shows good quickness, good awareness,” said Tice. “I think the nice thing about the kid out of Washington…is that he has nice hands out of the backfield – he can catch the football.”

Here are some more stories from around the AFC West:

The Raiders are finally giving focus to developing their young defensive backs, writes Steve Corkan of RaidersBeat.com (via Facebook). The team is no longer trying to find short-term solutions in modestly-priced veterans, and is prepared to hand the backend of the defense to D.J. Hayden, T.J. Carrie, and Keith McGill.
The Broncos and Demaryius Thomas are still far apart on a long-term contract, and Troy Renck of the Denver Post is having trouble seeing how the two sides come together on an agreement. He writes that $40MM guaranteed is the low number on what Thomas needs based on his value, but he writes the Broncos can’t meet that number, and might be better off leasing him with the franchise tag this season and again next season before moving on to a run-first offense with a strong defense under head coach Gary Kubiak.
While fans and pundits are waiting for an announcement on which teams will be torn away from their current cities to move to Los Angeles, Dan McSwain of the U-T San Diego writes that the city of San Diego might be better if the Chargers leave. He writes that the public funding for a new stadium would hurt the local economy, and the people of San Diego would be fortunate if the team left for L.A. instead of putting that burden on them.

AFC Links: Raiders, Dolphins, Green

July 3rd, 2015 at 8:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The stadium proposal that didn’t exactly receive rave reviews leaves some unanswered questions regarding the feasibility of its completion and, naturally, the Raiders‘ future in Oakland, writes Matthew Artz of the Bay Area News Group.

Chief among them, writes Artz, is whether the stadium can be built for the $900MM budgeted, and if not, what’s the plan if additional funds are required? Artz points out how Levi’s Stadium was slated to cost $937MM but ended up running a $1.3 billion tab.

The project would have to be financed entirely by the NFL and the Raiders, and the proposed 55,000-seat stadium would be smaller and is projected to generate less revenue than what’s being discussed in Carson, Calif. But before seeing a cost breakdown, which the Raiders have not released, determining the project’s viability is difficult, executive director of the Sports Business Institute at USC’s School of Business David Carter told Artz.

Here are some more details from around the league on Independence Day eve.

The Raiders upgraded at backup quarterback in Christian Ponder, a veteran of new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave‘s offense from the duo’s time in Minnesota from 2011-13, writes Steve Corkran of RaiderBeat.com. Corkran doesn’t doubt starter Derek Carr‘s ability to make a “precipitous” leap this season and believes new weapons Amari Cooper and Clive Walford will help in this effort. Concluding his analysis of the Oakland quarterback spot, the veteran Raiders reporter predicts Matt McGloin will beat out rookie Cody Fajardo.
New Raiders offensive coordinator Mike Tice has taken to second-year guard Gabe Jackson, referring to the 2014 third-round pick as a “rising star,” offers CSNBayArea.com. Jackson was the 27th-best guard, per Pro Football Focus, last season and now has the benefit of working next to key free agent acquisition Rodney Hudson in Year 2.
In his series on who’s bound for the Dolphins‘ 53-man roster, James Walker of ESPN.com gives running back Mike Gillislee a 25% chance at making the team in what could be his final training camp in Miami. Currently fifth on the depth chart behind Lamar Miller, rookie Jay Ajayi, LaMichael James and Damien Williams, Gillislee has just six carries for 21 yards in his two-year career.
Even before Antonio Gates‘ suspension, the Chargers were planning to allot more time to Ladarius Green, writes Eddie Brown of the San Diego Union-Tribune. With the Chargers viewing Green as a superior run-blocker to the 35-year-old Gates, the veteran’s early absence could expedite Melvin Gordon‘s development.

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