HEADLINES

Los Angeles Chargers News & Rumors

Chargers To Re-Sign Trevor Robinson

March 9th, 2015 at 8:35pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers have agreed to re-sign center Trevor Robinson, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Per Caplan, it’s a two-year deal for Robinson that can max out at $4.5MM, and it includes playing-time bonuses.

San Diego infamously used five centers last season, as injuries took their toll on Nick Hardwick, Doug Legursky, Rich Ohrnberger, and Chris Watt before landing on Robinson. With Hardwick now retired, Watt is the presumed starter, though Robinson will presumably engage in a training camp battle for the position. The 27-year-old Robinson, who can also play guard, spent two full seasons with the Bengals before coming to the Chargers off waivers in October.

In retaining Robinson, the Chargers continue to invest in their offensive line, as they signed left tackle King Dunlap to an extension last month, before agreeing to a deal with free agent Orlando Franklin yesterday.

Contract Details: McCourty, Jones, Moats, Ginn

March 9th, 2015 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few noteworthy contract details on deals recently agreed upon:

  • Devin McCourty, S (Patriots): Five years, $47.5MM base value. $15MM signing bonus. $28.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
  • Jacoby Jones, WR (Chargers): Two years, $5.5MM base value. $1.6K signing bonus (Twitter link via Pro Football Talk).
  • Arthur Moats, OLB (Steelers): Three years, $7.5MM base value. $1.9MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Ted Ginn Jr., WR (Panthers): Two years, $4.2MM base value. $1.7MM signing bonus. Up to $1.5MM in incentives (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
  • Derek Carrier, TE (49ers): Three years, $2.985MM base value. $400K signing bonus. About $1MM in escalators (Twitter link via Pelissero).

Chargers Re-Sign Brandon Flowers

March 9th, 2015 at 12:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

MONDAY, 12:23pm: Flowers’ four-year deal with the Chargers is now official, the team announced today in a press release.

SUNDAY, 2:58pm: The Chargers have reached an agreement on a four-year deal with cornerback Brandon Flowers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Flowers will earn a $9MM AAV, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Although Flowers was set to become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday, we heard yesterday that a reunion between him and San Diego was likely.

In his first season with the Charger, Flowers finished as the league’s 15th-best CB among 108 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The 29-year-old, who ranked as PFR’s No. 22 free agent, started 14 games, accruing two interceptions in the process. After being released by the Chiefs last summer, Flowers signed on with San Diego on a one-year pact that netted him $3MM — he should be in for a significant pay bump this time around.

The Chargers have about $27MM in cap space, so while we don’t know how Flowers’ contract specifics will affect their room, the club should have money left to spend if they want to make upgrades via free agency. San Diego has already been active this offseason, re-signing left tackle King Dunlap to a four-year deal, but they have other pending free agents in Ryan Mathews, Dwight Freeney, and Eddie Royal who could be retained.

Flowers’ re-signing contributes to the thinning of an already meager free agent CB market — top option Byron Maxwell is said to be heading to Philadelphia, and Kareem Jackson has already re-signed with the Texans, so options are few for secondary-needy clubs. Antonio Cromartie, Chris Culliver, and Davon House represent the best remaining corners available.

Jets Rumors: Iupati, Culliver, Branch

March 9th, 2015 at 10:25am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets are aggressively pursuing Pro Bowl guard Mike Iupati, sources tell Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The Jets, of cousre, are in need of a boost on the interior of their offensive line and they have to set their sights elsewhere after former target Orlando Franklin shook hands with the Chargers on a deal. Unsurprisingly, there are a handful of other teams with serious interest in Iupati, Mehta hears, so they’ll have some serious competition for the 27-year-old (28 this summer). More on the Jets..

  • The Jets have interest in free agent cornerback Chris Culliver, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter). Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk was hearing late last month that Culliver might field more offers than expected. The Eagles will not be among the teams pursuing him, however.
  • The Jets also have interest in safety Tyvon Branch, a source tells Costello (link). Branch has visited the Colts and Washington and has a visit coming up with the Chiefs. Branch, 28, was with the Raiders for seven seasons before his release.
  • The Jets have expressed interest in Chargers free agent safety/cornerback Marcus Gilchrist, Mehta tweets. Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter) adds that he has been fielding interest from several teams. Washington is among the teams have have remained in contact with him and the Chargers want to retain him, John Keim of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Cary Williams is visiting with Titans coaches today and he hopes to make a call between the Jets, Seahawks, and Titans, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Agent Harold Lewis said that Williams was “blown away” by his visit with Seattle. In total, eight teams have interest in Williams, Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean tweets.

NFC Rumors: Peterson, Hoyer, Eagles, Cards

March 8th, 2015 at 4:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

If Adrian Peterson is able to work his way out of Minnesota, his preferred destination would be Arizona, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who adds that the veteran running back’s other top landing spots are the Colts, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Chargers. For their part, the Cardinals have denied any interest in the Vikings running back, adds Robinson’s colleague Rand Getlin (via Twitter). However, Getlin does tweet that a source told him the Cards’ release of Darnell Dockett was done to clear out cap room for Peterson.

Let’s check out the latest from the NFC as free agency approaches…

  • Both the Vikings and the 49ers have expressed interest in quarterback Brian Hoyer, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link). But with other teams like the Jets and Texans (who could potentially offer a starting role) showing interest, as well, I’d bet the Hoyer would look unfavorably upon joining Minnesota or San Francisco, where he’d be the clear backup.
  • Though they’re about to add Byron Maxwell, the Eagles could still use another corner, but the club hasn’t shown interest in either Buster Skrine or Chris Culliver, tweets Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, who adds in a separate tweet that Walter Thurmond is also not on Philly’s radar.
  • Washington appears set on adding help along the defensive line — they’re intrigued by Terrance Knighton, and they’ve also expressed interest in free agents Stephen Paea and Dan Williams, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • After re-signing Scott Tolzien earlier today, the Packers aren’t interested in retaining fellow backup QB Matt Flynn, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
  • The Cardinals are interested in linebacker Brian Orakpo, per Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link). Arizona is also interested in Trent Cole (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN), so it looks like they’re targeting OLB help.
  • The Buccaneers are looking for safety help, and there is mutual interest between the club and FA Ron Parker, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link).

Fallout From Randall Cobb Deal

March 8th, 2015 at 8:26am CST by Rory Parks

Randall Cobb‘s decision to remain in Green Bay on a four-year, $40MM contract has had an impact on a number of teams in the league, especially those with a need at the wide receiver position. Let’s take a look at some of the fallout from the Cobb deal:

  • The Chargers were “real players” for Cobb, tweets Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego. However, they were prepared for the Packers to re-sign Cobb before the star slot receiver could hit the open market. It is unclear if the Chargers, who have a number of irons in the fire at the moment, will consider a run at Jeremy Maclin or Torrey Smith.
  • Confirming what we heard last night, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com reports that Cobb had been one of the Raiders‘ top free agent targets. With plenty of money to spend, Oakland will continue its attempts to upgrade its wide receiving corps in free agency and the draft. If the Raiders cannot land one of the top free agents still on the board, second-tier options like Michael Crabtree, Cecil Shorts, and Kenny Britt could be options.
  • Chris Boden of CSNChicago.com wonders if the Cobb deal will “force the Bears into a greater focus to consider a change-of-pace, over-the-top receiver in the first three rounds of the NFL draft.” Boden notes that the team really needs someone to take the pressure off Alshon Jeffery now that Brandon Marshall is in New York, and the only true deep threat left in free agency is Baltimore’s Smith.
  • ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Cobb’s lucrative deal is a win for Smith and Maclin, who now have more leverage as they seek their next contract.
  • Smith was already expected to leave the Ravens, as Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports, but now Wilson would not be surprised if Smith’s next deal approached the $10MM average annual value that Cobb received from Green Bay.

Chargers Rumors: Suh, Flowers, Cobb, OL

March 7th, 2015 at 5:37pm CST by Luke Adams

We hadn’t heard the Chargers linked to many big-name free agents before today, but – armed with about $26MM in cap room – it seems the team is prepared to make some noise this coming week. Here’s the latest out of San Diego:

  • The Chargers are preparing to make a run at Ndamukong Suh, joining a long list of potential suitors for 2015’s top free agent, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Albert Breer of the NFL Network adds (via Twitter) that sources from teams who are in the mix for Suh suggest the bidding could reach $18MM+ per year, and the Chargers may not be willing to go quite that high to land the star defensive tackle.
  • According to Rapoport (via Twitter), the Chargers are making a “hard push” to hang onto Brandon Flowers, and there’s a good chance the team will be able to bring back the veteran cornerback. No agreement has been reached yet, but Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun also reports (via Twitter) that Flowers is expected to remain in San Diego.
  • Eyeing potential offensive lineman help, with Nick Hardwick and Jeromey Clary having retired at season’s end, the Chargers are expected to pursue 49ers guard Mike Iupati, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Per Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter), the club may also be in on Broncos lineman Orlando Franklin. Iupati is widely regarded as the top interior lineman available this month, so Franklin may be a Plan B if the team is unable to land the veteran Niner.
  • Within the previously-linked story, Gehlken notes that Randall Cobb is considered a free agent worth keeping an eye on for the Chargers as well. That seems like a long shot, but perhaps it would become more plausible if San Diego strikes out on its other top targets.

Chargers Cut Reggie Walker

March 6th, 2015 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

A year after signing him to a two-year deal, the Chargers have parted ways with outside linebacker Reggie Walker, reports Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter).

Walker, 28, had a solid season for the Chargers in 2013, starting six games as a part-time player for the team. He recorded 36 tackles and three sacks that year, but saw his role reduced in 2014, and had only 12 tackles and 0.5 sacks.

The Chargers had been carrying Walker on their 2015 books for a cap hit worth $1.16MM, so cutting him will remove his $1MM base salary and leave just $160K in dead money on the cap.

Chargers To Sign Jacoby Jones

March 6th, 2015 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

12:12pm: Jones’ two-year deal with San Diego can be worth up to $5.5MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

11:53am: After being cut by the Ravens, wide receiver and return man Jacoby Jones is heading to a team that his old club beat out for a playoff spot last season. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Jones has reached an agreement on a two-year deal with the Chargers.

Jones, 30, returned kicks and punts for Baltimore in 2014, but his role on offense was significantly reduced — after being targeted 68 times and hauling in 37 passes in 2013, Jones received just 18 targets and caught nine passes in 2014. He also averaged 30.6 yards on 32 kickoff returns, and 9.2 yards on 30 punt returns.

In San Diego, Jones will give the Chargers a dynamic presence on kick and punt returns that the team has lacked in recent years. In 2014, Eddie Royal and Keenan Allen split duties on punt returns, while Chris Davis was the team’s primary kick returner. Davis didn’t have a return longer than 35 yards, and the Chargers didn’t have a kick or punt return touchdown for the season.

Prior to agreeing to terms with the Chargers, Jones also visited the Bengals and Titans.

Extra Points: Suh, Flowers, Titans, NFLPA

March 5th, 2015 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

The money could get silly for guys like Ndamukong Suh and Darrelle Revis since some teams will need to spend to reach the cap minimum and a lack of in-house guys to reward could push free agent prices through the roof, says Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter links). Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • The Dolphins and Colts are expected to make the strongest pushes for Suh, multiple league sources told Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. Both teams have been heavily linked to the impending free agent defensive tackle in recent days.
  • Appearing today on the NFL Network, cornerback Brandon Flowers said he’d like to remain with the Chargers, and is in discussions with the club about a new deal, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. Flowers described his situation as win-win: “If I stay in San Diego, it’s a place I loved stepping in from Day 1. It’s a nice place to live, and with a quarterback like Philip Rivers, you always have a chance. And if I’m not able to go back, I’m going to the free agency market.”
  • Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean looked at the Titans‘ free agents and ran down which ones the team should look to re-sign. The top priorities, he says, should be linebacker Derrick Morgan, punter Brett Kern, and defensive lineman Karl Klug.
  • Former NFLPA staff counsel Arthur McAfee is officially on the ballot for the upcoming executive director election, tweets Getlin. Jim Acho, a Michigan attorney running for the job, has also been told he has the three nominations needed to get on the final ballot, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Additionally, sports advisor Rob London tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link) that he also received the necessary recommendations from player reps to qualify as a candidate. There are now eight candidates in the mix for the position.
  • In this week’s mailbag, a reader asked Mike Klis of the Denver Post if the Broncos would consider former fan favorite Peyton Hillis at fullback. If he were a bit more spry, Hillis would be close to an ideal fullback in Gary Kubiak‘s system, but even then he’s still too small for the position.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Load More Posts