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Los Angeles Chargers News & Rumors

Sunday Roundup: Austin, Ravens, Steelers

January 11th, 2015 at 12:15pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at some links from around the league as Day 2 of the Divisional Round gets underway:

  • Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets that Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is also on the Bears‘ radar.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com provides an offseason outlook for the Bears.
  • Manish Metha of the New York Daily News tweets that the Jets, despite their heavy interest in Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, still want to interview Kubiak for their head coaching vacancy.
  • Rapoport tweets that Dick LeBeau‘s departure took the Steelers by surprise, and he adds (via Twitter) that LeBeau likely wanted to leave Pittsburgh with Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor, with whom he had established a close relationship.
  • Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, reiterating what he passed along yesterday, tweets that Steelers linebackers coach Keith Butler, whom the Titans attempted to hire last season, is the most likely candidate to be elevated to defensive coordinator.
  • In a series of Baltimore items, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun writes that Ravens outside linebacker Pernell McPhee is expected to cash in on the free agent market and Steve Smith has no plans to retire.
  • Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer describes how the departure of Kyle Shanahan might impact the Browns‘ quarterback situation.
  • Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes that, with the Bills‘ hiring of Rex Ryan and the emergence of Dan Quinn as the frontrunner for the Jets head coaching vacancy, Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich may stay put in San Diego.
  • Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News tweets that, had the 49ers hired Ryan, Vic Fangio was likely to stay as the team’s defensive coordinator. However, now that Ryan has been hired by the Bills, Inman believes Fangio will be promoted to head coach. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, though, tweets that San Francisco will conduct a second interview with Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

Chargers Sign Austin Pettis To Reserve/Futures

January 9th, 2015 at 3:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Following a second-half of the season that featured plenty of workouts, a veteran receiver has finally found a home. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the Chargers have signed Austin Pettis. Michael Gehlken clarifies on Twitter that the deal is a futures-reserve contract.

The former third-rounder had the best season of his career in 2013, catching 38 passes for 399 yards and four touchdowns. In spite of the production, Pettis still reworked his contract with the Rams in September, practically cutting his salary in half. The fourth-year player made five appearances this season, catching 12 passes for 118 yards and a score.

He was released by St.Louis in late October, and he proceeded to work out for a variety of teams, including workouts with the Seahawks, 49ers and Panthers. He auditioned for San Diego in late December.

AFC Links: McCourty, Chargers, Titans

January 9th, 2015 at 2:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Ravens wideout Steve Smith will be facing off against the Patriots this weekend, and the veteran acknowledged that he was pursued by New England during the offseason.

“Yeah, I talked to [Bill Belichick] and it was a great opportunity as well,” Smith told Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. “Anytime you have an opportunity to go to some teams, it’s always good. When your phone stops ringing, you need to start thinking about if I’m in the right profession.”

Let’s see what else is going on around the AFC…

Jeromey Clary Announces Retirement

January 8th, 2015 at 1:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Longtime Chargers offensive lineman Jeromey Clary has announced his retirement, according to a press release from the team. Clary spent the 2014 season on the team’s reserve/PUP list after undergoing hip surgery.

“Honestly, it has been a long time coming now with the two hip injuries,” Clary said. “San Diego was a great place to play, and I couldn’t have asked for a better organization to play for. All the coaches and all the players I was with, and the friendships I’ve built … I’m honored to have played for an organization like this. It means the world to me. I’ve processed this decision a lot and gone through it a lot, and to be honest with you, I’m really excited about the future. I look forward to getting back to Texas and being around my family.”

Clary, 31, was selected by the Chargers in the 2006 draft out of Kansas State. Although he was a sixh-round pick, Clary soon became a mainstay in San Diego’s lineup, starting 93 of the 103 games he played for the team during his career, primarily at right tackle. In his final season with the Chargers, the veteran lineman accepted a pay cut that reduced his base salary from $4.55MM to $1.6MM. He’d be eligible for unrestricted free agency in March if he were continuing his career.

AFC Notes: Chargers, Roethlisberger, Ravens

January 6th, 2015 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

The notion of the Rams moving west to Los Angeles gained some steam with this week’s announcement that Rams owner Stan Kroenke intends to build an NFL stadium in Inglewood. However, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) says he was told Monday that Chargers owner Dean Spanos will attempt to block the Rams if they try to move to L.A., and believes he has the nine votes necessary to stop a move. We’re a long way from arriving at that point, but I’d be surprised if Kroenke attempted to move forward with a move if he didn’t believe he had the votes from ownership to approve it.

  • As they look to make additions to their offseason roster, the Chargers worked out two CFL players, offensive lineman Ben Heenan and defensive back Delvin Breaux, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link via ESPN’s Eric Williams). Heenan auditioned for the Lions on Saturday, while Breaux has now tried out for five clubs since December.
  • Asked about his contract status as he prepares to enter a contract year, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said today that he’d like to get an extension done sooner rather than later, but he’ll leave that up to his agent and the Rooney family (Twitter links via Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).
  • With New England and Baltimore prepared to square off in Saturday’s divisional playoff, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com revisits the Ravens‘ offseason decision to pursue and sign Steve Smith rather than fellow free agent receiver Julian Edelman.
  • In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Yates looks back on an offseason decision of his own, exploring the Bills‘ move to trade their 2015 first-rounder to move up and snag wideout Sammy Watkins. Recent reports have indicated former head coach Doug Marrone wasn’t too happy about that deal, and Yates concludes that Marrone was right to be upset.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Rams Owner Plans To Build Stadium In L.A.

January 5th, 2015 at 8:32am CST by Luke Adams

Just over two weeks after we learned that commissioner Roger Goodell informed teams no franchises would be relocating to Los Angeles for the 2015 season, Sam Farmer and Roger Vincent of the Los Angeles Times have a major update on the possibility of the NFL returning to L.A. According to the Times duo, Rams owner Stan Kroenke has joined forces with Stockbridge Capital Group and intends to build an NFL stadium in Inglewood.

Farmer and Vincent write that Kroenke, who purchased 60 acres of land adjacent to the Forum a year ago, has joined forces with Stockbridge Capital Group, the owners of the 238-acre Hollywood Park site. The plan for the group is to build an 80,000-seat NFL stadium, along with a 6,000-seat performance venue.

“We are excited to unveil an expanded plan that will bring a world-class sports and entertainment district to Hollywood Park,” Stockbridge founder Terry Fancher said in a statement. “We are committed to working with [the Kroenke Group] to build a project that will put Inglewood back on the map as home of the truly great sports and entertainment venues.”

While we’ve heard rumblings about the NFL’s potential return to Los Angeles for the last two decades, this is the first time that an existing team owner has held a space large enough to accommodate a viable stadium – with parking – and announced plans to move forward with the project.

Of course, this doesn’t make it a sure thing that the Rams will move to Los Angeles for the 2016 season, but it turns it into a very real possibility, particularly since the club can begin a year-to-year agreement in St. Louis as of the end of this month — that would give the franchise the flexibility to leave after the 2015 season, assuming arrangements for a temporary home in L.A. can be finalized as the new Hollywood Park stadium is built. The announcement forces St. Louis’ hand, with the city now under pressure to come back with a strong offer for the Rams within the next few weeks in order to try to keep the club in Missouri.

The Chargers and Raiders have also been mentioned as candidates to move to Los Angeles, so it will be interesting to see how the ownership of those clubs responds to Kroenke’s announcement. Farmer notes in a Q&A with Peter King of The MMQB.com that the concept of moving two teams to Los Angeles at once is “very difficult,” and that he wouldn’t expect to see more than one team move to L.A. initially. As of today, it looks like the Rams are the clubhouse leaders to be that team.

Coaching Rumors: Sunday

January 4th, 2015 at 8:13pm CST by Rory Parks

We will keep you apprised of any new coaching rumors right here over the course of the day:

  • Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles will be a busy man over the next few weeks, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports that he will be interviewing with the Jets, 49ers, Falcons, and Raiders (via Twitter). As we learned earlier, the Bears are also expected to be on that list.
  • Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 confirms that Bowles will meet with all five of those organizations, and notes that he will likely begin his interviews on Tuesday or Wednesday (via Twitter).
  • The Bears and Jets have both asked permission to interview Ravens offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, but the former Texans head coach has decided not to pursue openings until his season is over, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis hopes to return to the team in 2015, but knows that is not guaranteed after another dismal playoff performance, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN. “Tomorrow’s not promised for anyone,” Lewis said. “That’s part of life in the NFL and the finality of losing when you lose in the playoffs.”
  • Despite both teams losing this Wild Card weekend, Cardinals defensive coordinator Bowles and Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin have impressed D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). He notes that Austin’s ability to create pressue should have him moving up the Falcons’ list of candidates (via Twitter).
  • Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich will interview for the Jets’ open head coaching position on Wednesday, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter).
  • In addition to Reich and Bowles, the Jets will interview Dolphins director of college scouting Chris Grier in the coming days, reports Kimberly Martin of Newsday (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • We’ve previously heard that every team with a coaching vacancy had contacted the Cardinals about defensive coordinator Todd Bowles. Mike Jurecki of Fox Sports 910 tweets that official request for interviews have come from the Falcons, Bears and Jets.
  • Current Bengals offensive coordinator (and former Oakland head coach) Hue Jackson has at least one fan in former Raiders CEO Amy Trask. “There is a misconception … that Hue is difficult to work with,” said Trask (via Twitter of Contra Costa Times Steve Corkran). “He is delightful…Hue Jackson is one of the most brilliant offensive minds I have ever had the privilege and pleasure of working with…He does what you hope a coach will do, which is put his players in the best position to win.”
  • ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the Raiders have requested permission to interview Cowboys passing game coordinator Scott Linehan. Linehan compiled an 11-25 record as head coach of the Rams from 2006-2008, but his subsequent work as the Lions‘ offensive coordinator and as Dallas’ passing game coordinator–a position that includes play-calling duties–has revived his reputation as a top offensive mind.
  • Schefter also tweets that the Bills have requested permission to interview Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. Buffalo, which will be interviewing Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn today, has cast a very wide net as it seeks to replace Doug Marrone.

Extra Points: Packers, Jets, Bears, Greenberry

January 2nd, 2015 at 9:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier today, the Packers announced that they have promoted Eliot Wolf to director of player personnel. Wolf, who served as Green Bay’s pro personnel director for the past three years, has been mentioned quite a bit as a GM candidate this offseason, but the promotion might take him off the table for GM openings around the league and could signal that he’ll be the heir apparent to GM Ted Thompson.

Meanwhile, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets that Alonzo Highsmith‘s name has come up for director of player personnel jobs for other teams, pending GM hires. Highsmith is currently employed as a senior personnel executive in Green Bay’s front office.

Let’s round up a few more Friday odds and ends from around the NFL….

  • The Jets have requested permission to interview Chiefs director of player personnel Chris Ballard and Dolphins director of college scouting Chris Grier for their general manager vacancy, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link), if Ballard were to land the GM job in either New York or Chicago, Chargers offensive coordinator Frank Reich would be high on his short list of candidates.
  • In the view of Chris Boden of CSNChicago.com, recently-dismissed Eagles executive Tom Gamble would make an ideal candidate for the Bears‘ general manager opening.
  • A report earlier in the week indicated that Houston wide receiver Deontay Greenberry had chosen an agent and would enter the 2015 NFL draft, but Greenberry said on Friday that he has yet to make a decision on his status for the coming year, writes Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle.
  • Nick Powell of the Star-Ledger wonders if the Giants should use the franchise tag on defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. By using the tag, the Giants can wait on deciding to make a sizable long-term commitment to JPP and ensure that he’ll be motivated for 2015. On the flip side, of course, it would cost the Giants a great deal of money for the upcoming season.
  • In his latest ESPN.com mailbag, John Keim fields a handful of questions on Washington‘s 2015 outlook, including inquiries into potential roster and coaching turnover.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Links: Rinehart, Bills, DeCosta, Dolphins

January 2nd, 2015 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the course of a 2014 season in which the Chargers were plagued by injuries – particularly on the offensive line, where the team shuffled through five centers – only one player appeared in every offensive snap. As Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune observes (via Twitter), that player was left guard Chad Rinehart, who triggered a $900K escalator by playing more than 85% of the club’s snaps. Rinehart’s base salary for next season is now $3.15MM, up from $2.25MM, per Gehlken.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

  • Had Bill Polian come to the Bills, former Chargers GM A.J. Smith would have been considered for a front office job, according to John Clayton of ESPN (via colleague Mike Rodak on Twitter). Meanwhile, Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (Twitter link) has an update on a chain of Polian-related front office gossip out of Buffalo.
  • Addressing his continuing reluctance to interview for any general manager openings, Ravens assistant GM Eric DeCosta explained his stance: “It’s not [a fear of becoming a GM]. I have a great owner and work with my best friends. What else could you want?” (Twitter link via Jason Cole of Bleacher Report).
  • Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald examines five issues the Dolphins must address in the offseason. Among the items on Salguero’s checklist: getting a new defensive coordinator and some offensive line help to better protect quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
  • As we heard earlier this week, Browns GM Ray Farmer expects Josh Gordon‘s reps to challenge his suspension so that he gets an accrued NFL season in 2014. Pat McManamon of ESPN.com takes a look at where the Gordon situation currently stands.
  • The Jaguars will be one of the more interesting teams to watch over the next few months, as they head into the winter armed with a ton of cap space and not many of their own free agents to re-sign. Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap previews the club’s offseason.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

New Year’s Roundup: Jets, Coaches, Colston

January 1st, 2015 at 8:55pm CST by Rory Parks

The Jets are moving very quickly in their search for a new GM, tweets Brian Costello of the New York Post. The team interviewed Browns personnel executive Bill Kuharich in New Jersey this morning and is currently interviewing Seahawks director of pro personnel Trent Kirchner. Citing a league source, Costello also tweets that New York plans to interview Texans director of college scouting Mike Maccagnan and Eagles director of pro personnel Rick Mueller on Sunday or Monday. Costello reiterates (via Twitter) that the Jets would like to hire a GM before making a decision on a new head coach, but they of course must stay active in the head coaching market lest they lose a top candidate to another club. According to another tweet from Costello, one of the most significant questions the Jets are asking GM candidates is what coaches they would like to work with.

As much of the country fixates on the Sugar Bowl, let’s take a look at a few other notes from around the league:

  • John Mullin of CSNChicago.com notes a couple of early patterns in the Bears‘ search for a new head coach and GM, pointing out that the early coaching candidates “have a preponderance of winning in their immediate pasts” and that the team is not concerned whether their new coach has more of an offensive or defensive pedigree.
  • Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun Times examines the most important early decisions the Bears‘ new GM must make, which include determinations on the respective futures of Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall and how to handle the looming free agency of Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte, both of whom are entering the final year of their current contracts.
  • ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Washington, seeking to fill its newly-vacant defensive coordinator position, is setting up interviews with 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, 49ers DB coach Ed Donatell, and Chargers linebackers coach Joe Barry.
  • Andrew Kulp of CSNPhilly.com looks at some of the Eagles‘ potential cap casualties, including James Casey, Trent Cole, and Cary Williams.
  • With a new mega-deal in his near future, Cowboys star wideout Dez Bryant is focused on Sunday’s playoff game against the Lions, not his next contract, writes Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today. Byrant said, “I’m just going to keep working. I can’t worry about the contract.”
  • Saints wide receiver Marques Colston knows his future in New Orleans is up in the air, and Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes that, although Colston would like to stay with the only team he has ever known, he may be released or asked to take a pay cut with two years remaining on his current contract. If asked to take a reduction in pay, Colston said his relationship with Drew Brees and Sean Payton would play a role in his decision.
  • Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1 tweets that the Buccaneers are expected to request an interview with Titans tight ends coach Mike Mularkey for their vacant offensive coordinator position.

 

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