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Los Angeles Chargers News & Rumors

Chargers Waive 11 Players

August 25th, 2014 at 3:17pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers have waived 11 players, the team announced a press release. San Diego must get rid of four more players by 3pm tomorrow in order to be within the 75-man roster limit.

AFC Notes: Hill, Burleson, Flowers, CJ2K

August 21st, 2014 at 8:01pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets don’t sound like they’re ready to give up on 2012 second round pick Stephen Hill and cut him, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. “I was pleased with his progress [last year] up until he got nicked and then he got nicked again,” Mornhinweg said. “This year he was even more impressive in the offseason and through training camp, with a few exceptions. There were a couple of days there. So, he’s coming along. And in many cases, this is what happens, at all positions, but especially at the receiver position, that third year they make a pretty good jump. That’s what we’re looking for there.” More out of the AFC..

  • Browns free agent addition Nate Burleson hopes that his strained hamstring won’t keep him off the final roster, writes George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal. Burleson was held out of Monday’s tilt against Washington and the plan now is for him to play Saturday against the Rams. Meanwhile, Burleson says he’s anxious to learn the outcome of Josh Gordon‘s case.
  • There were rumblings that cornerback Brandon Flowers didn’t want to play on the inside in Kansas City, but he’s playing inside and out without complaint for the Chargers, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
  • Some may be questioning how much new Jets running back Chris Johnson has in the tank, but you won’t find any of those skeptics in green and white. “Oh yeah, he still has it,’’ linebacker David Harris said, according to Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post. “We noticed it the first day when we were in Cortland. He’s still the fastest guy on the field. He’s still got a lot of juice in those legs.’’

Minor Moves: Monday

August 18th, 2014 at 8:29pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll round up Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL below, with the latest moves added throughout the day to the top of the list:

  • The Bears announced (via Twitter) that they have also signed KR/WR Darius Reynaud and have released LS Chad Rempel and P Tress Way. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets, the release of Way means that sixth-round pick Pat O’Donnell has won the team’s punting competition.
  • Cornerback Peyton Thompson, who was cut by the Redskins earlier this month, has agreed to sign with the Bears, according to his agent, Doug Hendrickson (via Twitter). Chicago will have to make a move to clear room on the roster for Thompson.

Earlier updates:

  • The Vikings have claimed former Lions linebacker Justin Jackson off waivers, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), Minnesota waived-injured linebacker Dom DeCicco in a corresponding roster move.
  • In a series of three tweets, Wilson passes along a list of players who have been removed from their teams’ injured reserve lists: Korey Lindsey (Cowboys), David Snow (Steelers), and Steve Hull (Saints). Per Wilson (via Twitter), the Saints also terminated Richard Quinn‘s contract from their reserve-retired list. Lindsey and Snow both received settlements, while Hull and Quinn are ending their careers.
  • Having officially moved tackle Sam Baker to injured reserve, the Falcons have brought aboard another veteran lineman, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed Pat McQuistan, who has played for five NFL teams and has 11 career starts.
  • After recently being cut by the Redskins, defensive lineman Doug Worthington has signed with the Chargers, who announced today that defensive end Damik Scafe will be waived-injured to make room (Twitter link).
  • The Steelers completed a series of roster moves today, signing offensive tackle Graham Pocic and cornerback Dayonne Nunley. The team also cut wideout James Shaw and waived-injured guard Bryant Browning. The team’s PR man, Burt Lauten, has the details via Twitter.
  • Running back Cameron Marshall has been waived by the Dolphins to clear a roster spot for the team to sign defensive end Rakim Cox, the team announced today (via Twitter).

Chargers, Rivers Expected To Open Extension Talks After Season

August 18th, 2014 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

Like the Steelers with Ben Roethlisberger, the Chargers aren’t expected to work out a new contract with Philip Rivers before the 2014 season, but the team figures to instigate talks with its quarterback after the season, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. La Canfora reports that San Diego is interested in keeping Rivers around beyond 2015, when his current deal expires, and would like to avoid having him play a lame-duck year without an extension in ’15.

With no deal expected until after the 2014 season, Rivers’ play this year could go a long way toward determining what kind of extension he eventually signs. After a solid but unspectacular 2012 campaign, the former fourth overall pick enjoyed perhaps the best season of his career in 2013, completing an NFL-best 69.5% of his passes while racking up 4,478 yards and 32 touchdowns to go along with just 11 interceptions.

If he can build off that success and continue to play well under Mike McCoy in ’14, Rivers should be in line for another lucrative deal, despite the fact that he’ll turn 34 before his current contract expires. With a handful of QBs around the league recently inking extensions, Rivers’ contract ($15.3MM per year) now ranks just outside the top 10 at the position when it comes to annual average value. Another solid year should earn him an extension in the neighborhood of the $18MM-per-year pacts signed by players like Tony Romo and Jay Cutler, though the Chargers may want to limit the years on that new deal, as Rivers enters his mid-30s.

Rivers will earn a base salary of $13.8MM in 2014 and $15.75MM in 2015, with cap hits of about $16.667MM and $17.417MM, respectively.

Sunday Roundup: Clemens, Fairley, Bortles

August 17th, 2014 at 12:57pm CST by Rory Parks

The preseason has reached its unofficial halfway point, and teams must trim their rosters to 75 players in just over a week from now. As position competitions continue to smolder and as bubble players strive to prove themselves in preseason contests, let’s take a look at some notes from around the league:

  • Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean offers some lessons learned from the Titans‘ second preseason game against the Saints. He notes that Travis Coons‘ accuracy has made the kicking competition with Maikon Bonani much more interesting than anticipated, and while return specialist Marc Mariani still faces an uphill battle to make the club, his returns on Saturday night have kept him in the picture.
  • Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com believes the Ravens should keep starting corners Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith on the shelf until the regular season opener against the Bengals. Baltimore has been “snakebitten” at the cornerback position and Hensley believes the team’s best bet is to hope that a decent player gets released as the preseason rolls on. He writes that, if free agents like Asante Samuel and Dunta Robinson could help, they would have jobs by now.
  • Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego writes that the Chargers are thrilled to have Kellen Clemens as Philip Rivers‘ backup, as they are confident Clemens could win games for them if he were pressed into duty.
  • Mike Klis of the Denver Post ranks undrafted free agent Juwan Thompson as the Broncos‘ biggest training camp surprise. Though Thompson entered camp as the No. 6 tailback on the roster, he now appears to have a legitimate shot at making the club.
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Lions need to salvage Nick Fairley, who represents their last hope from the now infamous 2011 draft, but if Fairley does not show improvement soon, he could be a midseason trade candidate.
  • Birkett (Twitter links) and Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com offer brief discussions of the Lions‘ wide receiver competition and predict which wideouts may make the club.
  • Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com provides a list of which Packers bubble players helped themselves and who hurt themselves in Saturday’s preseason game against the Rams.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe believes the Browns and Jaguars should hand the reins to Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel right away, rather than have them sit behind the players they will eventually overtake. Since Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan led their clubs to the playoffs during their rookie seasons in 2008, rookie quarterbacks have fared very well when thrown into the fire from day one. For what it’s worth, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union tweets that Bortles will finally get reps with the first team offense on Monday and could play with the ones in the second quarter in the team’s upcoming preseason game against the Lions.

West Notes: Carr, Crabtree, Broncos, Rams

August 16th, 2014 at 11:01am CST by Matt Feminis

Raiders rookie quarterback Derek Carr sustained a concussion and injured ribs last night, with SI’s Austin Murphy reporting (via Twitter) Carr told a team doctor, “I just heard a crunch. I don’t know if my rib’s broken. But it hurts.”

Here’s some more links from the AFC and NFC West divisions:

  • Healed from a July hamstring pull, 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree participated in his first full practice Friday. Afterward, he told reporters to expect a more impactful version of himself in 2014. According to SFGate.com’s Eric Branch, Crabtree was a “diminished” receiver last season when he came back from a torn Achilles weighing 230 pounds. Crabtree will play at approximately 215 pounds this season.
  • Optimism is flowing in Broncos camp, particularly because defensive ends Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware look healthy and are gelling, according to the Coloradoan’s Arnie Stapleton. Additionally, Quanterus Smith‘s “ability to create pressure off the edge continues to impress coaches,” per the Denver Post’s Troy Renck, who says Smith is soaking up veteran advice from Ware.
  • Speaking of optimism. . .Rams receiver Kenny Britt, who is being given another chance by Jeff Fisher, is 100 percent and drawing praise in camp. That’s not surprising. But an article headlined “Rams hoping Kenny Britt can be a leader” is.
  • Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez paints an optimistic picture of Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, who enters a make-or-break season with a confidence boost derived from the organization’s confidence in him.
  • Although it was just a second preseason game, the Chargers were humbled by the Seahawks, writes Kevin Acee of the Union-Tribune.

Minor Moves: Monday

August 11th, 2014 at 9:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • In addition to releasing Andre Brown, the Texans have also cut running backs Dennis Johnson (via tweet from ESPN’s Tania Ganguli) and Tim Cornett (via tweet from Fox Houston’s Mark Berman).
  • The Texans have added a running back, as ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets that the team has added William Powell on a two-year deal.
  • Former Redskins cornerback Peyton Thompson has cleared waivers and is now a free agent, tweets Zac Boyer of The Washington Times.

Earlier updates:

  • According to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), tight end Richard Quinn has been placed on the Saints‘ reserve-retired list, so it appears the former second-round pick has elected to end his playing career.
  • Wide receiver Quintin Payton was cut by the Lions today, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter). The move clears a spot for new wideout Conner Vernon, who Detroit claimed off waivers from the Bengals, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports.
  • The Chiefs have signed safety Jonathon Amaya, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Per a series of tweets from Wilson and ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson, the following players have cleared waivers and been placed on their respective teams’ IR lists: Ben Malena (Cowboys), Daniel Adongo (Colts), Jeris Pendleton (Colts), Dezman Moses (Chiefs), Alvin Scioneaux (Chargers), Mike Taylor (Seahawks), and Chuck Jacobs (49ers).
  • Less than a week after signing him, the Browns have waived tight end Kyle Auffray, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.
  • Tight end Brad Smelley, who was on the Rams‘ roster briefly at the end of last season, has been re-signed to take the place of Mason Brodine, who sustained a fractured ankle (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner).
  • As the Dolphins explore the free agent market for quarterbacks, they parted ways with one of their undrafted rookies, former North Dakota State signal-caller Brock Jensen (Twitter link via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald). With the open roster spot, the club re-added running back Cameron Marshall.
  • The Colts have signed defensive end Gannon Conway, cutting offensive lineman Eric Pike to make room on the roster, tweets assistant director of communications Matt Conti.
  • Running back Jawan Jamison has been waived by the Steelers, according to the team’s PR man Burt Lauten (on Twitter).
  • With the empty 90th spot on the roster, the Cowboys will sign Australian punter Tom Hornsey, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. Incumbent punter Chris Jones ranked in the league’s top ten last season according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and has had a solid camp, so Hornsey seems unlikely to make the team.

AFC West Links: Raiders, Chargers, Chiefs

August 9th, 2014 at 10:41pm CST by Rob DiRe

Matt Schaub struggled to lead the Raiders‘ first team offense in their first preseason game, but head coach Dennis Allen was “not displeased” with the performance, writes Vic Tafur of SFGate.com. He noted that while Schaub did not play well, his receivers dropped two passes and the coach and quarterback had a miscommunication on a third down play.

Here are some other links from around the AFC West:

  • Another Raider to watch was first-round pick Khalil Mack, who flashed his enormous talents at times in the first game, according to Tafur (via Twitter). Allen did say that Mack was “a little bit late reacting” in his NFL debut.
  • The Chargers are dealing with a number of minor injuries as they head back to practice, preparing for their next preseason game, and Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com discusses them in his Training Camp Report.
  • The Chargers are moving closer to deciding on their 53-man roster, and Kevin Acee and Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego predict who will make the team. They expect the Chargers to load up on skill positions, keeping three quarterbacks, four running backs, six receivers, and four tight ends. That of course will leave the team thin at other spots.
  • Chiefs‘ tight end Travis Kelce made a huge play on a 69-yard catch and run in the preseason opener, flashing some of the talent Kansas City missed with him missing 2013 with an injury, writes the Associated Press on USA Today. Both quarterback Alex Smith and head coach Andy Reid were impressed with the second-year playmaker.
  • Even with running backs Montee Ball and C.J. Anderson currently nursing injuries, head coach John Fox does not see a pressing need for the Broncos to add another back to the depth chart, writes Lindsay Jones of the USA Today (via Twitter).

Minor Moves: Saturday

August 9th, 2014 at 9:00pm CST by Matt Feminis

You can find Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL below, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the afternoon and evening….

  • The Falcons have signed linebacker Darin Drakeford, according to the team’s official Twitter account. The team waived kicker Sergio Castillo to make room for the signing.
  • The Cowboys will place running back Ben Malena on the waived/injured list, reports Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). The team then signed running back D.J. Adams, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com (via Twitter). The Cowboys also released punter Cody Mandell and will look to sign a kicker to replace him, reports Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter).
  • The Redskins have signed safety Da’Mon Cromartie-Smith, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Smith is the younger brother of former fullback Terrelle Smith and is cousins with both the Cardinals’ corner Antonio Cromartie and Giants’ corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The team waived cornerback Peyton Thompson to make room for Smith, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com (via Twitter).
  • The Bengals have announced that they have signed quarterback Tyler Wilson, according to the team’s official Twitter account. Wilson was recently waived by the Titans, reports Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter).

Earlier Updates:

  • The Chargers announced they have signed linebacker Victor Aiyewa to replace Alvin Scioneaux, who suffered a torn ACL. Aiyewa, 25, saw limited action in five games for the Packers last season. Scioneaux, an undrafted free agent from Wofford, will be placed on IR if he clears waivers.
  • The 49ers have waived injured receiver Chuck Jacobs (ACL), and signed receiver Lance Lewis (Twitter link). Lewis went undrafted out of East Carolina in 2012. He appeared in three games for the Redskins last year, and was released by the Cowboys in May.
  • The Chiefs waived Dezman Moses, a third-year linebacker, and replaced him with linebacker Devan Walker, a Southeast Louisiana product who was waived with an injury settlement by the Chargers before last season (Twitter link).

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

AFC West Notes: Smith, Houston, Gates

August 5th, 2014 at 4:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Here’s the latest out of the AFC West:

  • With Alex Smith and Justin Houston both facing potential free agency next March, the Chiefs may have a dilemma on their hands if they have to decide which player to use the franchise tag on, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com observes (via Twitter), Kansas City may not be inclined to franchise either player, since the tags would be very pricey — about $18MM for a quarterback and $14MM for an outside linebacker.
  • Florio follows up that piece on Smith and Houston by providing an update on Houston’s contract negotiations with the Chiefs. According to PFT’s source, there’s a “huge” gap between Houston’s asking price and Kansas City’s current offer, which was made by the team when the linebacker reported to training camp. The Chiefs may not be eager to break the bank on Houston, since their other starting outside linebacker – Tamba Hali – has an $11MM+ annual cap hit, and the club also invested a 2014 first-round pick on pass rusher Dee Ford.
  • Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com believes this will be Antonio Gates’ last year with the Chargers. The longtime San Diego tight end will carry an $8.2MM cap number in 2015, and is being pushed for playing time and targets by 24-year-old Ladarius Green.
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