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Chargers Release Larry English

July 22nd, 2014 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers have parted ways with a former first-round pick, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that edge defender Larry English has been released by the club. Because he has more than four years of NFL experience, English will not be subject to waivers, making him a free agent immediately.

English, who was drafted with the 16th overall pick in 2009, appeared in 52 games for the Chargers during his five years with the team, struggling with injuries in recent years and never establishing himself as a consistent performer. He started five of nine games for San Diego in 2013, recording 2.5 sacks, before a pectoral injury sidelined him for the season.

With Dwight Freeney starting at one outside linebacker spot, a healthy Melvin Ingram ready to reclaim his position on the other side, and players like Jarret Johnson and second-round pick Jeremiah Attaochu also in the mix, there wasn’t a clear-cut role for English in San Diego heading into the 2014 season.

The Chargers also confirmed today (via Twitter) that center Khalil Wilkes has signed a three-year pact with the team. However, there should still be an opening on the club’s 90-man roster, since Nick McDonald was cut yesterday as well.

Minor Moves: Hagg, Giants, Pats, Cowboys

July 21st, 2014 at 4:39pm CST by Luke Adams

After a quiet few weeks, roster moves around the NFL are picking up again, with most training camps just around the corner. We’ll track today’s minor moves here, including signings and cuts of players with no or little NFL experience. Here are the latest moves, with additional transactions added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • Safety Eric Hagg has informed the Broncos he intends to retire, reports Mike Klis of the Denver Post. Hagg, who appeared in 23 total games in two season with the Browns in 2011-12, had signed a futures contract with Denver earlier this year.
  • According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Giants have acted quickly to fill Chris Snee‘s roster spot, signing offensive lineman John Sullen, who auditioned for the team last month.
  • Former BYU defensive tackle Eathyn Manumaleuna, who was cut by the Giants last month has signed with the Patriots, according to a team release. The club waived Seali’i Epenesa to clear room on the 90-man roster for Manumaleuna.

Earlier updates:

  • Free agent wideout Dezmon Briscoe has signed with the Cowboys, according to agent Erik Burkhardt (via Twitter). Briscoe, who caught 35 passes for the Buccaneers in 2011, was waived-injured by the Redskins prior to the 2013 regular season. In order to sign Briscoe, the team waived defensive tackle Chris Whaley with a non-football injury designation, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.
  • The Bengals have maintained an opening on their 90-man roster, waiving rookie wideout Alex Neutz today, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link).
  • The Chargers have waived center Nick McDonald, the team announced today (via Twitter). The offensive lineman had inked a reserve/futures contract with the club back in January.
  • With the newly-open roster spot, the Chargers will bring aboard Khalil Wilkes, a Stanford product who participated in the club’s minicamp in May. Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (via Twitter) that the team has agreed to terms with the undrafted center.
  • One of the players who went unselected in this month’s supplemental draft has found a home, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who reports that defensive tackle LaKendrick Ross is signing with the Bengals. Ross, who tried out for the Bengals today, had 11 teams attend his workout prior to that supplemental draft, though Cincinnati wasn’t among that list. The Bengals had an open roster spot already, so no corresponding move will be necessary to bring Ross aboard.

AFC Notes: Pats, Flowers, Raiders, Chiefs

July 17th, 2014 at 4:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Patriots made a pair of roster moves today in advance of training camp, parting ways with two undrafted rookie receivers. According to a press release, Jeremy Johnson and Reese Wiggins were cut by the team, and will become free agents assuming they clear waivers. The cuts give New England three total openings on the club’s 90-man roster, so it shouldn’t be long before we get word on which players will be occupying those open spots.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC….

  • Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio today (Twitter links), Brandon Flowers said he signed with the Chargers because he saw while he was with the Chiefs that the AFC’s other Wild Card team was close to being a legit contender. The veteran cornerback also downplayed the idea that he was a poor fit in Bob Dutton’s defense last year in Kansas City, pointing to injury woes instead as the reason for his 2013 struggles.
  • Oakland City Council voted last night to approve the Athletics’ lease to remain at O.co Coliseum, but only if a handful of small tweaks to the agreement were agreed upon by the MLB club. Will Kane of the San Francisco Chronicle and Matthew Artz of the Oakland Tribune have the details on the latest developments, and how they could affect the Raiders.
  • We haven’t heard any concrete updates lately on the progress made by Alex Smith and the Chiefs toward an extension, but Smith reiterated today that he loves the city, his coaches, and his teammates, and would like to get something done (Twitter link via Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star).
  • The Jaguars committed twice as much guaranteed money this offseason to Zane Beadles as they did to any other free agent, prompting Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union to explore what kind of impact the team’s new offensive lineman will make.
  • As was the case a year ago, Cameron Wake and Mike Wallace were once again Jason Fitzgerald’s selections for the best and worst contracts on the Dolphins‘ books (link via OverTheCap.com).
  • The pressure will be on Eric Decker to produce like a No. 1 receiver for the Jets in 2014 and beyond, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post, who takes a closer look at the club’s top free agent addition.

West Links: Veldheer, Campbell, Boone

July 12th, 2014 at 10:50am CST by Matt Feminis

Cardinals left tackle Jared Veldheer entered the league with a reputation as a tireless worker in the weight room. The 6-8, 321-pounder put on approximately 70 pounds during his time at Hillsdale College (where the weight room is now named after him), and his passion for strength training continues to this day. In fact, his massive physique has drawn “Hulk” comparisons, writes Darren Urban of azcardinals.com. Veldheer signed a five-year, $35MM deal with Arizona in March.

Here’s some more NFC and AFC West reading:

  • Calais Campbell, 27, is in his prime and desires to be respected as an elite player, writes ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. The 6-8, 300-pound five-technique stated his case last year, tallying 58 tackles, nine sacks and six batted passes. Additionally, his 34.1 grade from Pro Football Focus was the best rating by a 3-4 defensive end not named J.J. Watt.
  • There’s “no way” 49ers guard Alex Boone reports to training camp without a new contract, reports CSN Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco (via Twitter).
  • The 49ers “redshirt” running back Marcus Lattimore was the subject of a feature story by ESPN’s Bill Williamson, who detailed the remarkable adversity Lattimore has persevered through to reach this point. Now, Lattimore says, “I’m ready to get hit again. . .and then move on.”
  • Meanwhile, Lattimore’s 49ers and South Carolina teammate Bruce Ellington, a multisport star, was featured in USA Today.
  • Keeping with the injury recovery/South Carolina theme, Chargers.com managing editor Ricky Henne spotlighted Chargers outside linebacker Melvin Ingram, who made an exceptionally quick return from an ACL tear suffered last May.
  • The Rams were given an “Offseason Report Card” by SI.com’s Chris Burke. The results? B-plus.

Latest On Andre Johnson

July 10th, 2014 at 7:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The quiet period in the NFL calendar got a little more interesting today, when Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that Andre Johnson wants the Texans to trade him, and that there are four teams with interest in making a deal for the wide receiver. Since that story broke, a number of writers have suggested, via Twitter or in columns of their own, that Houston won’t be inclined to move Johnson because a trade would result in nearly $12MM in dead money on the team’s cap.

While I agree that a trade is unlikely, pointing to the potential dead money on Houston’s cap as the primary reason the club would prefer to keep him seems a little off to me. Since it’s after June 1, only $4.64MM of that dead money would count against the team’s cap in 2014, with the remainder ($7.32MM) being applied to 2015’s cap. Those are significant numbers for a player no longer on the roster, but Johnson’s cap hits if he remains a Texan are much higher — $14MM+ this season and $16MM+ in 2015. Trading Johnson would actually open up cap room this year and next for the club. It would just mean that a larger percentage of cap space is being committed to a veteran no longer on the club.

Trading Johnson wouldn’t be the best way for the Texans to manage their cap. But if the team could get a decent asset, such as a future draft pick or two, without taking on a sizable contract in return, there’s no reason why the club shouldn’t explore the possibility, regardless of that dead money. I just don’t think the Texans will get an offer at this point in the NFL year that makes a deal worth their while. We’ll have to wait and see how the situation plays out.

Here’s the latest on the Johnson situation:

  • A source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) that Johnson would restructure his contract to help a potential new team get under the salary cap but will not take a pay cut. Meanwhile, Rapoport (on Twitter) sees the Raiders as a possible landing spot if Johnson would greenlight a deal to Oakland since he shares an agent with GM Reggie McKenzie.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via these Twitter links) throws cold water on the idea that the Patriots can land Johnson in a trade with the Texans. The Pats are currently $6.4MM under the cap, Johnson will earn a $10MM base, and trading Danny Amendola will add $2.25MM to the Pats’ cap. So, unless Johnson agrees to a heavily backloaded new contract, it’s not a likely pairing. The Pats can clear come space by cutting Dan Connolly and extending Devin McCourty and Stephen Gostkowski, but that’s a lot work to do before dealing for Johnson.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk hears a similar story to what Rapoport reported earlier today — after meeting with the Texans‘ new coaching staff and being reassured that the club wasn’t in full rebuild mode, Johnson had been willing to report to OTAs and minicamp this spring in order to receive his $1MM bonus. However, because the bonus hinged on the 32-year-old’s full participation in offseason activities, the Texans turned down that request. If there’s a rational explanation for why the team wasn’t willing to pay that $1MM to mend the fences and allow Johnson to save face, it “has yet to make its way into the eyes and ears of the media,” writes Florio.
  • In his full story on Johnson from this morning, Rapoport noted that the wideout feels he has earned a measure of goodwill from the Texans, since he has restructured his contract three times at the team’s behest. That’s part of the reason why he’s upset about the $1MM slight. Of course, as Brian McIntyre points out, none of those three restructures – which saw a total of $18.5MM in salary or roster bonuses converted into signing bonuses – involved pay cuts, so it’s not as if Johnson was making huge sacrifices (Twitter links).
  • Florio and NFL.com’s Marc Sessler both ran through a list of potential suitors for Johnson, should the Texans start to seriously explore trades. Predictably, there’s plenty of overlap, with the Browns, Ravens, Patriots, Panthers, and Chiefs showing up in both pieces. Florio also identifies the Falcons, Chargers, and Rams as possibilities, while Sessler names the Seahawks and Jets.

West Notes: Singletary, Poe, Flowers, McGloin

July 1st, 2014 at 7:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Mike Singletary wants to return to the NFL in a head coaching capacity, and has signed with agent Gil Scott in the hopes of pursuing that goal, according to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (Twitter links). The Hall of Fame linebacker has been coaching in the league for 11 years, most notably as the head coach of the 49ers from 2009-10. The 55-year-old spent the past three seasons as the assistant head coach of the Vikings, but will not return to Minnesota after Leslie Frazier’s firing. Singletary is certainly respected around the league, but I’d be surprised if he got another chance at a head job; San Francisco’s immediate turnaround following his departure probably won’t help his case.

  • Dontari Poe rarely came off the field last season, and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid doesn’t think things will change in 2014. “To get him off the field you have to pull him off,” Reid told Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. “He’s not one to tap out. That’s not how he goes. You monitor that the best way you can. We didn’t see a decline in his play as the season wore on. There are a handful of teams that do what we do where you play certain guys a high percent of the plays.’’ Poe played on 1004 snaps last season, the most among all defensive tackles.
  • Many Chargers veterans were hoping the team would sign Brandon Flowers following his release from the Chiefs, none more so than Flowers’ college teammate, and current Charger, Eddie Royal. “I shot him a text,” said Royal, per Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. “I called him shortly after. Even before I knew our team was interested, I wanted to put it out there that I would love to play with him again.”
  • Matt McGloin, who started six games as an undrafted rookie for the Raiders last season, now sits third on Oakland’s quarterback depth chart, but he is still optimistic about his career, writes Scott Walsh of Citizens’ Voice.
  • The coaching staffs of the 49ers and the Seahawks claimed the top two spots in Alessandro Miglio of Bleacher Report’s ranking of all 32 coaching cadres.

Poll: Who Will Win The AFC West?

June 30th, 2014 at 11:25am CST by Luke Adams

Despite the fact that the Broncos were the AFC’s top seed in 2013, finishing with a 13-3 record, the AFC West race was actually the tightest of the four in the conference. The Chiefs and Chargers both joined Denver as playoff teams out of the West, in what was arguably the NFL’s second-best division behind the NFC West.

The Broncos head into the 2014 season as the favorites to repeat as division champs, and could be even stronger on the defensive side of the ball than they were a year ago. Aqib Talib replaces departed cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in a secondary that also added playmaking safety T.J. Ward. Meanwhile, DeMarcus Ware will join Von Miller to lead one of the league’s more dangerous pass rushes. Denver lost some key contributors, including wideout Eric Decker and guard Zane Beadles, but the Broncos are still deep and talented enough to go as far as Peyton Manning can lead them. Coming off a record-setting MVP season, Manning should be in line for another big year assuming he stays healthy, which is no given at age 38.

While Denver may be the frontrunner in the AFC West, the Chiefs and Chargers shouldn’t be overlooked. Neither club made the sort of big splashes that the Broncos did in the offseason, and Kansas City’s offensive line exodus is a cause for concern, with Branden Albert, Geoff Schwartz, and Jon Asamoah all moving on in free agency. However, these are still talented clubs that will be looking to return to the postseason in 2014. San Diego, in particular, could be a dark horse to make some noise in the regular season and the playoffs, having added cornerbacks Brandon Flowers and Jason Verrett to a secondary that struggled a year ago.

As for the Raiders, they were an afterthought at 4-12 in 2013, and will be a long shot in the West again in 2014 — betting site Bovada.lv gives Oakland 18:1 odds at winning the division. But Matt Schaub could provide some stability at the quarterback position if he benefits from a change of scenery in Oakland. First-round linebacker Khalil Mack should have an immediate impact. And the Raiders brought in a number of interesting veterans in free agency, including Justin Tuck, LaMarr Woodley, James Jones, Austin Howard, and Maurice Jones-Drew. A lot would have to break right for the Raiders to have a chance at the division title, but it’s not a totally inconceivable scenario.

What do you think? Which team will win the AFC West in 2014?

Which team will win the AFC West?
Denver Broncos 54.70% (262 votes)
San Diego Chargers 24.01% (115 votes)
Kansas City Chiefs 12.11% (58 votes)
Oakland Raiders 9.19% (44 votes)
Total Votes: 479

Previously:
Who will win the AFC North?

Extra Points: Greco, Jolly, Chargers, Jackson

June 29th, 2014 at 10:42pm CST by Dallas Robinson

In his latest mailbag, ESPN.com’s John Clayton begins by examining the prolific turnover at the cornerback position this offseason. Teams are seemingly following the Seahawks’ model in the secondary, searching for taller defensive backs who can shut down the league’s No. 1 receivers, who themselves are growing eve- larger in stature. Clayton points to the Chiefs, Patriots, and Broncos as teams who have prioritized length at corner by releasing the 5’10” Brandon Flowers, signing Brandon Browner, and adding Aqib Talib, respectively.

More assorted notes from the NFL:

  • John Greco, who signed a four-year extension with the Browns last summer, is slated to be Cleveland’s starting right guard, but he knows that competition is inevitable, writes George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal. “There’s always someone at your footsteps banging on the door so you know at any time you can be easily replaced if there’s a mistake,” said Greco. “It just makes you that much more focused to work harder to keep your spot.” The 29-year-old’s contract makes it easy for the Browns release him if he does falter, as it contains no more guaranteed money.
  • We learned earlier today that Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly has been medically cleared, but as Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes, Jolly must now play the waiting game, hoping that a team will show interest in him. Green Bay, specifically, already re-signed B.J. Raji, and are counting on pass-rush help from Datone Jones, Josh Boyd, and third-rounder Khyri Thorton, so they might not need any help up front.
  • The Chargers’ defense was among the league’s worst units in 2013; they ranked dead last in terms of defensive DVOA (per Football Outsiders). As such, San Diego defensive coordinator John Pagano is only penciling in three definite starters — Eric Weddle, Donald Butler, and Corey Liuget, while the rest of the spots are up for grabs, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. Sean Lissemore will be the nominal starter at nose tackle, adds Pagano, but the Chargers will only be in their base defense 30-35% of snaps.
  • Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com profiles Broncos defensive lineman Malik Jackson, a fifth-round pick in 2012 who performed very well last season in his first real opportunity at playing time.

Offseason In Review: San Diego Chargers

June 29th, 2014 at 12:01pm CST by Rory Parks

Notable signings:

Notable losses:

Extensions and restructures:

Trades:

  • Acquired a second-round pick (No. 50) from the Dolphins in exchange for a second-round pick (No. 57) and a fourth-round pick (No. 125).

Draft picks:

  • Jason Verrett, CB, TCU (1.25): Signed
  • Jeremiah Attaochu, OLB, Georgia Tech (2.50): Signed
  • Chris Watt, G, Notre Dame (3.89): Signed
  • Ryan Carrethers, DT, Arkansas State (5.165): Signed
  • Marion Grice, RB, Arizona State (6.201): Signed
  • Tevin Reese, WR, Baylor (7.240): Signed

Other:

The Chargers were a surprise entrant in last year’s playoffs, gutting out a tense victory over division-rival Kansas City on the last day of the regular season and getting some help from other clubs along the way to secure the AFC’s second wild-card spot. They went on the road to knock off AFC North champion Cincinnati on wild card weekend before finally succumbing to Denver in the divisional round.

Brandon Flowers

Nonetheless, 2013 was a year of fresh starts and pleasant surprises for San Diego and first-year head coach Mike McCoy. Quarterback Philip Rivers set a career-high with a 69.5% completion percentage and threw 32 touchdown passes, just two short of his career best. Eight of Rivers’ touchdown passes went to rookie wideout Keenan Allen, who fell to the third round of the 2013 draft because of injury concerns and made the other 31 clubs in the league look foolish for passing on him. Rivers was also sacked just 30 times after being dropped almost 50 times in 2012, perhaps a testament to the surprisingly strong performance of free agent acquisition King Dunlap at left tackle and the steady play of rookie D.J. Fluker on the right side.

In an attempt to ensure continued stability along the offensive line in 2014 and beyond, the Chargers re-signed guard Chad Rinehart to a two-year, $6MM deal in March. Although Rinehart enjoyed his best season in 2011, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), he did perform well in San Diego’s two playoff games last season and still has the potential to be an above-average starter in the league.

The biggest concern on offense may be the loss of offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, who was hired to be the Titans head coach after his one impressive season in San Diego. The Chargers promoted quarterbacks coach Frank Reich to offensive coordinator just one day after Whisenhunt’s hiring, and early returns are encouraging. As Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes, the Chargers’ offense was “purring” in offseason workouts, with Rivers distributing the football all over the field to diverse and talented playmakers like Allen, Ladarius Green, Malcom Floyd, and Vincent Brown.

The Chargers are largely relying on their incumbents to ensure that the offense remains among the league’s most productive units for the second consecutive season. The club did not enter the offseason with a great deal of salary cap space, and they did not draft an immediate playmaker on offense. The biggest acquisition on that side of the ball was former Colts’ running back Donald Brown, who signed a three-year, $10.5 million deal in March. Brown adds a quality complement to Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead, and he represents a useful insurance policy should Mathews struggle with injuries after finally putting together a healthy and productive campaign in 2013.

The team did hand out a lucrative contract extension to linebacker Donald Butler, keeping the prospective free agent off the market with a seven-year, $51.8MM deal (though only $11.5MM of that is guaranteed). Butler suffered through injury and inconsistency in 2013, but he is just 25 and still has a great deal of potential. Butler will team with Manti Te’o to form what the Chargers hope will be one of the most dynamic pairs of inside linebackers for years.

Te’o and Butler will be flanked by outside linebackers Dwight Freeney and Jarret Johnson (both of whom agreed to take a pay cut in March), but perhaps not for long. Given the age and declining skills of both Freeney and Johnson, the Chargers targeted edge rushing help in the draft and, to that end, traded their second- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 57 and 125 overall) to the Dolphins in order to trade up seven spots to No. 50. With that pick, the team chose Jeremiah Attaochu, a 6’3″, 243-pound pass rusher out of Georgia Tech. The Chargers also exercised defensive end Corey Liuget‘s fifth-year option for 2015, thereby keeping another young, high-ceiling defender who can get to the quarterback under club control.

The most pressing concern for the Chargers this offseason was their porous secondary, and they attacked that unit with vigor. They re-signed Richard Marshall, who was largely ineffective in a part-time role in 2013, but they perhaps hit a pair of home runs in the draft and free agency. They used their first-round pick to select top cornerback prospect Jason Verrett out of TCU, and they were the winners of the recent Brandon Flowers sweepstakes, signing the former Chiefs’ corner to a one-year, $3MM deal to prove that he is the elite defender that everyone thought he was in 2011 and 2012.

So the secondary, anchored by stalwart Eric Weddle at free safety, received a significant upgrade, which may be enough to catapult defensive coordinator John Pagano‘s group into the top half of the league (last year, the Chargers ranked 23rd in yards allowed, though they did yield the 11th-fewest points per game). Combined with what projects to be a strong offensive unit, the Chargers should challenge for the playoffs again. Although dethroning the Broncos in the AFC West may be too much to ask, the wildcard is well within reach.

Spotrac and Over The Cap were used in the creation of this post.

AFC Links: Chiefs, Bengals, Bills

June 26th, 2014 at 7:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Former Jets running back Mike Goodson was a no-show at his scheduled court appearance on Thursday. Goodson was set to appear at Morris County Superior Court in New Jersey on drug and weapon charges.

As Darryl Slater of The Star-Ledger reports, the player’s attorney, Alfred Gellene, said that Smart was unable to land a flight from Texas because of financial difficulties. ESPNNewYork.com’s Jane McManus adds that Goodson faces up to ten years in prison if found guilty on the weapon charges and could also be arrested if he fails to attend his July 24th hearing.

About a week ago, some of Goodson’s former Jets teammates expressed their concern for the player’s well-being. No one in the organization had heard from the 27-year-old throughout minicamp.

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

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