Los Angeles Chargers Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Chargers To Sign 17 Undrafted FAs

May 10th, 2014 at 8:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers have become the latest team to announce the undrafted free agents they’ll add to their 90-man roster. Here’s the list of players headed to San Diego, courtesy of a team release:

D.J. Adams, RB, Portland State
Torrence Allen, WR, West Texas A&M
Brelan Chancellor, WR, North Texas
Alden Darby, S, Arizona State
Chris Davis, CB, Auburn
Greg Ducre, CB, Washington
Michael Flacco, TE, New Haven
Micah Hatfield, WR, Oregon State
Javontee Herndon, WR, Arkansas
D.J. Johnson, G, New Mexico
Tenny Palepoi, DL, Utah
Alvin Scioneaux, LB, Wofford
Jeremiah Sirles, OT, Nebraska
Chase Tenpenny, P, Nevada
Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe, DL, Boise St.
Colton Underwood, LB, Illinois St.
Ian White, OT, Boston College

Chargers Acquire Dolphins’ No. 50 Pick

May 9th, 2014 at 7:24pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers have acquired the No. 50 overall pick from the Dolphins, tweets Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Miami gets picks Nos. 57 and 125 (a mid fourth-rounder) from San Diego, as further noted by Hubbuch (on Twitter).

The Chargers used the 50th pick to select Jeremiah Attaochu, a 6’3″, 243 pound pass-rusher from Georgia Tech, tweets Michael Gelken of U-T San Diego. Edge rushing help was a need coming into the draft for San Diego, as OLB starters Jarrett Johnson and Dwight Freeney are aging veterans, and former first-round-pick Larry English has been a disappointment.

West Rumors: Seahawks, Baldwin, Rams, Chargers

May 8th, 2014 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

With just a few hours left until the 2014 NFL draft gets underway in New York, the first round is rightly the focus of the football world. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a handful of other reports on non-draft subjects. One such report comes from Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who writes that the Seahawks recently hosted veteran defensive end Andre Carter for a visit. At age 34, Carter is no longer the difference-maker he once was, but he could be a worthwhile backup piece on an elite defensive unit in Seattle.

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

Wide receiver Doug Baldwin is the only unsigned restricted free agent out there, but it sounds like he and the Seahawks are making progress on a longer-term deal, as he tells Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. “I will say things are going in the right direction,” Baldwin said. “I don’t know how much time it’s going to take. They’ve got the draft to deal with. So we are in preliminary talks. But hopefully we will figure something out soon.”
The Rams are more likely to have trade options with the No. 13 pick than the No. 2 pick, unless Jadeveon Clowney is available at No. 2, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. If Clowney goes first, Greg Robinson is viewed as the likely pick for St. Louis — if Clowney is still on the board, another team could push the Rams for a trade.
TheMMQB.com’s Peter King suggested earlier today that if Blake Bortles falls into the twenties, “a team with a very good quarterback” will try to make a trade to land him. King doesn’t name the team, but a Broncos source confirms to Mike Klis of the Denver Post that it won’t be Denver.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link) is hearing rumblings about the Chargers having interest in Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy. Acee adds in a second tweet that cornerback remains the team’s top priority in the first round, but that San Diego is performing due diligence on pass rushers.

Extra Points: Sherman, Sam, Chargers

May 7th, 2014 at 9:55pm CST by Zachary Links

With Richard Sherman‘s new deal, the Seahawks now have the NFL’s most expensive secondary with $85MM guaranteed to three players, notes Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Earlier today, Seattle locked down Sherman with a four-year, $56MM extension that will keep him in place through 2018. Here’s tonight’s roundup from around the NFL as we get set for the draft…

Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle looks at Michael Sam as a potential target for the 49ers. The 49ers could have a great marketing opportunity on their hands if they tap Sam since San Francisco is a historically gay-friendly city. More importantly, they could use a pass rusher in light of Aldon Smith‘s troubles.
Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com runs down running back possibilities for the Chargers in the draft. On the surface, San Diego is good to go with Ryan Mathews, Danny Woodhead, and free agent pickup Donald Brown. However, Mathews and Woodhead will be free agents after the 2014 season, so the Chargers could conceivably look into an RB as insurance.
We heard earlier today that Cleveland GM Ray Farmer is “enamored with” Teddy Bridgewater, but he’s not the only quarterback the Browns will be eyeing if they pass on a signal-caller with the No. 4 pick. According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter), the club also likes Tom Savage and Jimmy Garoppolo.
The Browns have a big opportunity this weekend with seven picks in the top 127 and they can get it right this time, writes Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer. Pluto also feels that owner Jimmy Haslam will hold true to his word and not interfere with the decision process.
Scott Horner of the Indianapolis Star goes into the vaults to find out how well the Colts have drafted in the second round over the years.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC West Notes: Chargers, Raiders, Chiefs

May 4th, 2014 at 5:43pm CST by Ben Levine

The Chargers appear to be all set at quarterback heading into the draft, with a depth chart led by Pro Bowler Philip Rivers. The team added Kellen Clemens this offseason and held onto seventh-rounder Brad Sorensen.

Even with the three signal callers, general manager Tom Telesco didn’t dismiss the possibility of drafting a quarterback next weekend. Per ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams:

“It’s something you keep your eye on because you never know,” said Telesco. “It’s probably not in the front of your mind, but it’s in the back of our mind all of the time. That’s why we evaluate every position like there’s nobody on our roster.”

In addition to the quotes, Williams reviews the team’s selections at the position since 2004. He also analyzes the Chargers possible quarterbacks selections this season.

Now, for some more notes out of the AFC West…

Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie is “open to trading up, staying put or trading down for more picks,” writes Vic Tafur of SFGate.com. While sources say the Raiders wouldn’t be interested in either Johnny Manziel or Blake Bortles with their first-rounder, the general manager cautioned that he is “open to everything.”
The Raiders are expected to sign a kicker to help veteran Sebastian Janikowski get through camp, says Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. The writer adds that a competition could develop, but he has his doubts about a young player overtaking Janikowski.
Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star ranks the Chiefs biggest draft needs as wide receiver, offensive line, pass rusher, cornerback and safety. Paylor also says the Chiefs could potentially surprise by selecting a tight end or quarterback in the first round.

West Notes: Sherman, Chiefs, Chargers, 49ers

May 3rd, 2014 at 4:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Contract extension talks between the Seahawks and All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman are still occurring, but a deal has not yet been reached, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Some reports have indicated that a deal could coalesce before the draft on Thursday, and while that still may be realistic, it reportedly “won’t be easy.” The Seahawks, who recently locked up another young defensive back in Earl Thomas, have Sherman under contract for one more season, at a base salary of $1.431MM.

More rumblings from the West divisions:

Adam Teicher of ESPN.com believes that defensive lineman Ra’Shede Hageman is something of a boom-or-bust prospect, while fellow D-lineman Stephon Tuitt is more likely to be a solid, productive player, leading Teicher to surmise that the Chiefs, who are without a second-round pick, would be less likely to gamble on Hageman were he to fall to the 23rd pick.
The Chargers have often taken one of two approaches when drafting defensive players, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com — selecting a player who performs a single task well (like Larry English‘s and pass rushing), or taking a prospect who is more well-rounded and versatile (such as Melvin Ingram). If versatility is the objective for Chargers general manager Tom Telesco in next week’s draft, a defensive lineman like Oregon State’s Scott Crichton could be of interest.
The 49ers’ plans regarding Aldon Smith need not have changed simply because the team exercised its 2015 option on the linebacker, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. The option is guaranteed for injury only, so the Niners have some time to further decide on Smith’s future. Maiocco believes that because of Smith’s status, outside linebacker must be a consideration for San Francisco in next week’s draft.
It might take a draft day slide, but cornerback Kyle Fuller would be of interest to the Broncos, according to ESPN’s NFL Nation blog. Some have raised concerns about Fuller’s size (5’11”, 190 pounds) but his ability to play in multiple spots might overcome those defects. “I feel comfortable playing in the nickel, playing outside,’” said the young defensive back. “I just want to be versatile.”

Extra Points: Lions, 49ers, Dalton, Draft

May 2nd, 2014 at 10:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Longtime Lions scout Silas McKinnie is retiring after next week’s draft, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. The retirement of McKinnie, who has been with the team as a regional and personnel scout since 2003, leaves the Lions with two vacancies in their front office. In January, Lions assistant director of pro personnel Miller McCalmon stepped down after five seasons with the team and 35 years in the NFL. Here’s more from around the league:

While there has been a lot of attention placed on troubled defensive talent Aldon Smith, 49ers teammate NaVorro Bowman is an example of a player who turned things around despite off-the-field incidents in the past, writes Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
One NFL team exec spoke with CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry (on Twitter) about an interesting trade idea that won’t happen: a swap between the Bengals and Vikings centered on quarterback Andy Dalton and the Vikings pick at No. 8. Minnesota is said to be looking hard at quarterback options with their top pick, including UCF’s Blake Bortles.
After talking to four GMs, Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports says (via Twitter) the consensus top five draft picks seem to be Jadeveon Clowney, Khalil Mack, Sammy Watkins, Greg Robinson, and Jake Matthews, in some order.
Eastern Washington edge rusher Anthony Larry had private workouts with the Patriots and Eagles, and has also drawn interest from the Packers, Seahawks, Chargers, Ravens, and Browns, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Larry won’t come off the board early, but he’ll either be a Day 3 pick or a priority free agent, according to Wilson.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Draft Updates: Texans, Browns, Carr, Watkins

May 1st, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After declaring yesterday that he knew who the Texans would pick first overall, GM Rick Smith added a caveat today when he spoke to reporters, including Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle: “I don’t know exactly who we will take. What I do know is, I know the order of our board. If we take the first pick, we know who we want.”

In other words, Houston has a good idea which player it will grab if it doesn’t trade down, but the team remains very much open for business. According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter), at least four teams have inquired on that No. 1 pick, but as McClain notes, checking in on the Texans and being ready to consummate a deal with them are two very different things.

Here are a few more Thursday draft updates:

It seems as if one way to forecast which teams might draft Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr is figuring out which clubs are expressing interest in his older brother. According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link), David Carr said the Browns are one of about six teams that have talked to him about signing him if they draft the younger Carr.
Many of the teams interested in Clemson wideout Sammy Watkins view him as a potential impact kick returner as well, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Buffalo cornerback Najja Johnson visited the Falcons and has worked out for the Chargers and Colts, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
The Rams and Patriots worked out SMU quarterback Garrett Gilbert this week, tweets agent Leigh Steinberg.

AFC Notes: Browns, Haden, Bills, Fins, Colts

May 1st, 2014 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

With this weekend’s deadline looming, head coach Mike Pettine says the Browns have yet to make a decision on whether or not to exercise the fifth-year option for defensive tackle Phil Taylor (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal). For his part, Taylor expressed a desire to have that option picked up, but says he won’t let it affect his play if the team decides to turn it down (all Twitter links).

Let’s round up a couple more Browns items and check in on a few other AFC clubs…

Cornerback Joe Haden confirmed that extension talks with the Browns are ongoing, as Ulrich tweets. “I’d like to get it done as soon as possible, but we’re still working on it,” Haden said.
More from Ulrich (Twitter link): Pettine confirmed today that the Browns‘ phone has been ringing and that trade talks are happening for virtually all the teams in the top 10 of the draft.
Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweets that he’s hearing “a lot of chatter” about the Bills wanting to move up from the No. 9 pick, and the Dolphins wanting to trade down from No. 19, which is consistent with other whispers we’ve heard in the last week or so.
Free agent offensive lineman Steve Vallos had a tryout with the Colts yesterday, according to Howard Balzer of The SportsXchange (via Twitter). Vallos, who spent the 2013 season with the Broncos, left the audition without a contract.
The Colts, who don’t have a first-round pick in this year’s draft, are keeping their options open when it comes to moving up, GM Ryan Grigson said today (link via Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star). However, as Grigson acknowledges, with just five picks in hand, the Colts don’t have a ton of ammunition for trades.
Morgan State cornerback Joe Rankin is drawing interest from the Chargers, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link).

Draft Updates: Browns, 49ers, Beckham, Visits

April 30th, 2014 at 1:16pm CST by Luke Adams

An ideal situation for new Browns head coach Mike Pettine would be to draft a quarterback later than the No. 4 pick, and not have to start that QB in his rookie season, as Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer details.

“That’s been a big part of the discussion in the draft room,” Pettine said. “That’s a position that we know we’re going to need to address, and you talk about where you’re going to do it and the impact that it’s going to have on the rest of the team. Certainly it’s an ideal situation if you can get that quarterback later in the draft and that way you’re drafting a position player at four.”

Here are a few more Wednesday draft-related tidbits:

The 49ers are “very interested” in LSU wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., a source tells Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Beckham may not be on the board when San Francisco’s No. 30 pick rolls around, but there was some speculation earlier today that the club may target the Ravens’ pick (17th overall) and consider moving up.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com identifies seven sleepers that may end up doing pretty well for themselves in this year’s draft. Among the players named by La Canfora: East Carolina tight end Justin Jones, Towson cornerback Jordan Love, and McGill offensive tackle Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.
Arizona State tight end Chris Coyle tells Tyler Lockman of Fox Sports Arizona (Twitter link) that he has heard from about 15 NFL teams, including the Cardinals, Chargers, and Eagles.
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) adds the Buccaneers, Panthers, and Dolphins to the list of teams that hosted North Dakota offensive lineman Billy Turner for pre-draft visits.
Fresno State tight end Marcel Jensen has worked out for the Falcons and Colts and met with the Eagles and Patriots, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who says Jensen’s stock is on the rise.
The Titans, who are on the lookout for a new kicker after releasing Rob Bironas last month, recently worked out Washington’s Travis Coons, tweets Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean.

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