Los Angeles Chargers Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Chargers To Re-Sign Richard Marshall

March 14th, 2014 at 8:13am CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers have agreed to terms with cornerback Richard Marshall, and will re-sign him to a one-year contract, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

After starting 45 games in four seasons with the Panthers, Cardinals, and Dolphins, Marshall played a part-time role in 2013 for San Diego. Starting six of 16 games for the Chargers and appearing in 637 defensive snaps, Marshall ranked as just the 101st cornerback out of 110 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). He was also a key contributor on special teams, recording 12 tackles for that unit.

Extra Points: Smith, Munnerlyn, Neal

March 13th, 2014 at 10:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Cornerback Captain Munnerlyn told reporters, including Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter), that he wanted a three-year deal with the Vikings rather than four years so that he could get another contract before he turns 30. He added (link) that it was very tough for him to say goodbye to the Panthers, but Carolina couldn’t afford to give him the same contract. More from around the NFL..

Steve Smith‘s visit with the Ravens is going well so far, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
The Steelers were eyeing Mike Neal in free agency before he re-signed with Green Bay, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The linebacker got a two-year, $8MM deal from the Packers with a $2.5MM signing bonus.
Charlie Whitehurst had the same offer from the Chargers before he picked the Titans, tweets Paul Kuharsky of ESPN. The quarterback inked a two-year deal with a $4MM base with another $4MM in incentives and $2MM guaranteed.
New 49ers addition Jonathan Martin told reporters, including Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter), that he never considered retirement.
Former Bucs left tackle Donald Penn is flying to Oakland tonight to visit the Raiders, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Penn has been heavily linked to the Raiders since his release.
The 49ers don’t have much salary cap space and it’s hard to see them signing both a cornerback and a wide receiver, tweets Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter) expects the market for Saints free agent center Brian de la Puente to heat up now that the first wave of free agency has come and gone.
Henry Melton‘s possible legal trouble won’t prevent the Bears from re-signing him, but they could use it as ammunition as they try to knock his price down, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.

Steve Smith Rumors: Thursday

March 13th, 2014 at 6:37pm CST by Luke Adams

6:37pm: Smith is scheduled to fly to Baltimore tonight in order to meet with the Ravens tomorrow, a source tells ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

5:32pm: The Smith market is starting to heat up now that he’s officially a free agent. According to Eric Edholm of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), the Ravens, Patriots, Chargers, Redskins, and Seahawks have all reached out so far. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter) that Baltimore expects to schedule a visit with Smith soon, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears from a source that no deal is imminent tonight (Twitter link).

12:26pm: Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) clarifies that the Ravens haven’t reached out to Smith yet, and will do so later this afternoon when he’s officially off the Panthers’ roster.

11:00am: The Panthers officially announced today that Steve Smith has been released, and the Ravens have already inquired on the veteran wide receiver, according to ESPN.com’s David Newton (via Twitter). Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that Baltimore has emerged as the early favorite to land Smith.

The Ravens’ interest in Smith was first reported earlier this week, well before Carolina decided to release him, by Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The Buccaneers and Raiders were also mentioned yesterday as likely suitors, and the Cowboys, Patriots, and Chargers were among Smith’s preferred trade destinations when Carolina was trying to move him, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.

AFC Contract Details: Talib, Bills, Conner

March 13th, 2014 at 5:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Aqib Talib‘s contract with the Broncos features a $5MM signing bonus, a $2MM roster bonus, a $4.5MM guaranteed base salary, and $500K in per-game roster bonuses, says Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Since Talib has a small signing bonus and his 2015 and 2016 salaries are guaranteed for injury only, the Broncos could essentially cut ties with him for no guaranteed money and a minimal ($4MM) cap hit even after the 2014 season, barring a major injury, tweets Pelissero. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com has the breakdown in chart form right here.

Here are a few more specific details on deals signed this week:

Corey Graham‘s new contract with the Bills can be worth over $19MM, but on the surface, it’s a four-year, $16.3MM deal with $8.1MM guaranteed, says Pelissero (via Twitter). According to Pelissero, the deal includes $700K in annual incentives, plus an extra $100K bonus each season for making the Pro Bowl.
The Chargers‘ three-year deal with Kavell Conner is worth $2.7MM, with a $270K signing bonus and an escalator worth up to $500K in 2016, tweets Pelissero.
Jim Dray‘s contract with the Browns features a $900K signing bonus, says Pelissero (via Twitter).
Pelissero also passes along the details on Chris Williams‘ four-year contract with the Bills. According to the USA Today scribe (via Twitter), it’s worth $13.04MM with $3.025MM in the first year, and is only guaranteed for injury in year two. Pelissero adds in another tweet that there’s a $2.5MM roster bonus due early in 2016 that’s a clear “trigger point” for the deal.
The Colts signed safety Sergio Brown on Tuesday, and that one-year deal will be worth $1.4MM, with a $300K signing bonus, says Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
While Keith Rivers‘ new deal with the Bills was reported as a two-year, $5MM contract with half of that amount guaranteed, it looks like it won’t be worth quite that much. Wilson tweets that it’s worth $4.05MM, with a $1MM signing bonus, base salaries of $1.25MM (2014) and $1.6MM (2015), and annual workout bonuses of $100K.
Michael Hoomanawanui‘s two-year contract with the Patriots is worth a total of $2.4MM, with a $360K signing bonus and $1.1MM in total guarantees, tweets Wilson.
The two-year, $5MM figure reported for Al Woods earlier today includes incentives, according to Wilson (via Twitter). The defensive lineman’s contract with the Titans features a signing bonus of $1MM, base salaries of $900K (2014) and $2.1MM (2015), and incentives worth up to $500K annually.

Ghee, Walker Agree With Chargers

March 13th, 2014 at 5:07pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Chargers have signed both Brandon Ghee and Reggie Walker, according to Michael Gehlken of the U-T San Diego (via Twitter). The cornerback Ghee joins the team from the Bengals, and Walker was a backup linebacker for the Chargers in 2013. Both players have signed to two-year deals.

Walker, 27, made five starts in his first season with San Diego and racked up three sacks and 34 tackles. It was his most productive NFL season so far as he had just 25 tackles in his previous four seasons with Arizona.

Ghee, 27 in June, saw time in 10 games and registered five pass deflections and four tackles. The former third round pick has seen the field in just 23 contests for Cincinnati over the course of his career and will hope to see more burn with San Diego.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Chargers To Sign Kellen Clemens

March 13th, 2014 at 4:35pm CST by Luke Adams

4:35pm: Clemens’ deal is worth $3MM over two years, reports Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter).

4:16pm: With Charlie Whitehurst headed to Tennessee, the Chargers wasted no time in securing a new backup quarterback, announcing (via Twitter) that they’ve agreed to terms with Kellen Clemens on a two-year deal. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com first reported the move (via Twitter).

Clemens, 30, performed respectably in relief of Sam Bradford in St. Louis last season, completing 142 of 242 pass attempts for 1,673 yards, eight touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

Panthers Release Steve Smith

March 13th, 2014 at 4:23pm CST by Luke Adams

4:23pm: According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link), the Panthers designated Smith as a post-June 1 cut, which will reduce the dead money on the team’s 2014 books, stretching some of that hit into 2015.

10:27am: The Panthers have officially released Smith, the team announced today (Twitter link).

9:55am: Before the Panthers decided to cut Smith, the receiver presented the team with five preferred trade destinations, a source tells Joseph Person. Those clubs were the Cowboys, Patriots, Ravens, Bucs, and Chargers.

7:12am: Unable to find a trade partner for Steve Smith, the Panthers will release the veteran wide receiver, according to Bill Voth of the SportsXchange (via Twitter). Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer confirms (via Twitter) that the move is expected to come later today. According to Person (via Twitter), Hakeem Nicks will be the club’s top target as they consider replacements for the longtime Panther.

Smith’s agent, Derek Fox, had suggested yesterday that his client’s time in Carolina was almost certainly over, noting that the club would likely release the wide receiver if he couldn’t be traded. When the move becomes official, Smith is expected to draw serious interest from the Ravens, and a report this week indicated that interest should be mutual. ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter) calls Baltimore the early frontrunner in the upcoming Smith sweepstakes, though we heard the Buccaneers and Raiders mentioned yesterday as likely suitors as well.

Assuming the Panthers don’t designate Smith as a post-June 1 cut, his cap number will be higher after he’s cut ($9MM) than it would’ve been if he remained on the roster ($7MM). As Person wrote yesterday, GM Dave Gettleman doesn’t view the move as a financial necessity, but thinks the team needs to part ways with the veteran receiver to let younger leaders like Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly take control of the locker room.

Smith, who turns 35 in May, is Carolina’s all-time leading receiver with 836 receptions for 12,197 yards and 67 touchdowns receiving. He’s also is 19th all-time in NFL history in yards receiving and 25th in receptions.

Extra Points: Cousins, Hood, Graham, Saffold

March 13th, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

A Kirk Cousins trade remains unlikely for the Redskins, write Mike Jones and Mark Maske of the Washington Post. There was talk that Washington would be open to moving the quarterback since he would like to start and he is stuck behind Robert Griffin III on the depth chart. For his part, Cousins has said that he will be professional and won’t demand a trade.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

Before he agreed to sign with the Jaguars, defensive lineman Ziggy Hood received interest from the Redskins, Raiders, and Chiefs, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Meanwhile, Chris Clemons said the Raiders and Falcons reached out to him before he agreed to sign with the Jaguars, according to O’Halloran (via Twitter).
Cornerback Corey Graham, who signed with the Bills, told reporters today that he was preparing to go to dinner with the Redskins when he got the call from his agent about Buffalo’s offer (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WGR550).
Wide receiver Jacoby Jones had a similar story to Graham, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun details in a pair of tweets. Jones says he was in New York, about to have dinner with the Giants, when he realized he wanted to stay with the Ravens and headed for the airport instead.
Safety Mike Mitchell is extremely happy to be with the Steelers and tells reporters, including Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter) that he wanted to come to Pittsburgh more than the club wanted him to be there.
As expected, the Cardinals have paid Daryl Washington his option bonus, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. There was some talk that they wouldn’t pay out his bonus due to legal issues.
Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle provides a look at the Raiders‘ perspective on why their deal with Rodger Saffold fell apart yesterday.
Wide receiver prospect Marqise Lee is drawing significant interest from the Jets and had a private meeting with the team, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
Georgia tech outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu, a projected second- or third-round pick tells Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times (Twitter links) that six teams have shown strong interest in him. Those clubs are the Ravens, Eagles, Titans, Redskins, Chargers, and Steelers.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Hakeem Nicks Visiting Colts

March 13th, 2014 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

As we heard this morning, the Panthers have interest in Charlotte native Hakeem Nicks, but Carolina isn’t the only team in on the free agent receiver. Nicks tells Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link) that he’s flying to Indianapolis tonight to meet with the Colts tomorrow.

With Eric Decker and Golden Tate off the market, Nicks looks like the top receiving option still available. However, after a pair of down years in 2012 and 2013, he may not see the kind of big-money, long-term offers signed by Decker and Tate. Nonetheless, it sounds like the former Giant is more interested in signing a multiyear deal than playing on a one-year contract to rebuild his value.

The Chargers are also believed to have interest in Nicks, writes Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk.

Chargers To Sign Kavell Conner

March 13th, 2014 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers have agreed to terms on a three-year deal with linebacker Kavell Conner, agent Tom Kleine tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune first reported (via Twitter) that the two sides were close to a deal with resolution expected soon, after Wilson reported on Tuesday that Conner was visiting with the team.

After starting 27 games for the Colts in 2011 and 2012, Conner played a reserve role in 2013, appearing in just 147 defensive snaps while also contributing on special teams. He was very good when he did play though, recording 11 special teams tackles and posting a +3.3 grade on defense, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

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