WEDNESDAY, 12:54pm: The Chargers have officially signed Brown, cutting safety Adrian Phillips to make room on their 53-man roster, the team announced today in a press release.
TUESDAY, 2:38pm: In need of a healthy wide receiver, the Chargers are signing a familiar face, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune, who reports (via Twitter) that Vincent Brown is rejoining the club.
Brown, who turns 27 next month, was part of a group of a wideouts that worked out for the Chargers today, after Dontrelle Inman and Steve Johnson left Sunday’s loss with injuries. Austin Pettis, another former Charger, was among the other free agents involved in the audition, according to Gehlken.
Having been selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2011 draft out of nearby San Diego State, Brown was never able to deliver on the promise he once had. In his three years with the Chargers, he caught 60 balls in 30 games, with his best run coming in 2013. Brown played for the Raiders last season, and spent time with the Colts this summer before being released during preseason cutdowns. He earned a look from the Rams last month, but ultimately didn’t get another shot until now.
Brown will join a depleted receiving corps that also lost Keenan Allen earlier this season, and currently features Malcom Floyd, Javontee Herndon, and Tyrell Williams.
The Chargers are in dire need of a talent upgrade here and at other key spots (linebacker being a key area as well), so Brown’s signing and the events necessitating it will help San Diego/Los Angeles be in a rare position to restock from prime position. They haven’t had a top-5 pick since they took Eli/Rivers 11 years ago and have been mostly hovering around .500 since that last divisional-round disappointment six years ago.