City Of San Antonio News & Rumors

Extra Points: QB’s, Tannehill, Jets, Maccagnan, San Antonio

November 2nd, 2018 at 9:52pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Every year there’s a so-called “quarterback carousel” in the NFL offseason where a group of second-tier signal callers end up changing teams. This upcoming offseason could be the busiest yet, with a large crop of quarterbacks that have front offices that aren’t committed to them longterm. This year’s draft class is currently seen as being relatively weak, so many teams will likely be seeking to address the position through trades or free agent signings.

Former NFL agent and current CBS Sports Analyst Joel Corry took a look at the quarterbacks most likely to change teams this offseason, and it was a long list. He included 11 names, with some high profile ones like Derek Carr, Eli Manning, and Jameis Winston making the list. The whole article is worth reading for Corry’s analysis as someone who’s been involved in these negotiations before.

Here’s more from around the league:

Speaking of quarterbacks, Ryan Tannehill will miss his fourth straight game this weekend when the Dolphins play the Jets, and it looks like he’ll be out beyond this week. Tannehill is not expected back for the team’s Week 10 game against the Packers, according to Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). It sounds like the earliest Tannehill could return would be after Miami’s bye week, in Week 12. Coach Adam Gase revealed the nature of Tannehill’s injury for the first time today, describing it as a “shoulder capsule” injury.
If Jets GM Mike Maccagnan fails to lead the team to the playoffs in 2019 he should be fired, opines Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Maccagnan has said he will be “very active” in free agency this offseason, and the pressure will be on for him to finally end the years-long rebuild and deliver tangible success. If the Jets don’t start winning more games in Sam Darnold‘s second season, it’s likely it’ll be a new regime in New York in 2020.
There’s been a lot of noise about the prospect of an NFL team relocating to London, or even one going back to San Diego, but there’s apparently a new market in the mix. San Antonio mayor Ron Nirenberg said recently that the city would have an NFL team “in the next 10 years”, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk. San Antonio was in the running to get the Raiders before they settled on Las Vegas, and they have a team in the upstart AAF league, so they’re clearly serious about professional football.

AFC West Rumors: LT, Raiders, San Antonio

March 30th, 2017 at 9:10am CST by Zachary Links

LaDainian Tomlinson has joined the Chargers as a “Special Assistant to the owner of the team,” according to a press release. It sounds like Tomlinson will not have a part in front office decisions as his job will focus more on fan relations. His presence could help smooth over tensions with San Diegans who are feeling scorned by the team’s relocation to Los Angeles.

“L.T. is one of the most beloved and iconic Chargers of all time,” said Chairman Dean Spanos in the statement. “His active involvement in our fight for Los Angeles is vital, and he represents the very best of what it means to be a Charger on the field and in the community.”

Here’s more from the AFC West:

It sounds like we won’t see major progress in the Raiders‘ extension talks with Derek Carr until May or later. “He knows what we’re trying to do in free agency, and he’s never saying, ‘I need to know now. It’s not like that,” GM Reggie McKenzie said, according to Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. “More likely, the serious talks will happen after the draft. The communication has been ongoing, just talking about the philosophy of a contract and the thought process around it. Hopefully when the serious talks start going, then it’s going to be easier.” McKenzie also indicated that an extension could be on the way for right guard Gabe Jackson. The Raiders will also discuss a new deal with Khalil Mack, but they have more time on that front thanks to his option for the 2018 season.
Multiple cities have reached out to the Raiders expressing interest in being their temporary home, including San Antonio, Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets. It’s possible that we could see the Raiders make a pit stop on the way from Oakland to Las Vegas.
The Broncos will add a third quarterback, but that player is likely to be a young veteran or a rookie.
The Chiefs hosted linebacker Rey Maualuga on a visit this week.

San Antonio An Interim Location For Raiders?

March 28th, 2017 at 8:25pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders are planning to spend the 2017 and 2018 campaigns is Oakland before officially relocating to Las Vegas, but the club may have another option up its sleeve. Depending on how the 2017 season plays out, San Antonio could be used as a potential temporary location for the Raiders, according to Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link).

San Antonio has been mentioned as a possible landing spot for the Raiders since 2014, and while the club won’t be moving there permanently, the city could still act as something of a pit stop while the Raiders get their affairs in order. Unlike the Rams or Chargers, who voted to move to Los Angeles and did so before playing more games in St. Louis or San Diego, respectively, the Raiders plan to stay in Oakland two more years.

That decision will undoubtedly have repercussions, with chief among them being the response of Raiders fans in Oakland. It’s unclear exactly how fans of the team will respond to watching the Raiders over the next two seasons knowing full well the club’s Oakland lifespan is limited, but it’s likely going to be positive. Moving to San Antonio would lessen the burden on the organization in the short term.

A temporary stay in San Antonio wouldn’t come without its complications, however. Both the Texans and Cowboys might chafe at the notion of adding a third club in the state of Texas. Jerry Jones, specifically, was a driving force behind the Raiders’ relocation to Las Vegas, so Raiders owner Mark Davis may not want to anger Jones by planning a move to Jones’ home turf.

Latest On Potential Cities For Raiders

February 3rd, 2017 at 8:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Contrary to a report that the Raiders’ hopes of relocating to Las Vegas are “all but dead,” multiple sources have told Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News that the plan is “absolutely salvageable.” Bosnignore adds that Las Vegas-based businessman Sheldon Adelson, who on Monday backed out of putting $650MM toward a new stadium for the Raiders, will attend the Super Bowl in Houston on Sunday. There’s no word as to whether he’ll meet with Raiders owner Mark Davis and restart negotiations, however (Twitter link).

The loss of potential financial support from both Adelson and Goldman Sachs has led to optimism that the Raiders could end up staying in Oakland, but Davis still doesn’t seem eager to keep the franchise there. In fact, the Raiders haven’t even contacted Oakland officials since Adelson bailed, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Three sources indicated to Cole that the Vegas dream is indeed “dead,” though, which conflicts with what Bonsignore has heard. If it is off the table and the Raiders aren’t open to remaining in Oakland, Cole names San Antonio – a city with which the Raiders have had past flirtations – as a possible destination.

Having lost the Chargers to LA last month, the city of San Diego has also come up as a suitor for the Raiders. Mayor Kevin Faulconer has already contacted the league to let it know of San Diego’s interest, and Don Banks of SI.com and NFL.com reports that the Raiders could head there and play in the Chargers’ longtime home, Qualcomm Stadium.

While the Chargers were unwilling to continue in the 50-year-old facility, the notion of it undergoing a significant facelift and then housing the Raiders “will gain support in league circles,” writes Banks. Should that come to fruition, the NFL would regain the San Diego market, which it didn’t want to lose in the first place; further, the Raiders would land a stadium upgrade over the Oakland Coliseum, notes Banks, who adds that the league wouldn’t be opposed to having three Southern California-based franchises.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Community Tailgate: Where Will Raiders Play?

February 1st, 2016 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

As the NFL offseason nears, there are plenty of topics and storylines to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those stories. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. We’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

As we enter February, two of the three NFL franchises that faced major uncertainty last month have some sort of resolution for at least the short term. The Rams are heading to Los Angeles immediately and will play at the Coliseum until their brand-new Inglewood stadium is ready in a few years. The Chargers will play the 2016 season in San Diego before making a final decision on their long-term future.

The only team without any short-term certainty is the Raiders, who appear likely to return to Oakland for at least one more year, but don’t have an agreement in place to play at O.co Coliseum at this point. The stadium, which the Raiders share with MLB’s Oakland Athletics, isn’t exactly the NFL’s most impressive venue, but it’s fine as an interim home, and I expect the Raiders to play there in 2016 while the franchise considers its long-term options.

Owner Mark Davis is in the process of considering those options as we speak — Davis paid a visit to Las Vegas last Friday to meet with a group of investors proposing to build a $1 billion domed stadium near UNLV. Additionally, ideas such as the Raiders building an NFL stadium in San Antonio or sharing Levi’s Stadium with the 49ers have resurfaced in recent weeks as the Raiders mull their next move.

Of course, there are as many cons as pros for most of the Raiders’ potential homes. There’s major skepticism that the NFL would allow a team to relocate to Las Vegas, America’s gambling capital, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and Texans owner Bob McNair would likely push hard to keep the Raiders out of Texas. As for sharing a stadium with the Niners, Davis has shown no interest in such a partnership.

Los Angeles is a possibility for the Raiders, but only if the Chargers ultimately decide to pass on a partnership with the Rams, and Davis would still have to reach his own agreement with Stan Kroenke in that scenario. If the Chargers head to L.A. in 2017, San Diego could be in play for the Raiders, though there’s some uncertainty about how the NFL and Chargers owner Dean Spanos would feel about that possibility.

London and Toronto have frequently been cited as potential homes for NFL franchises as well, though there’s no indication that Davis has explored international options yet. St. Louis, having just lost the Rams, would appear on the surface to be a logical match, but Davis has said he’s not considering St. Louis, and mayor Francis Slay doesn’t appear interested in pursing another team.

Oakland may be the best home for the Raiders in both the short- and long-term — Mayor Libby Schaaf expressed optimism for that outcome during an appearance on KTVU on Sunday night, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details.

According to Florio, Schaaf hopes to secure a renewal of the Raiders’ lease at O.co Coliseum and then move on to negotiations on a “permanent, beautiful home for those Raiders.” That’s easier said than done though, and so far none of the discussions between the Raiders and the city of Oakland have resulted in any sort of viable stadium plan. It’s not clear whether the NFL committing an extra $100MM to the project will change that.

What do you think? Should the Raiders do everything they can to make it work in Oakland, or is there another city that makes more sense for them? Where do you think the Raiders will ultimately end up, and where do you think they should end up?

Dean Spanos, Stan Kroenke To Meet Next Week

January 15th, 2016 at 4:37pm CST by Luke Adams

4:37pm: As noted below, Spanos and Kroenke will indeed meet soon. That sit-down will happen next week, a league source tells Bonsignore (Twitter link).

2:14pm: The Chargers technically have until March 23 to decide whether or not they’ll join the Rams in Los Angeles for the 2016 season, but the team’s decision is expected well before then, writes Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. According to Vincent Bonsignore of InsideSoCal.com, the Chargers would like to decide within the next two or three weeks whether a deal can get done with the Rams, meaning there could be some sort of resolution around the time of Super Bowl 50.

While most NFL team owners expect the Chargers to ultimately make the move to Los Angeles, owner Dean Spanos reached out to San Diego mayor Kevin Faulconer on Thursday, months after disengaging from stadium talks with the city, according to Acee. Spanos and Faulconer didn’t set a time or date for a subsequent meeting, but the mayor tells Acee that the tone of the call, which lasted about five minutes, was cordial.

“I said very clearly to him I would welcome the opportunity to get together at his earliest convenience,” Faulconer said on Friday. “I told him we can discuss a variety of different options on how to move forward.”

One league source suggests to Bonsignore that it makes sense for the Chargers to commit to San Diego for a year, rather than rushing into an L.A. deal with the Rams: “See where it gets you. Have a vote. Get finality.” In theory, that’s probably good advice, but Spanos and company may not want to fall behind the Rams and let Stan Kroenke‘s club get a leg up in L.A.

So even though San Diego remains a possibility for the Chargers, the team is expected to meet with the Rams soon, and according to Acee, multiple sources expect the Chargers to reach an agreement in principle with the Rams before seriously re-engaging the city of San Diego.

The possibility that Kroenke will play hardball with Spanos and the Chargers doesn’t look like a potential roadblock for the Los Angeles negotiations, according to Bonsignore, who writes that the Rams owner promised his fellow owners that he will “work fairly and honorably” with Spanos. NFL sources tell Bonsignore that the Chargers will essentially have 30 other partners in discussions with Kroenke, plus commissioner Roger Goodell, ensuring that they’ll avoid any pitfalls or surprises and will get a reasonable deal from the Rams.

As we wait to see which direction the Chargers go, let’s round up a few more items related to Los Angeles, the Rams, the Chargers, and the Raiders….

Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times conducted an exclusive Q&A session with Kroenke discussing the Rams‘ relocation and the Inglewood project.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com is unconvinced that the Raiders will end up anywhere expect in the Bay Area, writing that the NFL will be reluctant to approve a move to San Diego if the Chargers head to Los Angeles, since the league won’t want its L.A. project undermined. La Canfora also believes that Texans owner Bob McNair and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would work hard to keep the Raiders out of San Antonio. For what it’s worth, other reporters have suggested the league would be okay with three teams in Southern California.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk also explores the Raiders‘ options, suggesting that San Antonio is likely more of a leverage play than a realistic landing spot for the franchise.

Latest On Raiders’ Relocation Options

January 14th, 2016 at 7:38pm CST by Luke Adams

On Tuesday, the Raiders were promised a $100MM consolation package when their Carson stadium plan was not approved. That money, we were told, would be given to the Raiders if they wound up staying in Oakland and building a new stadium. As it turns out, they might still be able to put that money toward a new stadium even if it’s outside of Oakland.

League sources tell Vincent Bonsignore of the Daily News (on Twitter) that there is “market flexibility” with the $100MM grant. The sense is that if the Raiders can’t work out something in Oakland but can work out something in San Diego, then that $100MM will be available to them (link).

Of course, even if the Chargers end up leaving San Diego, that’s not the only potential non-Oakland landing spot for the Raiders. Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports identifies four possible cities for relocation besides San Diego, though he does place the Chargers’ current home at the top of his list. And sources tell Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com that Mark Davis and the Raiders would “take a serious look” at their options in San Diego if the Chargers head to Los Angeles.

Still, San Antonio is another city that has real interest in the Raiders, as Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle details. Former San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Vikings owner Red McCombs confirms that he talked to Davis this week, adding that San Antonio has “got the whole program put together” for a possible Raiders move.

Unlike the city of St. Louis, whose mayor Francis Slay said this week that he currently has “no appetite” for pursuing another NFL team with the Rams leaving, San Antonio leaders are interested in bringing the NFL to the city. However, McCombs acknowledges that the interest will need to be mutual for Davis and the Raiders to consider moving to Texas.

“We still have to get them to want to come here,” McCombs said during an appearance on ESPN San Antonio. “[Davis] was born and raised there and he has a great feeling for the state of California. But it appears he is going to need to go somewhere.”

While there’s a decent chance that the Raiders will stay in Oakland for the 2016 season as the franchise assesses its options, there’s currently no lease in place for the team to play next season at O.co Coliseum, so many scenarios remain in play for ’16 and beyond. The Raiders are likely hoping the Chargers will make a quick decision so there will be some clarity on whether a spot in Inglewood alongside the Rams may be available a year from now.

Zach Links contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mark Davis: Raiders Interested In Other Cities

January 13th, 2016 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

After missing out on the opportunity to relocate to Los Angeles – at least for the time being – Raiders owner Mark Davis confirmed to David Hunn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link) that he’s interested in cities besides Oakland.

There’s a good chance the Raiders will have to return to Oakland for at least the 2016 season, since there isn’t a lot of time to put together another viable solution. The team’s lease at O.co Coliseum has expired, but it should be possible to remain there on a year-to-year basis in the short term.

Still, the subtext of the statement issued by the team in the wake of the NFL’s Los Angeles decision suggested that the franchise certainly isn’t tied to Oakland for the long term — in fact, that statement didn’t mention the city at all.

“The Raiders congratulate Stan Kroenke and the Rams on their successful bid for relocation to Los Angeles,” The Raiders announced. “The Raiders will now turn our attention to exploring all options to find a permanent stadium solution. We thank fans throughout the Raider Nation for their unrivaled passion and support.”

According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), Davis has grown frustrated with city leaders in Oakland. The Raiders’ top priority is to secure a long-term stadium somewhere, and Davis appears to be losing faith that it will happen in the Bay Area.

Cole suggests that San Antonio will be one market considered by Davis, since the idea of building a stadium between San Antonio and Austin has some appeal to him. Reports have indicated that the Raiders would also take a long look at San Diego if the Chargers relocate to Los Angeles. And, of course, if the Chargers stay in San Diego, the Raiders would have an opportunity to join the Rams in Inglewood a year from now.

One city not on Davis’ list of candidates is St. Louis, according to Hunn, who asked the Raiders owner about that possibility and was told “absolutely not.” That stance shouldn’t concern St. Louis mayor Francis Slay, who said Wednesday that he has “no appetite” for seeking another NFL team after the way the league dealt with the Rams and the city’s stadium proposal (link via The Asociated Press).

If the Raiders do build a new stadium in Oakland or elsewhere, Tuesday’s Los Angeles agreement will ensure that the NFL will provide an extra $100MM to accommodate that project.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Los Angeles Rumors: 1/11/16

January 11th, 2016 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

3:12pm: A consensus is building within the league for the Rams and Chargers to share a stadium in Inglewood, according to Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times. Multiple league officials and owners not involved with either the Inglewood or Carson proposals have made note of that momentum, with one owner (whose preference hasn’t been previously reported or stated) telling the Times that the Carson plan isn’t even close to being as strong as Inglewood’s.

According to Farmer and Fenno, league insiders think Chargers owner Dean Spanos doesn’t want to have to turn his back on a partner – Mark Davis and the Raiders – but there’s a belief that the issue can be resolved during this week’s meetings in Houston.

While the majority of owners favor a plan that would land the Rams and Raiders in Inglewood, one owner acknowledged that “we just can’t solve all three stadium problems in one fell swoop.” So this week’s discussion will be crucial, as the NFL’s 32 owners debate how to clear some of the hurdles involved in the plan.

11:34am: The NFL’s team owners are meeting in Houston this week to discuss the Los Angeles situation, and in a perfect world, a vote would take place on Wednesday to determine the fate of the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders. However, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, there’s a chance that owners could postpone that vote in order to finalize the details of their preferred outcome.

Florio cites a source with “intimate knowledge of the dynamics” who says there’s a 25% or 30% chance of that vote being postponed, perhaps for a few weeks at most, which means it’s still more likely than not that some sort of resolution is agreed upon in the coming days. But no matter what solution the NFL’s owners decide, there figure to be plenty of roadblocks to overcome, particularly if the league wants to move forward with a new proposal like the one Jerry Jones has reportedly suggested.

As we wait to see what happens in Houston this week, here are a few more details to keep in mind:

For a Rams/Chargers partnership to work, Chargers owner Dean Spanos would have to overcome his distrust for Rams owner Stan Kroenke, and would have to believe that Kroenke would give the Chargers a fair shot if they play in Inglewood, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
Additionally, a Rams/Chargers team-up would put the Raiders in an interesting spot. In his previously-linked piece, Florio suggests that Mark Davis‘ franchise would benefit from the deal enough financially that it would be more viable for the team to build a new stadium, presumably in Oakland. However, Cole indicates that Davis and the Raiders may resume their exploration of a move to San Antonio if the team’s L.A. plan falls through. According to Cole (video link), Davis has a parcel of land between San Antonio and Austin that could house a stadium, and Jerry Jones may not have as much leverage to keep another franchise out of Texas if he essentially helped push that franchise out of its L.A. deal.
Peter King of TheMMQB.com reports a few interesting Los Angeles nuggets in his latest column, writing that the Chargers are “heavy favorites” to move to L.A., and would likely be one of two teams to relocate. According to King, the NFL would allow teams to pay the $550MM relocation fee at a rate of $64.5MM annually over 10 years, which obviously accounts for interest.
King also weighs in on the issue of the odd team out, suggesting that if the Rams and Chargers move to L.A., the Raiders would be set up with “one of the most golden of parachutes.” As an official familiar with the league’s thinking explains: “Whoever is not going to Los Angeles will be generously taken care of. The league will create a safety net for that team.” If that’s the case, the franchise may not need to create extra leverage by exploring a relocation to San Antonio, as noted above.

Stadium Updates: L.A., St. Louis, San Antonio

August 5th, 2015 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

The fate of the Rams, Raiders, and Chargers beyond the 2015 season remains up in the air, and NFL owners are scheduled to meet next week to touch base on where St. Louis, San Diego, Oakland, and Los Angeles stand on new stadiums. Here are a few of the latest updates on stadium projects and potential relocation:

The NFL recently approached several Los Angeles stadiums about the possibility of temporarily housing an NFL franchise while a new stadium was built in the L.A. area. However, as Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times, the league’s proposal hasn’t generated a whole lot of interest. Last month, we heard that the Rose Bowl wouldn’t serve as an interim home for an NFL team, and Farmer indicates that the StubHub Center is also out of the running.
According to Farmer, the Coliseum is the only Los Angeles venue to publicly express interest in working with the NFL on the matter. The Dodgers’ and Angels’ stadiums may also still be possibilities, but there would be plenty of scheduling issues to sort out in both cases, since the MLB and NFL seasons overlap. The NFL wanted proposal requests submitted by today, but neither baseball stadium is formally participating in that process, writes Farmer.
Earlier in the week, St. Louis Circuit Judge Thomas Frawley voided a city ordinance requiring a public vote to approve the use of tax dollars for funding a new football stadium in St. Louis. As Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch outlines, that was a huge victory for the city’s stadium task force, and next week’s meeting with the NFL looms as an “important checkpoint” for St. Louis. So far, the city has made much more progress than either San Diego or Oakland on a new stadium.
San Antonio city manager Sheryl Sculley tells W. Scott Bailey of the San Antonio Business Journal that the city has “certainly raised the attention of the NFL” by continuing to pursue the Raiders. San Antonio is another city that will be keeping a close eye on the owners’ meetings next week, according to Sculley: “We expect to hear what (the Raiders’) plans are for the 2016 season after that meeting.”

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