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Brandon Flowers

Chargers Place CB Brandon Flowers On IR

December 14th, 2016 at 12:36pm CST by Zachary Links

The season is over for Brandon Flowers. The Chargers announced that the cornerback has been placed on injured reserve. Flowers is now the 18th member of the Bolts to be placed on IR this season. Brandon Flowers (vertical)

Flowers appeared in six games this season, totaling 28 tackles, six tackles for loss, five passes defensed and one interception which he returned for a touchdown against the Titans. Unfortunately, he suffered a pretty serious concussion in the Week 10 game against the Dolphins. This was not the first concussion of Flowers’ career and not even the first of the season. Given his history of head trauma, the Chargers are choosing to play it safe with the veteran.

Flowers’ season ends with him ranked as the No. 48 cornerback in the NFL by Pro Football Focus, albeit in a six-game season. His 76.6 overall grade is a big improvement over the dreadful 35.8 score he earned last year.

In related moves, the Chargers signed defensive tackle Kaleb Eulls to the active roster and added defensive tackle Chuka Ndulue to the practice squad.

Chargers Put Brandon Flowers, Corey Liuget On IR

December 12th, 2015 at 3:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

A season that’s going to send the Chargers to their first top-10 draft pick since 2004 won’t feature Brandon Flowers or Corey Liuget for the home stretch, with the team opting to place both defensive starters on injured reserve, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on Twitter).

San Diego activated rookie defensive lineman Darius Philon from IR-DTR in one of its two corresponding moves.

The team also promoted quarterback Brad Sorensen off the practice squad as an insurance policy against Philip Rivers‘ illness, one that’s not expected to force him to miss Sunday’s game against the Chiefs, Gehlken reports.

Both Flowers and Liuget signed lucrative contracts with the Chargers prior to this season.

A fifth-year veteran who signed a five-year, $51.25MM extension, Liuget struggled with a foot injury. Flowers, who joined the Chargers last season as a free agent, left last week’s game against the Broncos with a knee malady.

Liuget totaled 60 straight starts before missing Week 9 against the Bears before resuming his role as a starting end in the Chargers’ 3-4 scheme. He notched three sacks and led Chargers defensive linemen with 35 tackles but rated as Pro Football Focus’ 76th-best interior defensive lineman.

Also mirroring the Chargers’ freefall, Flowers did not live up to the form he displayed when he relocated from Kansas City on a one-year deal last season. PFF ranked him as its fifth-worst regular cornerback. The 11th-highest-paid corner in the league after signing a four-year deal in March that pays him $9MM+ AAV, Flowers is under contract through the 2018 season.

The Chargers placed Philon, a sixth-round pick this year, on IR-DTR after Week 5. The rookie figures to get a long look after missing so much time and Liuget’s sudden shelving further thinning out an injury-plagued team.

San Diego’s already lost Keenan Allen and experienced rampant offensive line issues in its woeful season. These latest moves will increase the Chargers’ chances of procuring a potential top-5 pick. They’d pick at No. 3 in the first round if the season ended today.

 

Contract Details: Maclin, Thomas, Hughes, Odrick

March 11th, 2015 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few details on some of this week’s noteworthy new contracts:

AFC deals:

  • Jeremy Maclin, WR (Chiefs): Five years, $55MM. $22.5MM fully guaranteed. $12MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Joel Corry of CBSSports.com).
  • Julius Thomas, TE (Jaguars): Five years, $46MM. $21MM fully guaranteed. $28.3MM in first three years (Twitter link via Albert Breer of the NFL Network).
  • Jerry Hughes, DE (Bills): Five years, $45MM base value. $7MM signing bonus. $11.775MM fully guaranteed. $1MM annually in sack-based incentives (Twitter links via Corry and Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
  • Jared Odrick, DL (Jaguars): Five years, $42.5MM. $22.5MM guaranteed. $5MM roster bonus in 2015 (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
  • Brandon Flowers, CB (Chargers): Four years, $36.4MM base value. $20.5MM guaranteed. $8MM signing bonus. $2.25MM first-year cap hit (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Curtis Lofton, LB (Raiders): Three years, $18MM base value. $10MM guaranteed. $6.5MM in first year, including $3.5MM roster bonus (Twitter links via Pelissero and Wilson).
  • Kendall Langford, DT (Colts): Four years, $17.2MM base value. $2.5MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports).
  • Brian Hoyer, QB (Texans): Two years, $10.5MM base value. $3.75MM roster bonus to be paid this month. $5.25MM annual cap hits (Twitter link via John McClain of the Houston Chronicle).
  • A.J. Hawk, LB (Bengals): Two years, $3.25MM base value. $500K guaranteed (Twitter link via Pelissero).

NFC deals:

  • Torrey Smith, WR (49ers): Five years, $40MM base value. $8MM signing bonus. $8.75MM fully guaranteed. $3.6MM first-year cap hit (Twitter links via Corry).
  • Bryan Bulaga, T (Packers): Five years, $33.75MM base value. $8MM signing bonus. $3.6MM first-year cap hit (Twitter links via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
  • Stephen Paea, DT (Washington): Four years, $21MM. $7.85MM guaranteed. $5MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Corey Peters, DT (Cardinals): Three years, $9MM base value. $5.75MM guaranteed. $2MM signing bonus (Twitter links via Wilson).
  • Justin Durant, LB (Falcons): Three years, $10.8MM base value. $4.5MM in 2015. $3MM available in incentives (Twitter link via Pelissero).
  • Dwan Edwards, DT (Panthers): Two years, $4MM base value. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Sean Weatherspoon, LB (Cardinals): One year, $3.58MM base value. $1.25MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
  • Major Wright, S (Buccaneers): Two years, $3MM base value (Twitter link via Pelissero).

Chargers Re-Sign Brandon Flowers

March 9th, 2015 at 12:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

MONDAY, 12:23pm: Flowers’ four-year deal with the Chargers is now official, the team announced today in a press release.

SUNDAY, 2:58pm: The Chargers have reached an agreement on a four-year deal with cornerback Brandon Flowers, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Flowers will earn a $9MM AAV, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Although Flowers was set to become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday, we heard yesterday that a reunion between him and San Diego was likely.

In his first season with the Charger, Flowers finished as the league’s 15th-best CB among 108 qualifiers per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The 29-year-old, who ranked as PFR’s No. 22 free agent, started 14 games, accruing two interceptions in the process. After being released by the Chiefs last summer, Flowers signed on with San Diego on a one-year pact that netted him $3MM — he should be in for a significant pay bump this time around.

The Chargers have about $27MM in cap space, so while we don’t know how Flowers’ contract specifics will affect their room, the club should have money left to spend if they want to make upgrades via free agency. San Diego has already been active this offseason, re-signing left tackle King Dunlap to a four-year deal, but they have other pending free agents in Ryan Mathews, Dwight Freeney, and Eddie Royal who could be retained.

Flowers’ re-signing contributes to the thinning of an already meager free agent CB market — top option Byron Maxwell is said to be heading to Philadelphia, and Kareem Jackson has already re-signed with the Texans, so options are few for secondary-needy clubs. Antonio Cromartie, Chris Culliver, and Davon House represent the best remaining corners available.

Chargers Rumors: Suh, Flowers, Cobb, OL

March 7th, 2015 at 5:37pm CST by Luke Adams

We hadn’t heard the Chargers linked to many big-name free agents before today, but – armed with about $26MM in cap room – it seems the team is prepared to make some noise this coming week. Here’s the latest out of San Diego:

  • The Chargers are preparing to make a run at Ndamukong Suh, joining a long list of potential suitors for 2015’s top free agent, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Albert Breer of the NFL Network adds (via Twitter) that sources from teams who are in the mix for Suh suggest the bidding could reach $18MM+ per year, and the Chargers may not be willing to go quite that high to land the star defensive tackle.
  • According to Rapoport (via Twitter), the Chargers are making a “hard push” to hang onto Brandon Flowers, and there’s a good chance the team will be able to bring back the veteran cornerback. No agreement has been reached yet, but Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun also reports (via Twitter) that Flowers is expected to remain in San Diego.
  • Eyeing potential offensive lineman help, with Nick Hardwick and Jeromey Clary having retired at season’s end, the Chargers are expected to pursue 49ers guard Mike Iupati, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Per Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (via Twitter), the club may also be in on Broncos lineman Orlando Franklin. Iupati is widely regarded as the top interior lineman available this month, so Franklin may be a Plan B if the team is unable to land the veteran Niner.
  • Within the previously-linked story, Gehlken notes that Randall Cobb is considered a free agent worth keeping an eye on for the Chargers as well. That seems like a long shot, but perhaps it would become more plausible if San Diego strikes out on its other top targets.

Extra Points: Suh, Flowers, Titans, NFLPA

March 5th, 2015 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

The money could get silly for guys like Ndamukong Suh and Darrelle Revis since some teams will need to spend to reach the cap minimum and a lack of in-house guys to reward could push free agent prices through the roof, says Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter links). Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • The Dolphins and Colts are expected to make the strongest pushes for Suh, multiple league sources told Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. Both teams have been heavily linked to the impending free agent defensive tackle in recent days.
  • Appearing today on the NFL Network, cornerback Brandon Flowers said he’d like to remain with the Chargers, and is in discussions with the club about a new deal, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. Flowers described his situation as win-win: “If I stay in San Diego, it’s a place I loved stepping in from Day 1. It’s a nice place to live, and with a quarterback like Philip Rivers, you always have a chance. And if I’m not able to go back, I’m going to the free agency market.”
  • Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean looked at the Titans‘ free agents and ran down which ones the team should look to re-sign. The top priorities, he says, should be linebacker Derrick Morgan, punter Brett Kern, and defensive lineman Karl Klug.
  • Former NFLPA staff counsel Arthur McAfee is officially on the ballot for the upcoming executive director election, tweets Getlin. Jim Acho, a Michigan attorney running for the job, has also been told he has the three nominations needed to get on the final ballot, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Additionally, sports advisor Rob London tells Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link) that he also received the necessary recommendations from player reps to qualify as a candidate. There are now eight candidates in the mix for the position.
  • In this week’s mailbag, a reader asked Mike Klis of the Denver Post if the Broncos would consider former fan favorite Peyton Hillis at fullback. If he were a bit more spry, Hillis would be close to an ideal fullback in Gary Kubiak‘s system, but even then he’s still too small for the position.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

AFC Notes: Fins, Broncos, FA Targets, Ravens

March 1st, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Always among the biggest players in free agency, the Dolphins will look to fill several holes when the new league year begins next week. Corner, defensive tackle, and linebacker are among the positions that could use upgrades in South Beach, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald offers several names that could be of interest to the Fins. Per Jackson, the Dolphins have internally discussed both Kareem Jackson and Brandon Flowers at corner, and the club also wants to re-sign Jimmy Wilson.

Along the defensive line, Miami is interested in Tom Johnson, Corey Peters, and Terrance Knighton, the latter of whom, as Jackson adds, will be the most expensive. Kenrick Ellis is viewed as a “backup option,” while Haloti Ngata will be on the Dolphins’ radar if he’s released by the Ravens. At linebacker, Jackson has previously reported that Miami is intrigued by David Harris, Mason Foster, and Dan Skuta.

Here’s more from the AFC:

  • Like the Dolphins, the Broncos are expected to be heavily involved in free agency, as they have been for the duration of GM John Elway’s reign. According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, the Broncos will target a variety of positions next week, with offensive line, safety, tight end, and defensive end among them. Center Rodney Hudson, edge defender Pernell McPhee, and and tight end Charles Clay all figure to spark Denver’s interest, per Klis, who adds that center is the one position where the Broncos will surely add a high-profile free agent.
  • Ravens cornerback Victor Hampton was arrested for DWI last night, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Hampton was signed to a futures deal in January, and given Baltimore’s low-tolerance for off-the-field incidents at the moment, Aaron Wilson of the Sun (via Twitter) doesn’t see Hampton ever setting foot on a field for the Ravens.
  • The Raiders haven’t officially released safety Tyvon Branch, leading Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap to believe (Twitter link) that Branch will be designated a post-June 1 cut. Such releases can’t be formalized until the new league year begins next week.
  • In a full-length piece, Fitzgerald takes a look at the Colts’ cap situation as they head into free agency. Check out PFR’s Connor Byrne’s Indianapolis outlook here.

AFC Notes: Ngata, Bills, Spiller, Chargers

February 19th, 2015 at 10:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Speaking to Luke Jones of WNST.net, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh expressed plenty of confidence that Baltimore will get a new deal worked out with defensive lineman Haloti Ngata. In all likelihood, the two sides will come to an agreement that reduces Ngata’s $16MM cap number for 2015, and extends his contract beyond the coming season. Of course, the two sides were also working on a new deal last offseason but those talks did not prove to be fruitful. More from the AFC..

  • Appearing today on WGR 550, Bills general manager Doug Whaley said the team has sent a proposal to Jerry Hughes‘ representatives, who countered with a proposal of their own (link via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak). There’s an “open line of communication” between the two sides, according to Whaley, who said he’s meeting with Bills VP of football administration Jim Overdof today to determine if the club is close to anything with Hughes.
  • Whaley will meet with C.J. Spiller‘s representatives in Indianapolis to try and hammer out a new deal with the Bills, Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com writes. The rival Jets have been heavily connected to the tailback.
  • Whaley indicated that if linebacker Brandon Spikes wants an every-down role, it probably won’t happen with the Bills. “So that one’s going to be more of, ‘Hey, do you want to come back and be a one-, two-down player, or do you want to try to go out there and see if you can [be] an every-down player?” Whaley said of Spikes in an interview with John Murphy of BuffaloBills.com (audio link).
  • As expected, the Chargers won’t use their franchise tag on anyone this offseason, general manager Tom Telesco said today, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). King Dunlap and Brandon Flowers had been the most viable candidates, but as I wrote last month, a franchise-tag salary would be an overpay for either player.
  • If Raiders owner Mark Davis has to move the team to the NFC to make the move to Los Angeles happen, Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter) doesn’t see that being a deterrent. On Thursday, the Raiders and Chargers announced a plan to build a shared stadium in the Los Angeles area.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Injury Updates: Sunday

October 19th, 2014 at 9:42pm CST by Rory Parks

Several big names who have been contending with injuries are expected to suit up for their Week 7 matchups today. Be sure to check back here when the games begin to keep an eye on any significant injuries that may arise over the course of today’s action:

  • Falcons‘ offensive lineman Peter Konz will have an MRI tomorrow, but a source has said that the injury is considered to be severe and will cost him the trip to London if not more, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • Bills‘ running back Fred Jackson‘s injury is thought to keep him out of the lineup for a maximum of four weeks, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). He notes that four weeks is the worst-case scenario.

Earlier Updates:

  • Fred Jackson suffered a groin injury during today’s game, and he will miss at least two weeks, per La Canfora (on Twitter). The Bills have a bye during Week 9, so it’s possible the veteran running back could return for Week 10.
  • Bears first-round cornerback Kyle Fuller has suffered a broken hand in addition to a hip pointer, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). There’s no word on how long the rookie will be sidelined, but as La Canfora notes, “it’s hard to play corner [with one] hand.”
  • In an unfortunate turn of events, Seahawks fullback Derrick Coleman broke his foot during warmups, head coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Terry Blount of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict had already been dealing with concussion issues during recent weeks, and now head coach Marvin Lewis tells reporters, including Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link), that Burfict has a “cervical neck strain.”
  • Having recovered from a minor groin injury, Chargers cornerback Brandon Flowers was forced from today’s game against the Chiefs with a concussion, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
  • Ravens long-snapper Morgan Cox tore his ACL, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters, including Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Harbaugh confirms the team will immediately begin looking for a new LS.
  • Saints center Jonathan Goodwin had to be helped off the field during Sunday’s loss to the Lions, according to Marc Sessler of NFL.com. Tim Lelito is Goodwin’s direct backup.
  • Also per Sessler, Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo suffered a pectoral injury today, and will undergo an MRI tomorrow. A significant injury to Orakpo could mean more playing time for rookie Trent Murphy.
  • ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Bengals WR A.J. Green will not play against the Colts.
  • Saints TE Jimmy Graham is expected to take the field against the Lions today, but he wants to test his shoulder prior to the game before officially declaring himself ready, tweets ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Schefter adds (via Twitter) that even if Graham does play, he is not expected to start, and NFL Network’s Albert Breer tweets that he expects the Saints to use Graham in red-zone packages as they have done when he has been banged up in the past.
  • NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Panthers WR Kelvin Benjamin, who has been dealing with a concussion, has been cleared to play against the Packers this afternoon.

AFC West Notes: Broncos, Hughlett, Chargers

October 18th, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Broncos were expected to be one of the best teams in the NFL coming into the season after winning the AFC in 2013. They brought back most key components of a record-breaking offense, but the difference this year is on the defensive side of the ball, writes ESPN Insider Aaron Schatz.

The newfound strength of the defense has been with a few offseason additions. The team signed Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, and DeMarcus Ware, and selected Bradley Roby in the first round of the NFL Draft. The defense has been far improved with these new players.

Here are some other words from around the AFC West:

  • The Broncos have a big list of impending free agents, leading to questions about how long their window to win a championship will be open. Mike Klis of the Denver Post is not overly worried, noting that a number of the free agents are restricted and that the teams will be able to lock up the big pieces like Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas.
  • The Chiefs tried out long snapper Charley Hughlett yesterday, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • The Chargers are favored to beat the Chiefs this weekend, and part of the reason they have been able to succeed is the improvements they made on defense. Two additions in the secondary are big reason for that. First-round pick Jason Verrett has been phenomenal, and former Chief Brandon Flowers has had a career resurgence in San Diego, as Joel Thorman and John Gennaro noted in a Q&A on ArrowPride.com. “The biggest difference between last year’s team and this year’s Chargers is that the secondary went from atrocious to above-average with the additions of Brandon Flowers and Verrett,” said Gennaro.
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