:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66506191/1172266930.jpg.0.jpg)
Good morning everyone and welcome back.
The window of legal tampering starts today and that should bide our time until the new league year begins on Wednesday at 4pm EST. There’s been a flurry of moves this morning already, mostly involving teams using their franchise tag on players, including Chiefs DT Chris Jones, Giants DT Leonard Williams, and the Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett.
In other free agency news, the Falcons just released CB Desmond Trufant, who will turn 30-years old on September 10th, right around the start of the NFL regular season. He already has familiarity with the Chargers defensive scheme as both Dan Quinn and Gus Bradley come from the Pete Carroll coaching tree i.e., zone-heavy defense and a lot of cover 3.
As of now, besides an offensive tackle, Trufant is on the top of my free agent wish-list.
Chargers Weekly: The ABCs of the NFL CBA
https://www.chargers.com/audio/chargers-weekly-the-abcs-of-the-nfl-cba
“NFL Media’s Judy Battista and The Athletic’s Daniel Kaplan join Chris Hayre to discuss key points of the new collective bargaining agreement, the start of free agency and how the sports world has been affected by COVID-19.”
6 things the casual fan needs to know about the NFL’s new CBA
“But fear not casual football fans, I’m here for you. I’ve actually stayed at a Holiday Inn Express (once), so relax, take a breath, and let’s have a look at the six things you really need to know about the new CBA.”
2020 NFL Draft: 4 defensive tackles Chargers should consider
“The Chargers released Brandon Mebane on Friday, which means that there will be another hole to fill this offseason. While they could go with finding one in free agency, they could elect to go with addressing the position in the draft.”
Farrar: Predicting where the top 21 free agents will land
https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2020/03/14/predicting-where-the-top-21-free-agents-will-land/
“This picture of Bill Belichick and Philip Rivers is from January 2019, and a lot of water has flowed under the bridge in the past year. But before you cast this idea out as insanity, here’s a sample of what Belichick has had to say about the now former Chargers quarterback:”
LA Chargers select Jordan Love in March 2020 Mock Draft
https://boltbeat.com/2020/03/15/la-chargers-jordan-love-march-2020-mock-draft/
“Troy Pride Jr. was the fifth-round pick for the Chargers in my February mock draft. Now, he’s risen to the third in most mock drafts with a good combine. A.J. Dillon was a big riser as well, going from the end of the seventh round to the end of the fourth.”
LA Chargers: Updated Tom Brady sweepstakes after Ryan Tannehill’s deal
“The Tennessee Titans were one of the potential fits for Tom Brady in free agency this offseason but that is no longer the case, as the team agreed to a new four-year deal with the quarterback that took them to the AFC Championship Game in 2019.”
Los Angeles Chargers: 2018 NFL Draft retrospective
https://boltbeat.com/2020/03/15/los-angeles-chargers-2018-nfl-draft-retrospective/
“They did not know it then, but the 9-7 Los Angeles Chargers were in for a very fun and very exciting 2018 season. Prior to the year, the team was just looking to build off of narrowly missing the playoffs and utilizing the 2018 NFL Draft as best they could.”
Matt Miller’s Scouting Notebook: Top Needs for Every NFL Team Before Free Agency
“The NFL, to date, is signaling that things will go on as planned outside of canceling the annual league meeting—as well as announcing the new league year will start March 18 as previously scheduled. And so the NFL is here, too, where you might be finding yourself with more free time to read or listen to a podcast.”
Chargers Positioned to Benefit in Short Term from Newly Ratified CBA
https://www.si.com/nfl/chargers/news/chargers-nfl-cba-ratified-benefit-free-agency-2020
“For the foreseeable future, the NFL will have labor peace with its players. On Sunday, the NFLPA announced that the proposed collective-bargaining agreement had passed a vote of the players, receiving 1,019 ballots in support of ratification against 959 in opposition.”
Analysis: Chasing Tom Brady in free agency worth the risk for Chargers
“Teams were hesitant to finalize offseason moves because of the delayed collective bargaining agreement vote. Once it became known Sunday morning that the players narrowly approved the new labor agreement, and that the 2020 salary cap was set at $198.2 million, the league knew what rules to play by. That’s when the stoplight turned green.”