RB Gus Edwards' contract with the Ravens voided on Monday, setting him up to hit free agency next month. Edwards led Ravens RBs and set career highs last year with 198 carries, 810 yards, and 13 TDs. His 4.1 yards per carry was a career low, although Edwards still ranked a respectable 20th out of 49 qualifying RBs in NFL Next Gen Stats' Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt. Edwards turns 29 in April and offers next to nothing in the passing game. But he's still capable of helping as a between-the-tackles and short-yardage back. We'll see where he lands in free agency. The Ravens' RB depth chart, meanwhile, is topped by a couple of guys recovering from serious injuries in J.K. Dobbins and Keaton Mitchell. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported recently that Baltimore could target a RB "with pedigree" in free agency. Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, and D'Andre Swift highlight the free-agent RB class.
The Chargers have hired Greg Roman as OC. He joins new HC Jim Harbaugh to lead a coaching staff with a run-heavy background. Roman has spent 10 years as an NFL OC with the 49ers (2011-14), Bills (2015-16), and Ravens (2019-22). Nine of those offenses ranked 28th or lower in pass attempts. All 10 ranked among the top 9 in rush attempts, including seven years inside the top 3. It's important to note the starting QBs for those teams. San Francisco (with Harbaugh as HC) transitioned from Alex Smith to Colin Kaepernick midway through 2012. Tyrod Taylor started for those Buffalo teams. And Lamar Jackson was the guy for Roman's full Baltimore run. Justin Herbert is clearly less of a runner than any of those guys and (arguably?) the best passer of the bunch. We wouldn't bet on the new Chargers going as run-heavy as all those previous offenses, but we have to expect more rushing lean than in the past few seasons. L.A. has finished three straight years with rush rates lower than 40%, ranking among the league's most pass-leaning teams. Roman's QBs have tended to pass efficiently. Smith, Kaepernick, and Taylor all posted better net yards per pass attempt under Roman than without him. And Jackson's hyper-efficient 2019 came in Roman's Baltimore debut. The Chargers have a lot more to sort through this offseason before we'll really know what the offense will look like. For now, though, we're lowering the expectation at least a bit for Chargers passing numbers. That said, Justin Herbert already sits just 10th among QBs in Underdog ADP. Feel free to take shots on him at that level, and know that he still carries upside beyond that.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Los Angeles Chargers have reached an agreement with Jim Harbaugh to become their new head coach. Harbaugh, who has coached the University of Michigan's football team since 2015, was last employed in the professional ranks with the San Francisco 49ers between 2011-14. He guided the 49ers to three straight NFC Championship appearances and one Super Bowl loss across those four years. This is undoubtedly a massive addition for a Chargers' offense that ranked 18th in total offense in 2023. Harbaugh's background (15 years as an NFL QB) and track record of success should bode well for the prospects of QB Justin Herbert and company. We'll be sure to follow any other significant changes coming in Los Angeles, including who becomes their next general manager, but their circumstances are starting to look up now with Harbaugh in the fold following a disappointing 5-12 season.
Chargers first-round rookie WR Quentin Johnston delivered one more garbage outing in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. He managed just 2 receptions for 17 yards on 5 targets. That tied him for fourth among Chargers. He trailed WR Josh Palmer (10), RB Austin Ekeler (8), and TE Donald Parham (6) while tying the immortal Alex Erickson. Johnston finishes his debut season with just 36 receptions, 414 yards, and 2 TDs. He entered Sunday ranked 99th among WRs in PPR points per game. Johnston also sat just 22nd among 37 rookie WRs in yards per route, according to Pro Football Focus. He's not necessarily doomed as a fantasy prospect. But this rookie season has been bad enough to remove any optimism. We wouldn't drop Johnston from typical dynasty rosters. But you also shouldn't consider him a buy-low this offseason. If you have him and others come shopping, think about letting the potential bust go.
Chargers WR Josh Palmer has cleared concussion protocol and will play vs. the Chiefs this weekend. He's the best bet for targets in the Keenan Allen-less WR corps, but Palmer still isn't an exciting fantasy play with QB Easton Stick under center.
On Friday, multiple reports indicated that the Chargers have parted ways with HC Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco. This news doesn't come as much of a surprise following the team's 63-21 collapse vs. the Raiders on Thursday night. Across nearly three full seasons on the job, Staley finished with a 24-24 record and appeared in just one playoff game. Who will take over as the interim coach is not known as of the time of this writing. Stay tuned for further updates.
Update: The Chargers have named Giff Smith interim HC and JoJo Wooden as interim GM, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Smith has been the team's outside LBs coach the past two years and was an NFL defensive line coach for 11 seasons before that. It looks like OC Kellen Moore will remain with the Chargers at least for the rest of this season.
The Panthers are placing TE Hayden Hurst (concussion) on IR. Hurst was concussed back in Week 10 and dealt with post-traumatic amnesia. He did not suffer a setback, according to ESPN's David Newton. The team is just being cautious by holding him out for the rest of the season. Hurst caught five balls back in Week 1 but totaled only 13 more grabs over his final eight games in a pathetic Panthers passing game. Hurst is signed with Carolina at a $10 million cap hit in 2024. We'll see how the team handles that. Hurst won't be a target in 2024 redraft fantasy leagues and has minimal dynasty value.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert's rehab from surgery to his fractured right index finger is expected to take six weeks, according to Prime TV's Kaylee Hartung. HC Brandon Staley told Hartung that there are no long-term concerns for Herbert. The injury shouldn't impact his 2024 offseason. Herbert figures to be playing for a new coaching staff next season, and we'll see if WRs Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are back. Both guys are signed for 2024 but have massive cap hits.
Chargers TE Donald Parham (shoulder) is inactive for tonight's game vs. the Raiders. That figures to be a boost in playing time for TE Gerald Everett -- although he's still tough to trust in fantasy lineups with QB Easton Stick at the controls.
Chargers TE Donald Parham (shoulder) was limited in practice all week and is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game vs. the Raiders. Parham would be a TD-or-bust desperation fantasy start if he suits up. His absence would be a slight boost for TE Gerald Everett.
Chargers WR Josh Palmer (knee) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice and was activated to the 53-man roster. He's set to play vs. the Raiders on Thursday night for the first time since Week 8. Palmer figures to slide back in as Los Angeles' No. 2 WR but isn't a very attractive fantasy option with QB Easton Stick. Palmer would at least be a WR4 consideration if WR Keenan Allen's heel injury keeps him out on Thursday night.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert will miss the rest of the season after fracturing the index finger in his right (throwing) hand, according to multiple reports. That leaves fifth-year QB Easton Stick to pilot the offense over the final four games. Stick has been with the Chargers since they drafted him in Round 5 back in 2019, but he had attempted just one regular season pass before Sunday. Stick went a forgettable 13 of 24 passing for 179 yards after taking over against the Broncos, throwing no TDs or INTs but fumbling twice (losing one). His 2023 preseason also proved unimpressive, including a 60.3% completion rate, 5.2 yards per pass attempt, 1 TD, 2 INTs, and a 9.0% sack rate. The QB situation obviously downgrades everyone on the Chargers' offense. WR Keenan Allen should remain usable. Stick targeted Allen on 37.5% of his attempts against Denver. He threw another 20.8% toward RB Austin Ekeler, the only other Chargers offensive piece you should still consider using. WRs Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer and TE Gerald Everett look droppable for other options. Herbert should have plenty of time to recover ahead of the 2024 season.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert is "very likely" to undergo surgery to repair his fractured right index finger on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. That surgery will determine whether Herbert has a chance to play again this season. HC Brandon Staley said Monday that Herbert's long-term outlook will take precedence over his short-term availability for the 5-8 Chargers. We're not expecting to see Herbert on the field again this season, but we'll update his status when we know more.
ESPN's Adam Schefter confirms that Chargers QB Justin Herbert (finger) is not expected to play vs. the Raiders on Thursday night. Herbert is consulting with Dr. Steven Shin to determine exactly how long he'll be sidelined with his fractured right index finger, Schefter adds. We should get a timeline for Herbert's return within the next 24 hours. QB Easton Stick will start on Thursday night -- and likely beyond.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert fractured his right index finger in Sunday's loss to the Broncos, HC Brandon Staley said afterward. "Given where we are in the season, a fracture could mean his season is over," NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted. We should get more details on Herbert's status on Monday, but the 5-8 Chargers have no reason to rush Herbert back. QB Easton Stick will take over for however long Herbert is out. The 2019 fifth-round pick had one regular-season pass attempt before going 13-of-24 for 179 yards in relief of Herbert today. Stick is obviously a significant downgrade for this Chargers offense.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert injured his right index finger in the second quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Broncos. He's officially questionable to return. We'll update Herbert's status when we know more. He's been replaced by QB Easton Stick.
Update: Herbert has been ruled out.
Chargers WR Josh Palmer (knee) is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Broncos. He returned to practice this week but isn’t quite ready for game action. We’ll see if Palmer can make it back for Thursday night’s game vs. the Raiders. Quentin Johnston and Jalen Guyton will again serve as Los Angeles’ No. 2 and 3 WRs this weekend.
Panthers TE Hayden Hurst (concussion) is out for Sunday’s game vs. the Saints. We learned this week that Hurst is dealing with Post Traumatic Amnesia after being concussed back in Week 10. He put in three limited practices this week and is hoping to play again this season. TEs Tommy Tremble (hip) and Stephen Sullivan (shoulder) are listed as questionable. Avoid this situation in Week 14 fantasy lineups.
The Chargers are designating WR Joshua Palmer to return from IR, opening his 21-day practice window. HC Brandon Staley just last week described Palmer's situation by saying "there's still a possibility" that he'd return from IR, according to The Athletic's Daniel Popper. That suggests we can't assume Palmer will be ready to return from his knee injury and play in Week 14. And it'll be tough to throw him into fantasy lineups right away, unless we get word from Chargers coaches that he's all the way back. Still, we have mentioned Palmer in our waiver wire article each of the past two weeks on this chance of return. If he does make it back to full participation, we'd bet on Palmer re-emerging as the No. 2 wideout in an offense that needs him. Stash Palmer early if you can ... if that makes sense for your roster, of course.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert managed only 212 yards in Sunday's 6-0 win over New England. He went without a passing TD for the second time this season. A few key drops hurt Herbert’s numbers, as the Chargers offense continued to provide little help. The Pats even limited Keenan Allen to 5 catches for 58 yards on 9 targets. Herbert will likely remain a QB1 for upcoming matchups vs. Denver and Vegas, but there’s clearly a low floor here.
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