Things are looking down for Joey Bosa and the San Diego Chargers.

Chargers State Joey Bosa Rejected ‘Best Offer,’ Has ‘Jeopardized’ Contribution In 2016

Not only does there seem to be no end in sight for the team’s contract standoff with Bosa, but the two sides may actually be moving further away from each other as the regular season approaches.

The 2016 first-round pick (No. 3 overall) and his representation declined a proposal that the Chargers judged to be their best. Thus, the team pulled its offer off the table entirely, as first reported by y Michael Gehlken of The San Diego Union-Tribune on Wednesday, citing a source.

The Chargers almost immediately released a statement outlining the “fair and structurally consistent” offers it made in the negotiation process.

The most recent offer, according to the statement, included the following:

• An initial signing bonus payment that is larger than any player in the league has received in the last two drafts.
• More money in this calendar year than every player in this year’s draft except one (QB Carson Wentz).
• The largest payment and the highest percentage of signing bonus received in the first calendar year of any Chargers’ first-round selection since the inception of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (2011)

San Diego also stated it intends to revise its offer, citing the fact that the missed training camp time will impact Bosa’s ability to play a full rookie season:

“The offer that we extended was for Joey to contribute during all 16 games and beyond. Joey’s ability to contribute for an entire rookie season has now been jeopardized by the valuable time he has missed with his coaches and his teammates. Since Joey will not report at this time, his ability to produce not just early in the season, but throughout the entire season, has been negatively impacted.

As a result, we will restructure our offer since Joey will be unable to contribute for the full 16 game season without the adequate time on the practice field, in the classroom, and in preseason games”

Bosa, 21, played as a defensive end at Ohio State University.

In a move that was expected for months, the Los Angeles Rams released quarterback Nick Foles Wednesday, according to reports from Ian Rapoport and Mike Garofolo of NFL Media.

Foles requested the release.

Rams release Nick Foles Ahead Of Training Camp

The Rams released a statement confirming the sides have chosen to part ways.

“We have been in contact with Nick and his representation throughout the offseason and we feel that this is the best decision for all parties involved,” head coach Jeff Fisher said in a statement released by the Rams. “We appreciate the contributions that Nick has made to our organization in his time as a Ram and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”

Foles skipped all offseason workouts held by Los Angeles, both voluntary and mandatory, after the Rams selected California quarterback Jared Goff with the first pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.

With Goff in place to serve as the face of the franchise, as well as its future, little room was left for Foles.

Reportedly, LA was vetting suitors for a trade, but no agreement was reached. So, one day before training camp begins for the Rams, Foles is no longer on the roster.

Los Angeles paid Foles a $6 million roster bonus in March, leading some to believe he would stay for the move to Hollywood. But according to Garofolo the Arizona State alum requested his release and the Rams obliged.

He is now an unrestricted free agent.

Foles was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in the trade for Sam Bradford. LA’s general manager, Les Snead, acknowledged earlier in the offseason that the trade for Foles may not have been the right fit.

“And initially you’re like ‘Hey, we haven’t really thought of (trading Bradford),'” Snead said on a Fox Sports Podcast. “Who’s the answer after him? We’re really looking to try to get something done contractually. Those few teams kept calling and calling, now we’re talking about it internally. Eventually, we made the move.”

Snead explained that the move was not just for that season, but the future of the franchise as a whole.

“We also knew grabbing that extra second-round pick, whoever our quarterback was going to be last year might not work out, so it would be time to start looking again,” Snead said. “We knew by getting that extra second-round pick it would give us the ability to maneuver more in the next draft.”

Snead and the Rams ended up rolling that extra second-rounder into the package that got them the No. 1 overall pick: Goff.

The investigation into claims that Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott assaulted a woman is now officially underway.

Citing “conflicting statements” from Elliott, the woman and witnesses, the Columbus Police Department referred the case to the Columbus City Attorney’s office which has begun gathering evidence as the alleged victim is pursuing criminal charges.

“At this time, there is an open investigation,” Director of the Prosecution Resources Unit, Robert Tobias said in an email to ESPN.com.

“We are attempting to gather as much evidence as possible.”

Tobias offered no timetable for the conclusion of the investigation.

Elliott is expected to be in attendance at Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, California when the preseason truly begins on Saturday.

The alleged incident occurred in the early morning hours of July 22, Elliott’s 21st birthday, when a woman reported to police that Elliott assaulted her in a parked car, near the rear of a parking lot, according to the police report.

“If there is anyway that I can have an officer out on scene,” the woman said in the 911 call, published last week by TMZ. “I was going to wait until tomorrow to report it, until he left. … He’s been doing it for the past five days.”

Elliot immediately denied the claims through two individuals he entrusted to make statements on his behalf.

Stacy Elliott, his father, released a statement on the incident via Adam Schefter of ESPN.

“The reported allegations and Internet postings regarding our son are completely false,” Stacy Elliott said. “Ezekiel has done nothing wrong. The police have investigated this matter and eyewitnesses have verified the lack of any wrongdoing. The actual evidence in this matter clearly indicates what the real motivation was behind the police being called. We are confident that when the truth comes to light it will reveal the falsity of these claims. Ezekiel has been fully cooperative with the police and will continue to do so—along with cooperating with the NFL—moving forward.”

The woman who launched the accusations of assault, posted pictures of bruises to her arms and wrists on her Instagram account, including a caption that called for women to exit abusive relationships.

One of the photos tagged Elliott’s account.

“Just for every women out there getting abused it’s time to put a stop to it,” she wrote on Instagram. “This has been happening to me for months and it finally got out of control to where I was picked up and thrown across the room by my arms. Thrown into walls. Being choked to where I have to gasp for breath. Bruised everywhere, mentally and physically abused. It’s not okay. So I want each and everyone one of you girls to step away now from domestic violence. You’re worth so much more. I got told it was called “tough love” I’m sorry if you love someone you don’t touch your loved ones.”

The alleged victim’s Instagram account has since been made private.

Former Cowboy and current NFL Network Analyst Michael Irvin spoke with Elliott after the news broke and shared the rookie running back’s version of the story with NFL Network Host Rich Eisen.

“Michael, I never got within four feet of her,” Irvin recounted Elliott saying. “He sounded pretty upset about the whole situation,” Irvin told Eisen.

Elliott was selected fourth overall by owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys at the 2016 NFL Draft, April 28. A bevy of NFL experts considered the pick a risk given the questionable durability of the running back position.

Should the charges stick, Elliott would face a six-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. As of now, Elliott has not been arrested or charged with any crime.

Dallas head coach Jason Garrett is trying to let the investigation play out before making any further comment.

“I don’t want to comment too much on that,” Garrett said Tuesday. “We believe we know all about Ezekiel Elliott and what he’s all about as a person, and I think it would be premature to make any comment beyond that.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: uSports does not identify victims of domestic violence.

The Tennessee Titans drafted Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles cornerback Kalan Reed with the 253rd and final pick on Saturday, thus making him Mr. Irrelevant of this year’s NFL Draft.

Final NFL Draft Pick, Southern Miss CB Kalan Reed, Could Be Very Relevant For Titans

After the Titans announced Reed as their pick, his Mr. Irrelevant jersey was unveiled at the draft. Because they got the pick from Denver, it was a Broncos jersey.

However, the Titans rapidly fixed that. As it turns out, Reed may actually prove to be very relevant for the Titans: Pro Football Focus ranked him the No. 54 overall prospect on their board.

At 5-11 and 192 pounds, Reed has proven himself to be a very strong player who was a first-team All-Conference USA selection last year. He also recorded 156 tackles and four interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns, along with a school-record 19 pass breakups. His draft stock shot up after he ran a 4.38-second 40 and measured a vertical leap of 41½ inches at his pro day.

Kicker Ryan Succop was drafted by the Titans as the last pick of the 2009 draft.

Reed has stated that being picked by the Titans is extra special to him because he started playing football while living in Nashville for part of his childhood.

“That was my team growing up,” Reed told titansonline.com. “Now, I am a Titan.”

Many draft analysts appear to believe he can truly be an impact player.

“He’s a very good movement player,” Titans GM Jon Robinson told the Tennessean. “Very good ball skills. Another productive player on the football.”

The Titans traded off the top pick, and will now have the past two Heisman Trophy winners on the roster after selecting Alabama running back Derrick Henry with the No. 45 overall pick. The 2015 winner joins quarterback Marcus Mariota, the No. 2 overall pick and 2014 Heisman winner.

PHOTO: HATTIESBURG, MS – SEPTEMBER 5: Wide receiver Joe Morrow #16 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs leaps in the air to dodge a tackle from defensive back Kalan Reed #11 of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles on September 5, 2015 at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The Mississippi State Bulldogs defeated the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 34-16. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)

The First Round of the 2016 NFL Draft took place last night in Chicago and it had it’s fair share of both surprises and expected picks.

First Round Of 2016 NFL Draft Complete

As expected, the Los Angeles Rams selected Jared Goff out of California with the top overall pick.  The Rams will need Goff to provide the stability at the quarterback position that Sam Bradford failed to do when he was drafted by the then St. Louis Rams first overall in 2010.  Los Angeles acquired the top pick from Tennessee on April 14 in exchange for the No. 15 overall pick, two second rounders (No. 43 and 45), third rounder (No. 76), and the Rams’ first and third round selections next year.

The Philadelphia Eagles, Bradford’s current team, held the second pick and followed suit by taking quarterback Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State.  The selection of Wentz means that Bradford’s time in the City of Brotherly Love has likely come to an end.

After the first two selections, the surprises started to happen.  Ole Miss left tackle Laremy Tunsil, widely regarded as the best player in the draft, slid all the way to No. 13 to the Miami Dolphins.  Tunsil was passed on by teams with a need for a tackle including San Diego, Baltimore, and Tennessee (ho traded back up from No. 15 to No. 8).

The reason for Tunsil’s draft slide is his Twitter account was supposedly hacked and a video of him smoking weed through a gas mask was leaked to the internet about 10 minutes before the draft began.  Two offensive tackles were taken ahead of him, Ronnie Stanley from Notre Dame was selected sixth by the Ravens, and Jack Conklin was selected eighth by the Titans.

The Chargers decided to go with Joey Bosa, a defensive end from Ohio State, instead of upgrading their injury ravaged offensive line.  Bosa will help San Diego’s defense immediately against both the run and pass.  However, by selecting a defensive player, the Chargers did not provide any help for quarterback Phillip Rivers, who is nearing the final seasons of his career at age 34.

At No. 4, the Dallas Cowboys threw a curveball by selecting Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliot.  The Cowboys don’t have an immediate need at running back with Darren McFadden running for 1,089 yards and averaging 4.6 yards per carry in 2015.  Dallas was widely expected to take cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who many see as the best player in the draft outside of Tunsil.

With Ramsey falling to No. 5, Jacksonville made the easy choice to upgrade their secondary.  At 6’1, 209 pounds, Ramsey has the athleticism and experience to play every position in the defensive backfield and will definitely help the Jaguars’ defense against the likes of DeAndre Hopkins and T.Y. Hilton.

With Stanley going sixth, the San Francisco 49ers selected DeForest Buckner, a behemoth of a man at 6’7, 291 pounds, out of Oregon.  In San Francisco, Buckner will be reunited with his collegiate teammate Arik Armstead and former coach at Oregon, Chip Kelly.

The Titans selected Conklin at No. 8.  After receiving the 15th pick as part of their trade with the Rams, the Titans sent No. 15 and No. 76 (also acquired in the LA trade) to the Cleveland Browns.

With the ninth pick, the Chicago Bears took outside linebacker Leonard Floyd,  Floyd has great athleticism and size at 6’6, 244, but struggled at Georgia to get to the quarterback as a pass rusher,  He only had 4.5 sacks with the Bulldogs last season.  Bears’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will look to coach up Floyd in a similar manner to when Fangio was in San Francisco when they drafted Aldon Smith in 2011.

The New York Giants rounded out the top 10 by selecting the player with the perfect name for the Big Apple.  Eli Apple will be looked upon to help the New York’s secondary along with Janoris Jenkins, who was acquired in free agency.  Apple is a big, strong corner at 6’1, 199 and with more experience, he could develop into a true number one corner, which helps when you have to see Dez Bryant twice a year.

The rest of the first round selections were:

No. 11 Tampa Bay selected Vernon Hargreaves III, 5’10, 204- cornerback, Florida

No. 12  New Orleans selected Sheldon Rankins, 6’1, 299- defensive tackle, Louisville

No. 13  Miami selected Laremy Tunsil, 6’5, 310- offensive tackle, Ole Miss

No. 14 Oakland selected Karl Joseph, 5’10, 205- safety, West Virginia

No. 15  Cleveland selected Corey Coleman, 5’11, 194- wide receiver, Baylor

No. 16  Detroit selected Taylor Decker, 6’7, 310-offensive tackle, Ohio State

No. 17  Atlanta selected Keanu Neal, 6’0, 211- strong safety, Florida

No. 18  Indianapolis selected Ryan Kelly, 6’4, 311- center, Alabama

No. 19  Buffalo selected Shaq Lawson, 6’3, 269-defensive end, Clemson

No. 20  New York Jets selected Darron Lee, 6’1, 232-linebacker, Ohio State

No. 21  Houston selected Will Fuller, 6’0, 186- wide receiver, Notre Dame

No. 22  Washington selected Josh Doctson, 6’2, 202- wide receiver, TCU

No. 23  Minnesota selected Laquon Treadwell, 6’2, 221- wide receiver, Ole Miss

No. 24  Cincinnati selected William Jackson III, 6’0, 189- cornerback, Houston

No. 25  Pittsburgh selected Arite Burns, 6’0, 193- cornerback, Miami (FL)

No. 26  Denver selected Paxton Lynch, 6’7, 244-quarterback, Memphis

No. 27  Green Bay selected Kenny Clark, 6’3, 314- defensive tackle, UCLA

No. 28  San Francisco selected Joshua Garnett, 6’4, 312- guard, Stanford

No. 29  Arizona selected Robert Nkemdiche, 6’3, 294- defensive tackle, Ole Miss

No. 30  Carolina selected Vernon Butler, 6’4, 323- defensive tackle, Louisiana Tech

No. 31  Seattle selected Germain Ifedi, 6’6, 324- offensive lineman, Texas A&M

New England forfeited their first round pick as punishment for Deflategate.

Rounds 2 and 3 of the NFL Draft will take place tonight starting at 7 PM EST.  It will be broadcast on ESPN from 7-8, then coverage will move to ESPN 2, and NFL Network will also broadcast the two rounds.

After the first round, linebacker Myles Jack is still available.  Jack was a projected Top-10 pick in the draft, but has injury concerns with his knee and he said in an interview that he might need degenerative surgery, scaring off a lot of teams.

Aside from Jack, there is still a number of talented players left on the draft board.  Other top players left on the board are defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, from Alabama, defensive end Noah Spence, from Eastern Kentucky, cornerback Mackensie Alexander from Clemson, Jaylon Smith, linebacker from Notre Dame,  and running back Derrick Henry from Alabama among others.

*All measurements taken from NFL.com

The first major trade of the 2016 NFL Draft took place Wednesday, when the Tennessee Titans agreed to trade the top overall pick to the Los Angeles Rams.

Titans Send Top Pick To Rams

In addition to the first pick, the Rams also acquired the Titans’ fourth round pick (No. 113) and sixth round pick (No. 177).  In return, the Titans received the Rams’ first rounder (No. 15), two second round picks (No. 43 and No. 45), and third rounder (No. 76).  Tennessee will also get LA’s first and third round picks in 2017.

Titans’ general manager Jon Robinson said in a statement on the team’s website, “Being able to acquire six players in the top 76 this year, along with next year when you factor that into it — I am assuming five in the top three rounds — that is 11 players that we can add to this football team that should not only increase our depth, but give us good quality players at all those positions,’’

“In the end we thought it was a decision that was best for this football team. It made sense for us to do it, and that’s why we moved on it. We talked to several teams about the pick. There was interest in the pick, and in the end we thought this was the option that made the most sense for us…We think we can really bolster this roster with the picks that we now have.”

With the Rams relocating to Los Angeles, the team will look to draft it’s new face of the franchise with the top pick.  It is widely assumed that they will look at upgrading the quarterback position.  The Rams have dealt with two years of inconsistent play at quarterback since former QB Sam Bradford missed 2014 due to a torn ACL, and then the team traded him to the Eagles in March 2015.  In the past two seasons the Rams have had Nick Foles (acquired in the Bradford trade), Case Keenum, Austin Davis, and Shaun Hill run the offense.  Only Foles remains on the roster and he was benched twice last season.

The top two quarterback prospects are California’s Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz, although there have been conflicting reports on which one the Rams prefer.  Reports say that the Rams agreed to the deal two weeks ahead of the draft in so they can take time to evaluate both prospects and determine who the better fit is for coach Jeff Fisher‘s offense.

“In order to make a move of this magnitude you have to have a good trade partner,” Fisher said in a statement. “We appreciate working with the Titans on an opportunity that can benefit both organizations.”

Goff had a 161.3 efficiency rating in 2015 and completed 65.5% of his passes at Cal last season, throwing for 4,719 yards and 42 touchdowns.  He also threw 13 interceptions in 13 games.  At NDSU, Wentz posted an efficiency rating of 152.3 after completing 62.5% of his pass attempts.  He had 17 passing touchdowns and only four interceptions in eight games.  he missed eight weeks after suffering a broken wrist.

The Titans were in an awkward spot at No. 1, they don’t have to draft a quarterback, left tackle, or have a real need for a pass rusher.  If the Titans were to stay, they likely would have selected left tackle, Laremy Tunsil from Ole Miss, and move Taylor Lewan to right tackle.

At No. 15, look for Tennessee to either provide quarterback Marcus Mariota with a new receiving target or address the dire need for a defensive back.  Possible options could be receiver Laquon Treadwell, also from Ole Miss, or cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III from Florida.

Robinson hinted at the possibility of more trades in the near future, citing “ammunition” to move back into the top 10.

Per the AP, “I would say this doesn’t really knock us out of moving back up. It doesn’t mean we’re going to,” Robinson said. “It gives us options. Much like a play call sheet on game days, you want to have your full play sheet that you can call plays from. We want to have the same thing with the draft. We want to have multiple options and multiple plays, if you will, that we can go to to make this football team better.”

“My phone it’s still working,” Robinson said. “Feel free to call.”

The 2016 NFL Draft will begin on April 28 and run until April 30.  It will be hosted at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago for the second year in a row.