LB Kenneth Murray set to have green dot, call Chargers defense vs. Titans

Kenneth Murray will be the signal caller for the Chargers with Eric Kendricks’ status in doubt.

Dealing with a hamstring injury, green dot linebacker Eric Kendricks is doubtful for Sunday’s game in Tennessee.

At his Friday media availability, head coach Brandon Staley was asked who would signal call for the defense in his place, and he responded Kenneth Murray.

Murray has been the signal caller in certain spots during Staley’s tenure through injury to other players before. Before Staley arrived in Los Angeles, the former first-round pick was the green dot for Gus Bradley’s defense.

It’s not a surprise to see Murray step into this role, considering how closely he and Kendricks worked together during the offseason. That said, Murray did not have the best game against Miami last week. Pro Football Focus graded him as the worst player on the defense with a 29.4. Murray allowed an opposing passer rating of 114.2 last week and just one run stop.

The Chargers did have other options here, like safety Derwin James. But Staley believes Murray to be the more natural replacement for Kendricks.

Communication of run fits and gaps will be critical on Sunday as the Bolts square off against Derrick Henry. If there was a time for Murray to have a true breakout game in his Chargers tenure, Sunday feels like now or never for the former Oklahoma product.

Staley’s defense will look to limit Henry. In last year’s game, the former All-Pro running back had 104 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers.

Ranking 8 of the best 2020 free agent tight ends

There are 48 potential free-agent tight ends according to Spotrac. The bad news is that the pickings are slim. There is one big-name tight end who has put up numbers but the rest are either injury prone or more role player than a star pass catcher. …

Austin Hooper

Hooper has been selected to the Pro Bowl the past two seasons and it is time for him to cash in. The Falcons don’t have much cap room so expect to see Hooper on the move. The last two seasons have seen Hooper combine for 146 catches and 10 touchdowns. He’s a strong red-zone presence. He is an adequate blocker at the position. He had a great statistical year last season but didn’t even play the whole year. Expect there to be more than a few offers for Hooper. He’ll be able to pick his next team.

Pages: 12345678

Ranking 9 of the 2020 free agent running backs

There are currently 47 running backs set to hit the free agency market. That’s a lot of ball-carriers who will be looking for a home this offseason. Some of the 47 may not even get a contract. LeSean McCoy looked cooked for the Chiefs and was a healthy scratch. Adrian Peterson had a good year for someone his age, but that’s the key, someone his age. He has a ton of miles on his legs. Lamar Miller just missed the list but that’s because it feels like he’s never lived up to expectations and is injured a lot. So let’s get to the nine backs who made the list. The first running back is obvious.

Derrick Henry

Anyone who watched Henry run during the playoffs knows that he is best back hitting the market. He might not even hit the market. Even if the Titans franchise tag Ryan Tannehill, they can transition tag Derrick Henry thanks to a clause in the final year of the CBA. Henry had 1540 yards and 16 touchdowns in the regular season. He was the focal point of the Titans offense and the key to their effective play-action passing game. The only concern would be that the Titans ran him into the ground a la Dallas and DeMarco Murray.

Pages: 123456789