Tag: Stephen Anderson

TE Stephen Anderson returns to Chargers on practice squad

Stephen Anderson was a solid blocker for the Chargers in 2021.

The Chargers brought back a familiar face to Los Angeles as they signed tight end Stephen Anderson to the practice squad. In a corresponding move, safety Mark Webb was released to make space.

Anderson was with the Chargers for three years starting in 2019. In 2020 and 2021, he played 33 games with LA as a core blocker for their tight end room. As a pass blocker and run blocker, Anderson recorded positive scores for the group. In 2020 and 2021, his average pass-blocking grade was 67.6.

While he didn’t contribute much in the receiving game relatively speaking, Anderson also showed he could be used in that way if needed. On 29 targets in 2020 and 2021, he recorded 271 yards. Anderson played a lesser role on a smaller snap count with the Cardinals in 2022.

Much has been made of the Chargers’ blocking situation in recent games this season. They have gotten poor blocking efforts via PFF tracking from Stone Smartt and the recently waived Tre’ McKitty. While Anderson won’t contribute much from an offensive perspective, he absolutely could be used as a blocker if need be.

Part of the reason for the signing could be the injury status of Gerald Everett. Everett left last week’s game against Detroit with a back injury and did not return. Per Daniel Popper of The Athletic, he did not practice for the Chargers on Wednesday.

Time will tell what Anderson’s role ends up being in LA for the rest of the season, but the signing certainly provides the Chargers with some options at tight end. A receiving option that has some previous experience with quarterback Justin Herbert could help team chemistry as well.

Chargers sign EDGE Justin Hollins

The Chargers added an edge defender in wake of Chris Rumph’s season-ending injury.

The Chargers placed edge defender Chris Rumph II on injured reserve and signed Justin Hollins to the active roster on Wednesday.

In addition, Los Angeles signed tight end Stephen Anderson to the practice squad and released safety Mark Webb from the practice squad.

Hollins was drafted by the Broncos in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft out of the University of Oregon. He has played in 60 games and started in seven for the Broncos, Rams, Packers and Giants.

Brandon Staley was Hollins’ defensive coordinator in 2019 with the Broncos and in 2020 with the Rams. In those two seasons, Hollins combined for 20 quarterback pressures, 13 hurries and five sacks.

Hollins is a year removed from his best single season as a pro, as he finished with 15 pressures, eight hurries and four sacks.

Cardinals re-sign Aaron Brewer, Christian Matthew, Stephen Anderson

They fill the roster vacancies created when Antonio Hamilton went to NFI and Antoine Wesley and Charles Washington landed on IR.

The Arizona Cardinals had three vacancies on the active roster open up with the announcement that cornerback Antonio Hamilton was played on the non-football injury list and that receiver Antoine Wesley and safety Charles Washington were placed on injured reserve.

To fill those vacancies, the Cardinals re-signed three players they released earlier in the week. They announced the re-signing of long snapper Aaron Brewer, tight end Stephen Anderson and cornerback Christian Matthew.

Brewer and Anderson were both released before 53-man rosters were set Tuesday, although the return of Brewer was expected. They released him to be able to carry an injured player for a day before placing them on injured reserve, which makes them eligible to return after a minimum of four games, rather than missing the season.

Anderson’s return would seem to signal that the team is not sure whether tight end Maxx Williams, returning from a torn ACL he suffered in Week 5 last season, will be healthy enough to play in the team’s season opener next weekend against the Kansas City Chiefs. He gives the Cardinals four tight ends on the roster with Williams, Zach Ertz and rookie Trey McBride.

Matthew, a seventh-round rookie out of Valdosta State who had a solid preseason and camp, initially made the 53-man roster but was released after the team was awarded cornerback Javelin Guidry on a waiver claim. He cleared waivers on Thursday, going unclaimed, and re-signed with the team.

He gives the Cardinals five cornerbacks on the active roster with Byron Murphy, Marco Wilson Trayvon Mullen and Guidry.

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89 days till the Cardinals’ 2022 season opener vs. Chiefs

Here are some players over the years to wear No. 89 for the Cardinals.

The Arizona Cardinals begin their first day of practice at mandatory minicamp today and it marks 89 days until they will take the field at State Farm Stadium in Week 1 to face the Kansas City Chiefs in their regular-season opener.

No. 89 has been a changing number almost yearly.

This year, it belongs to veteran tight end Stephen Anderson, whom the Cardinals signed this offseason as a free agent.

He and others before him who have worn No. 89 for the Cardinals are below.

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Cardinals TE Stephen Anderson salary, contract details, salary cap implications

Anderson’s one-year deal is for less than $1.19 million and will count less than $1.05 million against the salary cap.

The Arizona Cardinals recently added veteran tight end Stephen Anderson in free agency, inking him to a one-year deal. The 6-3, 230-lb tight end enters his sixth NFL season, having played two seasons for the Houston Texans and three for the Los Angeles Chargers.

He likely will be the Cardinals’ No. 3 tight end on the roster behind Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams.

As such, his contract is not much more than the league minimum.

We now have the details of his deal.

Stephen Anderson contract details

Anderson’s one-year deal is worth a total of just less than $1.19 million.

He gets $20,495 as a signing bonus. He will earn the league’s minimum salary for his experience at $1.035 million and a per-game active roster bonus of up to $132,005, or $7,765 per game he is active.

The deal is structured like a contract for a player expected to be on the roster but isn’t guaranteed to be there.

Salary cap implications

Anderson’s contract qualifies for the veteran benefit, so the Cardinals save a little money on the salary cap. While his contract should count up to almost $1.19 million against the cap, it will actually count a little less than $1.05 million. That is a savings of $140,000 for cap purposes, which is one way teams are given incentive for employing vested veteran players.

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Cardinals sign veteran TE Stephen Anderson to one-year deal

The Cardinals added depth to their tight end room Monday morning by adding veteran TE Stephen Anderson.

The Arizona Cardinals added to their already strong tight end room Monday afternoon with the addition of veteran tight end Stephen Anderson. The team announced he signed a one-year contract Monday.

The fourth-year tight end out of Cal was signed as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans in 2016. After a brief stint with the Patriots in 2018, Anderson signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he played the last three seasons.

Appearing in all 17 games last season, Anderson recorded 16 receptions for 165 yards and one touchdown. His best game came in Week 9 against Philadelphia, where he had 39 yards and a touchdown.

In his career, Anderson has 60 receptions for 706 yards and three touchdowns (12 starts). Last season, he had a lot of playing time on the Chargers special team unit.

Anderson will likely be counted on as a special teams player for the Cardinals, who also has the ability to come in for heavy sets offensively. It is the Cards’ third tight end signing this offseason, with zero moves made at the wide receiver position.

In 2021, Anderson played roughly half of the team’s special teams snaps and 29% of offensive snaps. At 6-3. he gives the team another big-bodied pass-catcher in a room that already features Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams.

His signing likely signals the end of Darrell Daniels’ tenure in the desert. He is still unsigned.

Chargers fans took to Twitter to voice their displeasure in the team not opting to re-sign Anderson. He had become a favorite amongst some of their fans and will look to get familiar with his new fanbase in the desert.

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What the signing of TE Gerald Everett means for the Chargers

Highlighting TE Gerald Everett’s previous tenures with the Rams and Seahawks, his role with the Chargers, and the outlook of the position.

The Chargers signed tight end Gerald Everett to a two-year deal on Sunday.

General manager Tom Telesco’s presser at the Combine said that the tight end group was not complete.

With Jared Cook’s departure, a void needed to be filled by a complete tight end to round out the room.

Insert Everett, who gives the team a younger replacement, as he is just 27 compared to Cook who was 34.

Familiarity has been a factor with some of the players brought in. Everett fits that billing, having played on the Rams the same year that Brandon Staley was their defensive coordinator.

Drafted in the second round by the Rams in 2017, Everett served as Tyler Higbee’s backup in each of his four seasons with the team. He totaled 127 catches for 1,389 yards and eight touchdowns in that timeframe.

After his rookie contract was up, the Seahawks signed him to a one-year deal.

He accounted for just 135 yards and one touchdown during his first six games. When Russell Wilson returned from his injury, Everett found his groove. In his final nine games, he averaged 38 yards per game, totaling 342 yards and three touchdowns.

What Everett will provide in the offense is someone who can move all over the formation, with vertical and horizontal field-stretching capabilities, yards-after-the-catch ability, and the toughness to make contested catches.

Everett will slide in as the top tight end on the depth chart. Donald Parham made strides in his second season with the Chargers, showing strides with his blocking to go along with his pass-catching skills, but they clearly feel he needs more time to develop before taking on a No. 1 role.

Tre’ McKitty showed plenty of promise as a blocker in his rookie season, and he should resume his duties in the in-line spot. Stephen Anderson was another pleasant surprise in his role as the hybrid fullback/H-back. Now, the question is whether or not Anderson will be back next season.

As it stands, with the addition of Everett, this group has plenty of upside heading into 2022.

3 Chargers who flew under the radar in 2021

Highlighting the Chargers players whose contributions did not receive the recognition they deserved.

The Chargers had a lot of star power that made their presences known consistently, but there were a few players whose contributions did not receive the recognition they deserved.

With that being said, here are three players who flew under the radar in 2021:

TE Stephen Anderson

Jared Cook and Donald Parham spotlighted the tight end room. But the unsung hero of the group was Anderson. While he made the most of his opportunities in the passing game – catching 16 of his 19 targets for 165 yards and a touchdown – what stood out the most that may have gone unrecognized was his work as a blocker. Anderson helped open up holes in the run game as a lead blocker and in pass protection.

LB Nick Niemann

The Chargers’ middle-of-the-pack special teams did not have a lot of veterans, and instead, they rolled with their rookie class as the main core. Among the crop, it was Niemann who ended up being a bright spot, finishing with 14 special teams tackles on coverage units, which tied for fourth-most in the NFL.

DT Breiden Fehoko

It was no surprise that the Chargers’ weakness was defending the run. They did not have the talent with their starters to consistently hold their own in this department. However, Fehoko made an impact in the trenches in his limited opportunities. On 65 run snaps, he had a stop percentage of 16.1, which ranked fourth, according to Pro Football Focus.

Tight ends play integral role in Chargers’ victory over Eagles

The tight ends are a sneaky strength of the Chargers.

Before the regular season, I mentioned how the Chargers’ tight end group was a sneaky strength of the team.

On Sunday, the entire unit backed up my words, playing a crucial role in the victory over the Eagles.

Jared Cook, the veteran of the crop, finished with four catches for 48 yards. In addition, Cook caught the two-point conversion after Justin Herbert’s touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Donald Parham had three receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown. Parham made a monstrous catch over Darius Slay. Soon after, Parham made an agile move in space and put a stiff arm on Slay to find the end zone.

Stephen Anderson posted a season-high four catches for 39 yards and a score. But his work goes beyond the box score.

Anderson served as a key blocker, both in pass protection and on the ground. Furthermore, he pushed Herbert and running back Austin Ekeler beyond the marker on a pair of fourth-down situations.

Rookie Tre’ McKitty has been active the past two games. While he only played six snaps this past weekend, it is clear that he will develop a more of a role as an inline blocker as the season goes on.

Credit also goes to offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, who was the one who drew up the play designs to get the tight ends consistently open in space for Herbert’s disposal.

“They make our offense so much more dynamic,” Herbert said of the tight ends.

Game Balls: Standouts from Chargers’ victory over Eagles

Highlighting the individuals who had the biggest impact on the Chargers’ victory over the Eagles.

The Chargers defeated the Eagles on Sunday, 27-24.

Which players had the biggest impact on the game?

A look at a few standouts from Week 9’s victory:

QB Justin Herbert

So much for a sophomore slump, am I right? After back-to-back poor performances, Herbert bounced back in a big way. In order to mask the uneven defensive output, he put the team on his back, finishing 32 of 38 for 356 yards with three total touchdowns and no interceptions (123.2 quarterback rating). Herbert also engineered the final drive, finishing 5 of 6 for 37 yards and eating up nearly six minutes of the clock to ensure the Eagles got the ball back for just a measly one second.

WR Keenan Allen

The offense being slowed the two games prior also meant that Allen’s production took a toll. The 29-year old took advantage of the Eagles’ zone defense early and often, carving up the short to intermediate parts of the field. He caught 12 of 13 targets for 104 yards, marking the fifth time in eight games Allen has seen double-digit targets.

TE Stephen Anderson

The entire tight end group should be spotlighted, but Anderson is deserving of his own recognition. Anderson posted four catches for 39 yards and his first touchdown on the season. But what stood out the most that may have gone unrecognized was his work as a blocker. Not only did he open up holes in the run game and help in pass protection, but Anderson was the one who pushed Herbert and running back Austin Ekeler to help them pick up the first down on a pair of crucial fourth-down situations.

OT Storm Norton

Like the tight-end unit, each member along the offensive line is worthy of being listed. But Norton, in particular, played a solid game after being the primary culprit of the pass protection problems against the Ravens and Patriots. Going up against some good pass rushers, Norton only surrendered a pressure and a hurry throughout the afternoon. He was aided by some chip blocks, but still a promising sign, nonetheless.

NT Linval Joseph

The Eagles might have picked up 176 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, but that primarily came in the first half and it was Joseph who came up big in run support in the second half of the contest. The big 330 pounder showed the ability to anchor, control blockers, and make plays near the line of scrimmage, finishing the game with nine tackles, which was the most by any Charger on Sunday.

Special teams unit

I could highlight returner Andre Roberts and kicker Dustin Hopkins, but it goes beyond them. Roberts averaged 24 yards per kick, with a long of 39 yards. He also made something out of nothing on his lone punt return. Despite missing one of his two extra-point attempts, Hopkins had the game-winning field goal. Moreover, the coverage units looked better than prior weeks, allowing an average of just 11.5 yards per kick. Hats off to Derius Swinton’s group.