Chargers News

"As the Chargers prepare to begin negotiations in earnest with several of their star players, both sides will be dealing with an uncertainty looming over the talks. With potential – many say likely – labor instability on the horizon, it isn't even known for sure when several Chargers will become free agents. “I'm anxious to find out,” one agent said. “I don't know how it's going to affect (negotiations).” "

"Seven different teams have represented the NFC in the past seven Super Bowls, which suggests how markedly matters can change from year to year in the NFL. With this in mind, a first look at the league's power structure for 2008: "

"Cassandra Gardner did not see her son's NFL-record 109-yard return of a field goal at Minnesota this past Nov. 4. Gardner, Antonio Cromartie's mother, was in a hospital, sedated after an ordeal two days earlier that allegedly involved her being kidnapped by her estranged husband. When Gardner later watched a recording of Cromartie's amazing grab and run, she was overcome. “My baby was running, trying to get home to his mama,” Gardner said yesterday."

"Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith went to USD's game against Drake in October to observe celebrated Toreros quarterback Josh Johnson. Smith found himself fascinated by what he saw when USD's defense was on the field as well. He couldn't take his eyes off outside linebacker Eric Bakhtiari. “Total domination,” Smith said. “I couldn't wait for the ball to be snapped so I could see what he'd do. It was just the passion and production.” Bakhtiari was signed this past week as a free agent."

"Cletis Gordon knows this: “First round is to come in and play,” Gordon said yesterday. But judging by his weekend, Gordon clearly is not going to step aside simply because the Chargers took cornerback Antoine Cason in the first round of the draft. “It's a competitive game,” Gordon said. “They bring guys in, it does motivate you to be more focused and do the extra things, do the little things to try to make yourself better. Them drafting a corner, it was good for me. We needed a corner. And it just makes me work harder.” Gordon, who is entering his third year in the NFL, looked like a new player this weekend. Always among the fastest Chargers, he now knows what he is doing. "

"Continuity. It was the Chargers' front office's explanation and became the players' catch phrase. All was going to be smooth in 2007, because Norv Turner's offense preceded him here and defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell was a disciple of predecessor Wade Phillips. Let's just say the Chargers wanted to believe it. It had validity, too. But soon enough, it became clear that it was overstated. “The continuity word?” quarterback Philip Rivers said recently, rolling his eyes. “Please.” A 1-3 start and even fits of futility into November proved the Chargers needed time to get used to changes, subtle and otherwise. “We just had to get used to him,” linebacker Shaun Phillips said of the players adjusting to the Turner regime. "

"That's Jacob Hester? That's the guy for whom the Chargers gave up next year's second-round pick and a fifth-rounder this year? That's the new Michael Turner? Upon first seeing Hester in shorts and his Chargers jersey, this might be a common reaction. He ain't mad at ya. “I've always heard I'm not the biggest or the fastest,” Hester said. That's because he's not. At his most generous listing, Hester is 5-feet-11, 225 pounds. He ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at the combine. Thing is, Hester can play. He might make a team better. "

"I'm real pleased. I'm at the point now where I have to bear down. I'm getting a little impatient. You get tired of doing the rehab. You get tired of doing the one-legged this and that. Now is the most crucial time. It feels really good and you've got to get it really strong. I'm definitely ahead. We've still got three months to the start of training camp."

"Numerous NFL insiders said in the past couple of days that there will be work in a personnel department somewhere for Buddy Nix. And those who know him say he has for a few years desired to be a general manager. But Nix said yesterday he has no immediate plans to take another job. Back home where the rest of the people talk with his same charming lilt, Nix was preparing to play golf yesterday morning. “I've got no idea what I'm going to do,” Nix said by phone from Tennessee. “It's only been one day."

"The Chargers, unable to acquire an elite offensive tackle in the draft, agreed to terms with veteran L.J. Shelton on a two-year deal."

"A short while after the Chargers completed their draft Sunday afternoon, Assistant General Manager Buddy Nix informed General Manager A.J. Smith he was retiring. At 68 years old, after 15 seasons in the NFL and 32 years before that as a college coach, the travel and other demands had become somewhat burdensome, Nix said. Buddy Nix It remained unclear last night whether Nix actually retired or left with the intention of getting another job."

"The Chargers added a few interesting names yesterday when they agreed to terms with 17 undrafted free agents, but it will be difficult for any of them to make the roster in September. San Diego State guard Brandyn Dombrowski and USD outside linebacker Eric Bakhtiari were the locals signed. The Chargers don't have big needs at those positions. Not that they have pressing needs anywhere. "

"After a day on which they boldly traded to get the backup running back they desired, the Chargers are left still searching for offensive tackle depth. “Of course we're looking at the tackle position,” General Manager A.J. Smith said last night. “We'd love to have depth and good players. The search is on.” With tackle as one of their top priorities – if not their No. 1 priority – going into the NFL draft, the Chargers emerged at the end of the two-day selection meeting having added only one tackle, taken in the seventh and final round. "

"Antoine Cason's voice said that he was “at a loss for words” and “speechless.” His smile, packaged with an unflinching gaze, a charming cadence, the unquestionably certain way he stood, said he had it all under control. If the cornerback out of Arizona is as smooth on the field in the NFL as he was on his first day as a professional player, the Chargers made a fantastic first-round pick and their pass defense will benefit greatly for years to come. "

" The Chargers' GM basically slipped a semi-whopper past our chops yesterday when he used the 27th selection in the first round to draft University of Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason. He even slipped it past Cason, who comes with pedigree. When asked if he had contact with the Chargers, Cason said: “Not much.” Not that he was upset. He just had gone in the first round to one of the NFL's best teams, one close to his home. Let's just say he was pleasantly surprised. "

"Dual running backs have been a trendy idea for some time, raised to a more visible level in the 2006 season when the Indianapolis Colts ascended to the Super Bowl with a consistently effective combination of Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes. But what we're beginning to see now are clubs that once scoured for effective backups on the second day of the draft using high picks to supplement already highly rated runners. Having two backs has become that important. "

"Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith woke up yesterday morning and decided the talking was done, the time for wheeling and dealing had passed. So on the most inactive first day of a Chargers draft in more than a quarter century, the team filled one of its two obvious needs by selecting University of Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason with the 27th overall pick. “It was so easy for us,” Smith said. “I was confident we were going to get a good tackle or corner. And I'm thrilled.” "

"The Chargers took cornerback Antoine Cason with the 27th pick in the NFL Draft today. “Size and speed,” assistant general manager Buddy Nix said when asked what made the 6-foot Cason win out among the players available when the Chargers finally picked."

"This Chargers beat writer thinks mock drafts are ridiculous. Too many people with too little information acting as if they know what every team is going to do."

"Coming as it did on the eve of the draft, the Chargers' signing of quarterback Casey Bramlet off waivers prompted speculation that the team might then consider dangling Charlie Whitehurst for trade. Not so. "

"There is much to be decided in the Chargers' only real position battle of 2008, and what the team does this weekend will only add to the competition. Whatever unknowns there are for the Chargers regarding this weekend's NFL draft, there is one certainty: They will select a cornerback. Presumably, too, they will take that player early enough that they believe he will be capable of competing for a spot in their No. 1 nickel package."

"NFL kickers get no respect. All they do is win games. The point, however, too often is lost on those who make the selections in a college draft. Place-kickers and punters are largely treated as untouchables in these procedures. It is as if they were bearers of a disease. For these people, this year's draft has the look of many of the drafts that preceded it. Only two kickers have been assigned draftable grades in the publications that assess the process. "

"To some, the NFL draft is a bonanza, one of the best days of the year on the sports calendar. To others, it's a long, boring day filled with talking heads on TV. Today, Union-Tribune columnists Tim Sullivan and Nick Canepa debate the merits of the NFL draft:"

"The strategy of acquiring compensatory draft picks is imbued with the unknown. In awarding compensatory picks, the NFL Management Council takes into account the salary, playing time and postseason honors earned by unrestricted free agents lost and gained. "

"The belief that there are good players available later at the positions they covet (offensive line and cornerback) and confidence in their ability to hit on such picks is part of the reason that discussion of the 27th pick could be moot. It would not be a surprise if the Chargers don't exercise the 27th selection, as they continue to attempt to acquire more picks by trading down. "

" Should San Diego Chargers fans worry about Ed Roski Jr.? I'd say, yes, absolutely. He's not only a billionaire, he's not your everyday, nutty billionaire. Roski has a pedigree that does not include “rash.” He has a reputation of not doing things willy-nilly. Last week, when Roski proposed building an $800 million NFL stadium on 600 acres of pre-zoned land he owns in the lovely City of Industry – about 20 miles east of L.A. – I wondered aloud: “What's in it for him?”"

""Anybody who plays San Diego, your offensive line better be pretty good," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said recently, "or else you're in for a long day. They have arguably the best front seven in the National Football League." Thus, protecting quarterback Jay Cutler becomes Broncos' priority No. 1. "

"The Chargers come close to being able to say they will take the proverbial best available player at 27th, their first pick. But even this team has a deficiency that begs for immediate bolstering. Depth at offensive tackle is worrisome, extremely so. After starters Marcus McNeill and Jeromey Clary there is . . . no one. (Practice squad tackle Tony Pape could make the roster, but they need more than that.) "

"When last we left Philip Rivers and Jay Cutler, Rivers was jawing at the Broncos' young quarterback from the sideline at Qualcomm Stadium. So, do we have the makings of a personal rivalry between the two? If you're a lip reader, you would vote yes. But Rivers' coach, Norv Turner, says it was much ado about nothing. "

"Not only do Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson expect to be 100 percent by the start of the season, fans might actually get to see Tomlinson in action before the Sept. 7 opener."

"When last we left Philip Rivers and Jay Cutler, Rivers was jawing at the Broncos' young quarterback from the sideline at Qualcomm Stadium."

"A Los Angeles developer who announced plans to build a football stadium Thursday is a friend of the Spanos family, owners of the Chargers, but the team has no plans to move there, according to a team spokesman. Edward Roski Jr. has discussed his plan to build an $800 million stadium in a suburb east of Los Angeles with San Diego Chargers President Dean Spanos and also inquired about the team's availability, said Mark Fabiani, the team's general counsel and spokesman on stadium issues."

"The last of the expected offseason surgeries for Chargers players was performed Thursday as nose guard Jamal Williams underwent his second arthroscopic procedure this month. Williams had his left knee cleaned out, according to team sources. Williams' right knee was cleaned out April 1. His recovery from Thursday's procedure is expected to take two to three weeks, about the same time as his recovery from the first procedure. Twelve Chargers, including eight starters, have undergone offseason surgeries. There is a possibility tight end Antonio Gates (toe) and/or center Nick Hardwick (foot) might not be ready for the start of the season."

"The Chargers will play the first four games of the 2008 season without inside linebacker Stephen Cooper, who has tested positive for a banned substance. Several sources said Cooper tested positive for ephedra in December. "

"The Chargers' 2008 schedule is in one sense every bit as taxing as it could possibly be, considering the extensive travel and frequent night games. Yet it also turned out to be about as friendly as it could be."

"Personally, I care only about the Chargers' draft. I have known very little, because, at this time of year, NFL general managers lie like ballplayers when asked if they've done steroids. I knew San Diego was going to draft James Brooks and Ryan Leaf. Other than those two, no clue. Seriously, around draft time, GMs would lie to their own mothers in church."

"A.J. Smith will proudly and with a deep sense of satisfaction display the names of Chris Chambers, Eric Weddle and Paul Oliver on the Chargers' draft board two weekends from now. Those are the three players already on the Chargers' roster, acquired via moves that cost the team its second-, third-and fourth-round picks in this year's NFL draft. “That's what we did to help the San Diego Chargers win,” Smith said. “That's all that matters.” "

"Even starting their offseason program a couple of weeks later than usual, the Chargers are in some ways immeasurably further along at this point than they were in the first few months of the Norv Turner era."

"Bobby Howard, a lean and alert defensive back at San Diego State and through eight seasons with the Chargers, died here Monday following a long struggle against cancer. He was 63. ?I used to tell him he sucked up all the air in the room. He was that kind of a guy,? said Howard's widow, Barbara. Howard, a native of Tallulah, La., grew up in San Bernardino and played football at San Bernardino Valley College."

"Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith and his scouts will not convene for their two weeks of brainstorming until Monday. So it's somewhat amusing that so many mock drafts floating around cyberspace seem to have pinpointed who the Chargers will pick with the 27th selection of the NFL Draft on April 26."

"The Chargers yesterday agreed to terms on a five-year deal with strong safety Clinton Hart. The new pact keeps Hart, who turns 31 in July, under Chargers control through 2012. His contract was to expire after the '08 season. "

"The Chargers open the exhibition season Aug. 9 at home against the Dallas Cowboys and also host the Seattle Seahawks on “Monday Night Football” on Aug. 25. Kickoff times for the games will be announced later. The Chargers travel to St. Louis in the preseason's second week and finish the exhibition schedule at San Francisco on Aug. 29. "

"Linebacker Marques Harris and cornerback Cletis Gordon signed one-year contracts with the Chargers on Wednesday. Harris was a restricted free agent and Gordon was an exclusive rights free agent. "

"It's Alabama Heat. There must be something to it, down there in the deep, soggy South, where Bear Bryant used to roam the woods in his houndstooth hat. All I know is that two of this city's biggest sports stars – Padres pitcher Jake Peavy and Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers – are from Alabama, and they both are moonshine in a Mason jar, with just a touch of nitro."

"Police are looking for the thief or thieves who stole Chargers' linebacker Shawne Merriman's prized Mercedes Benz and then torched it."

"The Chargers' brass and most everyone else in the NFL heads to Palm Beach, Fla., this weekend for the annual owners' meetings. In the midst of official business, agents, general managers, head coaches and even some players will network. One discussion does not need to take place: Kassim Osgood will be a Charger for two more years. Then he will be gone. "

"Castillo was sitting inside Chargers headquarters last week, jet-lagged from his recent 12-day USO tour of U.S. military bases in Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan. On a handheld device, he toggled between e-mail messages from his new military buddies."

"So just how high can Antonio Cromartie go? The San Diego Chargers cornerback raised the question with his leaping, one-handed palm job of an interception against Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning on Nov. 11. The gravity-defying pickoff punctuated a career-best, three-interception performance in San Diego's 23-21 win."

"The Chargers could be without another offensive starter early next season, as center Nick Hardwick underwent surgery last week to repair a severe sprain in his right foot. Hardwick's recovery could last into September, or he could be healthy when training camp begins at the end of July. “I think I'll be ready to go by the season,” Hardwick said yesterday. “If not, I'll definitely be there when it starts getting interesting.” "

" I never have been to Afghanistan. I cannot perceive that I ever will go to Afghanistan. I don't think cruise lines go there, so I'm out. Luis Castillo has been to Afghanistan. He also has been to Kyrgyzstan, which seems more international eye chart than destination."