Chargers on developer's short list for new Los Angeles stadium

The group spearheading the possibility of building a new stadium in the Los Angeles area have made their intentions explicit about which teams they will be going after—and the San Diego Chargers are one of them.

According to the Union-Tribune, Majestic Reality Company Vice President John Semcken told a group of developers in Orange County that the Chargers—among six other NFL franchises—will be contacted once the group gets the green light to build the stadium.

Along with the Chargers, other possible tenants could be the St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Viking and the San Francisco 49ers—if talks between the 49ers and Santa Clara fall through.

The Rams and Raiders have both spent time in the Los Angeles area.

The talks, according to Semcken, would occur after this season’s Super Bowl. Consequently, the window for the Chargers to tell the city of San Diego that they are leaving Qualcomm Stadium begins in February and runs through April every year.

However, the team is still walking the line and saying that it is looking at options in San Diego.

“We anticipate that the (window) next year will open and close, and we won't do anything,” Chargers stadium point-person Mark Fabiani told the UT.

Semcken said that he expects the stadium to receive the green light next week, either by the California State Senate agreeing to the Assembly bill that lifts environmental laws delaying the stadium's construction or by negotiations that Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg arranged last month.

For more info: Visit the San Diego Stadium Coalition website

The Charger Update 10-06-09

Maybe the bye week is coming at the right time for a Chargers team with bruises and a bruised psyche.

The Chargers are struggling against physical teams, and that was proved once again in Sunday night’s 38-28 loss to the Steelers.

The game wasn’t nearly that close, as the Chargers stumbled from the start and found themselves behind 28-0 midway through the third quarter.

“I give Pittsburgh a lot of credit for their execution,” coach Norv Turner said.

But this was more than the Steelers hitting on all cylinders. It had just as much to do with the Chargers playing their worst game of the young season.

“We were in position to make plays or make tackles and we did not,” Turner said. “And then when you get into a game like that that has four or five plays that ended up being big plays where we had guys trying to do something different than their jobs—getting themselves out of position or not covering a guy they should be covering or coming in on a blitz on the wrong gap—that compounded the problems we had.”

The Chargers’ list of what’s wrong is lengthy.

They can’t run the ball, which speaks to the No. 32 ranking.

They can’t stop the run, which speaks to their No. 28 ranking.

But for one week, the Chargers can concentrate on getting better instead of preparing for another opponent. That will come soon enough, though, when they return to play against the AFC West-leading Broncos on Oct. 19.

“We are in Week 4, and we had a pretty good stretch against good football teams,” Turner said of a slate that included Oakland, Baltimore, Miami and Pittsburgh. “I expected us to play better than we have.

“The bye comes at a good week, and it will give us an opportunity to regroup, look at the things we didn’t do as well as we need to do and fix them.”

NOTES, QUOTES

—The Steelers offense toyed with the Chargers in Sunday’s game. “The stats speak for themselves,” inside linebacker Kevin Burnett said. “It felt like they ran for 400 yards on offense. We couldn’t stop them. They couldn’t be stopped. I think that says enough.” The Chargers were abused for 32 first downs and 497 total yards.

• If nothing else, quarterback Philip Rivers took solace in knowing the Chargers gave their rally a valiant effort. “When you find yourself down 21-0 on the road, the odds are against you,” he said. “We’ve won games after being down, so there was no quit. We fought back as hard as we could and at least made it uncomfortable for them. We didn’t finish the job, so obviously we’re not happy about this.”

• Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman continues to be hobbled by a groin strain. He played in only a handful of plays for the second consecutive week. “Those things don’t heal overnight,” he said. “I made the decision to play in this game, and I’ll use the bye week to heal up and get ready for the next game.”

• RB LaDainian Tomlinson, playing in his first game after missing two with an ankle injury, came out of Sunday’s contest in good health.

• RG Louis Vasquez reported no fallout from playing in his first game in three weeks. He had been out with a knee injury.

• CB Antonio Cromartie, in a tweet after the game, blamed the Chargers employing a zone defense for the reason his game was off in the loss at Pittsburgh.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Player Notes

• DE Luis Castillo (arm) will be limited in practice this week.

• DT Ogemdi Nwagbuo (ankle) will not practice this week.

• DE Jacques Cesaire (calf) will be limited in practice this week.

• WR Malcom Floyd (shoulder) will be limited in practice this week.

• OLB Shawne Merriman (groin) will be limited in practice this week.

• OLB Shaun Phillips (calf) will be limited in practice this week.

• TE Kris Wilson (wrist) will be limited in practice this week.

• ILB Stephen Cooper (knee) is out for the week.

• C Scott Mruczkowski (knee) will not work this week.

• DE Travis Johnson (groin) will not practice this week.

Report Card Vs . STEELERS

Passing Offense: B-minus—Philip Rivers threw for three touchdowns and 254 yards, with no picks. But there were some drops or his numbers would have been higher. Antonio Gates was stellar in catching nine passes for 124 yards and two scores. The pass blocking was OK; Rivers was sacked three times and harassed many more times.

Rushing Offense: F—This should really be an incomplete, as it’s tough to tell about the Chargers’ running game after the team fell behind 28-0 early in the game. LaDainian Tomlinson returned after missing two games but got only 15 yards on seven carries. Hard to believe but the Chargers rushed for only 16 yards on eight attempts—part of that was the score, part of that was the line being manhandled.

Pass Defense: D—Antonio Cromartie is getting picked on—not occasionally, but every game. He has gone from a Pro Bowler to a liability in a remarkable short span. Ben Roethlisberger threw with ease in picking the secondary apart for 33 yards and two scores. The Chargers had three sacks, including the first of the season by an outside linebacker. But there are some real issues here.

Rush Defense: F—What an embarrassment. A second-string runner went for a career-high 165 yards and two scores on 29 rushes. The San Diego line was punished up front, leaving it to the linebackers to try to tackle runners after they had picked up a head of steam. It’s hard to overstate just how bad the Chargers were in stopping the run.

Special Teams: A—Jacob Hester gave the wobbly team a brief breath of fresh air when he stripped the ball and returned it 41 yards on a Pittsburgh punt return. Darren Sproles had a 42-yards kick return, and for the most part, the coverage units were keen, too.

Coaching: F—The Chargers, once again, were not prepared to start a game and fell behind—too far this time. The players aren’t buying into the defensive assignments, and it shows. The offense is still searching for a running attack. Norv Turner has his hands full in righting this ship—a ship that is listing more than the 2-2 record might reveal.

Game Preview: Chargers VS Steelers

Source: Bolts from the Blue

Time for the weekly enlightenment breakdown. In reality, this is one of those games where San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers fans alike should throw the stats out the window. These teams played two evenly-matched games last year that Pittsburgh won because they had that extra oomph. Their offensive line and running game gave them the advantage, and Roethlisberger made enough of those "Nobody can sack this guy!" plays to kill any Chargers comebacks.

With that in mind.....I like stats. The most important one to start with is weather. Sunday night's forecast is looking like it'll be around 45-50 degrees with clear skies. Exactly what the Bolts and their fans were hoping for. Now, lets take a look at the teams and see who will have the advantages for this game.

When the Steelers Have the Ball

If you were to ask me to rate the Chargers' defense thus far on a scale from Poor to Great, I'd probably say it was average. I'd be right. Out of 32 NFL teams, the boys in blue rank 14th in yards allowed and 19th in points allowed per game. In a rare twist from years past, it's actually the pass defense (8th) and now the run defense (26th) that is keeping the team competitive without the football. While this seems to play right into the Steelers' philosophy, Willie Parker will be slowed by a turf toe injury that could certainly benefit the Bolts this week.

Last season, with a healthy Jamal Williams at DT, Willie Parker ran for 261 on 52 carries (5.0 YPC) in two games against the Chargers. This season, without JW in the center of the line it could've been worse. However, after watching LT in 2008 we're all very familiar with the effects of turf toe on a running back. I'm not saying it'll be a piece of cake, but the chances of the Chargers forcing Pittsburgh to throw the ball to win the game are greatly increased by that injured toe.

Through the first three weeks of the season, Pittsburgh has the league's 12th best offense. Their rushing game, with Willie Parker, ranks 27th (it was ranked 23rd in 2008) and their passing game has had to try to carry the load (8th). Although Ben Roethlisberger has two Super Bowl victories under his belt, this is not a team that wants to get into an shootout through the air with anybody. Especially not against the Chargers. However, with teams stopping the run and being able to score on their defense late, the Steelers have fallen to 1-2. Their only victory came against the 0-3 Tennessee Titans, who are so anemic offensively that they only scored 10 points even after Roethlisberger threw 2 interceptions.

The game plan is simple. Stop the run, force Ben to pass. Whether he's throwing into a zone or throwing against man-defense with a decent pass-rush doesn't matter at this point. What matters is step one. Start at step one: Stop the Run. With an rushing offense ranked 27th and missing their best RB, that should seem easy. However, Pittsburgh's running game wasn't much better last year when Willie Parker turned into Walter Payton against the Bolts. It's important that they keep their focus, and it's important for Ogemdi Nwagbuo to not get pushed backwards.

Advantage: Chargers. I came close to saying tie, but I just can't see Parker being effective on Sunday night. Although Pittsburgh ranks 8th in terms of offensive yardage, they rank 25th in terms of offensive points scored per game. Nobody on the team not named Ben Roethlisberger has a rushing TD yet. Santonio Holmes has disappeared since his big game against the Tennessee Titans on opening night. This is a sputtering offense that seems to be heading backwards while the Chargers defense looks to me to be improving. Most importantly, the Chargers' weakness (rush defense) is also the Steelers' weakness (they can't run). Roethlisberger will be forced to throw against Quentin Jammer, Antonio Cromartie, Antoine Cason and Eric Weddle, which presents lots of opportunities for turnovers and puts the Chargers biggest strength in charge of determining the game's outcome. I can live with that.

When the Chargers Have the Ball

Pittsburgh's 2009 team is not too different from their 2008 team. The roster and coaching staff is generally left in tact. The difference is that the defense, without Troy Polamalu or much of a pass rush (14th in sacks), has not been able to carry them to victory. Currently they rank 8th in total defensive yards given up (25th in points allowed per game), 15th against the pass and 6th at stopping the run. Weakness (inability to stop the pass), meet strength (Philip Rivers).

The Chargers' offense is ranked 8th overall after the first 3 weeks of the season, ranked 2nd in throwing the ball and 31st in running it. Yes, Bolts fans, the Chargers running game is only slightly better than the 32nd ranked Arizona Cardinals. However, those Cardinals are the NFC Champions and did come one amazing Santonio Holmes TD catch away from winning the Super Bowl in 2008. So that's promising I suppose.

Advantage: Chargers. First, the bad news. This is still drawing parallels to the 2008 Steelers team that went 2-0 against the Chargers in Pittsburgh. Those Steelers ranked 17th against the pass and 20th in points allowed per game. The good news is that they will be missing the big playmaker that always seemed to end the comeback drive (Polamalu). Since Troy has gone down, the Steelers have lost to Jay Cutler and Carson Palmer. You know Philip Rivers wants to be on that list of QBs to have recently knocked off the Super Bowl Champions.

I don't think William Gay and Deshea Townsend (both 5'10") are going to be able to cover Malcom Floyd and Legedu Naanee. I don't think the Steelers have one guy who can cover Antonio Gates and another guy to cover LaDainian Tomlinson and/or Darren Sproles. If the offensive line can keep the Pittsburgh pass-rush in check, this should be another great day for Rivers.

Final Analysis

Here's where things are going to get gloomy again. The Pittsburgh Steelers went 8-2 at home in 2008. Their stadium sells out years in advance and their fanbase is one of the most dedicated in football. They have a supreme home field advantage. Although their 2009 record is 1-2, they're still undefeated (1-0) at home. Even more shocking is that the Chargers have played against the Steelers in Pittsburgh 13 times in the last 40 years or so, and have never won a game there. The Bolts are 0-13 when playing in the Steel City. Not only will the Chargers have to overcome the Steelers' team (which looks entirely possible), they have to overome the crowd (not as easy).

For me, this game rests on the shoulders of Marcus McNeill. Although I criticized him last week, I was told his flu was quite severe and that he lost a lot of weight during the week leading up to the game. If he's healthy again, and can handle James Harrison, I feel like the Chargers cannot lose. If Harrison is causing all sorts of problems for Rivers, it's going to be hard to move the ball downfield and Norv will have to rely on the big passing plays again (always a risky gameplan).

LT back at practice for Bolts

Source: AP

SAN DIEGO — LaDainian Tomlinson was back at practice Wednesday for the first time since spraining his right ankle in the season opener, an encouraging sign for a San Diego Chargers team that has struggled to run the ball.

After missing two straight games for the first time in his brilliant career, Tomlinson hopes he can play Sunday night at Pittsburgh. Not only do the Chargers (2-1) expect the defending Super Bowl champions to be riled up after falling to 1-2, but San Diego hasn't won in Pittsburgh since upsetting the Steelers in the AFC championship game following the 1994 season.

The Chargers have been careful to avoid rushing Tomlinson back. They could either chose to let him play Sunday night or have him sit out a third straight game and then have the bye week to continue to heal.

"I want to play in this game," Tomlinson said. "But again, that's dependent on how the ankle does. I think having the bye week definitely helps us both ways, playing and not playing. I think we're going to wait and see."

Tomlinson participated in all of practice.

"I'm just trying to get back into it, just kind of testing it and see how it feels during practice," he said. "Any time you come off being injured, you gain confidence back by practicing. So today was a measuring stick of where I am. It felt pretty good."

Tomlinson said the key will be how his ankle feels on Thursday.

"I'm going to continue to get treatment and we'll see as the week goes along," he said.

"It was good to have L.T. practice," coach Norv Turner said. "I thought for what we asked him to do and what he did in the first day back, things went smooth. I'm anxious to see how he feels in the morning. I thought there were a couple of times that he turned it on pretty good. But again, when you're coming back, to me, it's a day-to-day thing and we'll see where he is tomorrow."

Tomlinson's absence coincided with the Chargers struggling not only in the running game, but when they had the ball inside the opponent's 20.

They're 1-for-11 in the red zone in their last two games, with the only touchdown being Philip Rivers' 5-yard run in Sunday's 23-13 win over Miami.

The Chargers are usually strong inside the 20 with Tomlinson, the 2006 NFL MVP.

"Any way I can help this team, I'm willing to do it," he said. "Definitely the red zone is the area maybe I can take some of the pressure off things that we do down there, and teams have to play us a little bit more honest. That's what it's all about, and hopefully I can do that."

The Chargers have gained only 199 yards in three games, ranking them next-to-last in the NFL.

"There's no question throughout the season we're better when we run the ball well," Turner said. "You look at the end of the year last year when we started playing the way we're capable of playing, it was because we got the run going. We haven't run the ball well enough to keep them from just zeroing in on our passer and our pass protections."

Also back at practice was rookie right guard Louis Vasquez, who hasn't played since spraining a knee in the season opener.

Philip Good Game, SD Defense Not So Much

Source: September 20, 7:40 PMSan Diego Sports ExaminerGerald Nicdao

When a team amasses 474 total yards against the Baltimore Ravens, usually that team gets the victory—except when that same team goes 0-for-5 in red zone touchdown attempts.

That’s what the San Diego Chargers did in their home-opening loss against the Ravens on Sunday.

San Diego had five possessions inside the 20 and came away with four field goals and one turnover.

However, the Chargers were fluid and electric outside of the red zone.

Quarterback Philip Rivers passed for a career-high 436 yards. Rivers completed nine passes for over 20 yards (including an 81-yard touchdown to Darren Sproles on a swing pass and a 35-yard strike to Vincent Jackson in the end zone).

But inside the 20, San Diego was pedestrian, unable to run the ball and unable to get the ball in the end zone.

Four times did the Chargers settle for field goals. The last red zone venture ended with Ray Lewis stuffing Darren Sproles on a fourth-and-second on the 15-yard line.

If you don’t score in the red zone, you don’t win football games, no matter how many yards you put up on one of the best defenses in the NFL.

But why did San Diego fail inside the 20? The same reason why the Chargers almost lost last week against the Oakland Raiders—they’re soft.

The Ravens are known for their physicality. Not as fast as San Diego—which is why the Chargers were able to score the big play multiple times—Baltimore was stout with its back against the wall.

With not much room to operate, the Chargers’ skill and speed was neutralized when they were 20 yards from pay dirt. The Ravens’ brute strength dominated San Diego’s offensive line—which was missing two starters (center Nick Hardwick and rookie guard Louis Vazquez).

Rivers was sacked in San Diego’s first trip to the red zone for a loss of 10 yards.

Sproles was tackled twice behind the line of scrimmage in the Chargers’ second red zone possession.

San Diego shot itself in the foot with a delay of game penalty in the third try inside the red zone, with the ball on the 1-yard line.

And Sproles was stuffed for a loss of five yards on the Chargers final possession.

(By the way, why do you run a power formation against arguable the strongest defense in the NFL on fourth and short with the game on the line?)

How that all happened was Baltimore penetration and a lack of push by San Diego’s offensive line.

"They pressure down there so you're trying to sort things out of how to block," Rivers told the Associated Press after the game. “They brought as many as they could bring on some of them. I think it was more a lack of execution than anything and those delays that killed us."

Rivers and the rest of the Chargers were dazzling, despite rushing for only 53 yards the entire game. San Diego’s talent was too much for Baltimore outside the 20-yard line.

But inside, the Chargers lack of toughness was exploited.

San Diego’s talent helped it overcome the Raiders’ physicality, but against teams that are just as physical and more talented, the Chargers have no shot.

Just ask Baltimore.

San Diego Chargers' All-Time Roster Dwarfs the Oakland Raiders'

By J.D. Harrison

Raider fans always seem to talk about their all-time players, as the greatest that ever played the game. But in all reality, when you compare them to their rival the San Diego Chargers, you see that not only is the all-time roster of the Chargers better than the Raiders, but in some aspects, they straight up embarrass them!

Comparing both sides CURRENT roster is a laughable thought, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt and dig deep into the Raider's past they talk so proudly about.

Now I know by now any Raider fan reading this, will probably say something like the Raiders have three Super Bowls and we have zero.

This is not what this article is about! This article is about the sheer all-time talent that each team has produced, based on stats. I picked the best the Raider nation had to offer and compared them to the San Diego Chargers.

There are many reasons why a team can go to the Super Bowl, other than sheer talent. Bad referee calls can be made resulting in somebody advancing or not advancing, players getting hurt etc. Many times the Raiders have squeaked by in big games because of bad calls or just straight up cheating.

So I factored all of these hypotheticals out of the equation, and compared the two teams solely on sheer talent.

This article is not about talking trash. It's about comparing the best of each side!

So here we go! The top five star positions and their players.

Lets start with the QB position.

George Blanda is the only QB in the Hall of Fame for the Raiders. Ken Stabler is not in the Hall of Fame yet, but he was voted the number two greatest Raider of all-time by NFL.com. On the other side of the ball, we have Dan Fouts, also the only QB for the Chargers in the Hall of Fame.

After 26 years with the Raiders, Blanda retired with 236 touchdowns, 277 interceptions, 26,920 yards, 4 pro bowls and retired with a QB rating of 60.6.

Ken Stabler played for 16 years (only 11 years with the Raiders). Stabler retired with 194 touchdowns, threw for 27,938 yards, four pro bowls, and retired with a QB rating of 75.3.

Dan Fouts tops ALL of these stats, while shattering a few in the process. Not to mention, doing it almost as twice as fast as Blanda! After only 14 years, Fouts threw for 254 touchdowns, 242 interceptions, 43,040 yards, six pro bowls, and retired with a QB rating of 80.2!

Moving on to the TE position.

Dave Casper is the Raider's greatest TE and the only one in the the Hall of Fame. He played for 10 years and had 378 receptions, 5,216 receiving yards and was voted to the pro-bowl 5 times. Compare that to the greatest TE of all time, Kellen Winslow.

Even though Casper played two more years than Winslow did, he still couldn't catch up. Winlslow retired with 541 receptions, 6,741 receiving yards and went to the pro bowl five times. I won't even begin to mention Antonio Gates and everything he has and will accomplish.

Now the WR position.

Fred Biletnikoff was voted the greatest Raider of all-time by NFL.com and is the teams only WR in the Hall of Fame. He retired with 76 touchdowns, 8,974 receiving yards, 589 receptions and six pro bowls. Compare that to the Charger's greatest WR, Lance Alworth. He retired with 85 touchdowns, 10,266 receiving yards, 542 receptions and seven pro bowls.

Now moving to the DE position.

Howie Long is arguably one of the most famous Raiders of all-time. He sits in the Hall of Fame as the teams greatest DE. He played for 12 years and had a total of 9.5 sacks in 179 games.

On San Diego's side, we have the great Fred Dean proudly representing the position in the Hall of Fame for the Chargers. He only played HALF the time as Long did and still has better numbers.

In only six years, Fred Dean had 93 sacks, in 141 games. More sacks, in half the time.

Last but not least, the RB position.

The Hall of Famer Marcus Allen is by far the greatest RB the Raiders have ever produced. Ranked the No. 5 Raider of all-time by NFL.com and by some he is considered No. 1. He played a 16 year career and retired with 12,243 rushing yards, 123 touchdowns, six pro bowls and averaged 4.1 yards a carry.

Try and compare those numbers to one of the greatest running backs of all-time, LaDainian Tomlinson.

If LT stopped playing today he would be in the Hall of Fame, period. Arguably the greatest Charger of all-time, LT has only played half the time Allen did.

LT's current career stats: 11,760 rushing yards, 141 touchdowns, averages 4.4 yards a carry and has five pro bowls. Keep in mind that is only eight years, half Allen's career. Not to mention the 16 NFL records LT holds, including the most touchdowns scored in a single season by a running back, the most in NFL history.

Now days the once "great" Raider Nation has fallen from grace. The franchise has done a complete turn around and is now one of today's worst teams. The last record the Raiders set, was losing more games in a six year period than any other team in NFL history.

On the other hand, the San Diego Chargers have turned their franchise around, but in a good way. They are currently one of the top teams in the NFL. Shooting for their fourth Division title in a row and their 12th straight win against the Raiders this season, the Chargers are on their way to a Super Bowl.

So there it its. The star positions and their players. I'm sure the Raiders will throw some names out there that I missed, but even if they do, this article still proves that the Chargers are the dominant all-time roster. The stats speak for themselves.

Inroducing The New Charger Girls of '09-'10

The new Charger Girls were introduced today...Enjoy!

The Chargers have been knocking on the Super Bowl the past two seasons.

Two years ago they advanced to the AFC Championship Game before falling to Patriots.

Last year they fell one game short of the conference title tilt when losing to the Steelers in the playoffs.

Is this the year the Chargers finally crash through that door to reach their second Super Bowl in franchise history?

“I think we’re very close,” running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. “Obviously over the past two years we’ve been hampered a little bit by injuries. That’s been the unlucky part of it. I’ve got to figure that it’s our time. I’ve got to figure that this is not going to continue to happen to us where we get so close and get injured and really hurt ourselves in that way where we can’t be at full strength.”

Tomlinson knows about the health issues all too well.

It was a torn groin muscle that prevented him from playing at Heinz Field when the team stumbled against the Steelers.

The previous season, Tomlinson was done for the game after the first quarter when aggravating a knee injury against the Patriots. Others ailing that frigid New England day were quarterback Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates.

“When we’re at full strength, we’re a tough team to deal with,” Tomlinson said. “I think everyone has seen that in the past. I’m looking forward to being at full strength with this team.”

The Chargers are hopeful it’s not trend with Tomlinson being beat up and unable to go when he is needed most. He soon turns 30 years of age and its possible Tomlinson’s bumps and bruises will take longer to heal.

Tomlinson said he is eager to show he can stay fit for 16 games, plus a postseason.

“Absolutely,” he said. “I feel like I do have to prove I can stay healthy. I’ve always felt like I needed to prove something.”

Tomlinson said his status reminds him of when he was drafted fifth overall and some wondered if he would last - he’s entering his ninth year.

“When I first came into the league, I wanted to prove that I could play in this league and that I could be dominant,” he said. “I know I can do that.

“Going on 30, I want to prove that I can stay healthy a full season and still be that dominant player. Honestly, I haven’t had any serious injuries with surgeries. I don’t see why I can’t continue to be a dominant player.”

Which would mean the Chargers would continue to be a dominate team.

NOTES, QUOTES

—The Chargers have been busy in welcoming in potential players as the draft draws nears. Among those expected to break bread with the Chargers are: S William Moore (Missouri), LB Rey Maualuga (USC), DT Ziggy Hood (Missouri), DT Tyson Jackson (LSU) and DT Jarron Gilbert (San Jose State).

—The Chargers are hopeful S Clinton Hart can bounce back after a so-so season. Hart’s season was derailed after he broke his hand in the second game. And he heard his detractors before eventually losing his starting job. “Nobody is more critical of my play than I am,” he said. “I had a lot of swagger and confidence in 2007. I wasn’t out there hurt. I believed I could tackle with the best of them, cover the best tight ends and do my job. For some reason, 2008 wasn’t that way. It was a tough year and I know I have to be better than that.”

—The San Diego City Attorney is contemplating drunken driving charges against DT Jamal Williams, who was arrested in February.

—The Chargers’ preseason opponents, with the actual dates to follow: Seattle, at Arizona, at Atlanta and San Francisco. The game at Atlanta will be nationally televised by CBS on Aug. 29.

QUOTE TO NOTE: “My mind is fresh. I think my body is as young as anybody’s here. My work ethic is just as good as anybody’s here.” — SS Clinton Hart, on why he thinks he can rebound after a disappointing 2008 season.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

No free agents are expected to meet with the Chargers until after the draft.

The team continues, it seems, to waffle between going for a running back with its first-round pick to start grooming as LaDainian Tomlinson’s eventual replacement or filling another hole.

There are also needs on the defensive side, after losing starting end Igor Olshansky to free agency and questions about the durability of veteran defensive tackle Jamal Williams.

TEAM NEEDS/OFFSEASON STRATEGY

While the Chargers are seldom players early in free agency with any significant signings, keep an eye on them once the draft is history.

General manager A. J. Smith is keen at filling needs not addressed through the draft by picking up veteran players let go or have yet to sign as training camp draws near.

Last year he picked up backup linebacker Derek Smith and center Jeremy Newberry - both players were starters in the early part of the season because of injuries.

So just because the Chargers have yet to make a splash in the free-agent pool, that doesn’t mean they won’t dip their toe in the water again at some point after the draft.

TEAM NEEDS

1. Strong safety: The Chargers’ pass defense was horrible last year. It wasn’t all Clinton Hart’s fault but it’s obvious the team seeks a hard-hitter on the back end to strike some fear into receivers. That pass defense should improve with the return of a healthy Shawne Merriman, but an upgrade at strong safety would help as well.

2. Right guard: The departure of Mike Goff as a free agent and the lack of depth behind him is a concern. If the Chargers can fill the right guard spot, there might not as much urgency to try and replace right tackle Jeromey Clary as well. The Chargers must shore the right side of the line, but the biggest void is at tackle.

3. Defensive end: With Igor Olshansky being allowed to flee in free agency, the Chargers aren’t certain they have a bona fide started on the roster. The team could fill this need through the draft.

MEDICAL WATCH: OLB Shawne Merriman (knee) is expected to be a full go in the offseason workouts.

FRANCHISE PLAYER: RB Darren Sproles: Tendered at $6.621M.

TRANSITION PLAYER: None.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

—OLB Marques Harris was used on passing downs and has shown some promise, but he won’t be re-signed.

—C Jeremy Newberry was a valuable backup when Nick Hardwick was injured early last season, but the Chargers won’t re-sign him.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

—WR Malcom Floyd (tendered at $1.545M with second-round pick as compensation) has a good connection with QB Philip Rivers and can be a solid red-zone target. Injuries slowed him some down the stretch last year.

—CB Cletis Gordon (tendered at $1.545M with second-round pick as compensation) surprised some by getting that tender as some of his shortcomings were exposed when playing extended stretches last year. But he is a solid special teams player and has potential as a returner.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: None.

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED

—OT Jeromey Clary: ERFA; $460,000/1 yr.

—OG Kynan Forney: Potential UFA; $4.8M/2 yrs, SB unknown.

PLAYERS ACQUIRED

—LB Kevin Burnett: UFA Cowboys; $5.5M/2 yrs, $2M SB.

PLAYERS LOST

—RB Eldra Buckley (released).

—OG Mike Goff: UFA Chargers; $3.5M/2 yrs, guarantees unknown.

—DE Igor Olshansky: UFA Cowboys; $18M/4 yrs, $8M guaranteed.

—LB Anthony Waters (released).