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June 2008
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Recently in Chargers Category
Philip Rivers played last January's AFC Championship game in New England with a damaged right knee, one which required surgery two days after that game to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament. He participated in Friday's first session of the Chargers' mini-camp, when the offense ran plays with no opposition. He will sit out any competitive drills, however, to avoid the risk that someone might fall on him and create a setback. "It feels pretty good," Rivers said. "It's been a good rehab, a good couple of months. I've made a lot of progress. It's still a little sore, and it's got a ways to go until it's fully ready, but we have a couple months left so I'm in good shape. The Chargers began their three-day mini-camp this morning, and rookie running back Jacob Hester found himself being steered to the correct spot by LaDainian Tomlinson during a couple of drills. "It was fast, fast-paced," said Hester, the team's third-round draft choice from LSU. "You don't have a lot of chance to grasp it and learn it. You've got to learn on the run. Luckily, the verterans kind of helped me out there. "It's different. Everybody always says it's a step up in tempo and speed, and they're right. Even playing in the best league in college didn't compare to this, because this is the best of the best. It's definitely a high tempo and something you've got to get used to." LT is impressed already. "I watched him a bunch in college, so I'm pretty familiar with what he's able to do on the football field," Tomlinson said. "It seems like he's a guy who really wants to learn what's going on, and I think he's going to help us in a lot of different ways." Here's a look at what the Chargers got when A.J. Smith traded up to grab Hester: Here's a release from the Chargers: The Chargers made a move to bolster their offensive line Tuesday as they agreed to terms with tackle L.J. Shelton on a two-year deal. "We had the opportunity to add an experienced, good player to the mix at offensive tackle," General Manager A.J. Smith said. "L.J. has played both left and right tackle during his career. We were thin at the position and we were determined to find a talented player. We believe we've addressed the need with L.J. Shelton." Shelton, 6-6, 345, who enters his 10th NFL season in 2008, brings a wealth of experience and versatility to San Diego. He's played in 130 games and started 125 during his career. In 2007 with the Miami Dolphins, he started all 16 games at right tackle. A year earlier, he started five games at left tackle before moving inside to right guard for the final 11 games. Prior to joining the Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent in 2006, Shelton spent the 2005 season with the Cleveland Browns. He started all 16 games at left tackle that year. Shelton spent the first six seasons of his career in Arizona, where he was the club's starting left tackle for five of them. Shelton, an All-Mac performer at Eastern Michigan, was selected by the Cardinals in the first round (21st overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft. Here's the complete list of rookie free agents expected to participate in this weekend's mini camp: Day 2 of the NFL draft is underway at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.In keeping with the trend set Saturday, the first pick of the day was traded (the 13th deal of the draft) as Detroit and Miami swapped picks and the Lions moving up to the top of Round 3 to take Central Florida running back Kevin Smith at 64. ... Five picks later, the Chargers moved up from 160 to the Patriots' spot at 69 to take LSU running back Jacob Hester. The Chargers gave up their second-round choice in the 2009 draft and their pick at 160 to take Hester, a hard-nosed hybrid running back. Is he a fullback? Is he a halfback? Is he an H-back? Is he a special teams player? What he'll say is he's simply a football player. And that versatility will give him an opportunity to get on the field immediately for the Bolts. Is landing Hester worth next year's No. 2? Is he the player fans had hoped the team would bring in to replace the departed Michael Turner and provide insurance for LT? Probably not. Check out his NFL.com bio. ... The Raiders don't pick until 104 ... The Browns won't make their first pick until 122. The Chargers used the 27th pick of the first round of the draft to select Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason, the Thorpe Award winner as the nation's top defensive back. Cason will immediately battle for playing time at nickel replacing Drayton Florence, who left via free agency. He also can return punts. Check out his NFL Network bio. September (* Sunday night games indicated are subject to change) The Chargers won a second consecutive AFC West Division title and played in the AFC Championship game and who does the triumvirate of NFL/ABC/ESPN select for the opening Monday Night Football doubleheader? That's right, the Raiders vs. the Broncos. That Javon Walker subplot is sure to attract American Idolesque ratings. RIGHT. To make it up to the dissed and rightfully miffed Bolts, the good folks at the core of the sports world in Bristol, Connecticut have graciously picked the Chargers to play on Monday Night Football -- in an August EXHIBITION against Seattle. Reschedule those vacation plans to the river, Mable, the Chargers have a practice game on Monday Night Football. Fun and games aside, here's the practice game schedule for (cue deep-voiced announcer) YOUR TWO-TIME AFC WEST DIVISION CHAMPION CHARGERS: Week 1: August 9 vs. Dallas
For the draft hound in all of us who may have missed Monday's news out of the NFL owners meetings, here's the lowdown on compensatory picks handed out like chocolate on Halloween, courtesy of a release from the Chargers. Here's an edited version of that release: A total of 32 compensatory choices in the 2008 NFL Draft has been awarded to 15 teams. The Chargers received a fifth-round choice and now have five picks in April 26-27 draft: first round (27th overall), fifth round (160th and 166th) and one each in the sixth (192nd) and seventh (234th) rounds. Under terms of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in a year is eligible to receive compensatory draft picks. The number of picks a team receives equals the net loss of compensatory free agents up to a maximum of four. The 32 compensatory choices announced today will supplement the 220 choices in the seven rounds of the draft. (The 252 total is the lowest since 2001 when there were 246 choices. There were 255 picks in each of the last four drafts.) This year, the compensatory picks will be positioned within the third through seventh rounds based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost. Compensatory free agents are determined by a formula based on salary, playing time and postseason honors. The formula was developed by the NFL Management Council. Not every free agent lost or signed by a club is covered by this formula. One club this year (St. Louis) will receive a compensatory pick even though it did not suffer a net loss of compensatory free agents. Under the formula, the compensatory free agents St. Louis lost were ranked higher than the ones it signed (by a specified point differential based upon salary and performance). Here's a breakdown of the comp picks listing round, selection number of that round, overall selection number and team: --Jeffrey Parenti The Atlanta Falcons won a coin toss for draft position Friday and will pick third in the April 26 draft. The Raiders will select fourth and the Kansas City Chiefs will pick fifth. There will be 31 picks in the first round, with New England losing its choice, taken away as part of the penalty for its illegal taping of opponents’ signals. Here's the complete first-round order: Soup or sundae? Actually, we had chowder: Patriots (New England clam), Giants (Manhattan clam) and Undecided (chicken/corn for those who didn’t like the swimmers). ... Marie Callender's said they stopped making Boston Cream pie, so we settled for Banana Cream and a Chocolate Mousse cake (from Trader Joe’s) that was simply to die for. ... With that as the foundation of the spread you’d think I would have come away with a better taste in my mouth after the Big Game. And if you like defense and hate the Patriots and love a dramatic finish and think it’s OK if the best officials in the game – supposedly – miss a few calls that 97.5 million of the rest of us saw than you are clearly among the majority who walked away gushing about it being one of best NFL championship games ever. Not me. Sorry. Yes, even 11 days later, there remains a sour taste in my mouth about that one. ... Chargers defensive tackle Jamal Williams and tight end Antonio Gates will not play in the NFL Pro Bowl on Sunday, the team announced Monday. Here's the rest of the team release: Williams suffered an ankle injury in December that nagged him throughout the end of the regular season and the playoffs. Gates dislocated his left big toe during the Chargers' Wild Card playoff victory over the Tennessee Titans on January 6. Gates was named to his fourth-consecutive Pro Bowl and Williams earned his third-straight invitation to Hawaii. This is the first time either player will miss the NFL All-Star contest. Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow II, son of Chargers Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow, will replace Gates on the AFC roster. Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Casey Hampton will take Williams' spot. The Chargers issued the following release today: CHARGERS CANCEL ACCOUNTS OF DISRUPTIVE FANS In an effort to maintain a positive, fan-friendly atmosphere at games at Qualcomm Stadium, the team announced today that more than 300 season tickets are being cancelled due to violations of the team's Code of Conduct for home games. These individuals will no longer be allowed to purchase tickets from the team.
Most cases involved ticket holders who Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers underwent successful surgery today to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the team said in a release. The surgery was done by Dr. David Chao at the Health South Surgical Center. Rivers will now begin an aggressive 4-6 month rehabilitation program, the release said. Apologies for the delay, I know y'all been chompin' at the bit to get my take from Championship Sunday. ... Ryan Grant was open underneath on Brett Favre's fateful interception that ended the warm-and-fuzzy story of the year. Old Brett lost track of his underneath receivers most of the game. And they were mostly open. ... The Packers gave up way too early on the run. Was Grant injured? Philip Rivers will need re-constructive surgery on his right knee to repair his torn ACL and MCL. More leftovers from the Chargers locker room: Norv Turner, usually composed, barked back when a questioner pressed him about LaDainian Tomlinson's absence, suggesting that since Tomlinson had been taken off the injury list Friday, he was 100 percent -- and if he wasn't 100 percent, he shouldn't have been taken off the list. "LT tried to go, and he just couldn't go," Turner siad. "The pain in the knee, what he felt, he couldn't push off it and he couldn't go." What was the difference, he was asked, in practice in San Diego where he was able to go, versus the cold weather in Foxborough? "No, you're not getting hit," Turner said. "He ran and cut and every day got better and felt he could go, but there's a lot of difference when you lower your shoulder and run into a 300-pound guy, as compared to running and cutting and splitting against air." Junior Seau and Rodney Harrison, both members of the Chargers' last Super Bowl team, had big roles in denying them another trip. Seau had six tackles (three unassisted), one sack, and the critical third-and-1 stop on Michael Turner that forced San Diego to settle for a field goal after getting to the Patriots' 4 in the third quarter. Harrison had seven tackles (four unassisted). "Every game's emotional," Seau said. "You know, to talk about the history of myself and the San Diego Chargers, I am always a Charger. That's my home. You know, I took the scenic route to get here. I took the scenic route. But we played and experienced it together. That's how I look at it. "Emotional? I'm always emotional. I can't get up higher for one game over the other. It's not going to work that way. It never will." After throwing what appeared to be a critical interception at the goal line on New England's last drive -- his third of the day -- Brady shook it off and turned into his former clutch self. He was 4-for-4 passing on an 8-play, 67-yard drive, including a 6-yard bullet to Wes Welker for the TD. The Patriots were 2 yards away from reestablishing control of the game ... but Tom Brady threw his third interception of the game, Antonio Cromartie picking off a pass intended for Benjamin Watson in the end zone. A touchdown would have made it 21-12 with the PAT. Instead it's still a two-point margin, and the Chargers have the ball at their 4 with 2:56 left in the third quarter.
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