A.J. ended with a little humor. Discussing the October trip to London, A.J. was asked if he'd wear a Hawaiian shirt if he was invited to Buckingham Palace. He promised he'd bring out his Sunday best if he had such an opportunity.
The press conference is done. Check the homepage shortly for a full recap.
A.J. said that Lorenzo, Shane and Marlon requested their release. The Chargers tried to trade Lorenzo last week but weren't able to.
In particular, A.J. said he had a great phone conversation with Lorenzo this morning. He thanked him for all he's done and wished him well.
The Chargers are resigned to the fact that Drayton Florence and Michael Turner will move on with "big money" contracts.
A.J. is more optimistic about Billy Volek. Billy will test the market but could come back if the right situation doesn't come along elsewhere. If not, the Chargers are comfortable with having Charlie Whitehurst as their number two.
A.J. said he won't consider drafting a kicker, punter or tight end. Every other position is an option. This draft is about replenishing some depth.
"We're loaded with players that we like," Smith said.
A.J. said that the Chargers will likely be observers and not participators during the opening few days of free agency. This is a good roster, and there aren't any plans to make a big move in free agency.
A.J. has delivered the meat and potatoes of the news. He's taking questions now. As soon as he's done, i'll fill in the news with his comments on the homepage.
I'll keep updating anything significant that he says.
As typical in the weeks immediately following the NFL season, several Chargers underwent operations to repair injuries suffered during the season. Eight players have already undergone surgeries.
That group includes defensive tackle Ryon Bingham (shoulder, 4-6 week recovery); Clary (shoulder, 3-4 months); tight end Antonio Gates (toe, 4-6 months); guard Mike Goff (knees, 4-6 weeks); Pinnock (knee, 4-6 months); quarterback Philip Rivers (knee, 4-6 months); linebacker Brandon Siler (shoulder, 4-6 weeks); and center Cory Withrow (knee, 2-4 weeks).
Others who will have operations but have not yet scheduled them include tackle Marcus McNeill (shoulder), linebacker Shawne Merriman (knee) and defensive tackle Jamal Williams (knees).
The Bolts have six Exclusive Rights Free Agents. Offensive tackle Jeromey Clary, wide receiver Malcom Floyd, cornerback Cletis Gordon, safety Steve Gregory and defensive tackle Brandon McKinney will be offered tenders, meaning that they do not have the opportunity to negotiate with other clubs.
Running back Tyronne Gross is an exclusive rights free agent but will not be tendered.
It had been rumored that the Chargers would release a couple veterans before free agency starts, and A.J. Smith confirmed that at his press conference.
Fullback Lorenzo Neal, safety Marlon McCree and tackle Shane Olivea were informed of their release Thursday morning.
Chargers PR boss Bill Johnston just handed out a press release outlining some of the things A.J. will address. It doesn't include veteran cuts, which AJ will announce when he starts.
It does, however, say that team has placed a second-round tender on linebacker Marques Harris. That means another team may sign Harris to an "offer sheet," but the Chargers have the option to match the offer. If the Chargers chose not to match the offer, San Diego would receive that team's second-round pick in April's NFL Draft.
The Bolts have three restricted free agents. Scott Mruczkowski signed a new deal yesterday. Dave Rayner won't be offered a tender.
A.J. Smith will be in the media center in a few minutes. keep refreshing the blog. I'll be updating as he delivers the news today.
An article on the weHow web site explains how to setup DirecTV at a football tailgate. The site claims it’s a “Moderately Challenging” setup with 19 descriptive steps on how it can be done.
"Did you know that you can setup your DirecTV or Dish Network satellite TV system almost anywhere? Yes it is an amazing concept! You can take it camping, tailgating, or to your vacation/second home. You will need a DirecTV or Dish Network subscription, a portable satellite dish, power, a satellite receiver and a TV."
All the information you need is right here.
Now that's tailgating!
Yes, it’sa little late, to make a pick for the Thursday night game but I wanted to get in on forum member JCDavey’s weekly pickems. Hurry, you can too!
Since Sunday, I’ve spent many hours reading literally thousands of posts from fans about the shooting of Steve Foley by an off-duty police officer. It is a tragedy in every sense of the word for everyone involved.
An overwhelming number of posts are supportive – no one likes to see someone suffering – but there are also a few people that feel Foley is just a bad guy that had it coming.
Any way you look at it, it’s our fault. Sort of.
By P.S. Hamilton
This week the Chargers locked up yet another of their young and talented players, right offensive tackle Shane Olivea. He was given a generous contract extension beyond his wildest dreams, a 20 million-dollar deal that makes him the sixth highest paid offensive tackle in the league. 
The Chargers are not only playing smart football…they are playing smart with their future. They’re building a playoff and, dare I say it -- Superbowl contender, that will be a force in this league for many years to come.
11:58 - After all said and done the Chargers followed Marty’s mantra of “one play at a time” they could have easily gave up, after the terrible start, easily could have said this was a meaningless preseason game and folded, but it was more important for this team to come out with a victory at home, so they fought back from adversity and came out on top, 31-20. Check back later tonight for in-depth stories on the game from Casey Pearce and Tom Shanahan on Chargers.com.
11:04 - Not sure what to think about tonight’s game. Need to see what Marty says. Special teams looked solid. If it wasn’t for the ridiculous start, the Chargers played pretty well, they came back from a 14 point deficit to lead at the half. I was impressed with Ray Perkins, and the secondary played excellent, really the defense as a whole was very impressive not giving Matt Hasselbeck much time at all.
10:49 - Tonight’s attendance was 51,878
10:44 - I like that Cletis Gordon is trying to make something happen on returns.
10:41 - Tim Dobbins looks to be a playmaker. He looks really good tonight. The D is all over these guys.
10:31 - Ray Perkins makes some nice moves to get into the end zone, TOUCHDOWN
10:29 - At halftime Philip Rivers was asked about his play… “Those first couple plays were terrible and it can’t happen. After that I was alright, nothing spectacular happened other than getting into the end zone twice and our defense playing great. But again, we can’t get off to those kind of starts because it’s just ridiculous.”
10:25 - The second team offense is moving the ball in the right direction, end of the third quarter.
10:09 - You don’t see interceptions like that often, Seattle’s ball. Almost like Ryan Krause bobbled the ball right in to the defenders hands.
10:06 - The press box reports that quarterback Philip Rivers has a slight bruise to his right shoulder, could play but was not scheduled to play the second half.
10:04 - Hawks first team defense smothered our second team offense. Ray Perkins is probably thinking ‘what just happened, I have zero room to run’
9:56 - Charlie Whitehurst is in at Quarterback for the second half.
9:49 - Starting defense still on the field for the Bolts.
9:44 - Kaeding has returned from the locker room. Nice thing to see is Keading is cheering on the Special Olympics kids participating in the half time events. Very cool.
9:35 - End of the half. Bolts up by 3, really the game should be 17-0 but giving 14 points to the opposing team won’t help win games in the regular season. Let’s see who comes out in the second half? We might see the starters a little bit in the third quarter.
9:28 - The press box report is that Leander Jordan has a stinger and is questionable to return.
9:27 - Punter Mike Scifres deserves his own thread on the forums, I agree.
9:24 - Jordan is walking off with no any help, that’s a good sign.
9:24 - Looks like tackle Leander Jordan is down with an injury the medical staff is huddled around him.
9:16 - Don’t want to get overly excited, being it’s preseason and all, but it's sure nice to see a batted down ball from the secondary. Antonio Cromartie reaches cleanly around to knock the ball from the air on a nicely thrown pass from Matt Hasselbeck.
9:12 p.m. - The offense has awakened from the dead. No touchdown, but moving the ball well, a 27 yard Kaeding field goal, and it's good.
9:07 p.m. - Strong safety Terrence Kiel is playing all over the field tonight and is making key plays, nearly had a pick in the second quarter.
9:03 p.m. - WOW! The crowd is really into the game. Hawks had to call a time out due to the noise.
8:55 p.m. - Running back Ray Perkins in for Michael Turner, Perkins is a guy I wanted to see, tonight is a big night for him. If he can show something he can earn a roster spot.
8:47 p.m. - First quarter is over and the Bolts basically scored 28 points, the first two, unfortunately was for the Seahawks. The defense should be thanked for the quick comeback to tie the game.
8:39 p.m. - Mike Scifres punt of 57 yards in the airs was a beauty. Not sure of the hang time but it was up in the press box for a long visit.
8:30 p.m. - Finally the defense awakened from the dead. Three-and-out and a sack.
8:25 p.m. - Hawks are blitzing the heck out of the offense and the paid for it on that drive. First Michael Turner make a reception for 38 yards, then on the next play, up the middle for 38 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
8:20 p.m. - On a positive note Cletis Gordon is getting every opportunity to show that he should be the Chargers return man.
8:06 - Rocky start, first a penalty then on the next play Philip Rivers bobbles the snap and Seahawks score on a loose ball in the end zone.
8:05 p.m. - Kickoff, 1-10 Chargers
8:03 p.m. - Coin toss: Chargers win the toss, elects to receive.
7:59: p.m. - Team is being introduced. Good crowd tonight. Very loud for a preseason game.
7:48 p.m. - The first time quarterback Philip Rivers played in the NFL was against the Seattle Seahawks in a preseason on August 27, 2004 at Qualcomm Stadium.
7:15 p.m. - Wide reciever Sean Coffey was waived and is no longer on the Chargers roster.
7:12 p.m. - Tight end Aaron Shea is not expected to play tonight.
7:09 p.m. - The running backs have run out on the field, nice loud cheer from the crowd. As promised, Michael Turner will start at running back for LaDainian Tomlinson.
7:04 p.m. - Looks like Malcom Floyd will start at wide receiver for Eric Parker.
6:31 p.m. - Who to watch: WR Malcom Floyd, LB Akbar Gbaja-Biamila and RB Ray Perkins. I think these guys would like to have a good game. They want to show the coaches the have what it takes to play in the NFL
5:33 p.m. - 8 PM preseason start, who thought of this? Due to the national televised Bucs at Jags on CBS pushes tonight’s game back. Ironically, the game is blacked-out in the San Diego television market.
by P.S. Hamilton
It’s getting to be that time, folks. Teams typically designate someone in the organization to give the axe to players that fought for a roster spot and lost. The guy that drew the short straw is referred to as “The Turk”. 
The first cut-down day is on August 29. At that time teams must shave the roster down to 75 players, regardless of their exemption status. In previous years the first cut was down to 65, although NFL Europe players were still exempt. That was brutal for a coach still was on the fence about a player. This year it should be a little easier to avoid prematurely cutting a player that has a lot of potential and could fill in if an injury occurs.
By P.S. Hamilton
It was late October of 2005 when the Chargers front office announced a surprise trade.
The Miami Dolphins dangled a sixth-round draft pick in front of the Chargers to take unpopular quarterback A.J. Feeley off their hands. In return, the Dolphins would get the Charger’s third-string quarterback Cleo Lemon.
Feeley, 29, is an experienced quarterback that went 4-1 as a starter for the Eagles. The Eagles were on a roll in 2002 when Donovan McNabb fractured his fibula in a win against Arizona. Backup quarterback Koy Detmer started the next game against San Francisco, but came out with a dislocated shoulder. Third-string quarterback A.J. Feeley answered the call, and courageously led the Eagles into the playoffs.
By P.S. Hamilton
Rumor has it some NBA recruiters are scouting Charger’s training camp. It’s not true, but wide receivers Vincent
Jackson, Kassim Osgood and Malcom Floyd, all 6’ 5” tall, have pulled down enough jump balls over the last few weeks to deserve a look. Judging by the acrobatics seen throughout camp, the Charger’s receiver corps is rebounding. It appears that on opening day the Bolts will field the most physically intimidating group of receivers in the NFL. No other team has more than one receiver 6’ 5” or over. The Chargers have three.
The most diminutive receiver on the squad is Eric Parker at 6’ 0”, while Keenan McCardell and Greg Camarillo are both 6’ 1”. They don’t need to worry about job security, though -- quick and elusive will always be in demand. But since 2003, there has been a definite trend toward larger receivers in the NFL.
By P.S. Hamilton
There are very few new faces at Chargers training camp this year. That’s a good thing. 
The only free agent additions likely to start are Marlon McCree and Brandon Manumaleuna. That means that everyone else on the first team is already very familiar with the playbook. They know the schemes and know each other.
Teams that are expecting a disproportionate number of running plays due to River’s inexperience will be in for a shock. It may have taken a short while for coaches and teammates to get familiar with Philip Rivers’ quarterbacking style, but reports from camp indicate the offense is already firing on all cylinders.
By P.S. Hamilton
Air Coryell was one of the most exciting offenses in the history of football. Opponents knew the pigskin would be flying – they just didn’t know what to do about it. 
Quarterback Dan Fouts commanded respect and was fearless in the pocket, despite a bum knee that made him a sitting duck.
Air Coryell was all about getting rid of the ball fast and keeping defenses on their heels. Every play had a man going deep. If you didn’t get to Fouts, he would hit the deep man for six points. Charlie Joiner, John Jefferson and Wes Chandler all averaged over 16 yards per catch, and no one could cover Kellen Winslow. They had so many options that defenses were confounded. Teams had to expect a pass on every down, which opened up lanes for Chuck Muncie on the ground.
The current Charger offense works the opposite angle. With LaDanian Tomlinson in the backfield, defenses anticipate and try to stop the run on each play. That allows the offense to exploit teams with the passing game. The net result is the same -- lots of passing yards and points per game.
By P.S. Hamilton
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila is a big fan of Muhammad Ali.
No one believed Ali could beat the undefeated Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title in 1964. Ali won and became one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Gbaja-Biamila knows he, too, will have to come out swinging to challenge some heavyweights for a spot on the 2006 Chargers. The current linebacker corps includes Steve Foley, Shawne Merriman, Randall Godfrey, Donnie Edwards, Shaun Phillips, Carlos Polk, Steven Cooper, Matt Wilhelm and Marques Harris. Newly drafted rookie Tim Dobbins is also in the mix, with NFL Europe players Jonathan Pollard and Phil Archer rounding out the field. With just eight spots up for grabs, Gbaja-Biamila must score a knockout to make the team.
He certainly looks like a contender. Twenty-seven year old Gbaja-Biamila is the biggest linebacker on the team at 6’5”, 265 pounds. He has long legs, big arms, and a burning desire to prove skeptics wrong.
