Word on the Street: Why Eli Manning Told Chargers No Thanks -- NFL FanHouse
... After they were drafted, [Peyton] Manning told Leaf about how well the Colts organization treated him. They basically bent over backward to make his transition to the NFL as smooth as possible, taking care of all the non-football stuff so Peyton could concentrate on immersing himself into the Colts offense.
Manning was stunned to hear that Leaf's experience was completely different. Our golfing partner said that Leaf was basically left to figure it out for himself. If that's true, you combine it with the legendary stories about what an immature jerk Leaf is and begin understand why he crashed so quickly. Again, this is coming from a family friend. Who knows what the Chargers did or did not do for their rookie QB, or whether their management team was equipped to deal with such a high-maintenance player.
Regardless of who was at fault for the failed Leaf-Chargers marriage, the allegedly shabby treatment of Leaf stuck with the Manning clan. And, our new golf buddy explained, that's why Archie Manning, the patriarch, threw such a fit on draft day when Eli was picked by San Diego.
Frank Gore, LaDainian Tomlinson, Joseph Addai poised for big year - Jim Trotter - SI.com
LaDainian Tomlinson. The Chargers' future Hall of Famer had career lows in carries (292) and yards (1,110), and his 11 rushing touchdowns and 52 receptions were one shy of his all-time lows. But look for Tomlinson to bounce back in a big way. He's motivated to quiet critics who believe age 30 is a death sentence -- he'll reach that age June 23 -- and that he's over the hill after carrying the load for eight seasons.
NFL Draft - Merriman's future in San Diego in doubt - FOX Sports on MSN
Ed Thompson believes that Merriman is gone after the 2009 season. First, what he seems to be overlooking is that unless a new deal is struck between the NFL and the NFLPA, Merriman will not be eligible for free agency until after the 2011 season. Second, and this one is a matter of opinion, I disagree with his argument that the Chargers will have to choose to franchise Rivers or Merriman. Contrary to the name, teams do not typically put the franchise tag on franchise QBs. He'll be locked up long-term.
Shawne Merriman (shawnemerriman) on Twitter
So espn ranked me #17th nastiest player...come on how many more heads do I got to take off?
kassim osgood (kassimosgood) on Twitter
right now im hopeing to play a little more wide receiver but if it doesnt happen im not worried. im more concerned with getting that ring!
NFL 101: Rookie English
Today was the first day that I was able to get out and enjoy San Diego a little bit. After our morning workout, a few of the guys went down to Pacific Beach and walked around a little bit. It was a beautiful day. I’m starting to realize that most days are that way in San Diego.
Chargers Team Report - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
Last offseason saw him wearing a cumbersome foot boot after undergoing serious foot surgery. At first the Chargers had hope the injury would heal on its own. But as the offseason dragged on, Hardwick was still dragging around his ailing foot. Finally, two months after the season had ended, Hardwick underwent an operation, one in which would have him miss last season’s first three games.
"When I first got hurt, they said there was a 50-50 chance that I would play again," Hardwick said. "I had a lot of down time. I was non-weight bearing for three months, so there was a lot of time to think about what was going to happen. I was stressing out actually."
ProFootballTalk.com - Retired Players Not Taking Kindly To Threats From NFLPA Of Reduced Benefits
Some retired players are upset by recent comments from NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith that, if there’s a lockout in 2011, benefits for retired players will be cut by 80 percent. The retired players claim that their benefits are protected by law, regardless of whether there’s a lockout.
The FanPost Editor Gets Twitter, Better - Blog Huddle
There have been some massive changes at SB Nation and Bolts From The Blue regarding FanPosts and FanShots. Suffice to say, it will make it even easier and quicker for you guys to write them and post them. Click the link for a full descriptions of all the new features.