Have the San Diego Chargers Signed Mario Henderson?

I guess I should talk about the Mario Henderson thing, since people have begun to ask me about it.

A former 3rd round pick of the Oakland Raiders, Mario Henderson missed the entire 2011 season because...well....nobody wanted him after he reportedly showed up to Raiders camp out of shape. He was also arrested about a year ago for carrying a concealed weapon, which certainly didn't help.

Some Chargers blogs (that I won't name) have reported that the Chargers have signed the former starting Left Tackle for Oakland, mostly due to these two status updates on his facebook page:

God is so gud and is still blessin me got another call today from the San Diego Chargers and I fly out der this sunday for 2 days for a workout and visit and I'm just glad to get this chance because alot of people counted me out and said I wouldn't play again but God has da last word..... The Real is on the Rise.....

Source (March 27, 2012)

God is gud i just want to give him all the praise for given me another chance He deserves all da credit n wanna thank th San Diego chargers for given me another chance n i know wat i need to do. Im goin back to Cali .. The Real is on the Rise....

Source (April 2, 2012)

So Mario came to San Diego for a workout, and then that second update happened. That means he signed with the Chargers, right? Wrong.

From our buddy Michael Gehlken, who has an awful picture next to his byline on the U-T site:

The clock is ticking in the Chargers' search for veteran depth on their offensive line, and sources said Friday that if Henderson does not make a decision in the coming days, the team will move in a different direction.

Source

This seems easy enough to break down. The Chargers are looking for at least one veteran OT to fight for the backup spot with......Steve Schilling?.....and whoever else they draft. Henderson, who literally has no interest from other teams, should come cheap and at one point was an okay starter in Oakland. The team flew him in, worked him out, and probably deemed him worthy of the veteran minimum.

The offer was made, Mario was happy to be back in the NFL, and his agent said "Let me see if I can get a better offer from somewhere else." Chances are, that offer won't magically appear and Henderson will sign in the next couple of days. When he does, we'll report on it. Until then, ignore the rumors.

(Oh, and as for the several people that have asked if Henderson would compete for a starting job with Jeromey Clary or Jared Gaither.....no. No, he would not.)