San Diego Chargers Daily Links: August 6, 2014

Mathews shows fire in Camp practice - Tom Krasovic (paywall)
Walker, who backs up Manti Te’o, again looked comfortable at inside linebacker, where he was new to the role last year after spending four seasons on special teams with the Cardinals. One practice after a high-caliber interception off a deep drop, Walker flattened 6-foot-5, 251-pound tight end Mike Flacco, who was blocking for Donald Brown.

Grateful Gates: Chargers 'first class' - Michael Gehlken (paywall)
"Since the day I first stepped foot in this organization, it's always been first class," Gates, 34, said. "I have the utmost respect for the organization for the love that's been shown to me the past 11, 12 years. No exception with the situation with my sister."

Chargers look for crispness - ESPN.com Video
ESPN.com San Diego Chargers reporter Eric D. Williams says getting a look at players coming off injuries and rookies will be key in the exhibition against the Cowboys.

How Wide Receivers Are Like College Football Teams - Neil Paine
While doing research for my article about receiving stats and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I replicated Drinen’s "BCS rating" — right down to the aging curve — but applied it to True Receiving Yards per game (Drinen used total yards). Here were the leaders among pass catchers who started their careers in 1950 or later:

Predicting the 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class - Scott Kacsmar
This first-ballot case is a slam dunk. Seau made 12 consecutive Pro Bowls, six first-team All-Pro selections, the 1990's All-Decade Team and is universally regarded as one of the best linebackers in NFL history. He was the main attraction in San Diego. My earliest memory of Seau is the 1994 AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh. Some still exaggerate that he had 20 or 25 tackles that day, because it felt like he was in on every play.