CHARGERS NOTEBOOK : Tackling Big Injury Problems : Football: Offensive line coach Alex Gibbs has trouble rebuilding with so many of his players recuperating. And a trade is unlikely.
When Alex Gibbs took over this year as Charger offensive line coach, he knew he was in for a rebuilding program.
But three weeks into training camp, that rebuilding job has become more like a rehabilitation program.
He should have known he was in for trouble when in the first hour of the first practice rookie tackle Leo Goeas broke his foot and is out indefinitely. Goeas was the only rookie Gibbs said could help the team this season. But that was only the start of Gibbs’ troubles.
Two linemen have undergone arthroscopic surgery since minicamp, another has surgery scheduled for today and a fourth is in a cast with a broken foot.
Three of his expected four leading tackles are out of action for the Chargers’ exhibition opener at 7 p.m. Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.
Of that group only right tackle Broderick Thompson is healthy, and he has only been practicing since Friday when he ended a week-long contract holdout.
That leaves Eric Floyd, who has been cut in each of the past two seasons by the Chargers, as the likely starter at left tackle.
Normally, Joel Patten would start at right tackle, but he is out for at least another week or so after having arthroscopic knee surgery in May to repair a bone chip.
His replacement, Joey Howard, required arthroscopic surgery on his knee after injuring it in a scrimmage Saturday against the Phoenix Cardinals. Also injured in the scrimmage was rookie guard Chris Goetz, a ninth-round choice from Pittsburgh. Goetz is to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his elbow today.
With all the injuries, the Chargers have talked with other teams but have not had much luck.
“Everyone is looking for tackles,” General Manager Bobby Beathard said. “We must have had 20 teams call us looking for tackles.”
The second contract negotiation session in a week between the Chargers and inside linebacker Junior Seau, their holdout first-round draft choice, tentatively had been scheduled for today. But Beathard told Seau’s agent Tuesday afternoon that the meeting would be fruitless unless Seau substantially reduces his contract demands.
Beathard has said the two sides will not complete a deal until Seau’s agent, Steve Feldman of Newport Beach, and Seau give up on their demand that Seau receive more than the reported 5-year, $6 million deal that Tampa Bay gave linebacker Keith McCants. McCants was the fourth pick in the draft, one ahead of Seau.
“Until they decide that they’re going to play for less than Keith McCants, we’re kind of beating our head against the wall,” Beathard said.
Beathard said he told Feldman that if Seau was willing to ask for less than what McCants received, a meeting could still be held today.
The three met Monday in the first substantive talks about Seau in 10 days.
Feldman said it was at his request that Seau attended the Monday session.
“I wanted him to see how difficult management’s position is,” Feldman said.
At the meeting, Feldman said he lowered his contract proposal for Seau to a four-year deal averaging about $1.35 million per year. That is down from his most recent proposal of $1.5 million per year.
The Chargers have not presented a counter offer in a week and a half when they made a five-year offer that averaged more than $800,000 per year.
Beathard reported no substantive progress on talks about the team’s only other holdout player, outside linebacker Leslie O’Neal. Beathard said it is difficult to tell if the two sides are near a deal.
“Some days I think we are and other days I’m not sure,” Beathard said. “Right now, I’m kind of in between.”
The agent for O’Neal, Marvin Demoff of Los Angeles, could not be reached for comment.
Charger Notes
Charger Coach Dan Henning said he wants Billy Joe Tolliver to handle about half the work at quarterback in Saturday night’s exhibition opener against Dallas. He said Mark Vlasic and John Friesz would split the other 50% of the work. But Henning said he is not sure exactly how long Tolliver will play, saying it depended on how many offensive plays it appears the Chargers will have. . . . Henning said Jerry Mays, a rookie free agent from Georgia Tech, will get the first shot at returning punts.