Chargers Leave Early Unprotected, Unwanted

SAN DIEGO —  Less than three years ago, wide receiver Quinn Early answered the phone to learn happily he had been selected by the Chargers in the third round of the draft.

He was told he was going to figure prominently in the team’s future, along with first-round draft choice, wide receiver Anthony Miller. And he was going to be catching passes from his former Iowa teammate, Mark Vlasic.

Friday, Quinn Early came home to a blinking answering machine, and he knew.

“I knew it, I felt it after the last game,” said Early after being advised via message from his agent that the Chargers had left him unprotected in Plan B free agency.

The Chargers, however, not only left Early unprotected. They indicated in an afternoon news conference that he was unwanted and would not return to the team should he ignore other offers.

“It would probably slow the progress of other players by bringing Quinn back,” General Manager Bobby Beathard said. “We will be bringing some of our unprotected players back, but not him.”

The Chargers met the league-wide deadline of 2 p.m. Friday for submitting a list of 37 protected players. The team leaned heavily on the promise of potential by keeping players such as offensive guard Dean Brown, nose tackle Tony Savage, safety Anthony Shelton and offensive guard Mike Zandofsky.

At the same time they identified a list of 22 unprotected players, topped by Early, Vlasic, and two part-time starters, H-back Craig McEwen and nose tackle Les Miller.

The unprotected players are free to negotiate with any NFL club, except their own, until April 1. If they choose not to sign with another club, they return to the Chargers.

However, Beathard announced earlier that safety Vencie Glenn, linebacker Cedric Figaro and defensive back Lester Lyles would not be allowed to return to the team. Friday, he added Early’s name to that list.

“I didn’t hear that part,” said a startled Early. “But maybe that’s for the best. I’m confident, I’m confident I’ll be playing somewhere next year.”

After starting 10 games his rookie season, Early stumbled in 1989 because of a lingering knee injury. He returned healthy this season, but he was competing against a pair of Beathard draft choices, Nate Lewis and Walter Wilson.

“Quinn will make it in this league and play for somebody,” Coach Dan Henning said. “Quinn and Mark Vlasic are two outstanding individuals.

“I would be remiss if I said they are outstanding football players. They have outstanding qualities. They have individual talents that you can mesh into a team. But the way our team is shaping up now, we’re looking for different types of talent.”

Early caught 15 passes for 238 yards this season, and ended his career here with 55 receptions for 739 yards and five touchdowns.

“I got drafted by Al Saunders, and Steve Ortmayer and came in and did well for them,” Early said. “But then other people came in, and it’s business. The different head people want to bring in their own people, and I just got caught up in that.”

Vlasic might have been another victim of the ever-changing Chargers. He was a fourth-round draft choice in 1987, and was 2-0 as an NFL starter before seriously injuring his knee. He took a nose dive on the team’s depth chart when the Chargers hired Henning, and never caught the fancy of Beathard.

He opened the 1990 season as the starting quarterback after an outstanding preseason campaign. When he left the game in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys, the Chargers had the lead. Dallas, however, rallied to win 17-14, and Billy Joe Tolliver became the Chargers’ starting quarterback a week later.

The Chargers contended privately that Vlasic didn’t have the mobility and the strong arm it would take to win consistently as a starting quarterback. They remain interested in him as a backup, and have suggested that he may return to them when he discovers the dearth of starting opportunities elsewhere.

“Mark’s not a bad guy to have as your second or third guy,” Beathard said.

While Tolliver and John Friesz will compete for the starting job in 1991, the team intends to enter training camp with four quarterbacks on its roster.

Beathard said the team has no interest in Bears’ Plan B free agent Mike Tomczak, but Beathard said contact will be made with Atlanta’s Hugh Millen. The Chargers considered making a move for Millen last season.

“We’ll probably look into it to see if we feel the same way now about him as we did then,” Beathard said. “I don’t think we’re going to make a trade for any veteran (quarterback). And I don’t see us taking a guy in the draft with our first pick.”

Beathard said the search will continue for help along the defensive line, in the secondary and at wide receiver. The Chargers left four wide receivers unprotected, but Henning said he is interested in bringing back Kitrick Taylor.

Henning said several players, including Taylor, were left unprotected with the understanding that it would be in their best interests to return to the Chargers.

“There’s a risk there,” Henning said.

But the Chargers are counting on the loyalty of players such as McEwen, Joel Patten, Richard Brown, Mark Rodenhauser and Taylor. As Henning pointed out, a deep snapper like Rodenhauser or an H-back like McEwen understand that they have been rejected elsewhere, but respected here.

“You know deep snappers (like Rodenhauser) flip around the league,” Henning said. “He has time in service here, and if he were to have a bad week here, we wouldn’t get rid of him. There’s some security in that.”

The Chargers also expect other teams to shy away from injured players like Wayne Walker (knee), Joe Mickles (knee) and Miller (back).

“We’re waiting to see how (Miller’s) back turns out,” Beathard said. “There was a time when we thought he would have to have surgery, and I don’t know if he’s out of the woods yet.”

Charger Notes

After General Manager Bobby Beathard confirmed the renegotiation of Lee Williams’ contract Thursday and the addition of two years to the pact, he announced Friday that wide receiver Anthony Miller received a new contract. Miller was in the final year of his contract this past season, but Beathard said he agreed to a four-year extension. It’s believed he also received a raise for 1990. . . . Coach Dan Henning said he has spoken to 16 candidates to fill the vacancy left by defensive line coach Gunther Cunningham, but has “interviewed” only one to date--New England’s Ray Hamilton. He said other candidates also would be interviewed, but declined further comment.

CHARGERS’ PLAN B PROTECTED PLAYERS

Bayless, Martin: SS

Bernstine, Rod: TE

Brown, Dean: OL

Butts, Marion: RB

Byrd, Gill: CB

Carney, John: K

Cornish, Frank: C-G

Cox, Arthur: TE

Elder, Donnie: CB

Floyd, Eric: T

Frank, Donald: CB

Friesz, John: QB

Goeas, Leo: T

Grossman, Burt: DE

Hall, Courtney: C-G

Harmon, Ronnie: RB

Hendrickson, Steve: LB-HB

Hinkle, George: DE

Kidd, John: P

Lewis, Nate: WR

Miller, Anthony: WR

O’Neal, Leslie: OLB

Phillips, Joe: NT

Plummer, Gary: ILB

Richards, David: G-T

Rolling, Henry: ILB

Savage, Tony: NT

Seale, Sam: CB

Seau, Junior: LB

Shelton, Anthony: CB

Smith, Billy Ray: OLB

Thompson, Broderick: G-T

Tolliver, Billy Joe: QB

Walker, Derrick: TE

Williams, Lee: DE

Wilson, Walter: WR

Zandofsky, Mike: G

UNPROTECTED PLAYERS

Brandon, David: OLB

Brown, Richard: ILB

Caravello, Joe: HB

Early, Quinn: WR

Figaro, Cedric: ILB

Glenn, Vencie: FS

Heard, Ron: WR

Lilly, Samuel: CB

Lyles, Lester: SS

McEwen, Craig: HB

Mickles, Joe: RB

Miller, Les: NT

Nelson, Darrin: RB

Orr, Terry: HB

Patten, Joel: T

Rodenhauser, Mark: C

Robinson, Gerald: DE

Simmonds, Mike: G

Spencer, Tim: RB

Taylor, Kitrick: WR

Vlasic, Mark: QB

Walker, Wayne: WR