THIS CAMP MEANS BUSINESS : Chargers Take a ‘More the Merrier’ Approach as Their Mini-Camp Opens for Many Hopefuls

Who are most of these guys?

That’s probably the most asked question at the Chargers mini-camp this weekend.

Between running 40-yard sprints and sweating through agility drills, players cast a lot of curious and suspicious glances at one another.

Before the Alex Spanos regime, now in its first full year, approximately 75 players were invited to the mini-camp to reacquaint themselves with the game and their teammates.

This year, there are 117 players in camp. Being surrounded by that many hungry athletes is bound to make even the most confident veteran a little nervous.

Many of the players are rookies and free agents who weren’t drafted. And many of them are longshots when it comes to earning a spot on a professional football team.

Yet, they are still job-seekers, and competition makes players sweat.

“When we were winning, these mini-camps were a little more relaxed,” said safety Andre Young, who is starting his fourth season with the Chargers. “There’s a little tension building at this one. They’re trying to get the best out of everybody, and we know we have our work cut out for us.”

That’s exactly what the Charger front office and coaching staff want to hear. They also like the idea of having so many talented football players within view of their stopwatches and notepads. “It’s like buying lottery tickets,” Charger assistant coach Al Saunders said. “If you buy 100 tickets, you have a better shot of getting a winner.”

Saunders took his analogy one step further.

“From a business standpoint, you’re far ahead of yourself when you look at 100 free agents. You pay a million dollars or more to sign a first-round draft pick. You never know when you’ll find a diamond in the rough (among the free agents).”

Within minutes of the completion of the 12th round of the National Football League draft, Saunders said the Charger coaches started calling players who were not drafted.

“We kept our eyes out for players we were interested in,” Saunders said. “After the draft, we offered them a contract.”

In the last two years, many of the players who weren’t drafted by the NFL signed with the United States Football League. Saunders said more of those players signed with NFL teams this year.

The Chargers signed their share of free agents.

“Out of this group, they might find one or two players,” said Kellen Winslow, who has been busy running and bike riding in an attempt to get his knee back into shape. “They’re trying to find quality players. If they have to go to the moon to find someone, I’ll take the trip.”

All kidding aside, the mini-camp may have more than a minor influence on the future of some of the players.

For the rookies, this weekend provides an opportunity to compete against the veterans.

Saunders said it’s a chance for the coaches to analyze the people they’ll have available when training camp begins.

“I don’t know what decisions they’ll make,” said cornerback Ronnie O’Bard, “but they’ve got a lot of people out there and everybody thinks there are going to be some changes. I just don’t know how many guys they’ll bring to camp.”

O’Bard, who played at Monte Vista High in El Cajon and one season at Brigham Young University, was cut from the Chargers in the preseason last year.

However, he has one big advantage over many of the rookies. He is familiar with the Charger system.

“From college football to professional football is a big jump,” Saunders said, “and this weekend serves as an introduction for rookies into our system. It gives them a chance to get ready to compete for a job.”

The mini-camp also insures that the veterans are on a proper course of conditioning and training. At one time, players used training camp as a time to get into shape. That no longer holds true.

“This is the starting point,” Saunders said. “It’s time to really get down to business. The preseason is not enough time to get people prepared.”

If the players aren’t in shape, they know they better spend the next six weeks working. Situps, pushups, and sprints quickly replace watching television.

Getting in shape physically is not enough. The coaches get out the mini-playbooks in mini-camp.

“If there are things we want to experiment with offensively and defensively, we get a start on them,” Saunders said. “Players have a chance to work on them and think about them. “

It is only one month into the baseball season, but the Charger coaches still have to get the players thinking football.

“The off-season is over now,” Saunders said.

He did not have to tell that to the 117 players at this year’s camp. The players’ glances around the field said that they understood only too well.