For Chargers, a Shopping List for the Defense

After two introductory weekends with his players, the Chargers’ new defensive coordinator has formulated a shopping list.

It’s a rather short one, considering the multiple flaws that have been in evidence in recent years.

Ron Lynn, the new defensive chieftain, would like to add a proven inside linebacker and perhaps another cornerback to his cast.

“We’ll always want more help until the day we have 11 guys who can dominate every play,” Lynn said. “For right now, we want to solidify and bolster our linebackers, and maybe add another coverage guy.”

The Chargers experimented with moving Billy Ray Smith to the outside and Linden King to the inside, without reaching any conclusions. They also looked at Fred Robinson, formerly a defensive end, as a linebacker--a move that may not stick.

“We probably will be looking for a good, solid inside backer, not necessarily of Pro Bowl status, but close to that level,” Lynn said.

He may expand his wish list once the Chargers assemble for training camp in six weeks. There was no hitting in the mini-camp, and Lynn may get a different sense of his needs once the bodies are fully armored and set in motion.

“I wish to God I knew what to expect,” Lynn said Sunday. “There are not a significant number of new players here, and we know good players make good coaches. I have no expectations beyond saying we’ll succeed--it’s just a matter of how and when.”

Part of the “how” was suggested by Coach Don Coryell, who said that the Chargers would take it somewhat gingerly in molding their defense this summer.

“We’re not going to beat people up in practice, like we did the last few years, when we were coming off losing records,” Coryell said. “We’re not going to pound on each other defensively.

“We’re not going to ask our players to prove how tough they are every day. We want to keep from hurting our own people.”

Lynn was hired to help transform the Chargers from a laid-back unit to a blitzing, pressure defense. And he seems comfortable in going about it in the Coryell vein, with the emphasis on avoiding self-inflicted wounds.

“We can’t afford to go into the season all bruised and bumped and beat-up,” he said. “I don’t believe you have to test a guy’s courage every day.

“I don’t necessarily think you have to put on full pads for every practice. You don’t have to have contact if the players are mature and are absorbing their techniques. You can accomplish a lot, without getting players hurt, if the guys on both sides of the ball have the same temperament and tempo.”

The Chargers clearly don’t want a gang of wild-eyed young defensive players diving for a fumble and accidentally rolling into the valuable legs of quarterback Dan Fouts.

And because the defensive talent is thin even in the well-stocked areas, they want to minimize the damage that accrues in the course of training camp and the exhibition season.

The most promising area of the defense, Coryell and Lynn agreed, is the front line, where rookies Leslie O’Neal and Terry Unrein join Lee Williams, Earl Wilson and Chuck Ehin.

“I was most comfortable with the influence of O’Neal and Unrein,” Lynn said. “They spent last week working with (line coach) Gunther Cunningham and were more aware of what he wanted.”

Lynn tried to establish a sense of what training camp is going to be like.

“We threw a lot at them and we didn’t even scratch the surface of our whole defensive package,” he said. “We want the players to realize it’s going to take a great mental effort to learn it all so that we can use what’s at our disposal.”

Surveying his offense and defense, Coryell seemed pleased with the results of the mini-camp.

“A great camp,” Coryell said. “A very successful camp. We were able to pay a lot of attention to the details of assignments instead of just looking at athletic ability, like we did in the past.”