O’Neal Insists on Pre-Signing Talk With Spanos

Once the Chargers settle their differences, real or imagined, with defensive end Leslie O’Neal, no one will be happier than Coach Don Coryell.

No one except General Manager Johnny Sanders, who said this is the most bizarre year of contract negotiations he has ever seen.

“Shoot, yes, Leslie is going to play (in Saturday’s exhibition opener against Dallas),” Coryell said Monday while awaiting the player’s arrival at training camp. “All we have to do is just point him at the quarterback.”

It may be a little more complicated than that.

First, they have to figure out what O’Neal really wants, beyond the contract agreed upon by his agent and the team.

O’Neal has accepted the dollars and length of service proposed in the contract, but he wants something more, something apparently of a personal nature, according to his representative, Jeff Dankworth.

O’Neal arrived in town Monday afternoon, passed a physical, then huddled with Dankworth, an associate of agent Marvin Demoff.

“It’s a mystery to us all,” Dankworth said after meeting for 90 minutes with Sanders. “He wants to make sure (owner) Alex Spanos understands how he values himself and what he intends to do to prove that value and the impact he wants to make.

“I can’t presume what he will do (as far as signing). He makes up his own mind. He doesn’t feel he should be pressed into signing just because an agreement was reached.”

The team had announced Sunday night that it had reached agreement with Demoff on a contract of four years, plus an option year.

But O’Neal, a first-round draft choice from Oklahoma State, balked at signing. Instead, he insisted upon meeting with Spanos today.

“I respect that he wants to sit down and talk with me,” Spanos said. “There has to be something on his mind. I could have rushed down there (from his Stockton office), but I didn’t think it would hurt to wait another day. I feel that the boy’s intentions are good.”

Sanders, who announced an agreement with O’Neal on Sunday evening, said any differences claimed by the player were merely semantic.

“I called Marvin Demoff’s office this morning, and his secretary said Marvin had told her how happy he was that it was all taken care of,” Sanders said.

Demoff was driving to Canada and could not be contacted Monday.

“My interpretation of Leslie’s situation,” Sanders said, “is that here’s a 23-year-old boy all excited about making some big money, not wanting to say anything wrong, and claiming it wasn’t final until he signed.”

Sanders said that whatever was on O’Neal’s mind was not contract-related. “It’s something neither Marvin, Jeff or I knows,” Sanders said, “something the kid wants to talk to the boss about.”

Earlier, Sanders went through contractual gyrations with agents representing James FitzPatrick, Jeff Walker and Ty Allert, but he seemed taken aback by Monday’s developments.

There may be a few minor complications for O’Neal to resolve with teammates once his two-week holdout is history.

“I think you’d find mixed emotions (among other defensive linemen),” said rookie Terry Unrein, a third-round pick who signed before camp opened.

“Some guys feel he’s been a prima donna, and others think he’s just taking care of business,” Unrein said. “Personally, I think this (holdout) is his reward as a first-round pick, and I’m not jealous. I’m glad he wasn’t here, because I got extra attention and the limelight was on me.”

Unrein said other players drew a distinction between the holdout of O’Neal and that of Jeff Walker, a third-round pick who missed four days before settling his contract.

“Nobody understood what Walker was doing,” Unrein said, “but with O’Neal, we know his personality and what he wants. It’s strictly business.”

Defensive line coach Gunther Cunningham thinks O’Neal will be in for a certain amount of hassling.

“He’ll get jabbed and have to sing (his alma mater), but I don’t think there will be any real animosity,” Cunningham said.

There is some question about how long O’Neal will--or should--play against the Cowboys, assuming he is signed by then.

“We’re anxious to have him catch up,” Coryell said, “because he’s an unusual athlete who can rush the passer or drop off in coverages. We can’t incorporate all he can do into our defense if we don’t work with him.

“We know his abilities and he knows what’s expected of him, so I’m sure he can play in passing situations against Dallas. Heck, we’ve played cornerbacks who hadn’t practiced in regular-season games.”

Coryell’s enthusiasm is understandable. After all, it’s been five years since he waved farewell to Fred Dean, the finest pass rusher the Chargers had had since the days of Earl Faison and Ernie Ladd.

Some of Coryell’s lieutenants, however, are a little more restrained in their immediate plans for O’Neal.

“It’s not pivotal if he plays or doesn’t play Saturday,” defensive coordinator Ron Lynn said. “From a knowledge or timing standpoint, we couldn’t do a lot with him.

“We could spot him in fourth-down situations so it wouldn’t be a problem, but he’s definitely got to get used to carrying pads and getting hit again.”

Assistant head coach Al Saunders also seemed slightly more cautious than Coryell. “We’ll evaluate how quickly he adapts in practice,” Saunders said. “I’m sure he’ll play some in a limited capacity, but the final decision wouldn’t be made until Friday.”

Cunningham also seems inclined to be careful.

“Rushing the passer is a dark and dirty job,” Cunningham said. “What’s the use of beating his brains out now? The worst thing that could happen would be for Leslie to come in and get discouraged or get hurt if he wasn’t in playing shape.”

O’Neal probably will catch up faster than a lesser athlete, Unrein said, but his timing for the first exhibition won’t be sharp.

“It wouldn’t be foolish at all to play him, but his timing on stunts won’t be what it would in a few days,” Unrein said.

Charger Notes

Safety Jeff Dale will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee today and probably will be out for 15-20 days. Defensive coordinator Ron Lynn said the knee had been bothering Dale since the end of mini-camp in early June. It was hoped no surgery would be necessary, but when the pain increased, it was decided to do the arthroscopy while there was time for Dale to recuperate and not miss any of the regular season. Dale said he hurt the knee while covering Trumaine Johnson the final day of mini-camp. Since then, his speed had actually improved, leading him to think there was nothing seriously wrong. . . . While Dale is out, Lynn will take an extended look at rookies Jerome Tyler, Mike Travis, Daryl McCoy and Mike Zordich. Veteran Gill Byrd may move from free to strong safety while Dale is out. . . . Coach Don Coryell said he plans to employ his defensive line starters for at least half the game in this week’s exhibition opener against Dallas. He also plans extensive use of tight ends Kellen Winslow, Pete Holohan, Eric Sievers and Malcolm Moore. Quarterback Dan Fouts won’t play more than a few series, but receivers Johnson and Timmie Ware will play a lot.