Chargers: Saddle Up, Richard : Football: If negotiations with No. 1 pick bear fruit today, team wants him to play tonight against Houston.
Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Lynn has plans for safety Stanley Richard tonight if the first-round draft pick comes to terms on a contract this afternoon.
“If he signs in the afternoon,” Lynn said, “I’d be for getting him a quick physical, see if he’s breathing, put him in a uniform and get his butt on the field.”
Richard and his agent, Chris Knepp, are scheduled to meet today with General Manager Bobby Beathard. Tonight at 7, the Chargers open their exhibition schedule against the Houston Oilers at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.
The Chargers said Richard’s delay in reporting to training camp has jeopardized his chances of becoming starting free safety. Richard countered by saying the style of defense he played at the University of Texas is not all that different than the brand of defense being played by the Chargers.
After Lynn rolled his eyes, he said he is all for throwing Richard to Warren Moon and the Oilers’ run-and-shoot attack. Who needs practice?
“Stanley said he’s ready to play and it’s just like the Texas defense,” Lynn said. “We’re playing a team from Texas, so he ought to feel good about that. He played against Houston before--oh, it was the Cougars.”
Lynn could not conceal his sarcastic smile; the education of Stanley Richard is about to begin.
“Sure, he’s in for a little awakening, just like Junior Seau was last year,” Lynn said. “Junior talked big. We were at a fund-raiser at USD, and I’ll never forget this: He said, ‘Hey, they don’t hit any harder; they don’t run any faster.’ Six weeks later they were going by Junior like he’s standing still.
“The tempo of the game is so much faster than they are used to. They aren’t going to see any receivers faster than what they’ve seen, but they’re going to see them as fast as any they’ve seen every week. And bigger and stronger and better, much better at catching the ball.”
Richard has remained unnerved. He has told reporters that he’s unconcerned about the time he’s missed in training camp.
“The only thing I’m missing is the contact work, and that’s no problem,” he said in a recent conversation. “I’ve been studying all along, so I should be right there with everyone on the mental part.”
Ron Lynn offered another one of those smiles.
“Rice isn’t throwing the ball against him anymore,” Lynn said. “And SMU isn’t throwing the ball against him, where Texas wins, 60-7, and everyone walks off thumping their chests because they’ve got 65 guys better than any one on that other team.
“Take into account the quarterbacks in this league. Stanley hasn’t played against Dan Marino. He hasn’t played against John Elway and Warren Moon. When they start cranking that thing in there; wait until he sees Joe Montana and Jerry Rice and John Taylor.”
The Chargers are anxious to get Richard, who calls himself, “the Sheriff,” into uniform. They need a free safety, and tonight their secondary will have to tangle with the Oilers’ “Fab Four,” a collection of talented receivers who compiled 286 catches last season.
“It would be nice if we could see the sun glinting off the badge of the Sheriff at midfield (tonight), and a hardy hi-ho Silver, and away we go,” Lynn said. “But hey, from what I saw in minicamp and summer school, this guy’s got a chance to be outstanding.”
Lynn would like to sympathize with Richard and his demand for a three-year contract that will pay him more than $2.4 million, but there are football games to play.
“He’s the guy we drafted first,” Lynn said. “The personnel guys were saying, ‘He’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, and one of the best things about this guy, is we’ll have no trouble signing him. He’ll be in for training camp.’ ”
The sarcastic smile was gone, replaced by laughter.
“Here it is August 2,” Lynn said, while looking at his watch and feigning a yawn. “His playbook is still over there where the players check in. Every once in a while we go over to that playbook and say, ‘Hey, Stan, how are you doing?’
“Sure, we’re disappointed he’s not here, and sometimes it borders on getting teed off that he’s not here. But there’s a business side to this, too.”
Last year the Chargers’ defense didn’t have Richard, and it finished the season ranked fifth in the league.
Tonight it will return to work minus safety Vencie Glenn, who was released, defensive lineman Lee Williams, who is holding out, and cornerback Sam Seale, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Lineman Burt Grossman, who has a knee injury, and Shelton (thigh) also were expected to miss the game.
“Despite all those things,” Lynn said, “I feel as if we’re further ahead than where we’ve been.”
Lynn pointed to the return of Joe Phillips, the addition of defensive back Bobby Humphery via Plan B and the development of safety Anthony Shelton.
He also made reference to the selection of defensive lineman George Thornton in the draft, the emergence of defensive end George Hinkle and the dazzling practice performances turned in by Seau.
“I feel we can be better than what we were a year ago,” Lynn said. “I think we’ve got the capability of being good enough to carry the team.”
Coach Dan Henning said wide receiver Anthony Miller and guard Mike Zandofsky also will not play against the Oilers.
The Chargers will also be without running back Marion Butts, who has refused to report to training camp until the team reworks his contract. Like Williams, Butts has been fined $1,500 for each day of training camp missed, and now each player has been fined $24,000.
Starting right tackle Broderick Thompson also remains unsigned.
The Oilers have their own personnel concerns. Cornerback Cris Dishman, wide receiver Leonard Harris, defensive end Sean Jones, linebacker Johnny Meads, punter Greg Montgomery and running back Lorenzo White remain unsigned, as does the team’s top draft pick, safety Mike Dumas, who was the first player selected in Round 2.