CHARGERS UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / T.J. SIMERS : No Deals in Works for Wide Receiver
The Cleveland Browns can’t come to terms with wide receiver Webster Slaughter, and the New Orleans Saints have given permission to wide receiver Eric Martin’s agent to arrange a trade.
The Chargers need a receiver, but forget it.
General Manager Bobby Beathard said he is not pursuing any trades. He said as far as he knows Slaughter is unavailable, and the Chargers have no interest in Martin.
The Chargers, however, do have a problem at wide receiver. Shawn Jefferson, who was praised by the club for his off-season work, has re-injured a hamstring muscle.
Anthony Miller played well against the 49ers, and Nate Lewis, who missed much of training camp with a quadriceps muscle problem, is back in action. After Miller, Lewis and Jefferson, however, it’s a grab bag with no guarantees. Journeyman Walter Stanley is battling Yancey Thigpen and Robert Claiborne for the fourth spot.
After reviewing the Chargers’ 20-14 exhibition defeat to the 49ers, Coach Bobby Ross remained pleased with the work of his first units.
“We played a pretty good first half on both sides of the ball and in the kicking, too,” Ross said. “Defensively, we were around the ball. Our tackling was sharper. We had a couple of misplays in zone concept, but not that bad.
“Offensively, we blocked well with the exception of one breakdown. Our run blocking was not bad. We ended up with better than 200 yards, 39 plays. We had three drives of better than 12 plays a drive, and did some pretty good things. Our coverage in the kicking game was exceptional.”
Mike Zandofsky, who played in place of starting center Courtney Hall (bruised fibula), sustained a sprained knee and Ross said he could miss one to two weeks. “He played pretty well,” Ross said.
Cornerback Donald Frank suffered a shoulder injury, but Ross said, “I think he will be OK.”
Ross indicated that he will try to carry four quarterbacks beyond Tuesday’s 60-man cut and said the battle between Jeff Graham and Pat O’Hara, “is close, real close.”
Ross indicated last week that linebacker Billy Ray Smith was ready to take part in exhibition play, but he said Smith began to complain about a sore hamstring once again.
“I thought we had gotten through that,” Ross said. “It’s frustrating.”
Smith did not play against the 49ers, and has yet to make it on the field in exhibition play this year. “I’ll practice (today) and play against the Rams,” Smith said. “I’m fine now.”
Ross said the Chargers’ starting outside left linebacker is Henry Rolling, although Steve Hendrickson started against the 49ers.
“He (Rolling) played pretty well, did a good job,” Ross said. “I was not lying to anybody. All the work that Hendrickson has gotten has made him into a pretty valuable football player in our program.”