Chargers expecting long holdouts
The Chargers have been perennial underperformers with an extremely talented roster and an inability to start strong in either the season or the playoffs. This year it is going to be even harder for them to live up to expectations as it seems likely that the team will be without the services of two of its top players for an extended period of time.
As of right now, Chargers general manager A.J. Smith is operating with the assumption that Pro Bowl wide receiver Vincent Jackson and crucial left tackle Marcus McNeill will not be attending training camp and will be “out for a considerable amount of time.”
According to Smith, at this point the two will most likely be missing around ten games due to contractual disputes. Both wanted long-term extensions from the Chargers, but San Diego was hesitant to hand out any extended deals due to the uncertainty regarding impending collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
Smith thinks that Jackson and McNeill will most likely sit out the first ten games and then return for the final six in order to accrue a contractual year. Smith feels disappointed to be without two top players for such a long span, but is unable to resolve the manner at this point and is looking towards the future rather than playing the blame game.
“I believe they are preparing to withhold their services,” Smith said. “We’re preparing for that. If we get that back after 10 games, then we’ll deal with that. Getting two Pro Bowl-calibre players with six games to go and then potentially the postseason is not a bad thing.
“Whether they come back as starters, role players, or as injury replacements, that remains to be seen and will be up to [head coach] Norv Turner … But six games is still a significant part of the season.”
Star linebacker Shawne Merriman is also negotiating a contract but it is less likely that he will hold out in the same manner. Unlike Jackson and McNeill, Merriman must prove that he is capable of playing a full season after suffering through two injury-ridden seasons. Merriman missed all but the first game of the 2008 season with a knee injury that required surgery. In 2009, Merriman could not quite return to his dominant form due to troubles with the same knee and additional foot issues.
For Merriman to remain a star NFL linebacker he has to have a strong year and he should not be missing a significant portion of training camp, let alone regular season play.
The Chargers have been preparing themselves for the holdouts by trying to add some depth to their receiver and tackle corps. Smith is a very active trader and if Jackson and McNeill do hold out he will not hesitate to find any means to bring in players to fill their positions. The Chargers have already recently added tackle Tra Thomas and slot receiver Josh Reed in order to be able to fill the two positions.
The Chargers must also deal with the contract of top-pick running back Ryan Matthews. Matthews currently remains unsigned and negotiations seem to have reached a standstill. Smith expressed no significant concern of the possibility that Matthews will miss a significant amount of training camp time, though it is definitely a necessity for San Diego to get him playing immediately.
Smith does not consider McNeill and Jackson to be bad guys, but in reality the two are being less than reasonable. The NFL CBA expires in 2012 and teams are very hesitant to provide deals for longer than that. The Chargers offered both players raises, and certainly would have given them the long-term contracts they sought after a new CBA was established.
Instead, McNeill and Jackson have taken the selfish route and are sacrificing team chemistry and performance for an attempt at personal gain. In the end, it seems as if everyone involved is going to come out tarnished.
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