Saints Sign LB Waters

The New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President and General Manager Mickey Loomis has announced the signing of free agent linebacker Anthony Waters. Terms of his contract were not disclosed.

Waters, who is entering his third NFL season, spent two years in San Diego after being selected by the Chargers in the third round of the 2007 draft.

The 6-3, 238-pound linebacker played in seven regular season games, making three tackles on defense and three stops and a fumble recovery on special teams. He also played in one postseason contest, recording a tackle.

Inflated Ego, Deflated Contract; Tomlinson Restructures

Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson was faced with a decision, take a pay cut or get cut by the only professional team he has played for. In the end he restructured the final three years of his contract and saved the San Diego Chargers $2.25 million in salary-cap room.

Tomlinson was scheduled to make $24 million over the final three years of his contract. Under the new deal, the Chargers gave him a $2.875 million signing bonus and lowered his base salary to $3.825 million, a source said. In so doing, Tomlinson was able to keep the 2009 payout of his contract at $6.725 million.

That last number there is the important figure for Tomlinson and his ego, at $6.725 million he will still be on the books for more money than his back-up Darren Sproles who is scheduled to make $6.6 million this season under the terms of the franchise tag he was given before free agency.

If Tomlinson's back-up were to make more money than him, it would be viewed as an insult and would have likely caused even more trouble for the former star running back who has struggled to stay healthy the last few years and is not nearly as productive as his inflated contract and ego would warrant.

Igor in Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys have reunited head coach Wade Phillips with one of his former players, Igor Olshansky, Phillips was his defensive coordinator in San Diego before he left for Dallas.

Olshansky agreed to a four-year, $18 million contact with Dallas that includes $8 million in guarantees, according to a source.

A former second-round choice of the Chargers, Olshansky played five seasons in San Diego. Phillips was defensive coordinator in San Diego from 2004 to '06, introduced Olshansky to the 3-4 defense. Olshansky started 57 of 59 games as a Charger. He had 187 tackles and nine sacks during his San Diego.

The native of the Ukraine is the first player from the former Soviet Union to play in the NFL.

Bills Sign CB Florence

The Buffalo Bills have added CB Drayton Florence to serve as the teams nickle back. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Florence will join starters Terrence McGee and last years first round pick Leodis McKelvin in a group that now has five cornerbacks. Florences signing likely means that free agent Jabari Greer will no longer be pursued by the team.

Fresh off a one-and-done season in Jacksonville where he signed a lucrative six-year, $36 Million deal with about $12 Million guaranteed, Florence is trying to move past his dissapointing performance with the Jaguars and regain the form he had while a 3-years starter in San Diego when he had 182 tackles and 6 interceptions.

Chargers Re-Sign Lineman

Kynan Forney signed for one-year with the Chargers last season but did not play in a single game a game, despite the lack of playing time the 8th year player has agreed to a two-year, $4.8 million contract that will pay him $2 million in the 2009 season.

The 30-year-old, who played his college ball at Hawaii had 89 starts in seven seasons with the Falcons. At 6-foot-3, 302 pound Forney is an athletic guard who works well in a zone blocking scheme.

With guard Mike Goff headed into restricted free agency, Forney might be given a chance to start at guard.

Sproles Gets the Tag

The San Diego Chargers have used their non-exclusive franchise tag on RB Darren Sproles.

Sproles had been scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The Chargers tendered him a one-year contract offer of approximately $6.6 million, the average of the top five salaried running backs from 2008. If Sproles signs the tender he will earn 6 times what he earned in base salary in 2008.

Sproles said toward the end of last season that he'd like to remain in San Diego but that he'd also like to explore the market. GM A.J. Smith said that forced the Chargers to make a decision, since Thursday is the deadline for designating franchise and transition players.

"We met and discussed the possibilities, which were many," Smith said. "We'd like for him to be here long term. The deadline has come, and we either let him go to the market or we franchise him. We felt a little uncomfortable with, 'Let's just be one of 32 and submit years and money and hope for the best,' or we franchise him, and he'll be here, and he'll be here at a set price."

The tagging of Sproles will only fuel the speculation that the end of LaDainian Tomlinson tenure in San Diego, an issue that Smith also addressed.

"This has nothing to do with L.T.," Smith said. "Our intention is to pursue L.T. We assume that at the combine it will pick up speed and there will be some substance to it when we return."

One and Done in Jacksonville

The Jacksonville Jaguars have cut two of their big name free agent pick ups from last season.

WR Jerry Porter and CB Drayton Florence, who were both very dissapointing after signing huge contracts to join the team in 2008. The moves will save the team about $3.8 million in salary for 2009, however, they will have to take a several million dollar hit against remaining guaranteed money this year.

Florence, signed March 1 after five seasons in San Diego. His contract was for six years, $36.1 million. His total guaranteed package was worth about $10 million of which he received approximately $8 million in 2008. He was set to make $1.9 million in salary in 2009.

Porter signed from Oakland in February to a five-year, $30.4 million contract with approximately $13 million guaranteed. He also was scheduled to make $1.9 million salary in 2009.

Chargers Lineman Faces DUI

San Diego Chargers' lineman Jamal Williams was arrested Sunday on suspicion of drunken driving, according to the San Diego Union Tribune.

Williams, 32, was pulled over by California Highway Patrol officers around 1:30 a.m. in his 2008 Bentley, the newspaper reports. He was booked into county jail and later released on bail.

Vincent Jackson, a 26-year-old receiver for San Diego, was arrested January 6 on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Just a note to all these NFL players being arrested for DUI's, possession of marijuana etc. most of you are multi-millionaires with more money than you can ever spend. Hire a guy to drive you places, hire a guy to hold your weed for you.

I will even offer myself for these services, if you want to put my up in a guest room and pay me a fair salary I will pick you up at any hour of the day from any location with whomever you want with you, I will carry whatever you'd like me to carry, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

Contact me at eric@alldayfootball.com and I would be more than happy to help keep you out of trouble.

Sproles Will Test the Market

Chargers RB Darren Sproles who will becaome a free agent on Feb. 27, said he would like to remain in San Diego but will test the market first.

“I'm going to test it,” Darren Sproles said. “It makes sense. But I like where I'm at. I want to stay a Charger.”

Sproles was at the Super Bowl media center Friday doing interview after interview during a tour of radio row. He hired a marketing company recently that brought him there, essentially, to help him become more comfortable in such situations. He feels it will be important to gain comfortability with the media as his profile rises.

The Chargers plan to make a contract offer to Sproles that would reflect him being a returner and specialty back. Their plan would be to use him in a role that expanded on what he did last season, when he set career highs with 61 carries for 330 yards and 29 receptions for 342 yards and five touchdowns.

Texans TE Daniels to Replace Gates at Probowl

Houston Texans TE Owen Daniels, will replace San Diego TE Antonio Gates in this seasons Pro Bowl. This will be Daniels' first trip to Hawaiin All Star Game.

Daniels a 3rd year pro will join two teammates WR Andre Johnson and DE Mario Williams. Johnson and Daniels were a very prolific WR-TE combination in the NFL this season combining for 185 catches and 2,437 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Tomlinson vows to play in another Pro Bowl

In an interview this week Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson addressed several issues arising from his sub-par 2008 season and the rumors that he might be leaving San Diego. Including one question that he answered with extreme confidence.

If you take the gray area out of it, and you're healthy all the way through at age 30 in 2009, what are you capable of?

"I'm gonna say that I'll be in another Pro Bowl and I'll be an All-Pro," Tomlinson said. "I gotta believe that, because I know me. I'm pretty much a realistic dude, and if I'm starting to get old and I feel like I can't do it anymore, I'm gonna tell the media that. I'm gonna say, 'Yeah, I'm getting old.' But at this point, I'm not. I'm telling you, I'm not."

Tomlinson, who had his worst statistical season since his rookie year averaged 3.8 yards per carry. Combined with the fact that he will turn 30 years old in June and it is no surprise that there are rumors that the only franchise he has ever played for might be interested in moving on without him.

Chargers Sign Marketing Deal with L.A. Company

More pain for San Diego fans, as Chargers have signed a marketing contract with Los Angeles based Wasserman Media Group.

Any tie-in between the Chargers and Los Angeles always gets San Diegans wondering if it's a precursor to the Chargers moving up the freeway to the nation's second-biggest market, which has been without an NFL team since the Raiders and Rams bolted before the 1995 season.

Attorney Mark Fabiani, who has been trying to work out a new stadium deal in San Diego since 2002 says this deal has nothing to do with the Chargers moving to L.A.

In a deal that was first reported on the Los Angeles Times' Web site, Wasserman Media Group will help the Chargers sell luxury suites and club seats to fans in LA and Orange counties.

Chargers fans may be reading between the lines because Casey Wasserman, the grandson of the late Hollywood mogul Lew Wasserman, is chairman and CEO of LA-based Wasserman Media Group. Casey Wasserman, who owns an Arena Football League team, has wanted for years to bring an NFL team to Los Angeles.

"Lights Out" Steps in

Chargers LB Shawne Merriman, who spent the season on IR with a knee injury has emerged to discuss the public Tomlinson/Smith fued. Particularly, he expressed his concern over General Manager A.J. Smith's comments in which he was interpreted as mocking the star running back

“That (stuff) doesn't help bring a Super Bowl to San Diego,” linebacker Shawne Merriman said. “And that (stuff) needs to stop, period. It needs to stop now.”

Although no one else has stepped up publicly Merriman's sentiments seemed to be shared by many of the players players, and one other important member of the organization. Sources say that team president Dean Spanos is "very upset" that this issue has been brought into the public eye, and is particulary bothered by the fact that most of this is based on speculation.

Smith has not spoken publicly since Wednesday, but sources indicated he maintains a deep respect for Tomlinson.

If L.T. Wants to Come Back, Here is a Solution

Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson who's play in recent years no longer justifies his $6.725 million base salary proclaimed he would like to stay in San Diego but has no control over the teams decisions. LT may be ignoring one obvious option, he can volunteer publicly to take a pay cut. He could declare and then demonstrate that dollars are a secondary consideration at this stage of his Canton-bound career.

A move like this would seize the initiative from A.J. Smith, and back the Chargers into a more awkward position than they already occupy, and free up funds to help fill the team's numerous needs. He could execute a tactical retreat and emerge as a triumphant symbol of selflessness.

The framework for a revised deal might be found in Ahman Green's negotiations with the Houston Texans last summer. Green conceded $2 million in base salary and a $500,000 bonus for the chance to make up to $3 million in bonuses for being listed as “active” over the last 15 games of the season.

If his desire is to stay, let him show his sincerity by taking one for the team. Let him take control of the situation while there's still time. So long as the Chargers are in compliance with the salary cap as of Feb. 27, they have no need for a hasty decision. So long as ego doesn't interfere, there's a way to make this work.

L.T. wants to come back

On his personal website Chargers Running back LaDainian Tomlinson reiterated Wednesday that he plans to continue his career in San Diego. Whether the team agrees is an unknown. For the full story Click here.