At ChargersLocker.com, you can follow along with the San Diego Chargers and another exciting NFL season at Qualcomm Stadium . This is the blog where you can get profiles on all the Chargers, along with the latest stats, scores, rankings, standings and much more. Want to buy something Charger-related? We've got the inside scoop on team gear, merchandise, apparel, and tickets to the games. Interact with others through our innovative fan forum and offer some commentary of your own. Then move down the schedule with the up-to-date news and scores from around the world of football. Whether you bet on the San Diego Chargers or not, this is a blog you should not be without!
The Chargers have re-signed 27-year old OT Brandyn Dombrowski to a 1-year deal. He played in 15 games (2 starts) for the Chargers last year. Dombrowski has now played in 47 games (15 starts) in his first three years with the Chargers. Dombrowski is a solid backup OT, so it was smart of the Chargers to bring him back for 2012.
The Chargers have re-signed 25-year old long snapper Mike Windt to a 1-year deal. Windt played in all 16 games (0 starts) for the Chargers last year. He has now played in 27 games (0 starts) in his first two years with the Chargers. This was a good move as Windt is a pretty solid snapper.
The Chargers have lost some players this off-season, but they have also re-signed five players and added 10 free agents from other teams. Here’s a look at the players that will be with the Chargers in 2012:
Offensively: The Chargers have re-signed C Nick Hardwick and OT Jared Gaither, and that was smart as they will likely both start for them in 2012. The Chargers also have re-signed TEs Randy McMichael and Kory Sperry, while also signing TE Dante Rosario to give them a lot of depth at TE for the 2012 season. The Chargers also have loaded up on WRs as they have signed Robert Meachem, Eddie Royal, Roscoe Parrish and Michael Spurlock so far this off-season. The Chargers have also signed RB/FB Le’Ron McClain to replace the departed Mike Tolbert (he signed with the Panthers). Finally, the Chargers have brought back QB Charlie Whitehurst to backup Philip Rivers this year.
Defensively: The Chargers have re-signed run plugging DT Antonio Garay. They also landed one of the top defensive free agents in OLB Jarret Johnson and he will be a starter from Day #1. Safety Atari Bigby and LB Demorrio Williams were added to give the Chargers some depth on D in 2012.
Special teams: The Chargers signed Roscoe Parrish (punt returner) and Michael Spurlock (kick and punt returner) to help give a boost to the special teams, while also giving the team depth at WR.
GRADE FOR THE OFF-SEASON SO FAR: B+
The Chargers have signed 29-year old WR/PR/KR Michael Spurlock. Spurlock played in 12 games for the Bucs last year and he caught 2 passes for 13 yards (6.5 avg). He also returned 6 punts for 21 yards (3.5 avg) and 2 kickoffs for 33 yards (16.5 avg) last year. Spurlock has now played in 38 games in his first five years in the NFL and he has caught 23 passes for 294 yards (12.8 avg) with 2 TD grabs. He has also returned 41 punts for 334 yards (8.1 avg) with 1 TD return and he has returned 73 kickoffs for 1,823 yards (25.0 avg) with 2 TD returns. Spurlock will give the Chargers depth at WR, while also helping out on special teams.
The Chargers have signed 29-year old WR/PR/KR Roscoe Parrish to a 1-year deal. Parrish played in 2 games for the Bills last year and has caught 1 pass for 16 yards. He also returned 5 punts for 46 yards (9.2 avg) last season. Parrish has now played in 77 games in his first 7 years in the NFL and he has caught 134 passes for 1,502 yards (11.2 avg) with 7 TD grabs. He has also carried the ball 14 times for 71 yards (5.1 ypc) with 1 TD run. Parrish also does good work on special teams as he has returned 135 punts for 1,622 yards (12.0 avg) with 3 TD returns and he has also returned 29 kickoffs for 685 yards (23.6 avg) so far in this game. Parrish will likely help the Chargers a lot more on special teams than he will on offense. That being said, I still like this pickup for the Chargers.
The Chargers have re-signed 32-year old DT Antonio Garay to a 2-year deal. Garay played in all 16 games for the Chargers last year and he had 57 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. He has now played in 34 games in his first three years with the Chargers and he has 110 tackles, 8 sacks and 7 tackles for a loss. Garay is a outstanding run plugger in the interior of the D-Line. He is a late bloomer that the Chargers wanted to keep around and I really like this move for them.
The Chargers have signed 27-year old TE Dante Rosario to a 1-year deal. Rosario played in 14 games for the Denver Broncos last year and he caught 7 passes for 117 yards (16.7 avg). Rosario has now played in 76 games in his first five years in the NFL and he has caught 89 passes for 1,011 yards (11.4 avg) with 5 TD grabs. Rosario will be the Chargers’ #3 TE behind Antonio Gates and Randy McMichael, so they are loaded at TE for 2012.
The Chargers have re-signed 32-year old TE Randy McMichael to a 2-year deal. McMichael played in all 16 games for the Chargers last year and he caught 30 passes for 271 yards (9.0 avg) with 0 TD grabs. He has now played in 32 games in his first two years with the Chargers and he has caught 50 passes for 492 yards (9.8 avg) with 2 TD grabs. This was a smart move for the Chargers as McMichael is a pretty solid backup for Antonio Gates.
The Chargers have signed 29-year old QB Charlie Whitehurst to a 2-year deal. He started his career with the Chargers before going to the Seahawks a couple of years ago. Whitehurst played in 3 games (2 starts) for the Seahawks last year and he completed 27 of 56 passes (48.2%) for 298 yards with 1 TD pass and 1 INT (62.9 QB Rating). He also carried the ball 4 times for 13 yards (3.3 ypc) last year for the Seahawks. Whitehurst has now played in 11 games (4 starts) in his NFL career and he has completed 84 of 155 passes (54.2%) for 805 yards with 3 TD passes and 4 INTs (64.6 QB Rating). He has also carried the ball 26 times for 69 yards (2.7 ypc) with 2 TD runs so far in his career. Whitehurst is 1-3 as a starting QB so far in his NFL career. Whitehurst knows the Chargers’ offense but the big reason he’s back is because he doesn’t cost as much as Billy Volek.
The Chargers have signed 30-year old safety Atari Bigby to a 2-year deal. Bigby played in 15 games for the Seahawks last year and he had 18 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery and 2 passes defensed. He has now played in 60 games in his first six years in the NFL and he has 182 tackles, 10 interceptions, 21 passes defensed, 5 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 3 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries. This was a good move for the Chargers as Bigby is a solid player, when healthy.