Chargers defenders have taken a lot of heat the past two seasons for blowing leads in the final minutes. Fourteen times they've surrendered the winning score in the final three minutes of regulation or in overtime.
Pro Bowl strong safety Rodney Harrison said yesterday he doesn't expect to hear that type of criticism this season now that the Chargers have drafted Texas cornerback Quentin Jammer and reached an agreement with talented free-agent linebacker Donnie Edwards.
"There are no excuses now," Harrison said. "We've got all the big pieces to the puzzle. I'm definitely excited about (Jammer). Just looking at the draft from a defensive standpoint, you always want to be a little selfish and get somebody that can help your side of the ball, even though it's a team sport. And a guy like him – he was the best cover corner in college. Adding him and with Ryan McNeil and Rogers Beckett puts us among the top five secondaries in the National Football League.
"And Donnie – he can run and he can hit. I've always admired the way he can play. This takes our defense to another level."
Jammer is expected to start opposite McNeil, a Pro Bowler after last season. And Edwards, 29, will start at strongside linebacker, ahead of Sam Rogers.
Linebacker Junior Seau was among the individuals the Chargers used to court Edwards, a Chula Vista native who had 100 or more tackles in each of the past five seasons with Kansas City.
Seau said he's impressed with management's moves.
"That's awesome. That's exciting," he said. "Obviously, they're both going to help us. Being as strong as we thought we already were on defense, this only helps us.
"We're stronger with both of them. We just can't wait to put all this together, to tell you the truth. We lost a great player in John Parrella, but to have Jammer and Edwards only upgrades us and takes us to another level."
Edwards could not be reached for comment.
Radio daze
KFMB-AM doesn't broadcast sports very often these days, and the Chargers' flagship station was more than a bit rusty yesterday during a special NFL Draft edition of "Charger Insider."
While ESPN and XTRA-AM were live with NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue's announcement of the Chargers' first-round selection, KFMB kept its listeners waiting. And waiting. And waiting.
KFMB was in commercial shortly before 10 a.m. when the Chargers picked Jammer. That was followed by CBS national news, then local news.
Finally, at 10:06, seven minutes after the fact, KFMB played a tape of Tagliabue's announcement.
It got worse. About five minutes later, while ESPN was interviewing general manager John Butler and XTRA was interviewing coach Marty Schottenheimer, the Chargers' own show had new host Kyle Kraska talking with Channel 8 traffic reporter Jason Austell.
"It's a great vibe out here," Austell said, referring to the Chargers' "draft experience" at Qualcomm Stadium.
Just as long as no one wanted any Chargers news.
Nuts 'n' Bolts
The last time the Chargers selected a cornerback from Texas with their first pick, things didn't turn out so well. Mossy Cade (sixth overall) never played a down for the Chargers, choosing instead to play for the Memphis Showboats of the USFL.
Butler said no teams called to inquire about a trade for the Chargers' first choice (No. 5 overall).
Florida wideout Reche Caldwell, the latter of the team's two second-round picks, impressed San Diego's brass when he insisted on running another 40-yard dash because he was unhappy with his time. Schottenheimer said Caldwell then clocked in the 4.3-second range.
Butler and Schottenheimer said there's a chance they might pass on signing a veteran free-agent offensive lineman on June 1, when teams will release high-priced veterans for salary-cap relief. The team is expected to add at least seven more linemen, either through the draft or rookie free agency.
