San Diego Chargers

If any situation calls for an arbitrator, Jackson and the San Diego Chargers should be locked in a room until they reach a solution. This is a standoff in which both sides lose.

As a talent, Jackson is an unappreciated gem. He's evolved behind Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson, so he was rarely going to be better than the third option for Philip Rivers. But Jackson and Rivers connect on some of the toughest routes in football. Gates and Jackson probably catch more deep throws against tight coverage than any pass-catchers in football.

With a career 17.2-yard average and back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Jackson has put himself in position to ask for the $10 million a year price tag of Marshall or Larry Fitzgerald. But his timing was all wrong. The salary cap is temporarily gone and the six-year free agency requirement robbed Jackson of the chance to secure the big bucks. He was a restricted free agent in a year long-term deals were restricted by teams.

The other problem is the suspension. Jackson is operating under the notion he will wipe out his three-game suspension by not signing a contract until three weeks into the regular season. Remember, unsigned players can't be fined for holdouts because they aren't under contract. The team believes he would still have to serve three games if he signs three weeks into the regular season. What a mess.

Teams such as the Seahawks, Redskins and others will monitor Jackson's status, but a trade is unlikely. Rivers needs Jackson and Jackson needs to find a way of not surrendering this season or playing it for pennies on the dollar. Too bad this doesn't qualify for arbitration.

 

 rookie RB Ryan Mathews said a lot was thrown at him by the coaching staff during minicamps, but at the same time it was not too overwhelming for him. He goes on to tell Nick Canepa of The San Diego Chargers Union-Tribune, 'I got more and more comfortable. It's so much faster. They threw a lot at me, but I picked up

everything fast.' Mathews believes he is not only big enough to run through tackles, but also agile enough to make defenders miss. He also added that he is not letting the pressure of replacing LaDanian Tomlinson get to him, but he did admit that LT's shoes are hard to fill. However, he is not going to try and be like LT. He is going to be himself and do what he knows how to do best: play his own game.