Merriman was just one of a few Chargers players unhappy this offseason with his current contract situation.

He was also one of a few to hold out of training camp, but ended up the first one to give in to the team.

Merriman has struggled to stay healthy and put up the big numbers he did during his first few years in the league.

That just so happens to coincide with the time he was busted for performance-enhancing drugs, so there could be something to it.

Mathews, the 12th overall pick in this year’s draft, starred at running back for the Fresno State Bulldogs in 2009. He’s expected to help shoulder the load in the backfield following the departure of LaDainian Tomlinson. Mathews will join incumbent running back Darren Sproles to provide San Diego its own version of “thunder and lightning.” Sproles is a diminutive speed merchant who’s a threat to take it to the house on every play, while Mathews is a bigger, bruising back who will be counted on to get the yards between the tackles.

With Anthony Davis and Brandon Graham, the two players selected before and after him, signing deals with their respective teams on Friday, it opened the door for Mathews to reach an agreement.

The Chargers became a possible fit with wideout Vincent Jackson suspended for the first three weeks of the season.

Owens and his agent have been getting a lot more proactive about finding the wideout a team in recent days.

Drew Rosenhaus claims that his client has seen a large increase in interest and that one team is being aggressive.

Whether any of that is true or not is anybody’s guess, but Owens certainly still thinks he can play at a high level.

There have been rumors floating around that the Chargers may be trying to trade him, something San Diego denies.

Jackson will miss the first three games of the 2010 season after pleading guilty to another DUI charge.

The wideout is upset over his contract situation and has refused to sign his tender offer, which could mean he sits out the first 10 games of the season.

It’s possible that the three-game suspension could be included as part of the 10 games he would sit out.

The Chargers were expected to lose either Floyd or fellow wideout Vincent Jackson this year, but without a salary cap, they were able to keep both players.

Quarterback Phillip Rivers certainly can’t be any happier, and opposing defenses couldn’t be more disappointed.

Floyd started nine games last year, catching 45 passes for 776 yards but just one touchdown.

Crompton was the team’s fifth-round pick out of Tennessee and their first selection to sign so far.

He was a disappointing college quarterback until blossoming his senior year under Lane Kiffin.

With the team trading away quarterback Charlie Whitehurst in the offseason, a spot has opened up for Crompton.

He will likely settle in as the team’s third string quarterback behind Phillip Rivers and Billy Volek.

The linebacker recently switched agents, which could be a way to speed up trade talks with other teams.

The Chargers are not looking to give Merriman a long-term deal, so they would be more than happy to trade him before next year and get something in return.

The Saints and two other teams have attempted to acquire him, but have had no such luck.

Merriman would like a long-term deal to wherever he is traded, which seems to be the big hang-up for now.

The Chargers have just Darren Sproles in the backfield, so getting a running back was a top priority.

Matthews is a tough runner who has a good blend of power and speed. He will instantly become the starting running back.

While San Diego may have moved up way too far to get Matthews, at least they got the player they wanted.

It was possibly but probably unlikely that Matthews would have been sitting there for them still at the No. 28 pick.

There are some quick turnarounds for the San Diego Chargers in looking at the 2010 schedule.

On two occasions, the defending AFC West champions will tee it up twice in one week.

The National Football League has released the game times and dates for the 2010 season. San Diego, which went 13-3 in winning the division last season, plays four of its final six in prime time, making for some interesting and short spells between games.

The Chargers begin the regular season on Monday Night Football at Kansas City on Sept. 13. It’s the first of four road games in the opening six weeks for San Diego, which opens the home portion of its schedule Sept. 19 with Jacksonville.

Following a trip to Seattle and a home game against Arizona, the Chargers play consecutive road games at Oakland and at St. Louis. AFC East champ New England comes to town on Oct. 24, and Tennessee visits a week later. A trip to Houston leads into the bye Nov. 14.

Then the schedule gets interesting. The Chargers play four of their final six at home, and four of those final six are prime-time kickoffs. It starts on Monday Night Football on Nov. 22 at home against Denver. Six days later, the Chargers travel to face AFC champ Indianapolis for Sunday Night Football on Nov. 28.

Following consecutive home games with Oakland and Kansas City, the Chargers play Thursday Night Football at home against San Francisco, just three days after facing the Chiefs. The Chargers wrap up the regular season with a Sunday Night Football showdown at Cincinnati on Dec. 26, and a trip to Denver on Jan. 2.

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Sproles is currently the team’s top running back after the Chargers let LaDainian Tomlinson go.

However, it’s no secret that the Chargers don’t see Sproles as an every-down running back and do not want to use him in that fashion.

They would like to keep Sproles primarily as a kick and punt returner and their running back in passing situations.

Marcus Mason is the only other running back with NFL experience on the roster, so the Chargers have some work to do in free agency and the draft.