Chargers Hope To Get Jump-Start In Seattle San Diego Overhaul Not Sitting Well With Many

Fearless as a returner and receiver, Andre Coleman finally heard footsteps - but they were the kind from which a player can’t protect himself. New San Diego Chargers coach Kevin Gilbride was putting his imprint on the roster.

“During camp, I felt myself getting weeded out,” said Coleman, now with the Seattle Seahawks. “There was an incident in an exhibition game against Indianapolis in which a play was called to me. Coaches called time out and took me out of the game. They put in Ray Crittenden and he caught a touchdown pass. The next day they were saying Ray was having a great camp, and I knew what was going on.”

A lot of toes are being trampled as Gilbride replaces Bobby Ross as the Chargers’ coach. Twenty-two players are new, and survivors are looking over their shoulders. A normally peaceful press corps is irate about closed practices and limited availability of Gilbride, his assistants and players.

All of a sudden, the Chargers, a Super Bowl team in 1994, have become the Re-Chargers, and they’re coming to Seattle on Sunday to find a spark after a 1-2 start.

“I would have never expected so much change,” said Seahawks tight end Deems May, a starter for the Chargers last season. “If you would have told me there would be 22 new players and a new coach at this time last year, I would have said: ‘What’s this guy talking about.”’

A year ago at this time, the Chargers were 4-1, unbeaten in three games in the AFC West. Bobby Ross was the coach, and Coleman, May, Courtney Hall, Eric Moten, Harry Swayne, Chris Mims, Leonard Russell and Kevin Ross were starters. Now, they are gone.

Change is a byproduct of the rapid fall of the Chargers after their 49-26 loss to San Francisco in Super Bowl XXIX in January 1995. The next season, Ross had to rally a struggling group with five season-ending wins to secure a playoff berth with a 9-7 record.

General manager Bobby Beathard was compelled to chase away Anthony Miller, Leslie O’Neal, Natrone Means and others because he felt they hurt instead of helped the locker-room environment. Change became apparent by the middle of last season because Beathard couldn’t get along with Ross, and the players weren’t responding to his discipline.

“A year ago at this time, I never would have expected a change in coaches,” May said. “By the end of the season, you knew there would be a change.”

Unfortunately for Gilbride, who was offensive coordinator for Jacksonville last season, his effort to open up the Chargers’ offense is slow in taking off. Defensively, the Chargers are tough to run on and can hold down the score.

But Gilbride’s passing offense ranks 28th overall, 25th through the air.

“It’s not nearly as far along as we’d like it to be,” Gilbride said. “In the past week, we started to show signs of improvement. We ran the ball better. We protected better against Carolina’s defense, but we made mistakes in the second half. We fumbled four times, three by the quarterback.”

Notes

The Seahawks may not be able to stay in their passing-first offense with the rash of injuries. Wide receivers Ronnie Harris (hamstring tendinitis) and Brian Blades (knee) aren’t practicing and are questionable, leaving the team with only four healthy receivers. Left tackle Walter Jones had to be taken for X-rays for a left-ankle sprain. His status is uncertain, so the Seahawks could be forced to use Grant Williams at left tackle or move right guard Derrick Graham to left tackle and start Frank Beede at right guard…. If Harris can’t play, Tyree Davis or Joey Galloway will return punts… . Only 50,000 tickets were sold for the game against the Chargers, so it will be blacked out for television in the Seattle area.