The San Diego Chargers can envision rookie outside linebacker Larry English stepping in for All-Pro Shawne Merriman one day.
But first, they would like to see English step on the field.
The 16th overall pick from Northern Illinois, where he played defensive end, English has been nursing a hamstring injury — the first of his football career — and has been relegated to spectator status in training camp.
“They’re just being precautionary and making sure it’s 100 percent before I come back and get going full speed,” he said. “But I’m running, working out, doing all that stuff. They just don’t want to take any chances.”
The Chargers have the luxury of taking their time with English, seeing as they have two of the best outside linebackers in the game in Merriman and Shaun Phillips. They can pick their spots with the rookie.
“The thing that would be a concern to me is if we were to rush this thing and it lingered throughout the year,” coach Norv Turner said. “It’s not like he’s going to go in and start. We need to get him ready to play. He has shown great explosiveness, great pass-rush ability, he’s a very smart guy and we’re going to use him with those other guys, who are pretty good.
“We have time. And the foolish thing for us would be to panic and say, ‘Hey, we have to get him out there. He won’t be ready,’ and then to have this thing turn into something chronic.”
Merriman, who underwent knee surgery last fall and sat out the 2008 season, concedes he wasn’t pleased when the Chargers used their first-round pick on an outside linebacker. Still, he said, he plans to help English all he can.
“I owe it to the game — not to him — but to the game,” said Merriman, who’s in the final year of his contract. “Because when I came in, there were people who took me under their wing. When I was in high school, when I was in college, there were always older guys that took me under their wing and showed me the ropes.
“If I didn’t do that for somebody else, then Larry wouldn’t know how to pass that along to somebody else when he’s in his fifth, sixth, seventh year.”
As for the writing on the wall, that the Chargers brought in English to take over for him eventually?
“Business is business,” Merriman said. “That’s the way it goes. I’m going to continue to do what I have to do. What I’ve done is self-explanatory. What I’m going to continue to do is self-explanatory.”
Sizzlin’ Favre: George Stewart didn’t say a word. He didn’t need to.
Instead, the Minnesota Vikings’ wide receivers coach simply shook his head, smiled and extended his hand to receiver Sidney Rice for a fist bump.
Moments earlier, during his first full day with the Vikings, Brett Favre had zipped a 25-yard frozen rope to Rice, who was running a post pattern down the right side. The pass absolutely screamed, leaving a crowd of reporters on the sideline letting loose with an involuntary “Whoa … “
Stewart has seen Favre make similar throws for years — but always for the other team.
“I saw that against us when I was in San Francisco and Tampa,” Stewart said. “I just wanted to remind Sidney that’s a throw he’s not used to seeing because that thing was on a line, a laser shot. No words said; he knew exactly what I was talking about.
“That’s what you’re going to see. And with [Favre], that’s exactly what he brings to us.”
Stewart is on his fifth team since becoming an NFL assistant in 1989, the other four being the Steelers, Buccaneers, 49ers and Falcons.
“I’ve counted up: I’m 3-21 against Brett Favre,” he said. “So I have a special appreciation for what he can do.”
Two of those victories came with the 49ers when Steve Mariucci was the coach and Jim Mora was the defensive coordinator.
“It was always special because Brett is such a gamesman,” Stewart said. “Brett would make a play, look over to our bench and smile. He was just out there having fun.”
Vikings defensive end Jared Allen, who had 14 1/2 sacks last season, says he would much rather have Favre as a teammate than an opponent. Favre has seen a lot of forced throws intercepted, but he also has made a lot of big plays that way.
“I remember playing against him when I was in Kansas City,” Allen said. “There was a time I was hitting him and he was throwing balls 50 yards down the field and people were catching them. You have to admire the guy because he’s a master of his craft. He does things people can’t do.”
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Raiders get punchy: As if the Raiders don’t have enough worries with their team, now their coach could be in trouble.
The week started with reports that coach Tom Cable slugged defensive assistant Randy Hanson in the face, breaking his jaw. Then nationalfootballpost.com reported the two coaches fell to the floor during the alleged Aug.5 fight, and Cable wound up choking Hanson and said, “I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you!”
Napa, Calif., police said Friday they have re-opened the investigation after receiving new information about it.
Although it’s easy to brush off the alleged incident as typical Raiders shenanigans, Cable could be in hot water with the league if he actually threw a punch.
It isn’t just players but all league employees who are bound by Commissioner Roger Goodell’s conduct policy.
“It is not enough to simply avoid being found guilty of a crime,” the policy says. “Instead, as an employee of the NFL or a member club, you are held to a higher standard and expected to conduct yourself in a way that is responsible, promotes the values upon which the league is based and is lawful.”
It’s safe to say league executives will be watching to see how this situation unfolds.
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Sam Farmer covers the NFL for the Los Angeles Times.