--Chargers GM A.J. Smith said the team needs to do two things to become more successful: "We need to have a solid, consistent running game. We have to. And we have to figure out how to stop passing assaults against this football team. Until we figure that out we will not go where we want to go. It is just not going to happen."

--With the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger winning his second Super Bowl ring recently and the Giants' Eli Manning owning one, too, Philip Rivers still seeks his ring. Smith passed on the first two quarterbacks in going with Rivers in that celebrated first round of the draft. "He doesn't have any," Smith said of Rivers, after three years as a starter. "But I'm rooting for Philip Rivers again this year."

--RB Darren Sproles has that rich franchise tender, but the Chargers would like to sign him to a long-term deal. "We would love for him to be with us in the future -- we plan on him being here," Smith said.

--Smith must soon look at Rivers' contract, which expires after the 2009 season. "He is in the last year and we will deal with it and hopefully he will be with us for many years to come," Smith said.

--Not by name, but Smith put some Chargers on notice. "They are some, and they know who they are, I'm not sure (about)," Smith said of the under-performing players. "And they are going to have opportunities to rebound." Smith said many have already been spoken with. "You better rebound if you want to be a Charger," he said.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "(They) bought all the magazine covers and probably have them hanging in their room somewhere. I don't think we will be on many magazine covers this year and that makes me happy." -- GM A.J. Smith on his players buying into the hype going into last season about them going to the Super Bowl.