AJ Smith on the moves

Speculation was running rampant over the last few weeks on who the San Diego Chargers would release in anticipation of the free agency period. Surprises were few and far between as the team decided against bringing back many players, are working on other deals with their own unrestricted free agents to bring them back and have left the door open on yet others. General Manager AJ Smith broke the news.

Reporters were given a handout detailing the who’s and what’s of the complicated mess of players being released, talked to, and testing free agency on their own. AJ Smith talked about each in his press conference. Here is a partial transcript:

We are trying to resign at this time, but obviously they go into the open market:

David Binn

Kelvin Garmon

Leon Johnson

Jerry Wilson

Damion McIntosh

Unrestricted free agents we are not trying to sign at this time and they are out there testing the market, but they will check back with us and maybe they will be with us, maybe not, but we will make those determinations as we go along:

Bob Hallen

Steve Christie

Darren Bennett

Ed Ellis

Joe Salave’a

An unrestricted free agent that will not be back with us is Solomon Page.

Cory Raymer we were trying to restructure and that did not work out, so he will be released.

Released players that we have:

Vaughn Parker and Ray Lee Johnson. Terrific players for us, but we were trying to do their contracts and they asked for their release and because of respect we have for them, they have an opportunity to go out and test the market. We are working with them now, so hopefully things will work out.

Stephen Alexander – released, Marcellus Wiley – released, Antoineo Harris, a running back we had in camp – released, and Cory Raymer because the negotiations didn’t work out.