The San Diego Chargers agreed to contract terms with the following 20 rookie free agents:

• Seyi Ajirotutu (Say-EE Ah-JEER-ah-too-too) WR Fresno State 
• Brady Bond T Oklahoma State 
• Richard Brockel (BRAH-kul)  TE Boise State 
• Dajleon Farr (DAY-lee-on) TE Memphis 
• Richard Goodman WR Florida State 
• Jeff Hansen C-G Montana State 
• Cory Jackson FB Maryland 
• Jordyn Jackson WR Eastern Oregon 
• Justin Jeffries T Kentucky 
• Cort Johnson P West Texas A&M 
• Brandon Lang LB Troy State 
• Shawnbrey McNeal (SHAWN-bray) RB Southern Methodist 
• Ryan Otterson T Wyoming 
• Stephan Richmond T TCU 
• Traye Simmons CB Minnesota 
• Ernest Smith WR Baylor 
• Marcel Thompson WR Lindenwood University, Mo. 
• Bryan Walters WR Cornell 
• Jeremy Williams WR Tulane 
• Kion Wilson (KEY-on) LB South Florida 

Linebacker Antwan Applewhite signed a one-year contract today. As an exclusive rights free agent, Applewhite will earn $470,000 for the 2010 season. 

Applewhite played in just one game in 2009, injuring his hamstring early in the season-opener at Oakland. He was deactivated for the next four games and placed on “Reserve-Injured” Oct. 20.

Applewhite’s signing leaves the Chargers with five unsigned restricted free agents. They include WR Vincent Jackson, WR Malcom Floyd, T Marcus McNeill, LB Shawne Merriman and DE Travis Johnson. Even though Merriman and Johnson have not signed, both are participating in the team’s offseason strength and conditioning program.

The Chargers will be featured in five nationally-televised prime-time contests, beginning with the season opener against the division-rival Chiefs in Kansas City. The Chargers and Chiefs will battle in the second game of the Kickoff Weekend Monday night doubleheader on ESPN. The game kicks off at 7:15 pm PT.

The schedule presents many challenges for San Diego, including opening in Kansas City at night in front of its notoriously hostile crowd, the first of four road games in the first six weeks. To finish the season, the Chargers will find themselves on the road for the final two contests, playing back-to-back cold-weather games in Cincinnati and Denver. The game in Cincinnati is another nationally-televised Sunday night game.

Head Coach Norv Turner likes the schedule, and thinks Charger fans will also.

“It’s a tough schedule, no doubt, but it’s also a great schedule for our fans,” said Turner. “We’ll need to come out of the gates strong, playing four of our first six games on the road. But most important, we’ll have to finish strong and be playing our best football when it matters most, in December and January.”

San Diego’s bye weekend comes in Week 10 (Nov. 14). Following the bye, four of the Chargers’ final seven games are on national television. Head Coach Norv Turner’s 13-0 record in December and 4-3 record in January (including playoffs) could have had something to do with that.

Following the season opener in Kansas City, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be the Chargers’ opponent for their home opener on Sunday, Sept. 19. San Diego’s ticket holders will then see the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4 (Oct. 3), then back-to-back battles in Weeks 7-8 against New England (Oct. 24) and Tennessee (Oct. 31; Halloween).

The Chargers have back-to-back nationally-televised games following their bye, beginning with a Week 11 game versus the Denver Broncos on Monday night, Nov. 22. Then in Week 12 they travel to Indianapolis for a big NBC Sunday night contest on Nov. 28. Three consecutive home games Weeks 13-15 versus Oakland (Dec. 5), Kansas City (Dec. 12) and a Thursday night NFL Network game against San Francisco (Dec. 16) finish the regular-season home schedule before San Diego plays its final two games on the road.

Notes: The Chargers’ have opened the season with a nationally-televised night game four times, including 1981, ‘94, ‘06 and ’09, and are 4-0 in those games.

Tickets for both preseason home games go on sale Friday at 10:00 am PT by logging onto www.Chargers.com, calling 1-800-745-3000 or at the Chargers Ticket Office located at Gate C at Qualcomm Stadium. Chargers season tickets for the 2010 season also are on sale. They can be purchased by calling 877-CHARGERS, visiting www.chargers.com or stopping by the Chargers’ ticket office, open Monday through Friday from 8-5 pm.

http://www.chargers.com/schedule/2010-season-schedule.html

The San Diego Chargers open the 2010 preseason with back-to-back home games against two of the NFL’s most storied franchises – the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys – and tickets to those games go on sale Friday, April 23.

The team announced the dates and times for the Chargers’ four preseason games, beginning with Chicago Bears in San Diego on Saturday, August 14 at 6 pm PT. The following weekend brings the Dallas Cowboys to Qualcomm Stadium on Saturday, August 21, also at 6 pm.

Date - Opponent - Kickoff*
Sat. Aug. 14 CHICAGO 6 pm
Sat. Aug. 21 DALLAS 6 pm
Fri. Aug. 27 at New Orleans 5 pm
Thur. Sept. 2 at San Francisco 7 pm
*Pacific Time

Tickets for both home games go on sale Friday at 10:00 am PT by logging onto www.Chargers.com, calling 1-800-745-3000 or at the Chargers Ticket Office located at Gate C at Qualcomm Stadium. Chargers season tickets for the 2010 season also are on sale. They can be purchased by calling 877-CHARGERS, visiting www.chargers.com or stopping by the Chargers’ ticket office, open Monday through Friday from 8-5 pm.

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San Diego’s high-powered offense will be put to the test by a Bears defense and six-time Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher. The game also will renew the rivalry between quarterbacks Philip Rivers and Jay Cutler and mark Cutler’s first game against the Chargers since being traded to Chicago in 2009. The Chargers roster features several former Bears, including recently signed cornerback Nathan Vasher, and several of San Diego’s coaches, including Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera, also spent time in the “Windy City” as members of Bears’ coach Lovie Smith’s staff. This will be the Bears’ first visit to San Diego for a preseason game since 1982.

Former Chargers Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips leads quarterback Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys into Qualcomm Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 21. These two teams met late last season at the Cowboys’ new home in Arlington, Texas and the Chargers prevailed in a defensive struggle, 20-17. The Cowboys’ high-powered offense features Romo along with running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones, and receivers Miles Austin and Roy Williams. Dallas’ roster also lists one of the league’s top outside linebackers in NFL sack-leader DeMarcus Ware. This will mark the second time in three years that the Cowboys will play a preseason game in San Diego.

The Chargers are on the road in Preseason Week 3 when they are featured in a nationally-televised game on CBS against the reigning Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. It’s a special Friday night telecast on Aug. 27 with kickoff set for 5:00 p.m. PDT. These two teams are extremely familiar with one-another as the Saints are led by former Chargers quarterback Drew Brees and running back Reggie Bush, an alum of Helix High School (La Mesa, Calif.) and the University of Southern California. Saints Head Coach Sean Payton also has San Diego ties, having started his coaching career at San Diego State in 1988.

The Chargers will conclude the NFL Preseason slate against one of their oldest preseason rivals, traveling to San Francisco to meet the 49ers at Candlestick Park on Thursday, Sept. 2 at 7 pm. The Chargers and 49ers have met every year in the preseason since 1987 and a total of 37 times dating back to 1968. The Chargers hold a slight 19-18 edge in the series. The 49ers are one of the NFL’s up-and-coming teams, led by Head Coach and Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary and quarterback Alex Smith, a former Heisman Trophy finalist and prep teammate of Bush’s at La Mesa’s Helix High.

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Linebacker Tim Dobbins signed a one-year contract today. As a restricted free agent, he was given a tender of $1.176 million for the 2010 season.

Dobbins played in 14 games, with two starts in 2009, and he is a solid run defender. He finished the ’09 season with 57 tackles, one sack, four tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble. Dobbins also had four tackles and recovered a fumble on special teams.

Dobbins’ signing leaves the Chargers with five unsigned restricted free agents. They include WR Vincent Jackson, WR Malcom Floyd, T Marcus McNeill, LB Shawne Merriman and DE Travis Johnson. Exclusive rights free agent LB Antwan Applewhite also has not yet signed a contract.

###

San Diego Chargers offensive tackle Jeromey Clary signed the team’s one-year contract tender offer today. The Chargers extended the tender valued at $1.684 million in order to maintain their first right of refusal for Clary, who was a Restricted Free Agent.

Clary has started 32 of 42 games played in the last three seasons, including the first 10 games in ’09 prior to being placed on Reserve-Injured due to an ankle injury.

The San Diego Charger Girls are holding open auditions on Sunday, April 11 at the University of San Diego’s Jenny Craig Pavilion. Registration and check-in begins promptly at 9 a.m., followed by a preliminary dance audition starting at 10 a.m.

Actress/singer Sabrina Bryan, a former member of the multi-platinum recording group, The Cheetah Girls, and star of the hit Disney Channel movie series, The Cheetah Girls, brings her expertise to the judging table for this year’s tryouts. Bryan also recently starred on season five of Dancing with the Stars.

"Sabrina's variety of high profile dance and performance experience adds another level of expertise to the judging panel,” Chargers Girls Director Lisa Simmons said. “She is a talented entertainer and will bring with her both knowledge and notoriety that will help us produce the most talented and successful Charger Girls team ever."

The day-long dance audition has annually welcomed more than 400 hopefuls from across the nation and overseas trying out for 28 highly-coveted positions. The Charger Girls are known as one of professional sports’ most talented and respected cheer and dance teams.

Applications are only available on-line at www.chargers.com and applicants must be at least 18 years old. The application along with a $20 registration fee should be submitted via mail or hand-delivered no later than April 7 for pre-registration status. Women are encouraged to send a 5x7 (or larger) headshot and/or full-body shot with their application. Walk-ups will be accepted at the door with a $25 registration fee. Please make check or money order payable to e2k Sports. Applicants are required to wear a two-piece leotard and flesh colored tights/hosiery as well as jazz, dance or athletic shoes. Applicants should arrive early, bring plenty of fluids and a light snack.

Judges will be looking for the brightest young talent with dance ability, crowd appeal and showmanship. Finalists can expect an interview and final dance audition during the week following the audition.

Team members must have flexible schedules for twice-weekly rehearsals, games and public appearances prior to and during the season. For more information about Bryan, visit her official website, www.sabrinabryan.com, or contact Maria Giannini (408) 591-3147.

The Chargers will open the preseason at home against the Bears on the weekend of Aug. 13-15. The exact date and time is to be announced.

San Diego's high-powered offense will be put to the test by a Bears defense and six-time Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher. The game also will renew the rivalry between quarterbacks Philip Rivers and Jay Cutler and mark Cutler's first game against the Chargers since being traded to Chicago in 2009. The Chargers roster features several former Bears, including recently signed cornerback Nathan Vasher, and several of San Diego's coaches, including Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera, also spent time in the "Windy City" as members of Bears' coach Lovie Smith's staff. This will be the Bears' first visit to San Diego for a preseason game since 1982.

Preseason Week 2 (Aug. 20-22) brings another exciting opponent to San Diego when former Chargers Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips leads Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys into Qualcomm Stadium. These teams met just three and a half months ago at the Cowboys' new home in Arlington, Texas and the Chargers prevailed in a defensive struggle, 20-17. The Cowboys' high-powered offense features Romo along with running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones, and receivers Miles Austin and Roy Williams. Dallas' roster also lists one of the league's top outside linebackers in NFL sack-leader DeMarcus Ware. This will mark the second time in three years that the Cowboys will play a preseason game in San Diego. The Chargers beat Dallas, 31-17, in a preseason game in San Diego in 2008. Again, the exact day and time of the game will be announced at a later date.

The Chargers are on the road in Preseason Week 3 when they are featured in a nationally-televised game on CBS against the reigning Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. It's a special Friday night telecast on Aug. 27 with kickoff set for 5:00 p.m. PDT. These two teams are extremely familiar with one-another as the Saints are led by former Chargers quarterback Drew Brees and running back Reggie Bush, an alum of Helix High School (La Mesa, Calif.) and the University of Southern California. Saints Head Coach Sean Payton also has San Diego ties, having started his coaching career at San Diego State in 1988. It is extremely rare for these two teams to meet in the preseason. In fact it will be the first time it's happened since 1985. The Chargers and Saints had a memorable regular-season meeting in 2008, facing off in an NFL International Series Game in London, a game that wasn't decided until late in the fourth quarter with the Saints barely prevailing, 37-32. Rivers and Brees posted nearly identical numbers in that game with Rivers passing for 341 yards and three touchdowns, while Brees threw for 339 yards and three scores of his own.

The Chargers will conclude the NFL Preseason slate against one of their oldest preseason rivals, traveling to San Francisco to meet the 49ers at Candlestick Park the weekend of Sept. 2-5. The Chargers and 49ers have met every year in the preseason since 1987 and a total of 37 times dating back to 1968. The Chargers hold a slight 19-18 edge in the series. The 49ers are one of the NFL's up-and-coming teams, led by Head Coach and Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary and quarterback Alex Smith, a former Heisman Trophy finalist and prep teammate of Bush's at La Mesa's Helix High.

Exact dates and kickoff times for the Chargers preseason games against Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco will be announced in the coming weeks.

Chargers season tickets for the 2010 season are on sale. They can be purchased by calling 877-CHARGERS, visiting www.chargers.com or stopping by the Chargers' ticket office at Gate C at Qualcomm Stadium, open Monday through Friday from 8-5 pm.

The San Diego Chargers' 2010 preseason schedule features games against some of the NFL's marquee teams, including the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and the reigning Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints.

The Chargers will open the preseason at home against the Bears on the weekend of Aug. 13-15. The exact date and time is to be announced.

San Diego's high-powered offense will be put to the test by a Bears defense and six-time Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher. The game also will renew the rivalry between quarterbacks Philip Rivers and Jay Cutler and mark Cutler's first game against the Chargers since being traded to Chicago in 2009. The Chargers roster features several former Bears, including recently signed cornerback Nathan Vasher, and several of San Diego's coaches, including Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera, also spent time in the "Windy City" as members of Bears' coach Lovie Smith's staff. This will be the Bears' first visit to San Diego for a preseason game since 1982.

Preseason Week 2 (Aug. 20-22) brings another exciting opponent to San Diego when former Chargers Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips leads Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys into Qualcomm Stadium. These teams met just three and a half months ago at the Cowboys' new home in Arlington, Texas and the Chargers prevailed in a defensive struggle, 20-17. The Cowboys' high-powered offense features Romo along with running backs Marion Barber and Felix Jones, and receivers Miles Austin and Roy Williams. Dallas' roster also lists one of the league's top outside linebackers in NFL sack-leader DeMarcus Ware. This will mark the second time in three years that the Cowboys will play a preseason game in San Diego. The Chargers beat Dallas, 31-17, in a preseason game in San Diego in 2008. Again, the exact day and time of the game will be announced at a later date.

The Chargers are on the road in Preseason Week 3 when they are featured in a nationally-televised game on CBS against the reigning Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints. It's a special Friday night telecast on Aug. 27 with kickoff set for 5:00 p.m. PDT. These two teams are extremely familiar with one-another as the Saints are led by former Chargers quarterback Drew Brees and running back Reggie Bush, an alum of Helix High School (La Mesa, Calif.) and the University of Southern California. Saints Head Coach Sean Payton also has San Diego ties, having started his coaching career at San Diego State in 1988. It is extremely rare for these two teams to meet in the preseason. In fact it will be the first time it's happened since 1985. The Chargers and Saints had a memorable regular-season meeting in 2008, facing off in an NFL International Series Game in London, a game that wasn't decided until late in the fourth quarter with the Saints barely prevailing, 37-32. Rivers and Brees posted nearly identical numbers in that game with Rivers passing for 341 yards and three touchdowns, while Brees threw for 339 yards and three scores of his own.

The Chargers will conclude the NFL Preseason slate against one of their oldest preseason rivals, traveling to San Francisco to meet the 49ers at Candlestick Park the weekend of Sept. 2-5. The Chargers and 49ers have met every year in the preseason since 1987 and a total of 37 times dating back to 1968. The Chargers hold a slight 19-18 edge in the series. The 49ers are one of the NFL's up-and-coming teams, led by Head Coach and Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary and quarterback Alex Smith, a former Heisman Trophy finalist and prep teammate of Bush's at La Mesa's Helix High.

Exact dates and kickoff times for the Chargers preseason games against Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco will be announced in the coming weeks.

Chargers season tickets for the 2010 season are on sale. They can be purchased by calling 877-CHARGERS, visiting www.chargers.com or stopping by the Chargers' ticket office at Gate C at Qualcomm Stadium, open Monday through Friday from 8-5 pm.

The San Diego Chargers bolstered their defensive backfield today when Nathan Vasher, a veteran of six NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears (2004-09), agreed to a two-year contract.

Vasher, 28, has started 46 of 73 career NFL games, recording 19 interceptions, including eight in 2005 when he was voted to the NFC Pro Bowl squad. Also that season, Vasher returned a missed field-goal attempt versus San Francisco 108 yards for a touchdown that at the time was the longest play in NFL history.

In 2009 he played in 15 games and recorded 15 tackles and one interception. In his only matchup against the Chargers, Vasher recorded two tackles and a quarterback sack in the 2007 season opener in San Diego.

“In Nathan Vasher, we’re adding a proven NFL player with experience in the league,” said General Manager A.J. Smith. “Having played in Chicago under Chargers Defensive Coordinator Ron Rivera (2004-06) and Secondary Coach Steve Wilks (2006-08) is an added bonus.”

Vasher was originally selected in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of the University of Texas. He was the Longhorns’ starting strong safety as a sophomore in 2001 in the same backfield as senior cornerback Quentin Jammer.

Up and running: The team’s offseason conditioning program started today for select players and, as expected, attendance was high. Nearly 40 players were at Chargers Park for the voluntary workouts, most notably, restricted free agent Darren Sproles. Veteran players aren’t due to officially begin workouts until next week, but several vets, including Philip Rivers, Jacques Cesaire, Jeromey Clary and recently-signed free agent Donald Strickland, were present today.