Chargers re-signed LG Dielman

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/chargers/20070304-9999-1s4chargers.html

Quote :

"Guard with an attitude turns down more money By Kevin Acee UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER March 4, 2007 After months of excruciating silence, a sleepless night in Seattle and a morning of negotiation between his agent and the team, Kris Dielman came home to stay. The free-agent left guard, voted the Chargers' co-Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2006, agreed to a six-year contract with $17 million guaranteed over the first two years and a total potential worth of $39 million. “I really did think I was out of here,” Dielman said at an afternoon media conference at the Chargers facility. “I didn't think this was going to happen. I didn't think San Diego was going to step up, and they did.” Dielman did not want to leave, plain and simple. He said being in Seattle “just didn't feel right.” The prized free agent decided to forgo as much as $10 million to remain in San Diego, where he has a home, has built friendships and believes the team is about to make a championship run. “I'm glad to be with my linemates again,” he said. “That would have been hard to leave that group of guys in that O-line room, and LT and Philip (Rivers) and Lorenzo (Neal) and all those guys. I'm excited. We're ready to get it. We fell short last year. There have been some changes. We all know that, but the team is still intact.” Dielman spent Friday in Seattle being wooed by the Seahawks, one of the teams willing to give him almost $50 million for a seven-year pact. But Dielman, an undrafted free agent in 2003 who dips tobacco, still prefers jeans and sports a woodsman's beard, said he was not interested in breaking the bank. He did want to be rewarded as one of the league's elite offensive linemen. “Money doesn't mean . . . money is nice, but if you're not happy, you're miserable; it's not really worth it in my opinion,” Dielman said. “I'm happy. San Diego is happy. Money isn't a factor in it. It never really was either.” Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith was asked yesterday if he thought the megamillions Dielman just scored would change the 26-year-old. “Absolutely not,” Smith said. “Kris Dielman is all about football. He wants to be the best offensive left guard in football, and he wants to win championships. Kris could live in a mansion or he could live in a van down by the river, and you would never know the difference in his demeanor.” The Chargers and Dielman's agent began negotiating a long-term deal last spring. Dielman personally let the team know before the season began that his preference was to remain in San Diego. However, with the sides close on guaranteed money (about $10 million at the time) but more than $1 million a year apart on a proposed five-year deal, talks broke off in November. There was virtually no contact between the sides until Smith called Dielman on Thursday to tell him personally how much he wanted him to stay and that he hoped the team would get a chance to keep him. Mike McCartney, Dielman's agent, and Chargers Vice President Ed McGuire spoke briefly Friday while Dielman was in Seattle, but the sides remained far apart. It appeared to all involved that Dielman was on the verge of becoming a Seahawk. The Seahawks had an offer ready for Dielman to sign yesterday morning. But before he could go to their facility, he called McCartney and told him to go back to work with the Chargers. Meanwhile, Chargers President Dean Spanos got involved, and the Chargers' money came up significantly. While he would have signed for much less during the season, going to the market gave Dielman the leverage to get more than $2 million a year above the Chargers' November offer. Smith seemed resigned in recent weeks to the fact he would lose Dielman. Smith said repeatedly, “You aren't going to hit on 100 percent.” That was in reference to the fact the team has signed so many players to longterm contracts but might not be able to so with Dielman. Dielman is the 26th player under contract through at least 2009, and the 21st core player signed for that long. “This is a great day for the Chargers,” Smith said, perhaps as relieved after this as he was after any of the others. While all signs pointed to Dielman leaving, Smith had always held out hope, partly because he knew Dielman wanted to stay and partly because he knew how important it was to get Dielman signed. Smith had acknowledged there was no backup plan in place at left guard if Dielman left. Dielman is among Smith's favorite players, and the sincerity of his feelings for the player are evident every time he speaks of him – including when he said he would be happy for Dielman if he signed a big contract elsewhere. Immediately after taking over the starting job in the third game of 2005, Dielman was credited with infusing a nasty attitude into the offensive line. He is immensely strong and aggressive. An undrafted free agent out of Indiana in 2003, Dielman came to San Diego for a $7,500 signing bonus as a defensive lineman. He was cut after training camp but signed to the practice squad. On his way to his first meeting with the defensive line, he was stopped by Marty Schottenheimer and sent to the offensive line meeting room. That is how he found out he was a guard. He was moved to the active roster that October and spent the next two seasons learning the position, playing behind Toniu Fonoti. When Fonoti was injured against Denver in the second game of 2005, Dielman took over and has started 30 of the past 31 games. “It's been a long couple of days,” Dielman said. “But I got back home to where I wanted to be. We're going to keep the line together. We did a pretty good job last year. I've always wanted to stay between Nick (Hardwick) and Marcus (McNeill). I'm excited. It's a good situation for all of us.”"

3/4/2007 2:33:19 PM

It's too bad ESPN can't have stories about guys like him. We get garbage like TO all the fuckin time instead.

3/4/2007 2:35:52 PM

it's too bad people like you have to constantly bring up t.o. no wonder espn likes talk and write about him all the time.

3/4/2007 2:41:46 PM

3/4/2007 2:42:54 PM

it's too bad people like you have to constantly bring up t.o. no wonder espn likes talk and write about him all the time.

3/4/2007 2:43:46 PM

Quote :

"a van down by the river"

aha

3/4/2007 2:46:53 PM

I love this guy.

3/4/2007 3:05:36 PM

Good. Now they just need a reciever, a strong safety, and a right tackle.

Maybe Ted Ginn will drop to #30

3/4/2007 5:37:09 PM

Quote :

"Dielman, an undrafted free agent in 2003 who dips tobacco, still prefers jeans and sports a woodsman's beard.... "

Dat's some NC State shit

3/4/2007 5:47:16 PM

PRiv is a light skinned brotha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VhOdq4EeMk&mode=related&search=

3/4/2007 6:39:27 PM

what the fuck is a haus?




did you mean hoss?

3/4/2007 6:48:08 PM

^or an establishment to drink german beer!

3/4/2007 7:35:41 PM

lol, deutscheland

3/4/2007 8:14:42 PM

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=haus

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hoss



[Edited on March 5, 2007 at 12:16 PM. Reason : Close enough]

3/5/2007 12:15:03 PM

oh shit, Urban Dictionary, the gate keeper of the English language! it must be true if its in there!

they arent even pronounced the same...

3/5/2007 2:35:30 PM

eh, couldn't find it in any other dictionary... Whatever...

P Riv will be a STUD!

Thank you Chargers for keeping the O-Line together.

3/5/2007 3:17:18 PM