Let me start by saying that with the weapons they have on both sides of the ball, Jerry Faust probably could coach the San Diego Chargers to 10 wins. However, after spending the day at Charger camp, I firmly believe that they are still poised to challenge for a Super Bowl title despite the coaching change this off-season ... or maybe because of it.

While neither LaDainian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers, nor Shawne Merriman, wanted to see Marty Schottenheimer fired, all agreed that Norv Turner was the right prescription for what's been ailing this team. After five years of Marty, the Chargers were a bit beat up mentally.

As LT put it, "I liked and respected Marty, but since they made the change, I think (Turner) is the right coach at the right time for this team."

Or how about this from Rivers: "He's the perfect coach for this team. We don't need someone on us every minute telling us what to do, where to be, we've got veteran leadership and guys who know how to handle their business."

If you're thinking that this is more of an indictment of Turner as "a players coach," think again. Rivers told me that on the field, Norv's as riled up as any coach he's had, it's just that he's changed the atmosphere so that "when you walk down the hallway and see him, you can smile at him."

I think that few will argue that Turner's one of the more brilliant offensive minds in the league. As a head coach, he's never had weapons like this at his disposal, and he plans to use them.

Because of that, look for Antonio Gates to have a huge year as the Chargers plan to move him around to as many different spots at the snap of the ball as they can "to create matchup problems," Turner told me.

Also, LT believes that he will have EVEN MORE catches out of the backfield under Turner. "That's why I spent the off-season making sure I was in shape, to run those pass routes," said Tomlinson, who believes he should have "70-plus catches and 315 carries."

Folks, the Chargers are not only just as good as they were last year, they may be even better.

Next stop: the San Francisco 49ers.

Random NFL Notes

Left San Diego last night and landed in San Francisco....

Last time I was in San Fran was late last season to do the first (and one of the last) interviews with Bill Walsh since he'd announced that he was battling cancer ... (check it out right here)

Got in the rental car last night and turned on talk radio. First thing I heard was a fan -- a grown man -- crying over his the passing of Walsh. I'd have to say that anyone who's ever been in his presence felt the same way ...

It's hard to imagine any situation (other than maybe Chuck Noll in Pittsburgh) where more than a decade after he retired, a former coach still holds such a grip on an entire city, even among non sports fans ...

Forget his coaching record, which we all know was brilliant, in an age where the NFL seems to be searching for its moral fiber, all it has to do is look at Bill Walsh the man ...

Speaking of good men, I know it's hard for some people to believe, but if you really know them, three of the nicer guys around the league are Michael Strahan, Pete Kendall, and Greg Ellis ...

Still, all three need to calm down, and stop complaining ... enough already.

I think Giants GM Jerry Reese is handling the Strahan situation the right way, so far ...

That said, his calling former Giant Luke Petitgout a "marginal" player was sad. You can't do that, Jerry, you just can't. You've already released him and he's signed somewhere else. Reese needs to realize that as an NFL GM there are certain opinions he has to keep to himself ...

Michael Vick's friend,  Mr. Taylor, might turn out to be the most interesting Tony to watch in legal trouble since The Sopranos ended ...

Not only should Vick worry about what Taylor has and will tell the prosecution in the case against him, but the NFL had better hope that this Vick case doesn't turn into it's "Canseco Moment." By that I mean that when guys start talking, some of the names that come out may not be ones that league officials want to hear ...

I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE OTHER NFL PLAYERS INVOLVED IN DOGFIGHTING, but reason has to remind you that no one suspected that Vick was either until the whole thing started ...