Summary of a radio interview by a poster on another board:
He came on the radio with Scott and BR this morning.
http://www.xxsportsradio.com/content/view/250/
With all the speculation surrounding Donnie Edwards and his futures with the Chargers, it didn't take much time for the 11-year NFL veteran and San Diego native to cut straight to the chase on his injury and future with the team
Asked why he chose to break his self-imposed silence to the media, Edwards responded that he's had it with the mistruths and rumors as to whether his injury is just another ploy in th alleged struggle between his agent, Tom Condon, and Chargers general mananager, A.J. Smith.
"This is not about A.J., it's not about anything like that. There's been a lot said about me that's flat-out untrue and I've just got to respond to some of that."
"A lot of people have been questioning my back injury and I'm not one to always talk about injuries but the Chargers' doctors and the training staff know exactly what my injury is. I'm not one to pretend at all. Like I've said before, I whole- heartedly am going to go out there and do my job when I'm able to do that."
Edwards was criticized by Smith in an interview given to Kevin Acee of the Union Tribune, where the Chargers GM accused Edwards of using the media to play games and suggesting that he just keep his mouth shut. "
"I didn't come out in the paper or the radio talking about, 'hey guess what, I got my knee drained, got my knee shot up today so I can play this game.' It was 10 games last season that I was getting my knee drained or injected jjust so I could go out there and play but I didn't tell everybody about it. I just went out there and did my job which is what I normally always do."
Edwards bristled at the suggestion that the back injury and his return to the playing field is part of the alleged power struggle between AJ Smith and his agent Tom Condon.
"Not at all. I'm going to stop you right there. That has nothing to do with anything. All I've been doing is rehabbing and doing what I'm asked to do by the training staff and the doctors. With back injuries, there's not much you can do. They told me to do my exercises, ride the bike and that's what I've been doing."
Edwards is still uncertain as to when he'll be back, but to say he's anxious to let his play do all the talking is an understatement.
"You have no idea .I can't wait to get back on the field, that's what I do best. Like I"ve said, I've never been hurt, I missed one game in my career, I have 121 consecutive starts, second only to Derrick Brooks in terms of linebackers. You know me, I"m a football player, I love being on the field and doing my thing and it's been frustrating not to go on the field and play and practice and do my thing."
Edwards said he injured his back during the mandatory voluntary workouts.
"It was the eighth practice for me. I had to come early with the rookies, as you know I had off-season knee surgery. Anyone that had surgery had to come early with the rookies and practice four days before the veteranas came in. It just happened. I was frustrated and didn't know what it was. It was a real injury, there's no question about it. Like I said, the doctors and the training staff know full aware what it is and I'm just trying to get myself back on the field."
Edwards agreed with Marty Schottenheimer's assessment that the best thing he can do at this point is get himself back on the field.
"The best thing I can do is get back on the field and do my thing, play my tail off like I always do. That solves everything. Unfortunately for me, I haven't been able to go out there this training camp."
Edwards said he's aware there's only so much he can control, but he was most bothered by media and team officials who would question his integrity and insinuate that he was faking his injury.
"It's been difficult only because I haven't been able to go on the field and do my thing. Once I"m on the field, everything will take care of itself. I try not to get caught up in everything just go out there and do my thing. Unfortunately during this time, I got injured. There's been some things said that are untrue about that, people questioning my integrity, my injury, that's not me at all. Like I said, I'm always on the field, I haven't missed a game since 1998, I'm the type of player that's going to go out there and give you everything I've got."
I try to just take the high road and not say anything about my situation and go out there and do my thing. As you know, during the off-season, during the OTA's,when this all started back in April, I was still out there practicing with my teammates, working out, doing my thing and trying not to let my situation get to me. When I was out there, I was out there doing my thing. Unfortunately, this time I got injured during training camp so there's been some things that people have been saying about my injury which really irks me, because I'm not that type of guy."
I'ts not personal and it's not vicious. It's just business. All I can do is go out there and be a football player and do my thing. Everything else will take care of itself and I'm just dying to get back there on the field so I can join my teammates and do what I do best, and that's play football.
Not only is Edwards bothered by the perceived lack of integrity, but the suggestion that he is a bad teammate and a cancer in the locker room, which was alluded to by "anonymous teammates" in a previous column, was difficult for him to swallow.
"I've been put out there in the media to be some negative guy, not a team guy and that is so untrue. Talk to my coaches, talk to my teammates. Those guys will tell you straight up how I am and what type of player I am. I mean nothing has changed! What have I done differently since the last game of last season? I've said nothihg. I've talked one time since this whole situation occurred and just tried to be quiet and do my thing and they've tried to put me out there to be so negative and that's flat-out not true."
Edwards declined to specifically pinpoint the individual he claims is portraying him as a negative teammate, but previous interviews would indicate that he was speaking of A.J. Smith.
"I don't want to get into that but I'm sure you know. "
"It's amazing. Why would people question my integrity and who and what I'm about? They're questioning if I'm injured or not and that's not me at all. I'm out there doing what I need to do to get myself back on the field."
Edwards was enthusiastically optimistic that he will return to the playing field in the very near future.
"Absolutely. I'm trying to get on the field as soon as I get myself healthy and I'm making great strides. I've been doing what the doctors have been asking me to do to get myself back on the field, working extra hard and trying to get myself there so I can go out there and play football and do what I do best."
But as to whether his return would be as a member of the Chargers was a bit unclear.
"That's something I can't control. Right now I'm planning on it. I'm going to do what I can to get myself on the field and join my teammates. You've got to understand. I'm from San Diego. I grew up here in San Diego, I'm a product of San Diego and I'm living out my boyhood dream playing for the San Diego Chargers. There's not another place I want to go. This is my town, this is where I live, this is where I'm going to live when I'm done playing football."
"This is my town. This is what I'm all about. The only thing I can tell you is that I'm going to go out there and play like I've never played before. That's what I always do, and that's what I plan on doing once I get healthy. I'm going to go out there and do what I do best and let everything else handle itself."
Spoken like a man on a mission.
about Edwards in the media every two weeks was designed to motivate him, then it'll probably have worked well. Otherwise, I'd much rather have the pick now rather than later because it's worth more to improve my team now. And, not to nitpick, but the pick apparently in question could've become a third rounder if Stallworth performed well enough to earn a contract extension. At minimum, it'd have been a few slots better than a compensatory pick. And since the compensatory picks are awarded according to net gain/loss of free agent, it's possible that a combination of Edwards' subpar play and the Chargers signing a decent free agent or two next offseason could make the awarded pick(s) worse than a fourth.If they really wanted Donnie out, not moving him for a 2007 conditional 3/4 is a mistake. If, despite all the yammerings of AJ Smith, they don't believe all the "decline in skills" talk that was spread through the SD media this offseason and are happy to have him in lineup on all downs ahead of Wilhelm and Cooper, then that's fine. As I've said all along, trading Edwards IMO would be a big mistake for future considerations as I think he gives that team a much better defense than the alternative. He may whine about his contract, but I don't believe I've ever heard him hint at pulling a TO or Deion Branch.
I'd be more worried about an age-related decline in skill and lingering effects of his off-season knee surgery hindering his 2006 production. I'm not overly concerned about either -- see the back of his football card from 2005 -- but the argument is valid.The loss of Foley won't directly affect Edwards the way losing Jamal Williams would. But since Shaun Phillips isn't nearly the player in run support Foley was, it's possible that Edwards might see a few more of those dreaded tackles 6yds plus beyond the LOS come his way. I think the effect is probably negligible, though, especially with the expected improvement in the safety corps.
