Henning Puts Hit on Seau for Missing Camp

LA JOLLA — Coach Dan Henning of the San Diego Chargers expressed frustration Wednesday with the continuing absence of unsigned linebacker Junior Seau, the team’s first-round draft choice from USC.

“Training camp is good for anybody,” Henning said. “It should be doubly good for a rookie. If that logic has any merit to it, he won’t be as good as if he was here in camp. If the logic has no merit, we should do away with training camp.”

Seau and Pro Bowl linebacker Leslie O’Neal are San Diego’s only unsigned players. O’Neal met Wednesday with Charger General Manager Bobby Beathard and said he hopes to be in camp by the end of the week.

The Chargers and Seau, the fifth pick in this year’s draft, have been basing their proposals on the contract received by Tampa Bay linebacker Keith McCants, the fourth draftee this year.

Seau originally said he wanted more than the five-year, $6-million contract signed by McCants. But when the Chargers countered by saying they wouldn’t pay Seau as much as McCants, Seau responded by asking for $1 less than McCants over five years.

Beathard, whose last offer was five years at $850,000 per season, has yet to make a counter offer.

“I don’t know what to do about it,” Henning said. “They started out $1 million apart. It’s almost ridiculous to think a guy who has not lined up in this league, regardless of where he was drafted, can come in and make more money than guys who have been here.”