The Football Post is reporting that the Chargers have agreed to terms with their 2010 fifth-round draft pick Cam Thomas.
Thomas will receive the standard salaries of $320,000, $405,000, $490,000 and $575,000 over the four years of his contract, with a signing bonus of $191,000.
“We bring him in here to compete with the guys we have,” said director of college scouting John Spanos after the team selected Thomas. “We like the guys we have currently on our roster a lot as well. He’s certainly going to be there in the mix.”
The 6-foot, 4-inch, 330-pound DT from North Carolina was seen as a bargain for AJ Smith and the Chargers after many draft experts had him pegged to go in the second or third round. But questions about his motor and work ethic dropped him into the Chargers’ lap in the fifth round.
Thomas is expected to step in right away to fill the void that was left when DT Jamal Williams was injured in the first game of the season last year and then cut this offseason.
The Chargers do not expect Thomas to be force in pressuring the quarterback right away, but will look more for him to use his wide body to engage lineman and allow their talented crop of linebackers to cause more havoc this season.
Jeff Creps is an SDNN Sports Writer. Follow him on Twitter.
