The San Diego Chargers have signed free agent wide receiver and punt returner Mark Jones to a one-year deal. Originally drafted by Tampa Bay in the seventh round in 2004, the 5-9, 185-pound Jones ended up spending his rookie season with the New York Giants after being waived by the Buccaneers. He re-signed with Tampa Bay in 2005 and spent the 2005-07 seasons in Tampa Bay. Jones is a wide receiver, but his NFL experience has been exclusively as a punt returner. In 2007, he returned 12 punts for 143 yards (11.9 avg) with a long of 35. His year was cut short, however, by a knee injury that landed him on Injured-Reserve on Oct. 24. He has since recovered from that injury. ?Mark?s versatility was very attractive to us,? said General Manager A.J. Smith. ?He?s an experienced NFL punt returner and a solid player who will raise the level of competition in our camp.? For his career, Jones has 117 returns for 1,017 yards, an average of 8.7 yards per return. The 27-year-old Jones was born in Wallingford, Pennsylvania. He attended Strath Haven High School and the University of Tennessee. The Chargers have also waived four players. They include cornerback Stanley Franks, guard Charles Manu, running back Germaine Race, and defensive tackle Keith Shologan.

Philip Rivers tore his anterior cruciate ligament in January, and, at the time, doctors said it would be eight months before he would be ready to return to action. Rivers is already on the field, going through practice just four months into his recovery. "I was prepared to have him really not do anything except throw routes against air," Chargers' Coach Norv Turner said earlier this week. "He?s just making great progress."

The Chargers added a talented veteran with a wealth of experience Monday when they signed former Pro Bowl offensive lineman Jeremy Newberry to a one-year contract. ?Jeremy is a tough, physical, experienced player,? said Chargers' General Manager A.J. Smith. ?He brings additional veteran leadership to the Chargers. He has always been a top-level competitor, and we are pleased that he will be a part of our team.? A veteran of 10 NFL seasons, Newberry (6-5, 315) has played in 104 career games and has started every game in which he?s appeared. While his most significant action has been at center, Newberry has also started at guard and tackle during his career. In 2007, Newberry bounced back from injuries to start 14 games for the Oakland Raiders. With Newberry anchoring the middle, the Raiders rushed for 2,086 yards as a team, the sixth-best total in the NFL. Before his arrival, Oakland ranked 29th in the league on the ground in 2006. Newberry was originally drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He enjoyed nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, starting 90 games and earning two trips to the Pro Bowl. He was on the club?s roster in 2006 when Chargers' Head Coach Norv Turner served as San Francisco?s offensive coordinator although Newberry missed the season with a knee injury. Throughout his career, Newberry has shown a great deal of toughness. Following Pro Bowl seasons in 2001 and 2002, he was hampered by an ankle injury in 2003 but still started all 16 games. His teammates honored him with the Ed Block Courage Award in recognition of his gritty play. A native of Antioch, California, Newberry has spent his entire football career in the Golden State. He starred at Cal-Berkeley before joining the 49ers.