Morning Dump

The San Diego Chargers on Wednesday reached a four-year agreement to re-sign offensive tackle Jared Gaither and also signed former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson to a four-year contract, the team announced.

SAN DIEGO — Left tackle Jared Gaither signed a four-year contract Wednesday to remain with the San Diego Chargers, who also signed unrestricted free-agent linebacker Jarret Johnson, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens, to a four-year deal.

While there still could be some change on the unit charged with protecting star quarterback Philip Rivers, there will be some continuity. ESPN.com’s John Clayton reports that left tackle Jared Gaither has agreed to a four-year extension with the Chargers.

Within the first 24 hours of free agency, San Diego secured an outside linebacker. However, in former Baltimore linebacker Jarret Johnson, San Diego didn’t get a dynamic pass-rusher, but it got one of the better run-stopping outside linebackers in the NFL. The team announced Johnson has agreed to a four-year deal.

It’s one of the basic laws of physics — namely, that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction — and it’s the reason you can’t help but admire the San Diego Chargers’ reaction to the loss of wide receiver Vincent Jackson.

There was much speculation that once he hit free agency, long-time Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson would leave Baltimore to go play for his former defensive coordinator, Chuck Pagano, now the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.

They lost big-play wide receiver Vincent Jackson. Huge, huge, huge loss. Did we mention that we think that was a costly setback?

Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd, the two starting receivers for the 2011 Chargers, are 6-foot-5. One of the Chargers’ favorite plays over the past couple of years has been ‒ and it probably sounds different when called in the huddle ‒ “Throw the ball really far and really high and let one of the tall guys catch it.” Jackson in particular was really good at this.