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PRESEASON PRIORITY: The team squandered the effort of the NFL's top defensive unit last season because it couldn't maintain possession (an NFL-high 51 turnovers) or move the ball consistently. Riley has addressed the problem, with the help of G.M. Bobby Beathard, who traded for QB Jim Harbaugh. Ryan Leaf was a bust in '98 and is fighting for the backup job. In Harbaugh, the team expects someone who won't make the stupid mistakes that plagued Leafs rookie year. To simplify things, Riley has introduced an offense that is long on plays but short on terminology. The club has dumped the drawn-out cadence of last season, with the numerous adjustments at the line; players were rarely on the same page and the offense was often pressed to beat the play clock. If nothing else, Harbaugh gives the team a soothing presence at the most critical spot.

KEY COMPETITION: How will a pass rash be generated? The team needs DEs Raylee Johnson, Chris Mims and Al Fontenot to step up. The team lost starting DEs Marco Coleman (free agency) and William Fuller (retired), so Johnson, Mims and Fontenot are locked in a battle to win the starting jobs, and more important, be the rashers off the edge. Cedric Harden also could contribute, though he's trying to compensate for lost time after missing his rookie season with a knee injury. The undersized Johnson has the quickness, but some question his run-stopping ability--though he did well in that area in '98. Mims, the team's '92 first-round pick, had 28 sacks in his first three years but injuries and a lack of conditioning have reduced his impact. Free-agent pickup Fontenot concentrated more on the run last year with the Colts--when he was healthy. Look for Johnson and Fontenot to start, with Mims replacing Fontenot on passing downs.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Riley is stressing an up-tempo, attacking offensive scheme that will combine elements of the West Coast offense with an occasional jumbo backfield that will eclipse 500 pounds--Natrone Means (245) and 262-pound rookie FB Jermaine Fazande. Riley wants plays to develop quickly with a minimum of changes at the line of scrimmage, which would allow the Chargers to snap the ball with some 15 seconds remaining on the play clock. Riley hopes this eventually wears down defenses; the same goes for his multiple formations and personnel groups. The team is tinkering with two tight ends, three-, four- and five-wideout sets, a single back, two backs--just about everything. Still, it appears this offense will be built around a bruising running attack with Means, and short, quick pass routes. After those things are established, the team will look downfield. ... Keeping CB Dwayne Harper healthy is a key to the pass defense. If Harper breaks down, as he did the past two seasons with hamstring injuries, Charles Dimry will be elevated to the starting role. Though he played well last season, Dimry, at 33, is better suited for the nickel and dime packages.

--Jay Paris

CAMP FACTS

Where: Univ. of California San Diego; La Jolla, Calif.