Now that's a relief! Gaither re-signed!

In a move that had to be executed, the San Diego Chargers finally re-signed left tackle Jared Gaither. Although all of the terms of the contract have not been released, the length of the deal is believed to be four years.

About a month after Marcus McNeill suffered a season-ending injury, Gaither started the final five games of the year at left tackle and performed like an elite talent. If the Chargers hadn't re-signed Gaither, they would have been stuck with Brandyn Dombrowski as the starting left tackle heading into April's draft. Obviously, that scenario would have been a disaster.

Retaining the 6-9, 340-pound Gaither and center Nick Hardwick were shrewd moves by general manager A.J. Smith, but there's still work to be done on the offensive line. Here's hoping that Smith has finally realized that Jeromey Clary isn't a starting-caliber right tackle in the NFL. Levi Brown would be a significant upgrade at right tackle, as would Eric Winston. Brown was released by the Arizona Cardinals yesterday, and Winston suffered the same fate from the Houston Texans.

Moreover, the recent retirement of Kris Dielman leaves a question mark at left guard. Fourth-year veteran Tyronne Green is penciled as the starter for now, but Baltimore Ravens guard Ben Grubbs is the most enticing option, now that Carl Nicks just signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.