SAN DIEGO -- Philip Rivers saw a locker-room visitor and extended a hand.

"Good to see ya," the Chargers' veteran quarterback said in his Southern drawl.

It's something Rivers will be busy saying repeatedly on Friday.

The Super Bowl-bound Chargers -- at least, that's what many NFL observers predict -- begin training camp bent on winning the season's final game in Tampa, Fla.

Rivers, who took part in this week's rookie camp, will welcome the balance of the squad for Friday's initial practice.

The team's newer players, though, have already had a lap or two around the facility.

"Some teams do it, some don't," Chargers coach Norv Turner said, referring to the youngsters being the focal point before others arrive. "It's because you find out how much they retained and then you give them a little jump start. So when everyone comes into camp on Friday, you can eliminate some mistakes that come from not being around it for a month and half.

"It's a good reminder for the young guys. (And) I always like it because it gets the quarterbacks a jump-start to get ready for camp. It gets their minds going a little faster."

Fast-forward to February, and the Chargers envision landing in the franchise's second Super Bowl -- a dream shared in such AFC locales as Foxborough, Mass., Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and even Jacksonville, Fla.

Yes, the Chargers are loaded with talent few rosters can rival. No, it doesn't mean the team has a free pass to Tampa Bay.

Even though the Chargers reached their fourth AFC title game last season -- losing for the third time -- this season is a clean slate.

"Every year you become a new team and you start from scratch," Turner said. "I traveled across the country in the summer and I read it -- and it depends in what city you are in and that team is expected to go to the Super Bowl. I stopped in Indianapolis and they were talking about going to the Super Bowl; obviously in San Diego, we're talking about the Super Bowl.

"There are a group of teams that they are talking about it, and I think most people around the league would put them into that category."

Where the Chargers, the two-time AFC West defending champions, eventually land is yet to be determined. But even before they play their Sept. 7 season opener against the visiting Carolina Panthers, the Chargers are considered among the NFL's top cats.

"I have seen us being listed as the fifth-best team, and I've seen us listed as the best team," Turner said. "Our goal first is to make the playoffs and then be in the best position to have success. After that, we all know nothing is guaranteed -- there are too many examples of teams having great records (and not making the Super Bowl).

"It happened to Dallas. Last year, it happened to San Diego. You have to do (make the playoffs) and have to keep getting better, which we were able to do last year. Getting those games at the end, if you are fortunate enough to get in them, your players have to step up, make plays and have some good fortune to win those games."

The 2007 Chargers went 11-5, recovering from a 1-3 start to win their final six games, then prevailed twice in the playoffs before falling to New England in frigid Foxborough.

This year, the Chargers hope starting fast is in their DNA. Turner said that's possible in his second year in San Diego.

"I think the guys understand the way we are going to go about things," Turner said. "They understand the system better. They understand the practices better. Why we do things the way we do as compared to a year ago in camp. I think they were learning how we did things and when it was different I think it is easy to say 'why are we not doing this or why are we doing that?'

"And now I think they have a good understanding of what we do, why we do it and the thing that helps us greatly is all along, I said, 'Hey, you know we need to be playing our best football in December and January.' We're doing these things this way so it will allow us to be at our best physically, it will allow us to continue to grow as a group.

"I think they understand that it does work that way and they buy into it."

Despite the team's mantra about continuity when it hired Turner to replace Marty Schottenheimer, the road to transition had numerous potholes.

"I think (now) we have a real good handle on the things that we do best and how we're going to be attacked," Turner said. "So we work hard defensively on handling the way the best teams attacked us last year, so hopefully we are at our best early."

The early camp story lines reveal concerns about tight end Antonio Gates and center Nick Hardwick's mending toes; finding a backup running back; determining a nickel cornerback; and getting former San Francisco 49er Derek Smith settled at inside linebacker to offset starter Stephen Cooper's season-opening, four-game suspension.

First, everyone needs to get cozy again at Chargers Park, a place many speculate will produce a Super Bowl champion.

"I don't think many locker rooms," said defensive end Luis Castillo, "have the same feeling as we do."

Contact staff writer Jay Paris at jparis8@aol.com.