The Facts: It's been a rough couple days for Mathews, who was unable to finish Wednesday's conditioning test, prompting incessant teasing (and some incredulity) from teammates. Mathews, as he did the challenges that pockmarked his rookie season, has faced this latest struggle straight on, without excuse. “My cardio is real good; I don’t get tired,” Mathews said. “It’s the speed work. I haven’t been doing much speed work like that. There’s a couple things I probably should have done differently in the offseason, conditioning my legs.”

Diehards Line:As Union-Tribune staffer Kevin Acee noted, whatever slow start to camp he is enduring -- and any fitness issue has been virtually undetectable in practice as he takes his reps with the first team -- Mathews insists he is wiser and stronger for having endured a disappointing rookie season in which he was slowed by a high ankle sprain suffered in the season’s second game and also burdened by the weight of expectations. “Being able to have the offseason and get (the ankle) back to 100 percent, I feel like I did when I first came in," he said. "It’s going to be a good year." We think so, too.