Well since the Chargers didn't make the playoffs this year and Drew Brees didnt make the Pro Bowl do ya'll still think SD is going to trade him or will they actually let play next year?

12/25/2005 2:44:30 AM

Brees was pretty bad over the last 4 weeks, which might hurt his trade value. AJ is gonna want a first-round pick and a starter in exchange for either Brees or Rivers. I don't know if he is gonna get that for either one.

There have been reports that the Chargers opened up negotiations with Brees for a long-term contract. If thats the case, then Rivers is probably gone.

12/25/2005 3:15:24 AM

I still don't see how Rivers can be gone...

They are gonna take a massive cap hit and they won't get nearly as much as they would for Brees.

They need to trade Brees. There's 10 teams in desperate need of a QB and he's at least decent.

12/25/2005 6:17:52 AM

i bet they start him next weekend so they can see what he can do..pleeeeease start him

12/25/2005 11:56:01 AM

He's more valuable as an unknown commodity.

If they do start him, Brees is as good as gone.

If he doesn't even get into the game, they are probably looking to deal him.

12/25/2005 12:46:14 PM

^ @ SD vs Denver

12/25/2005 12:46:41 PM

Yeah, I'll be there.

I just wish the game actually meant something.

12/25/2005 12:49:03 PM

They'll get more out of trading Brees than they will out of trading Rivers.

I could see the Dolphins taking Brees for a first-rounder and another pick.

Hate to see Rivers get his first significant game-time against the Broncos though, haha, talk about a rough deal. Hopefully Champ won't be playing though, haha.

But before they can trade Brees, they'll either have to have him agree to a franchise tag or a deal and then trade him.

12/25/2005 12:53:05 PM

^ that shouldnt be difficult.

Brees just wants to get paid, I doubt he cares whether its in San Diego or not...

He has probably a ~$40-60 million dollar deal pending so I wouldn't think he'd be all that hell bent on staying a Charger if it comes down to it...

12/25/2005 1:04:56 PM

yeah i've been sayin if the bolts dont make the playoffs then rivers will be the starter next year.

12/25/2005 2:02:43 PM

well it's not like the rest of the chargers fanbase hasnt been saying the same thing

the general consensus was that Rivers would be gone if Brees made the pro bowl or the Chargers won a playoff game

12/25/2005 2:09:16 PM

Quote :

"Brees just wants to get paid, I doubt he cares whether its in San Diego or not..."

Brees has stated repeatedly that he wants to stick with the Chargers. He would probably sign for under his market value in order to stay with the team.

The problem with trading him is that he is not under contract. They can franchise him again, but there is no guarantee that teams will give up a first round pick for him. Sign-and-trades are difficult to work under NFL salary-cap rules.

12/25/2005 3:02:42 PM

^ I'll go ahead and guarantee it then.


Teams would certainly give up a first round pick for Drew Brees.


There are no less than 10 teams who are in DIRE need of a QB.

12/25/2005 3:14:17 PM

Miami WOULD give up a first round pick for a young proven QB.

I think Buffalo and Detroit would consider it as well. This year's QB class isn't looking to be great, especially if Young doesn't go pro.

And Brees wants to stay in San Diego because it's a team on the rise and has a TON of young talent that could develope rather nicely. They just need a good DB and a good WR(McCardell is gettin kinda old).

I'm just not sure Brees will accept the franchise tag.

12/25/2005 3:57:33 PM

^ uh, does he have a choice?

No one wants to be franchised


All Im saying is if it comes down to it, Brees is gonna take a multi-year deal over a one year contract.

There's no way staying in San Diego is so important to him that he'd turn down the shot at a fat payday.

Everyone says they want to stay... thats just agent speak so he doesnt limit his options.


And yes Miami would definitely give up a first rounder... they gave up a 2nd round pick for a third string QB two years ago for gods sake...

12/25/2005 4:01:24 PM

^i dont see miami giving up a 1st round pick for a qb.....saban has said repeatedly that he is building this team through the draft...

12/25/2005 5:40:46 PM

well that might be true, but i doubt he'd turn down a shot at Drew Brees for a first round pick.


I mean people waste #1 overall picks on Tim Couch and Alex freaking Smith...

i doubt they'd hesistate to drop a ~10th pick on a proven fairly solid QB

12/25/2005 5:45:28 PM

It may seem that way...but brees doesnt posses the ideal arm strength that linehan wants for his offense....

12/25/2005 5:48:36 PM

either way there's at least 10 other teams that would be interested in Brees

12/25/2005 5:58:17 PM

i think brees in oakland would be the shit

12/25/2005 6:07:34 PM

Tim Couch was not a wasted pick. He was drafted into a David Carr like situation where Cleveland had no line, no receivers, and no running game. He got killed every game, and then he blew his arm out from thorwing 40 times a game in high school and college. Lots of QB's have talent, but if they're in the wrong system, they suck.

With that said, Rivers should be traded to a team where he'll get playing time. I think the Jets decide to draft Leinart and Rivers is traded to Miami. SD won't trade him to Oakland since they are in the same division.

12/25/2005 6:16:15 PM

he'd be a good fit, but i doubt San Diego trades within the divison.

12/25/2005 6:16:21 PM

rivers isn't going anywhere. brees will be franchised/traded.

i think the chargers would win the division next year with rivers at qb

12/25/2005 6:26:22 PM

well they'll benefit from denver playing a killer schedule and theirs getting a lot weaker...

also hopefully they wont be retarded and suspend their best player not named Tomlinson for the first game of the season again.

[Edited on December 25, 2005 at 6:29 PM. Reason : a]

12/25/2005 6:28:22 PM

i bet theyre kicking themselves for their stupidity now

12/25/2005 6:33:16 PM

Quote :

"he'd be a good fit, but i doubt San Diego trades within the divison."

damn forgot about that

damn him and moss would light that shit up too i think

hmmm, detroit(which if he goes there unless they get some bomb ass coach i think would be a failure), the jets which is another team i can see him being a failure at, maybe cleveland(dont think it would be as failurish as detroit or the jets), the bills(which i'm not even sure if the people pushing jp losman are done pushing him yet)

idk but rivers and brees on the same team does not compute

12/25/2005 6:35:03 PM

Quote :

"Tim Couch was not a wasted pick. He was drafted into a David Carr like situation where Cleveland had no line, no receivers, and no running game. He got killed every game, and then he blew his arm out from thorwing 40 times a game in high school and college. Lots of QB's have talent, but if they're in the wrong system, they suck."

Um.... he blew his arm out?

Here's the problem.

Tim Couch was abysmal.

Then they put Kelly Holcomb in and he threw for 400+ yards in a playoff game against the freaking Steelers.

Tim Couch couldnt even make the Packers roster.

If he wasn't a bust then you must also love Tony Mandarich, Cade McNown, Brian Bosworth, and David Klinger too.

12/25/2005 6:40:08 PM

i hate labeling a guy a bust until hes too old to play

12/25/2005 6:42:41 PM

Brees does have another option, he becomes a free agent. That's why I said I don't think he'll accept the franchise tag, he knows he's worth some money right now.

But I expect Brees to be somewhere else next year, Rivers to be playing in SD, and them to have 2 first-round picks again this year.

12/25/2005 6:44:32 PM

^i didnt know u were allowed to refuse a franchise tag unless u have recieved it twice...its only been one year....the main problem that san diego has is that after this year brees will be either franchised or a free agent...if they franchise him, teams might not give up the required 1st and 3rd picks for him. if he becomes a free agent then the chargers get nothing in return for him....

12/25/2005 6:55:11 PM

for some reason i keep seeing him playing for detroit now

12/25/2005 7:00:59 PM

unless theyve changed the rules, you cant just refuse the franchise tag.

Otherwise everyone can do it.


Shaun Alexander can after this season because he has an unprecedented restriction in his contract.

12/25/2005 7:31:43 PM

Quote :

"No one wants to be franchised"

i may seem like a n00b here, but why don't people want to be franchised?

i thought it guaranteed them to be one of the top paid players at their position?

12/25/2005 8:10:00 PM

^It's a one year term, you get more money for that year, but if you have a bad year they don't have to renew your contract, they'd rather have stability with a long term contract.

And for some reason I thought the player had to accept the franchise tag, doens't make sense someone who can become a free agent would have to accept a franchise tag.

12/25/2005 9:10:17 PM

Quote :

"Tim Couch couldnt even make the Packers roster"

Where his only job was to sit on his ass and watch Favre play. Hell, he wasn't even good enough at that to make the team.

12/26/2005 12:41:29 AM

Who is Philip Rivers

12/26/2005 1:17:45 AM

if i had a rubber hose, i would beat you...

12/26/2005 1:33:37 AM

Well..consider the QB's out next yr, philip rivers/brees, maybe culpepper. I dont think there are gonnabe starting level qb's. garcia,ramsey, maybe even mcnair but long term doesnt seem much..unless someone really wants carr and texans dont want another 4 yrs out of him (doubt it)..so basically these people are moving..either they become starters or jets and miami have new QB's. Herman edwards is too smart to draft leinart..

Miami will be looking to deal ricky williams for something/one/pick

i really think brees is done...very average season..and with LT around..i think marty is gonna take a shot with rivers..

12/26/2005 2:31:06 PM

Chargers would be making a huge mistake by not signing Brees and going with Rivers. You have a guy in Brees who has proven he can carry a team, vs. unproven Rivers. Why take a chance?

And that's just ignoring the fact that I think Rivers is going to be a bust no matter where he goes.

[Edited on December 26, 2005 at 2:47 PM. Reason : .]

12/26/2005 2:45:42 PM

No, SD watched Brees suck it up the last 4 games

had the Chargers not lost to a terrible team like the Dolphins two weeks ago they would still be in the playoff hunt, but people are pretty sick of Drew Brees here in town

basically their season was over when they dropped to 8-5, while a few people thought they had a chance against Indy, I knew they knew they wouldn't be able win out with games at KC and Denver.

I sort of feel bad for Brees because he's not a bad QB at all, but in the end I think it will all come down to money. It's a lot cheaper to get rid of Brees.

12/26/2005 3:47:11 PM

Brees can't carry a team. Name one time where Brees has led a game-winning drive. Or a game where LT has had a subpar game and Brees picked up the slack. I've been watching this team closely for the last 2 years, and it hasn't happened in that timeframe.

The last 4 weeks showed that. LT was hurting, and defenses didn't have to focus on him.

He can play well when LT is forcing opposing defenses to stack the box. But without a pro-bowl rb, he is very average.

12/26/2005 5:05:10 PM

Quote :

"You have a guy in Brees who has proven he can carry a team, vs. unproven Rivers."

Brees had one good season, and when his nose is to the grindstone this year, he hasn't been able to get it done. He hasn't proven anything.

12/26/2005 5:40:01 PM

there is a symbiotic relationship between the running game and a QB's performance.

there are very few absolutes in life, and thats one of them.

12/26/2005 6:44:12 PM

Quote :

"If he wasn't a bust then you must also love Tony Mandarich, Cade McNown, Brian Bosworth, and David Klinger too."

Dont forget Andre Ware or Akili Smith

[Edited on December 26, 2005 at 10:19 PM. Reason : ]

12/26/2005 10:19:07 PM

^^good use of symbiotic

12/27/2005 7:59:47 AM

Does everyone now understand why Eli didn't want to play there - I wish Philip had decided to sit out a year, then he might be playing

12/27/2005 9:00:21 AM

Chargers backup QB Philip Rivers wants desperately to play Saturday, but he is wise enough to recognize a no-win situation. If he threw for a gazillion yards against the Broncos, there would be a controversy where there so far has been only quiet curiosity. Should he be intercepted six times, his value as trade bait would be diminished.
-- San Diego Union-Tribune

12/27/2005 12:29:25 PM

Rivers is not a pussy. If he has a chance to play, he will. I dont think he's worried about his trade value....he's fucking loaded already.

12/27/2005 12:39:29 PM

from the Trib today

By Jay Posner
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
December 27, 2005

Someday Philip Rivers might start a game for the Chargers, but it won't be in 2005.

Even though Saturday's season finale against visiting Denver has no bearing on anything except the identity of the final two opponents on next year's schedule, Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer yesterday said his team would treat it like any other game.

"We will play everybody that is healthy enough to play," Schottenheimer said. "Our starters will start, our starters will play, because we have one objective and that is to get to 10-6."

It might seem as if there's little difference between finishing 10-6 or 9-7 – except the latter could mean playing Buffalo and Tennessee next year instead of Miami and Jacksonville – but Schottenheimer disagreed.

"There's a difference between preseason and regular season in my view," he said. "Ours is about winning football games. And as strange as it might sound, 10-6 just sounds a lot better to me than 9-7."

Rivers has thrown only eight passes in two NFL seasons (none this year), and Schottenheimer said he recognized why some fans might want to see Rivers start his first pro game. But he never considered replacing Drew Brees, who is 20-10 as a starter since Rivers joined the team last year.

"Winning, that's the name of the game," Schottenheimer said. "I understand those that might say play Philip and all, but that's not the way the National Football League, in my view, is set up. Our goal is to win the game and get our 10th victory. That's our objective."

Players were off yesterday, but Schottenheimer met with reporters for the first time since Saturday in Kansas City, where the Chargers were eliminated from playoff contention with a 20-7 loss to the Chiefs.

"Obviously we're all disappointed," he said. "I don't know that we've played as poorly as we did the other day in a game in the last couple of years."

Schottenheimer said he wanted to wait until after the Denver game to discuss exactly why this season fell short of expectations, but he said "if you want to put it on one thing" it would be turnovers – too many giveaways and too few takeaways.

In winning the AFC West last year with a 12-4 record, the Chargers had 15 more takeaways than giveaways (33-18). They scored 109 points off turnovers compared to 40 for their opponents.

This year, however, with Brees throwing more than twice as many interceptions as last year (15-7), the Chargers have six fewer takeaways than giveaways (20-26) and have scored 51 points off turnovers compared to 58 for their opponents. That's a 76-point swing between plus-69 last year and minus-7 this year.

"It's a longstanding barometer," Schottenheimer said. "There are very, very few teams in this league you're going to walk out there and just beat. It's always going to be a dogfight. And when you turn it over, the opportunity to win drops, and it drops exponentially, I think, as it goes from minus-1 to 2 to 3."

Last year, the Chargers had nine games with a positive turnover differential (8-1 record) and only one with a negative one (the rest were neutral). This year they've had four positive games (4-0) and nine negative games (4-5).

Around the league, of the 16 teams with neutral or positive turnover differentials, 14 have winning records (Buffalo and Detroit are the exceptions). Conversely, of the 16 teams with more giveaways than takeaways, the Chargers are one of just four with a winning record (Dallas, New England and Washington are the others).

"I don't think that there's any other number or statistic in our business that more readily defines winning and losing than that," Schottenheimer said.


Nuts 'n' Bolts
The Chargers have known for years their non-division schedule in 2006 will include home games against Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Arizona and St. Louis, and road games at Baltimore, Cincinnati, San Francisco and Seattle. If San Diego wins Saturday or Kansas City loses Sunday, then the Chargers also will host Jacksonville and travel to Miami. If the Chargers lose Saturday and the Chiefs win Sunday, then San Diego will host Tennessee and travel to Buffalo.
Schottenheimer said he does not expect a problem with the Chargers' motivation Saturday. "It's very, very clear why we go out and practice and why we go play games, and that's to win," he said. "I'm sure there's disappointment and frustration over the fact that we have been eliminated from having an opportunity to play in the playoffs, but right now the only opportunity we have remaining is to get to 10-6. . . . The one we play on Saturday is going to last for six or seven months."

Schottenheimer said the Chargers appear healthy except for safeties Terrence Kiel (ankle) and Bhawoh Jue (knee). Kiel definitely won't play Saturday; Jue is questionable.

12/27/2005 12:52:42 PM

More like he is a competitor, and will play and play hard when he gets the chance.

12/27/2005 12:53:44 PM