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Paging Dean Spanos: It’s time to pay Vincent Jackson!!
Yeah, he is way underpaid, and he’s free to go anywhere he chooses. He has completed his contract with the Chargers and he is patiently waiting to sign another contract in San Diego.
Brandon Marshall signed a four-year $47 million contract with Miami earlier this year. That’s $11.25 million per year. This is also way above the norm. Guess who the Dolphins were in hot pursuit of before Marshall?
Vincent Jackson. Yeah, that’s right, he declined their offer. He also publicly stated he likes playing for San Diego and is confident they will give him a good deal.
What does he want? A multi-year deal.
Would he sign a five-year, $30 million contract? In a second!
Do the Chargers have the money to pay him six million a year? Yes, with change to spare.
With the cutting of Antonio Cromartie, LaDainian Tomlinson, Jamaal Williams, and others, the Chargers have opened up $22 million of salary space.
Why is he not signing if he likes San Diego so much?
Simple reasoning. His salary last season was $626,630. He is a Pro Bowl receiver. He is 27-years old and emerging as one of the best in the game.
He’s no Andre Johnson, Chris Johnson, or Darrelle Revis. No, not at all!
The difference is, he honored his contract with the Chargers that he signed four years ago. He’s not trying to strong arm the Chargers in the middle of a contract.
There is no contract, so there’s no contract dispute. The man honored his word. He has declined offers from other teams to show loyalty to his city and an organization he believes in.
Lets face it, we need Jackson. I doubt there are many Charger fans that would be upset with him signing a five-year contract and finishing his career in Bolts with Philip Rivers throwing and Matthews running.
The Chargers currently are as good as they have ever been. They have the most balanced offense they have ever had. There’s money to keep all of the big guns and capture a long awaited Super Bowl berth.
So really: get Jackson and Malcolm Floyd signed. Let Rivers keep his weapons and keep everybody happy.
With all the uncertainty of 2011 and the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Chargers could roll on with Rivers, Matthews, Jackson, Floyd, and Gates under long-term contracts, and that’s a foundation any fan could be happy with.
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Hindsight is always 20/20. Or so they say. I might be one of the biggest critics out there. Of course I’m smart, I write on Bleacher Report. I would have done this, not that, I would have kept this player, not that one. I would have drafted this guy, not that one, so on so on.
All of us have been that way actually. All of our mock drafts have not even been remotely close to the way the Chargers drafted. None of our free agent pickups have been what we expected. And after I write articles in support of Kion Wilson and Shawn Merriman, the Chargers sign linebackers Mike Nixon and Boris Lee.
The truth is, we don’t know nada, and all of our frustration expert opinions, over analysis, doesn’t help us at all.
So now, it’s either time to criticize or praise.
For me, I gotta take my hat off to the Chargers organization for what they’ve done over the past decade.
They continue to put to put out winning season after winning season.
They retained all of their productive stars. They have their coach and quarterback on multiple year contracts. They gracefully cut ties with all of their “unhappy and unproductive.”
Okay, let’s face it, we can’t go back in time and put a bunch of Lombardis on the wall. Other teams have those bragging rights.
But honestly, I don’t care. I go to games to watch the Chargers win. And in the past seven years, they’ve gotten the job done more than most anybody. So paying the ticket price is usually worth it. After 49 consecutive sellouts, the proof is in the pudding. This is what matters.
If other fans go to the games to brag about when they won championships over a decade ago, and watch their team lose, does a banner on the wall make the loss easier? No, not really. That’s why many empty seats are found in their stadiums.
Since Dean Spanos, Norv Turner, Philip Rivers, and AJ Smith have held the reigns to the Chargers, they have taken a lot of hits publicly. We’ve had some heartbreaking losses in the closing seconds.
But who hasn’t?
One thing I can say on behalf of all San Diego fans: We believe our team is gonna win EVERY time they take the field. Regardless of who’s injured, what the temperature is, if it’s snowing, raining, or who we’re playing. Not many fans could say that.
All I do is write about decisions the organization makes. I don’t deal with agents, lawyers, salary caps, roster spaces, tickets, merchandising. No, I just show up to the game, get a good show, and expect my team to win.
So, in a game of uncertainty, thats all a fan could really hope for.
Yes, we’re gonna watch Rivers throw touchdowns to Floyd, Gates, and Jackson again. We’re gonna watch Matthews and Sproles have some electrifying runs, and we’re gonna sell out all of our home games once again.
In the offseason, I have other hobbies. When I want to look at past accomplishments, I go to museums. But come September, it’s not where you’re from, it’s where you’re at! I have to commend the Chargers once again for putting a very exciting team on the field. It’s far better than I could have done.
Well done guys!
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With the offseason activity in the Chargers organization, one thing has become increasingly apparent. Either you produce, or your’e gone.
With the release of Ladianin Tomlinson, Jamal Williams and Antonio Cromartie, some veterans comfort factor must have been shot way down.
It looks like the Chargers front office is starting to care much more about production than Jersey sales. Good news to the fans, bad news to Shawne Merriman, anongst others.
The Chargers last few seasons produced a huge word that was used in pretty much every description of the team. “Potential’.
Sure LT , Merriman, Cromartie,all had “potential” and the fans bought into it big time. Look at Qualcomm stadium at any given home game. #56, 21, and 31 were everywhere. Although they all should have had asterisks with the year 2007 on them.
Its not where your from, its where your at. The Chargers have made that abundantly clear! They are cashing in those ‘ Potential ” Players , with the other “P” , and thats production. Bad news for guys resting on performances of seasons past. Good news for the fans.
Have we ever seen the Chargers so aggressive in breaking ties, and changing puzzle pieces? I dont think so, but I like the trend. Yes we have produced many winning seasons, but we need to clear the final 4 hurdles of the post season, or its all a bust.
So now, whats going to happen basically is players are gonna have to put up, or shut up. The Chargers have cleared up some salary space, and they are in the mood to divy it out to productive players, or bring in people worth paying. Either way, that comfort factor is gone.
On the hot seat are Luis Castillo, Jeromy Clary Antoine Applewhite, and Shawne Merriman. Pretty impressive names, yes I know! But the numbers arent too impressive behind the scenes the last couple of years.
Also with names like Donald Butler, Brandon Siler, and Cam Thomas floating around, who are younger hungrier, and much smaller price tags, the motivation is definately there to spark up the old vets.This is Another thing that could benefit the fans!
This offseason, Merriman took a little troll through the trade waters, and probably doesnt feel too good about it. Try to imagine taking something to a appraiser thinking it was worth 10 thousand dollars. After he says its worth a few hundred, you may feel a little hurt. Thats what he’s feeling based on his own worth. He’s probably feeling pretty motivated to prove some folks wrong.
So Shawne fired his agent. It doesnt make up for the fact that no teams are really interested in him. Does it? Also watching the Chargers move aggressively on two linebackers English and Butler in consecutive years that are well groomed to take over must have lowered his comfort levels.
In my opinion, we would be fools to take a third rounder for him.We should keep him. And this may be the last time we rely on the word ” potential” , but we should here.For the following reasons:
1. Merriman is feeling the heat. Yes we have brought in some big names, he is forced into a scenario of sink or swim. I think he will thrive on that fact, and his desire to be top dog will be a huge motivation in his play.
2. He’s seen his appraisal rates, and they dont look good. Yes, Merriman must have had his ego a little bruised this offseason, and it may motivate his performance next season as well.
3. The collective bargaining agreement is going to be here in 2011. This is when we will most likely lose Merriman anyway, and all parties concerned know this. Merriman will truly seek a big contract at this point, knowing it may be his last.
So these are all reasons Merriman is going to give 100 percent this season. He has all the interest in the world to play his heart out for whatever team he’s on. He wants that big contract, and all that recognition. And theres only one way to get it. The Chargers would be fools not to reap the rewards of his last stand.
The replacement killers are already in place, willing and able to take his place when it really is ” Lights out”!in San Diego. So really Chargers have all to gain in keeping the guy. The fans like the excitement he brings, and all the pressure falls on Merriman.
Dean Spanos and AJ Smith can look like heroes on the ship throwing him a lifering. Sink or swim, healthy or not, pro bowl season, or mediocricy, really makes no difference to them. The fact that they have a 26 year old ” potential all pro bowler ” in the stables is definately worth the risk.
So throw him a lifering in the form of an extra million dollars in a one year contract. Then watch the guy play his heart out trying to ressurect his career. In seeing this, guys like Castillo and Clary could do the same thing.
In the end, The Chargers come out smelling like a rose, if they get productivity or not, atleast they dont have to answer to the fans for rash decision making. And they get the most hungry “out to prove the world wrrong” Merriman we have ever seen! Why let some other team like the Broncos capatalize on that?
One things for sure. Chargers fans still believe in him, and maybe, “JUST MAYBE”, Shawne could go real old school here, and just do it for all the guys with the #56 jerseys. Were not quite ready to put them in storage with the 21s and 31s just yet!!
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The San Diego Chargers signed kicker Nick Novak earlier this week and broke ties entirely with New York city crime boss (and avid Jets fan) Vincent Gotti in the process.
After the Chargers shocking and disturbing loss to that rugby team from the Meadowlands last season “the Jets,” it was discovered that some of the Chargers players were on the payroll of the infamous mob boss.
Three for certain: Ladainian Tomlinson and Antonio Cromartie declined comment, but each were seen leaving Qualcomm with Gotti and large sums of money right after the game.
Cromartie absoloutely refused to tackle that game, and kept the Chargers offense off the field to the best of his ability. When they did get the ball, Tomlinson fell every time on first contact, and several times over his own feet.
Virtually innefective, Tomlinson rendered just 21 yards for the bolts to match his jersey number.
Within days each of them show up on the Jets roster. Ironic? Perhaps, however the case was closed on the defense, and offenseive sabbateurs! Problem solved? Not quite yet, also sitting on the list of the guilty was Nate Kaeding.
Yes, this man is the most accurate kicker in the history of the NFL. However, he is not above a little payoff money. Heres a guy who kicked 69 straight, right through the middle. Against the Jets he misses all three—you do the math!
True, he has won some big games down the clutch for the Chargers, but against the Jets, I’d rather suit up my 7-year-old daughter and give her a shot at the goal posts.
Theres a history there. This isn’t the first time Kaeding has done this. Against the Jets in ’06, he shanked an easy overtime winner in the playoffs. Whatever Gotti is paying this guy, it isn’t enough.
Because the Chargers aren’t playing the Jets this season, they will keep Kaeding. However, both teams look strong as far as making a playoff run, and will possibly meet again.
With everything in mind, the Chargers’ front office has been working diligently to solve all of our weaknesses. And to this point, they have patched in all the holes quite nicely.
Finally they fill our deepest need, a kicker (specifically) against the Jets!
Introducing Nick Kovak:
At 29 years old, and basically unheard of, Novak spent his career on several squads—Arizona, Dallas, and most recently Kansas City.
Is he any good?
Well, you be the judge! In his last two NFL seasons he’s gone 6 for 10. Not too great for a kicker in the NFL, but way above Kaeding’s average of 0.0 percent against the Jets.
So why did AJ Smith get him?
Another good question.There are plenty of good free agent kickers available. But as I did the research on this guy, the choice became evident.
Novak has a degree in criminology. He also spends his offseason working for crime prevention agencies. He lists Elliot Ness and J. Edgar Hoover as his idols, and lists ” erasing organized crime” as his passion.
Therefore when we play the Jets, he will not only do our kicking, but also monitor the locker room for anyone who conspires with Gotti, or any New york crime family for that matter.
With the reasons clearly stated, his hiring is obvious! AJ Smith and Dean Spanos declined comment. And issued some lame excuse of Kaeding having a groin injury. I’m no doctor, but have you heard of a groin injure lasting eight months? Hmm!
Where Are They Now?
Vincent Gotti:
As for Gotti himself, he was last seen at the Fresno airport receiving the bird from Ryan Matthews who told him, “I actually want to play for the Chargers, get lost you a$$hole!!”
Antonio Cromartie:
He found himself in a terrible predicament, no longer the superstar, Cromartie lands between two world class cornerbacks. Darelle Revis and Kyle Wilson! Yikes! It appears his career as a Jet will be grounded before it takes off, and his child support worker is deeply concerned.
LaDainian Tomlinson:
Similar situation, LT lands between 23-year-old Shonn Green, and 21-year-old RB Joe Mcknight. Also the Jets just traded their premiere run blocker Alen Faneca. Banzai! Not exactly the best situation for a 31-year-old running back to find himself in.
Nick Novak:
Already practicing field goals at the Chargers practice field. Ironically, all the defenders are wearing green practice jerseys. In his off time, he is volunteering services to the San Diego Sherrif’s department, and pulled a few strings for Vincent Jackson in the process! Bravo!
Nate Kaeding:
Last seen at Qualcomm, after the Jets game behind a huge mob of bodyguards provided by Gotti. However, recent police reports have surfaced that support the groin injury claim that Spanos made.
If correct, it turns out that the groin injury is a recurring problem. Apparently Philip Rivers knows where he lives and has kicked him in the nuts at least five times, once for every playoff miss against the Jets!
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As a diehard Charger fan, I had lots of allies to choose from: Rivers, Jackson, Gates, Sproles. But honestly, the biggest contributor to their success has been Josh McDaniels. Speaking with friends from the Raiders and Chiefs, they echo my sentiment. This guy is good, damned good, for any of the Broncos rivals.
The Broncos are rich in tradition and owner Pat Bowlen aims to keep it that way. He is aggressive in pursuing talent and signing big names. However, McDaniels is hell bent on keeping them mediocre.
Josh McDaniels achieved fame and notoriety as an offensive coordinator coming up in New England. Well, lets face it, that has to be a dream job, and is perhaps easier than being a weather forecaster in Phoenix. With Bill Belichick and a well formulated playbook, it couldn’t have been simpler.
Throw in Wes Welker, Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and an all-pro offensive line and, heck, I could have taken the job.
Many people feel that McDaniels was sent in there by Chargers owner Dean Spanos to tear down the organization. This was just after the Divisional playoff loss San Diego suffered to the Patriots, and there was very bad blood.
The young McDaniels played his role well. He single handily took the highest profile offense of all time and injected his poison into it. When he was finished, The Patriots hopes of another Lombardi trophy and a perfect season came to a crashing halt. They rendered just 14 points on the scoreboard (23 below their season average).
It was rumored that McDaniels was in cahoots with offensive linemen Matt Light and Logan Mankins. The two pro bowl linemen absolutely refused to block for Brady the entire game. He was hit more times in that game than a pinata at a Quincenera. However that claim was never proven—Mankins and Light declined interviews!
McDaniels improved his traitor skills in New England under Belichick, and left him framed for a $500k fine as a parting gift. Remember the infamous spygate scandal when New England was caught spying and videotaping the Jets. That was McDaniels!
Shortly after the Superbowl loss, McDaniels was spotted in a ritzy San Diego hotel, sipping champagne with Spanos. It was there that they set their sights on the up and coming Denver Broncos.
Spanos was noticeably worried. The Broncos had a hall of fame coach, a young franchise quarterback, and a young pro bowl wide receiver. McDaniels was brought in to dismantle the whole organization.
It was a tall order for the young McDaniels, who had very little on his resume, but we all knew, if anyone could do it, it would be him. He had just enough wiggle room to get coach Shanahan out of there. After that, we all breathed a collective sigh of relief, and promptly gave our own coach a contract extension.
As soon as he received his key to the Bronco kingdom, McDaniels went to work with reckless abandon. He immediately shipped off pro bowl quarterback Jay Cutler. It was his plan to bring in fellow conspirator Matt Cassel to play the quarterback role. Like McDaniels, Cassel rode the New England gravy train for years and had little experience. Bowlen pulled the plug on the deal.
Although many offers were on the table, McDaniels worked tirelessly to bring in a below average quarterback. He finally convinced Bowlen that Kyle Orton was the man for the job. Simultaneously, as Orton inked his contract, Champagne corks popped in Oakland, Kansas City, and San Diego!
Next Target: Operation Brandon Marshall
Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall was the most resilient of the trio. Getting him out of Denver has been McDaniels toughest task so far. He has benched him, suspended him, fined him, and publicly embarrassed him, and still NADA! However, never underestimate McDaniels, he’s put in overtime this offseason as well, and it looks like Marshall has finally cracked.
In a recent police stop, Marshall was quoted as saying ” I f**king hate Denver.” When Shanahan was there in 08, he said he loved it there. This is the work of McDaniels!
The Turning Point:
Last year, as the Chargers started slow, The Broncos were fast out of the starting gates, and in the lead of the entire NFL. Sure, luck came into play on many occasions, but McDaniels did his part. He disrupted the locker room, overruled many calls, and got his team back to mediocrity quickly. When they met the Chargers in week 11, each squad was 7-3 and in a dog fight for the AFC West race.
McDaniels acted promptly, instead of focusing on the Broncos, he went to motivate the Chargers. He was shown nationally screaming insults at Charger players before the game. Comments such as “we own you” and “you suck” prompted the Chargers to a 32-3 victory—in Denver! This motivation carried them into a five game lead of the AFC West when the playoffs kicked off.
However, the Broncos still had a chance. If they were able to just knock off the Kansas City Chiefs at home, they could propel themselves into the playoffs as a wild card. The Broncos were 5-1 favorites, and the Chiefs really had nothing to play for. It really should have been a easy game.
McDaniels has taken a vow to NEVER beat a division rival while playing in Denver. So far, he’s been a man of his word. Every now and then, The Charger fan inside him comes out. He’s been seen yelling at , belittling , and even cussing at Bronco players. Top brass in San Diego have told him to “cool it” before it becomes to obvious!
McDaniels wanted none of it. He went to work promptly, suspending Brandon Marshall, and publicly denouncing him. This just weeks after Marshall broke an NFL receiving record in Indianapolis! For good measure, he threw in Tony Scheffler, the teams leading tight end. Broncos fans were treated to another loss to end the season, and no playoffs.
The year prior, they blew a four game lead with just four to play and launched the Chargers into the playoffs with a 52-21 week 17 home win in San Diego. Just days later, McDaniels was spotted at Disneyland, just 80 miles north of Qualcomm, in a Philip Rivers jersey.
This season, McDaniels was only the third man in history to start 6-0 and miss the playoffs. Next year, McDaniels hopes to complete the trifecta by being the first man in history to start 8-0 and end up 8-8, missing the playoffs. If he completes this task, he is promised a Bronze bust in the Chargers hall of fame, and also a football signed by Vincent Jackson!
At this point we, fully expect McDaniels to be fired at any time, but surprisingly he’s gaining steam. His plan is to contract as many old players as he can to long contracts. His most recent attempt with Brian Dawkins (37) hasn’t panned out so well for him, but recently he amazed us all by signing a 14th year nose tackle with major knee problems for $4.5 million per year. I’m referring to Jamal Williams from, you guessed it, the San Diego Chargers!
On to bigger and better things.
When McDaniels is sure he has doomed Denver, he plans to move on to bigger projects. In fact, he’s been busy in the offseason as well. Recent reports say he was seen in Milledgeville, Georgia with a large sum of money. The very next morning, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger went down on sexual assault charges by a young woman in the same town.
Coincidence? I think not! After the Chargers loss to the Steelers in the January 2009 playoff game, McDaniels was in tears. He gloated at a dinner party shortly afterward saying, “taking down Big Ben and the Steel curtain would be child’s play.”
McDaniels moves with the stealth of a ninja, the grace of a cat, and strikes like a cobra. Or as he prefers, “strikes like a lightning bolt.”
Next stop: The New York Jets!
The Chargers have already flown in two players to infiltrate the area, and have given McDaniels inside information. Ladainian Tomlinson and Antonio Cromartie will be working in succession on both sides of the ball. Tomlinson took the job out of his love for San Diego and Cromartie (with seven kids from six different moms) is doing the gig because he likes New Jersey’s child support format better than California’s.
Although he’s flattered by the help, McDaniels said he doesn’t need it. He still has cameras set up all through the Meadowlands left over from spygate!
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