We need to trade for Phillip Rivers, NOW!

[JasonKGME]

A couple of things that will spoil your idea. It wont happen during this season, maybe in the offseason but not during the season.

1. SD doesnt have the cap space right now to absorb the rest of Rivers signing bonus. They will in the offseason though.

2. What happens if Brees goes down. They are stuck in the mud without a backup. They are not trading Rivers right now.

3. Brees is a FA after this season. They trade Rivers now they may end up without Brees or Rivers next year. They can tag Brees again to make sure but I doubt they want to tie up 10 mill of their cap space in doing so.

1. SD has more then enough cap space to trade Rivers, 1st the signing bonus remaining can be spread over this and next years, plus his salary would reduce the amount of hit this year to under around $3 million and the Chargers are something like $6 million still under the cap I believe

2. They might trade Rivers if the trade included a halfway decent QB for backup purposes (McCown??)

3. If the choose to trade Rivers I can gaurentee you it will be because they have discussed it with Brees and are looking at a long term contract with him that will make sure he doesnt walk.

 

[Jay Cardinal]

1. SD has more then enough cap space to trade Rivers, 1st the signing bonus remaining can be spread over this and next years, plus his salary would reduce the amount of hit this year to under around $3 million and the Chargers are something like $6 million still under the cap I believe

2. They might trade Rivers if the trade included a halfway decent QB for backup purposes (McCown??)

3. If the choose to trade Rivers I can gaurentee you it will be because they have discussed it with Brees and are looking at a long term contract with him that will make sure he doesnt walk.

Are you sure the get to ammortize the signing bonus over the life of the contract after trading a player? I thought if you cut or trade a player any bonus monus was accelerated into this immediate year.

Good call on Brees contract situation. I'd go as far to say that the won't trade Rivers unless they have an extension in place with Brees. My guess is the Chargers will continue to low-ball Brees while they still have Rivers. So they're kind of at a stalemate. They have two great QB prospects. If they were to trade Rivers and lose Brees to FA they could get stuck with no QBs. Kind of far-fetched, but I can see why the Chargers would want to play out the season before making a decision. They'll need to do something with Brees' contract, they can't possibly keep the franchise tag on him at $8-10 million a year.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Interesting you should post this as on the wire today San Diego traded for a QB. Unless they plan on trading Rivers why would they do that? They know we have a high draft choice and it is not totally out of the question that we could do that. I can dream anyway.

I have my moments....

I saw the trade and this is clearly a move to have a capable backup to learn the system this year and be ready to back up Brees for next season...also giving the Chargers flexibility to get something back on their investment...

I have been watching Brees all year now and i am convinced he is not a GREAT QB. Capable, but he also has Gates and LT who make him look alot better....

When i wrote that inital post, I was going by Rivers at NC State and his pre draft evaluations which i remember all to be glowing....im a big intangibles guy and especially when it comes to QB's and this guy got high marks.....still it is a bit of a crap shoot b/c he has yet to face an NFL defense and he would be learning a new system. I would think this would have been more plausible before the deadline because getting him year with Denny, Boldin, and Fitz.....

I am absolutly against giving up our first rounder this year. I have been studying this draft and apparently there is a two franchise QB's (lienert, young) one superstar running back and and a better version of Steven Jackson (Bush and Maroney) one W. Jones Clone and two other stellar tackles (Ferguson and Justice and Winston) and Boston colleges stud DE and AJ Hawk. All elite level prospects at positions of need. I think Lienert, Bush and to a lesser degree Young will be franchise altering type talents. Its likely SD would demand that pick since they gave up theres and Eli......

I think with the Denny connection and the fall out in Minny, the Daunte rumor might be more than just a rumor come this off season.....We'll see if Billy B signs off on it (im thinking with needing to make a splash going into Glendale, Daunte and R. Bush are the way too go..)

 

[AntSports Steve]

Conversely once Griese’s pact with the devil expires (likely next season) they will go back to mediocrity, even with Caddilac

Looks like Griese's pact has expired as the devil said times up and Tampa Bay has put him on IR. I guess we will now see if TB goes back to mediocrity. I'm guessing you are correct.

When looking at how to build teams for the long term, is seems that IND, NYJ (pennington), and Dallas (Akieman). All built their teams simulairly.

1) Build OL
2) Get WRs
3) Get young QB of the future
4) Get RB stud.

You need the OL first as without it, you team does nothing. Have a good young QB and a bad OL all you do is just ruin a good QB. They get gun shy, or get injured.

The WR position takes a while to learn, so you get them next.
Finally when the good QB comes along, he's got an experienced OL to give him the extra time he'll need and a WR that's ready to actually help.

After a year of learning, you add in a quality RB and you have a team that can compete for years.

 

[Duckjake]

You need the OL first as without it, you team does nothing. Have a good young QB and a bad OL all you do is just ruin a good QB. They get gun shy, or get injured.

The problem is that apparently the Cardinals do not know how to build an offensive line. They have tried to patch a group together through different means for several years and they have never been successful.

 

[overseascardfan]

I agree that the O-Line is the most important unit on a football team. The problem in Denny likes the blue collar type of football players, there is nothning wrong with that but he gets guys that he labels "hungry". The fact that he found Bert Berry that way is why he takes that approach but you need to have talent and ability to go along with that "hunger". If we draft or trade for a QB, then free agency should be geared primarily at building that O-line, not patching it up.

 

[JasonKGME]

Are you sure the get to ammortize the signing bonus over the life of the contract after trading a player? I thought if you cut or trade a player any bonus monus was accelerated into this immediate year.

Not over the life of the contract, but just like cutting a player after June 1st they can spread the cap hit over 2 years, the remainder of this year and next years cap, so they dont have to pay the whole amount now, makes it much easier to trade.

 

[Duckjake]

I agree that the O-Line is the most important unit on a football team. The problem in Denny likes the blue collar type of football players, there is nothning wrong with that but he gets guys that he labels "hungry". The fact that he found Bert Berry that way is why he takes that approach but you need to have talent and ability to go along with that "hunger". If we draft or trade for a QB, then free agency should be geared primarily at building that O-line, not patching it up.

Did you know that the Cards have not had the same 5 players start in the same positions on the offensive line two seasons in a row since '87-'88.

They've had 12 different guys start the season at RG during that period and 9 at Center.

The team needs to play the same guys like other successful Olines on other teams. Casting about in free agency this offseason for more offensive linemen will be more of the same "patching".

 

[john h]

Smart move by the Chargers. Sending a clear signal that either Brees or Rivers are trade bait. I don't want Brees but I'd give 2 #1s for Rivers if we don't end up with one of the top three picks this year.

I would not take Rivers over Leinhart or Bush. I would definitely like Rivers. I am sure there is a way this could be worked out and sure would try to.

 

[john h]

If Rivers was all that he'd be playing right now. I smell something funny with the Chargers trading for another QB.

I say no to trading for him.

Clearly they plan on trading a QB. You do not need two #1s on your team. They could use the free money to strengthen elsewhere and get good value in return with a trade. The Chargers are in the drivers seat on this one. Brees is playing so well the fans would go crazy if you traded him. That is very unlikely.

 

[joeshmo]

1. SD has more then enough cap space to trade Rivers, 1st the signing bonus remaining can be spread over this and next years, plus his salary would reduce the amount of hit this year to under around $3 million and the Chargers are something like $6 million still under the cap I believe

2. They might trade Rivers if the trade included a halfway decent QB for backup purposes (McCown??)

3. If the choose to trade Rivers I can gaurentee you it will be because they have discussed it with Brees and are looking at a long term contract with him that will make sure he doesnt walk.

1. You are wrong on the cap implications. Only cut players get their signing bonus spread over 2 years after June 1st. Traded players have a different set of rules and all of the signing bonus is counted on the year they are traded there is no spreading out of the bonus, and it doesnt matter when they are traded. Thats one of the reason why it is so hard to make trades in the NFL compared to other sports. Plus they owe Rivers 13 mill. more in bonuses becuase they gave him a 6.5 mill option Bonus March 1st(which pro rates over the life of the contract just like the signing bonus, so it gets added to the original signing bonus as money owed). Which means a 13 mill cap hit if traded. So even if that was cut in half it would still be to much of a burden on their cap and couldnt be done. And if they did your #2 that would add even more money to the cap of which they wouldnt have. Plus if a player goes on IR they will be out of luck becuase they need to pay another player. There is a reason teams try and keep 1 mill as a buffer.

Greg from Winter Park, FL: What would be the salary cap ramifications for the Chargers if they were to trade Phillip Rivers?
Vic: If they're going to do it, they'll have 10 days to get it done. Phillip Rivers is due a $6.625 option bonus on the 10th day of the league calendar year, March 11th. Interleague trading begins on March 2. Rivers has $6.375 million in remaining amortization. If the Chargers trade him before the option bonus deadline, they would realize a $6.375 million “dead money” hit and a $3.5 million increase on their 2005 cap. If they decide to keep him and pay the $6.625 million option bonus, then they will have $13 million in remaining amortization for a backup quarterback. At that point, it would become clear that Drew Brees would be the quarterback who would have to be traded.

http://www.jaguars.com/story/4213.asp

 

[joeshmo]

The Chargers just traded for a QB so?????????

The trade deadline is over folks. Nothing will happen till the offseason.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I would rather have Mccown than Rivers and i'm not a big Mccown fan.Rivers has done nothing.If he was better than Brees then he would have been in there from the start of this year regardless of the kind of year Brees had last year.The Bengals went with Palmer over Kitna after Kitna had a very good year because they knew Palmer was clearly better in the long run..Rivers is not an NFL QB.If you want to run Northwestern's or Texas Tech's offense then Rivers is your guy.If you want to run an NFL offense,well, there's a reason Brees is playing and was franchised when his trade value could be no higher.

 

[Pariah]

Rivers has done nothing.

I'm not a huge Rivers fan, but I think I'd rather have him than McCown. Rivers is a guy that could possibly be your starter for years to come. Sure, Josh could, too...but how many of us really think that would be a good thing?

 

[Redsz]

Personally, I would rather have McCown at this stage of their respective careers. If we are talking about passing the ball in this offense then McCown would clearly be the better choice. I like Rivers, but as so many have pointed out, I don't think he could run this offense for spit.

I also wouldn't rule out Detriot as apossible destination for Rivers. I think he has the smarts and is the type of passer that could do well in Moochs offense.

 

[football karma]

My prediction:

1. Cards trade for Rivers

2. Cards do nothing to address running the ball except signing a washed up Curtis Martin, because they just traded two firsts for Rivers

3. After less than one full season watching Rivers put up so-so kinds of numbers, this board will have already decided that he stinks and we need to draft a new qb

4. we watch Josh McCown lead the Cowboys past Jake Plummer and the Broncos in the Superbowl in Glendale.

5. AZ Republic has to print a special edition to carry the volume and number of articles by local columnists rippiing the Cardiinals for letting both go.

6. I officially become a NASCAR fan