Are Chargers preparing to trade Cromartie to Dallas or Green Bay?

So now the San Diego Chargers are exploring to trade cornerback Antonio Cromartie for a running back, according to ESPN’s esteemed reporter Chris Mortensen.

Good luck getting much for Cromartie.

The youtube video of No. 31 Cromartie backing off a tackle of Shonn Greene in the past season’s playoffs certainly has damaged Cromartie’s reputation. All he had to do is put a hit on Greene and the New York Jets’ running back certainly would not have scored a 53-yard touchdown.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na4cE3m2Gwo

Cromartie had great value after a 2007 Pro Bowl season in which he intercepted 10 passes, as well as made all the highlight films on ESPN, etc. with a 109-yard touchdown return of a missed field goal vs. the Minnesota Vikings.

Since then, his career has taken a downward spiral culminated by his missed tackle vs. the Jets … not to mention much-publicized partying off the field (and the fact he has seven kids by five different women.)

The Chargers could trade with the Dallas Cowboys, who are overloaded at running back with Marion Barber, Tashard Choice, and Felix Jones. Maybe the Cowboys would be willing to trade one of the three with the belief that a new start would be good for the once highly-regarded Cromartie.

San Diego is in need of a running back for two reasons: (a) LaDainian Tomlinson will soon be released, and (b) Darren Sproles is a pending restricted free agent who would be due $7.3 million in 2010 if the Chargers tender him a contract, a 10 percent increase over his 2009 franchise-tag salary of $6.67 million.

The Green Bay Packers are in need of a cornerback, so they could also be in the market for Cromartie.

Cromartie’s departure could leave the Chargers thin at CB, where Quentin Jammer is a star but the rest are questionable. Among other things, Antoine Cason has not progressed as well as the Chargers had hoped after making him their No. 1 draft pick two years ago.

Trading Cromartie would rid the Chargers of someone not considered a “team” player … but it could leave holes at cornerback and running back (depending on what the team gets in return.)

NFL plays Scrooge to Chargers on Christmas

What is it about the NFL that does not agree with the San Diego Chargers at Christmas time?

OK, so the Chargers didn’t play on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day last year ... because there were not any NFL games on those days.

But go back two years and those were the Chargers hosting the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football on Christmas Eve; which happens to be the holiest day of the year to some people.

Fast forward to this year and you have the Chargers playing at the Tennessee Titans on Christmas Night.

Is this fair to Norv Turner, Philip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, Luis Castillo, Shaun Phillips, Shawne Merriman, Quentin Jammer and all on Christmas?

No way.

First of all, this is the NFL Network’s "Thursday" game on a Friday. The game certainly could have been played on Saturday ... or the day after Christmas ... just like last Saturday’s Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints game.

In addition, the Chargers are traveling 2,000 miles to play the game; more than any other team has traveled all year for a non-Sunday or -Monday game. And, yes, it is Christmas.
So the Chargers must say thanks to the NFL for once again playing Scrooge with their Christmases.

Prediction:
Titans 23, Chargers 20

There's no defense for the Chargers

Boy, was that “new look” Chargers’ defense impressive (tongue in cheek!)

Was it me, or did the “new” San Diego defense under Ron Rivera look the same as the old under Ted Cottrell?

Still no pressure on the quarterback. Still no turnovers in 13 quarters; and one in the past four games.

And still no stopping of another team’s final drive when the game was on the line.

With a 20-19 luck-out over Kansas City, the Chargers posed more questions than they answered.

What if the Chiefs hadn’t muffed a snap on an extra point? What if Kansas City had a decent play planned on a potential game-winning, 2-point conversion?

The Chargers would be looking at a 3-6 record, which still wouldn’t eliminate them from competition in the worst division ever in the NFL.

Under Rivera, it was the same-old, same-old for the Chargers defense.

The only players with above-average games defensively were Jamal Williams and Quentin Jammer.

Otherwise, this team was lucky KC played with a third-string quarterback, third-string running back and four defensive players who weren’t even on the team a week ago (and thus missed being included on the roster printed at mid-week.)

If the Chargers keep this up, they may not even post the 7-9 record it will take to win the woeful AFC West this season.

Chargers need top pick in training camp soon!

The Chargers need to get first round draft choice Antoine Cason in training camp … soon!

The last thing they need is a prolonged holdout like they did with Quentin Jammer when he was the fifth pick overall out of Texas seven years ago.

Cason, the 27th overall pick out of Arizona this year, is a cornerback like Jammer.

If you remember, Jammer fell hopelessly behind his first season after holding out virtually all of training camp.

The same could happen if Cason stays out for a long time this summer.

Cason could definitely fill the third cornerback role that Drayton Florence held until becoming a free agent after last season.

But if Cason holds out too long, there may not be much of a spot for him when he comes to the team this year … just ask Jammer!

Chargers facing another lost weekend?

You think the Chargers’ loss was bad enough last week at Minnesota?

Just wait until the Indianapolis Colts come to town for Sunday night’s match-up on NBC-TV.

Peyton Manning has spent a lot of time on his back in his last two games against the Chargers, but he’ll probably be spending much more time in the end zone this week.

As if San Diego’s defense wasn’t horrible enough last Sunday, it will spend this week’s entire game without injured defensive end Luis Castillo and (most likely) cornerback Quentin Jammer.

Ouch.

Can you smell 400-plus yards for Manning?

Offensively, the Chargers couldn’t run or pass against Minnesota (does that mean they didn’t do anything right?)

Indianapolis? It has a better defense than the Vikings.

Yes, these are the same Chargers who two years ago went into Indianapolis and spoiled the Colts’ bid for a perfect season when they were 13-0.

But there was a major difference: Motivator Marty Schottenheimer coached them in 2005; motivation-less Norv Turner is the current coach.

If San Diego State wins this weekend at Nevada Las Vegas, the Aztecs will be 4-5 on the season. The Chargers will have the same record if (when?) they lose to the Colts.

Who would’ve thought?

Predictions:

Colts 31, Chargers 20

SDSU 24, UNLV 21