Chargers Almost Ready To Sign Nathan Vasher

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune is reporting that the San Diego Chargers are close to signing free agent cornerback Nathan Vasher.earlier this month, Vasher was released by the Chicago Bears and has not yet been taken.Were Vasher to sign, which seems very likely, he would reunite with current Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.The Chargers are looking for a cornerback because they traded Antonio Cromartie to the Jets at the start of free agency.The Chargers signed cornerback Donald Strickland this off season, who will likely compete for a role at cornerback behind Antoine Cason.
If Vasher is signed, Strickland may have to fight for a roster spot.

Draft Watch: AFC West

Denver

I could see Denver drafting a safety in the fourth round. Starters Brian Dawkins (36) and Renaldo Hill (31) will not be around forever. Denver did take Darcel McBath in the second round last year and he made some decent strides before getting hurt. It would hurt Denver to try to find another young safety to develop. I could also see Denver looking for a big running back late in the draft. The team needs a pounder. The Broncos struggled in short-yardage situations. The Broncos also need a punter.

Kansas City

The Chiefs have done a nice job in free agency, but they still have plenty of needs heading into the draft. Many of Kansas City’s needs are on the defensive side of the ball. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kansas City added multiple linebackers, perhaps starting in the second round. Since the Chiefs use a 3-4 defense, they need several linebackers on an aging crew. Linebacker might be the top need after safety, offensive line and receiver. The Chiefs are young on the defensive front, but it wouldn’t hurt to get more talent in the later rounds at nose tackle. Even though tight end is not a glamour position in Todd Haley’s offense, the Chiefs do need some talent there.

Oakland

After the offensive line, linebacker and quarterback, the Raiders need some defensive line help, especially at tackle. Watch for Oakland to use a mid-round pick on this position. I could also see Oakland trying to find a running back in the third-to-fifth rounds. It cut Justin Fargas and needs some help behind Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. Oakland was set to visit with former Kansas City star Larry Johnson before he signed with Washington. Cornerback and safety are other areas Oakland might address add late in the draft. Oakland also needs some help at receiver. Ideally, it would be in the form of a veteran (Terrell Owens, anyone?) because Oakland is so green at the position.

San Diego

This is an important draft for the Chargers. The team has has lost several players this offseason. San Diego is still the class of the AFC West and it has pretty nice depth. But reinforcements are needed at several positions. The Chargers’ biggest needs are running back and nose tackle. But San Diego will be busy after filling those two early needs. San Diego could use some youth at defensive end and inside linebacker. Also, watch for the team to look for a cornerback in the post-Antonio Cromartie era. Offensively, San Diego needs a blocking tight end to replace Brandon Manumaleuna, who signed with Chicago. That position could be addressed in the middle rounds. San Diego also could use a young right tackle to groom. I could also see a young receiver taken in the late rounds.

Jets And Chargers Trade Partners?

The San Diego Chargers are looking to cut ties with cornerback Antonio Cromartie and the Jets might be looking for one to play on the opposite side of Darrelle Revis. Joe Smith from Bleacherreport.com ponders the thoughts of the Jets making a play for him.

Darrelle Revis is arguably the best cornerback in the league, and he is the “biggest reason” the Jets topped the league in pass defense (according to Rex Ryan) a year after the Jets finished almost last in that category.

The Jets, though, are likely to continue playing musical chairs in the secondary. Starting cornerback Lito Sheppard and nickelback Donald Strickland are likely to be released because they couldn’t manage to stay healthy. Sheppard is also due a hefty roster bonus he didn’t earn in his brief stint for the Jets.

Jim Leonhard was very impressive, but the future for Kerry Rhodes is uncertain.

The secondary didn’t fare that well against the Chargers, and was torched by Peyton Manning and the Colts. They are just two of the elite teams anchored by their passing games the Jets would have to get by to reach the Super Bowl.

Next on the checklist is acquiring a premier pass rusher. Vernon Gholston hasn’t registered a single sack yet, and the Jets can’t wait for the day he does when they are on the cusp of being a dominant defense.

Rex can cook up exotic blitzes, but being able to generate pressure in the pass rush without throwing the kitchen sink at opponents is a luxury, especially for the defensive backs. Of course, Revis will isolate the top receiver anyway.

Enter the Chargers. They are shopping Antonio Cromartie, and seeking a running back to replace LaDanian Tomlinson. Cromartie isn’t very physical, or a sure tackler, but he is great in coverage, can make plays, and is extremely athletic. For the Chargers, he is expendable and a headache.

The Jets have a logjam in the backfield and Thomas Jones is the odd one out. Jones, 31, might not make it to his roster bonus next month, and Leon Washington will be ready to go by training camp…and the emergence of Shonn Greene is reassuring.

The Chargers have former first-round pick Larry English ready to succeed Merriman. Merriman had season-ending knee surgery in 2008, missing the entire season, and couldn’t regain his form in a disappointing 2009.

Merriman, set to be a restricted free agent, is an ideal fit for the Jets, and the Jets would be killing two big birds with one small stone. The Chargers have no leverage with either, and the package would fill the top two needs for the Jets.

The Jets could ship Jones and maybe a conditional pick for next year, because Cromartie and Merriman could thrive, but the investment should be more performance based.

Merriman and Cromartie would fit well with the Jets, and at the moment the price is right. The Jets should capitalize on that.

To me, if I were the Jets, I wouldn’t pursue Cromartie. Although he did have nice stats in 2008, he slacked off in 2009 and played horribly against the Jets in the divisiosnal playoff game. He might be worth it if they they didn’t have much cap space and they had no other choice to replace Lito but if the 2010 season is uncapped, the Jets could wait for the better player to come along and frontload his contract.
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LET'S TURN OUT THE LIGHTS.

let's turn the lights.
merriman needs too much screwing, plying, and cleaning.
he's not good enough and he doesn't have enough sportsmenship.
lights out should turn into lights on becauce he just can't turn out the lights on the quarterback.
I won't be sad when merriman leaves.
there's 2 choices about merriman, 1.kick out of chargers-2.kick out of NFL.
TURN OUT THE LIGHTS!!!!!

DAREREN SPORLES MIGHT BE GOING TO THE REDSKINS

A week ago I heard Darren Sporles might be going to the redskins.
There's a good chance of it because Darren Sporles is a big player for the Redskins so they would propaply pay A-lot of money. 2 running backs lost would be Crud.
so all we can do is make the Redskins not pay enough money for Darren Sporles.
Darren Sporles is great for kick returns and at least he can run for about 2 yards.
So he's pretty important to the San Diego Chargers.
I hope Darren Sporles Doesn't go like LT Did.
And I hope next year we get lots of running backs and great wide recivers.

CHARGERS HAVE LOST LT FOR GOOD

chargers have lost LT for good.
A few days ago I heard on the radio that LT quit.
LT wasn’t getting enough money(well… really, charger players never get enough money.)
So, BY-BY Mr. LT!
To me LT was very important player to the chargers.
now all we have is Darren Sporles until the next draft.
I just wish next year we have a better draft, because last year we didn’t have a good draft.

Norv Turner wins USA TODAY's top coach after Chargers' surge

Four months after saying his Chargers weren't as good as fans thought they would be, San Diego coach Norv Turner has won USA TODAY's NFL Coach of the Year award.

Turner led the Chargers back from a 2-3 start with 11 straight victories that earned his team a playoff bye. The Chargers, at 13-3, finished just one game behind the Colts for the best record in the NFL.

Turner has led the Chargers to the playoffs in all three of his seasons in San Diego, but said that this year has been his most rewarding.

"I'm not very good at comparing those things, but the biggest thing for me is the job the assistant coaches have done and the number of people we have that have contributed to this team," Turner said. "That part of it is impressive."

Turner received 23 of 66 points from the 11-member panel of USA TODAY football writers and editors. He earned five first-place votes, and edged out Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis (who had four first-place votes) by three points.

The Chargers and Turner were a late arrival into the race for postseason awards. They started 2-3 and were 3½ games behind the Denver Broncos after a home loss to them on Oct. 19.
Many analysts suggested the Chargers were Super Bowl contenders in the preseason. But Turner sent a jolt to his team in December after a Week 2 loss to the Ravens, after a close-call win in the opener at Oakland.

"I don't think right now we're as good as you that cover us think or expect us to be; I don't think we're as good as what our fans want us to be," Turner said. "But I believe we can get there. We've got a lot of work to get there."

His premonition was tested with two losses in the next three games, but the Chargers wouldn't lose another game after their Week 6 defeat to Denver. The Broncos' tailspin eliminated first-half favorite Josh McDaniels from top coach honors. And the late-season slips by the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints (who combined to lose their last five games after each opening the season 14-0 and 13-0, respectively) helped distinguish the Chargers' surge.
Turner led his team to impressive fourth-quarter comeback victories on the road against the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys and a Week 15 win against the Cincinnati Bengals that helped solidify a playoff bye.

Winning Coach of the Year honors does not guarantee Turner postseason success, however. Turner still has yet to reach the elite level of NFL coaches who have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.

That remains an obstacle for him. He has a 4-3 record in postseason play and has never reached the Super Bowl. It's a threshold that the Chargers, who have been to the playoffs in five of the past six years, are hoping to cross.

Lewis' second-place finish is a testament to the turnaround he led in Cincinnati, where the Bengals clinched the AFC North with their first winning record in four years and just their second playoff berth since 1990. He coached the Bengals through the loss of Vikki Zimmer, the wife of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, and the death of receiver Chris Henry in December.
Caldwell, the third-place finisher, seemed to be cruising to the award when his Colts became just the third team to start a season 14-0. But the controversy surrounding the Colts lifting their starters in the two losses helped douse his candidacy.

Complete voting results:

Norv Turner, San Diego: 23 points (five first-place votes)
Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati: 20 points, (four first-place votes)
Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis: 11 points
Sean Payton, New Orleans: 6 points (one first-place vote)
Mike McCarthy, Green Bay: 3 points (one first-place vote)
Rex Ryan, New York Jets: 2 points
Josh McDaniels, Denver: 1 point


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