NFL ripe for plucking by Chargers next season

UNION-TRIBUNE

February 11, 2008

Sez Me . . .

Having recently spent nine days in beautiful downtown Phoenix - there not
only isn't any there there, there is nothing there - I had a lot of time to
think, which can be painful. But I now can say the NFL can be had.

After all, the Giants won the Super Bowl. And Eli Manning was the MVP. Are
you kidding me?

Anything can happen now. Obviously.

It became apparent during the waning weeks of The League's season that the
New England Patriots were not what they were earlier. And it has become even
more apparent since the previously unbeaten Patriots' defeat that their
coach, Bill Belichick, and his disciples, have much work to do.

The Pats have 13 unrestricted free agents on their roster, and the list
includes receiver Randy Moss - who had one of the greatest seasons in NFL
history - and top corner Asante Samuel and aging linebackers Tedy Bruschi
(34) and Junior Seau (39).

The Patriots defense is not young, and it showed in the end. Belichick has
to decide which players to re-sign. He may franchise-tag Moss, which would
cost the club $5 million more ($8 million-plus) than it did this past
season.

Samuel, dubbed by Pats safety Rodney Harrison the NFL's best cornerback, "by
far," is going to want a ton. It isn't going to be as easy as Belichick
found it to run off the field before the Super Bowl ended.

It also became apparent that the Pats' spread offense could be handled, once
defensive coordinators figured it out. The offense averaged 37 points during
the regular season and scored an NFL-record 589 points, managing 75
touchdowns, with quarterback Tom Brady - the best - on the bridge.

But the Giants held the Pats to two touchdowns in the Super Bowl and New
England managed 21 points on the limited Chargers in the AFC Championship
Game.

Chargers GM A.J. Smith often talks about luck, and injuries are a part of
it. I'm now convinced that, if tailback LaDainian Tomlinson, tight end
Antonio Gates and quarterback Philip Rivers were healthy for that game,
there might have been a parade for these guys downtown this week.

But they lost, and that's their problem. Injuries happen. But the window of
opportunity for San Diego never had been more open. Top to bottom, the
Chargers still have the most talented roster. Most all of their core players
are signed. They will lose very few key people. Their new coach, Norv
Turner, won 13 games, including two in January.

Tell you what. This is the time for them. The NFL isn't all that good. Hay
is there to be made.

The League doesn't figure to be as top-heavy. The Patriots won't be as good.
And the Giants won the Super Bowl. That isn't happening again. . . .

A disgruntled restaurateur threatened to shoot people at the Super Bowl. If
he had a downtown restaurant, he could have fired away for days and not hit
anybody.

Three-dot items

Still hard to believe that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hasn't
reprimanded/fined/suspended Belichick for his early Super Bowl exit. The
game was not over, which is why they have a clock. Strictly bush league . .
..

And people complained about LT sitting on the bench? At least he didn't
catch an early flight home . . .

Goodell's explanation for his destruction of Spygate tapes was
unsatisfactory. I don't even know what he was talking about . . .

He was satisfied with the Pats' explanation? Hey, Rog, they cheated . . .

Hopefully, Sen. Arlen Specter will get a more lucid response - if Goodell
can get a lucid question . . .

NFL walk-through practices aren't much. But, if the Pats were filming the
Rams' red zone walk-through the day before Super Bowl XXXVI, that could have
been of significance . . .

But don't expect Pats owner Bob Kraft to return that Lombardi Trophy . . .

[non-football stuff snipped]

Nick Canepa: (619) 293-1397; nick.canepa@uniontrib.com



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