1. Rivers, 2. Fouts, 3. Humphries 4. Brees Those are my choices. What about John Hadl? He was the qb when I first started watching the chargers as a kid. But, I did really become a “fan” till fouts. I never really liked Brees. He did finally play well his last year here. But, before that it seemed he threw more int’s than td’s. Flutie was terrific as a back-up, but didn’t fare well as a starter. Most of my memories of everett and harbaugh were with other teams. I don’t remember much of them as chargers. But, give fouts his due, the defense sucked when he played. Remember all those 37 to 34 games? If we had had a defense back then, we would have SB trophies.

1. Rivers- he is a winner who already compares to the others and still has a long career ahead oh him. Rivers just has “it.”

2. Humphries- he gets the nod over Fouts simply because he took us to our only super bowl. He was truly great because he made an average to good team better. Fouts was expected to take us to the super bowl but never could.

3. Fouts- He was truly great, his only downfall was never making it to the big show.

4. Brees- Simply because he brought us back to being a respectable team again.

Fouts didn’t have a very good defense. And his last year here, he didn’t have much of an O line either. Remember his broken nose in the raider game? And, prior to getting chuck muncie, they didn’t have a running game. Remember the double overtime playoff win against miami? The game looked like a blow out, then miami came back. Fouts in his day set records for 300 yard passing games. So, he deserved to be in the hall of fame.

     I like what you are doing—-But! Two QB’s that should have been on this list are Tobin Rote (One GREAT year) that I wouldn’t have argued with if he was on the ‘trimming the fat’ list because of his brevity with the team, and John Hadl who I would have picked either 2nd or 3rd. I realize they didn’t win their numbers. But what if, say, Alworth and Fouts (or Rivers) wore the same number? You would eliminate the loser for consideration from the all-time team? Remember, QB’s and receivers have worn the same number-Rote & Joiner for one off the top of my head for example.
     Anyway, keep up the good work. (I don’t agree with all of this. I loved Gil Bird but no way he should be ahead of Keith Lincoln who I suppose won’t be considered as one of the running backs that gets beat out by LT.) All in all-Lots of props for what you’re doing. I also feel if Lincoln would have won this it would be unfair to eliminate Bird from DB consideration for the all-time team.
     One last item. I feel you are skewing the voting by giving your opinion when asking the question. It seems that some people are voting based on your biased question. Bird over Lincoln for one. If you ask without revealing how you would vote I feel this would be a fairer contest.

John,
     Maybe you are right. I didn’t go back and reread it either and maybe I recall something you didn’t actually say but it seems to me that you said something along the line of thinking Lincoln until you looked at Bird’s stats which blew you away. You are obviously knowledgeable and your opinion would sway many, in effect giving you multiple votes.
     You are undoubtedly correct that Bird had an advantage in that he is more recent. There is less fan recognition of older players (Alworth excepted) as they played before many fans were born. I don’t know how old you are but I am on old f++t. The Chargers of the sixties were a powerhouse and Lincoln, not Alworth-though he was great-was the centerpiece. Equivalent to LT today. Buffalo beat the Chargers in the ‘64 or ’65 championship 23-0 when Lincoln was injured early. Buffalo’s sideline erupted and SD’s sagged. I still think if Lincoln hadn’t have been injured we would have won. One other thing. Sproles had the third highest total yardage in history in a playoff game last year-in overtime. One of the two who had more was Keith Lincoln-in regulation. The other guy did it in a double overtime game. The greatest Charger running back? I give it to LT-but he only edges out Lincoln in my mind. Pay attention to the Chargers of the sixties in your ratings. Alworth said that was the best (‘63 version) team he ever played on and he was on a Cowboy team that won a Super Bowl. Mix and Faison deserve strong consideration and most of your readers have probably not even heard of them. Alworth was the first AFLer to make the HOF. I believe Mix, an offensive lineman, was the second.
     My main point had to do with eliminating someone who came in second or lower to someone who played a different position or even the same one as in the following . Hypothetical examples: (I don’t know everyones numbers). If Seau and Merriman had the same number; or Russ Washington and Ron Mix did, or Fred Dean and Earl Faison, your rule would eliminate players who may well deserve to be on a Chargers All-time team. I know Seau and Merriman have different numbers but as you move on you could run into difficulties as you move into the sixties, seventies and eighties. Another possibility is that some stud wore the same number as Lo Neal eliminating him from fullback contention.
     As I said earlier, I appreciate what you are doing and look forward to reading what you write. Any criticism is intended to be constructive and very little that you write deserves criticism.

     
     It might be complicated but it also seems you are having fun. I think that you have two good issues working here. The best by number and the all-time team. Combining them by making one a prerequisite for the other might be reconsidered.
     I would think that an all-time 53 man Charger squad could play any system, any era depending on the situation. As diverse as the game has become a team may ‘start’ 11 guys on, say, defense but in another sense they have 14 or 15 ‘starters’. (How much did Cason play last year). You can do the same. Instead of having a 1st and 2nd string (QB excepted) you could build your team to be flexible enough to play any situation. Adding Byrd (I spelled it right this time) and Harrison to what we already have would be some kind of dime package on 3rd and long. Our 4 wide receiver set would be awesome and so would our short yardage ‘D’ with Jamal & Kelcher shoulder to shoulder with Seau behind them.
     To make a complete team you could also have less glamorous types such as a long snapper (Binn?) and a couple of gunners (Osgood & Bauer?) At TE Winslow and Gates are no brainers but I would also vote for Manumaleuna for his blocking.
     This is your deal and these are only suggestions for your consideration. I also think the team would need a coach. I give Gilman an edge over Coryell because Don never seemed to put together much of a defense. Strange as he was a db when he played. I would also like to see how many votes Norv would get.
     As far as voting for QB give my nod to Fouts. Give Rivers more time and this could change. I hope it does. In as much as I don’t think the 3rd string will ever see the field I give that vote to Whitehurst. He looks better carrying a clipboard than anyone else I recall.

I’d take Rivers over Brees: he’s two years younger, has progressed at the same rate as Brees, and started out better. Plus, the story of Brees is already written in this context. I think I have to put Hadl (not on list because he was #21 and had to compete with you-know-who), Kemp and Humphries over Brees because they were responsible for more of SD’s good times. Humphries won the AFC in the ’90s and led the team well for quite awhile, so he gets my bronze, and honorable mention goes to Hadl over Kemp and Brees, because he was successful with San Diego for longer (and Kemp over Brees, as Brees seemed disappointing at first and ultimately forced a decision to replace him… even if that one turned out well).

For the top two, I’d go for Rivers over Fouts with a big giant asterisk. Rivers, God or the gods willing, is 80% potential: he’s only started 3 seasons and has most of his career to look forward to. The sky’s the limit, and if you’re considering what he seems to have in front of him I think you have to put him in first. For who’s done more already, well, Fouts has a considerable head start, even as Rivers has done an excellent job gaining ground (he’s already got as far as Fouts ever did). Ask me again after a Superbowl win (or an MVP season and a championship appearance, but fingers crossed for the SB), and I’ll say it’s Rivers hands-down. If Rivers gets struck by lightning in the preseason, Fouts it is.