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San Diego Chargers: Shopping for a Backup QB

July 26, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Charlie Whitehurst (6) kneels on the ground after injuring his knee during training camp at Charger Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE
July 26, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Charlie Whitehurst (6) kneels on the ground after injuring his knee during training camp at Charger Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

In case you hadn't heard, some MISCREANT thought it would be funny to hit Charlie Whitehurst during the first day of the San Diego Chargers' training camp yesterday. I don't know who the perpetrator is quite yet, but you better believe that I'm working hard to find out so that I can BURY THEM in this here blog. Anyway....

Chucky's knee might be just fine, but the Chargers aren't 100% sure, so they're trying to bring someone else in just in case it's not. Word has it that the team has already made an offer Billy Volek that has already been refused. I suppose Billy knows that he has better opportunities out there than "Guy who could make the team if Charlie is, in fact, not Our Lord And Savior". Good thinking, Billy.

So, taking Billy off the list (for now), I thought I'd look through the remaining free agent veteran QBs and pick out some names that could be of interest to Norv Turner, A.J. Smith and the rest of the Chargers brass.

  • Kyle Boller
  • Mark Brunell
  • Jake Delhomme
  • Dennis Dixon
  • Trent Edwards (RFA)
  • A.J. Feeley
  • Max Hall (RFA)
  • J.P. Losman
  • Donovan McNabb
  • Kevin O'Connell
  • Chad Pennington
Yeesh.

The name that sticks out on that list the most is A.J. Feeley, who spent a year with the Chargers in 2005 as the team's third option behind Drew Brees (in his final year with San Diego) and Philip Rivers (still riding the bench). That was before the time of Norv, but A.J. Smith was the one who traded for him initially and could still have some interest in him. In case you're wondering, Feeley has started 5 games since then and has been terrible in all of them.

No to McNabb. He's a headcase and a terrible fit. No to Pennington because I doubt he could throw a tennis ball far enough for his dog to break a sweat in a game of fetch. No to Delhomme because....just no.

I wouldn't mind Brunell. He's a solid backup.

Boller is like a younger Delhomme without that Super Bowl run. Losman is a waste. Max Hall is unproven. Trent Edwards has no arm strength (making him a bad fit). Alright, let's see what's left.
  • Mark Brunell
  • Dennis Dixon
  • A.J. Feeley
  • Kevin O'Connell
I like that list. O'Connell is also unproven, but the team seems to know SDSU guys well and only bring in the good ones. I'd be alright with him.

They're all worse than Whitehurst, but they all can do certain things. Dixon can run and has a cannon. Brunell has that veteran savvy and looks good in a hat on the sidelines. Not as good as Charlie, but....come on. Feeley can take a roster spot and tell stories about back in the day.

If I'm picking, it's probably Brunell. I've always liked the cut of his jib, and Rivers hasn't really had that "super old veteran that used to be a superstar QB" backup QB yet. Those guys help even a kid out and avoid stuff like what happened with Philip last year.