Did the Chargers make a mistake in letting Drew Brees go?

[sdpads24]

Chargers record in 2005 with Brees=9-7, 2006 record with Phillip Rivers=14-2

[zdh87]

Originally Posted by DMWSackMachine

The facts of this situation are this: they let a above-average, maybe even franchise caliber starting QB go without compensation. That alone is enough to qualify as a "mistake".

Now, does that mean that they should have given him a huge contract and let Rivers languish on the bench? No, of course not. They should have franchised Brees for this year, then tried their asses off to trade him. If nothing else, you could have gotten at least a 3rd for him. AT LEAST. Even if you have to franchise him, bench him for the year and start Rivers, you do it. Quality QBs are just too damn hard to find to let a young, in-his-prime one walk away for nothing. In that respect, yes they made a mistake.

Now, will it cost them big time? No. Would they be better off with Brees than Rivers? I doubt it. Still, they really dropped the ball on this one. I hope they enjoy all that money they saved.

they will enjoy it because they will be able to resign Michael Turner and have some cap room to play with instead of a large portion of the cap AGAIN being taken up in one position.

[Twiddler]

I don't think they made a mistake. They drafted a guy to be their franchise QB and thats what they truly made him by releasing Brees. And its not like Rivers hasn't been successful this year, and with Brees injuring his throwing shoulder it was a better move to go with the future instead of risk it all on a healing shoulder which could have gone either way. And they couldn't have gotten a first and second rounder, this is real life, not Madden.

[umphrey]

Brees is a top 3 QB IMO and young. I don't see how getting rid of that kind of player can be considered anything but a mistake.

At the time, it wasn't a bad move, they had to pick. In retrospect, it is a different story.

[ks_perfection]

I don't think they made a mistake. They drafted a guy to be their franchise QB and thats what they truly made him by releasing Brees. And its not like Rivers hasn't been successful this year, and with Brees injuring his throwing shoulder it was a better move to go with the future instead of risk it all on a healing shoulder which could have gone either way. And they couldn't have gotten a first and second rounder, this is real life, not Madden.

So Brees shoulder was a risk but starting a rookie QB isn't? Lots of young QBs become busts, teh chargers couldn't be sure that Rivers wouldn't fall under that category. Thats why I have always beleived it was better to keep Brees than Rivers, just a bigger risk.

[WinslowEdwards19]

Obviously not, they went 14-2, and they did draft Phillip Rivers for a reason.

[yourfavestoner]

Originally Posted by sdpads24

Chargers record in 2005 with Brees=9-7, 2006 record with Phillip Rivers=14-2

That can be attributed to the fact that the Chargers had a much tougher schedule last year (it might have even been the toughest in the league).

[Star Wideout]

Hindsight is 20/20, you have to take into account Brees was coming off of a serious shoulder injury, and some people thought he might not ever have been the same QB again.

soI can understand why they let him walk with no compensation.

[Space Ghost]

No they made a mistake in trading Eli for Rivers instead of Larry Fitzgerald :D

[portermvp84]

They didn't make a mistake, they went 14-2 with Rivers. It was either trade Rivers which they inveseted alot in him. Thye made a good decsion.