Trade History: Chargers known for deals that brought in Fouts, Leaf, and Rivers
The Los Angeles Chargers played in five of the first six American Football League Championship Games, winning in 1963. Since that point, the Chargers have only been to the AFC title game four times, and their lone appearance in the NFL’s biggest game resulted in a 49-26 loss to the 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX after the 1994 season. Despite the lack of team success, the Chargers have had their share of individual stars, including wide receivers Lance Alworth and Charlie Joiner, tight end Kellen Winslow and running back LaDainian Tomlinson, have all been involved in trades. However, the biggest deals in franchise history have all involved quarterbacks. The top two passers in the franchise record books, Dan Fouts and Philip Rivers, both came to Southern California via trade. The Chargers also made a deal in 1998 to move up and select Ryan Leaf, who had aspirations to be a perennial Pro Bowler, but ended up one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.
1. May 19, 1971:
Chargers acquired: TE Pettis Norman, DT Ron East, and T Tony Liscio
Cowboys acquired: WR Lance Alworth
Norman was a tight end who played at little-known Division II school Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, where he was a two-time All-Star selection in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Norman was drafted by the AFL’s Dallas Texans in 1962, but when the team moved to Kansas City, he signed with the Cowboys. He was a starter for most of his nine-year stay in Dallas, functioning mostly as a blocker but also scoring 14 touchdowns. After the trade, he totaled 820 yards and a score in three years with the Chargers before retiring in 1973 due to a knee injury. Norman has been an activist for race relations dating back to his playing days, and he later started an organization that works to help minority-owned businesses and improve minority hiring. East was a Montana State defensive tackle who was a reserve for his first four seasons with Dallas. He started 36 games in three years in San Diego, then, after a year in the World Football League, played one season each with the Browns, Falcons, and Seahawks before retiring in 1978. Liscio was an offensive lineman who was drafted by the Packers in 1963, but signed with the Cowboys after he was released in training camp. He played 84 games at tackle and guard in seven years with Dallas, but missed the 1965 season due to a staph infection he contracted after offseason knee surgery. Liscio spent less than four months as a member of the Chargers before being moved to the Dolphins, but he retired rather than play in Miami. However, when Dallas had injuries on the offensive line, he came back to help the team win Super Bowl VI before officially hanging up his cleats. Liscio died in 2017 from Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Alworth was an Arkansas product that quickly became one of the AFL’s best wide receivers. He was a seven-time AFL All-Star, a six-time All-Pro and he scored a touchdown in the Chargers’ title victory in 1963. Alworth ranks second in team history with 9,584 yards and 81 touchdowns, and he is sixth with 493 catches. Nicknamed “Bambi” due to his graceful stride and leaping ability, Alworth went over the 1,000-yard mark seven times and led the AFL in yards and touchdowns three times each. He played just two years in Dallas after the trade, but scored in the Super Bowl VI win over Miami. Alworth retired in 1972 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame six years later.
Assessment: Despite being an all-time Chargers great, Alworth won his only Super Bowl with Dallas. Liscio never played for San Diego and returned to his long-time team to help in the Super Bowl V victory. COWBOYS
2. July 31, 1972:
Chargers acquired: A third-round pick in the 1973 NFL Draft
Raiders acquired: RB Jeff Queen
The Chargers went to five AFL Championship Games in the league’s first six seasons but didn’t return to the playoffs until 1979. One of the main reasons for the resurgence was the pick acquired in this trade. Dan Fouts was a former Oregon quarterback who became a record-setting passer in the NFL. The six-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro and 1982 Offensive Player of the Year set the single-season passing yard record for three consecutive years from 1979-81. Fouts was the leader of head coach Don Coryell’s high-powered offense that allowed the team to reach two straight AFC title games. He retired in 1987 after spending his entire 15-year career with San Diego. At the time, Fouts was the team’s all-time leader with 43,040 yards and 254 touchdowns, but he has been passed by Philip Rivers in both categories. He spent most of his post-playing days as a broadcaster, but he was let go by CBS in April 2020. Fouts was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.
Queen was a former Morgan State product who led the Chargers with 262 rushing yards as a fullback in 1970. He totaled 579 yards and five touchdowns in three years with San Diego. Queen then played two years with Oakland and one with Houston before retiring in 1974.
Assessment: Foutz was able to thrive in a pass-happy offense and helped San Diego create its first sustained success in more than a decade. CHARGERS
3. (Part One) January 25, 1973:
Chargers acquired: DE Coy Bacon and RB Bob Thomas
Rams acquired: QB John Hadl
(Part Two) March 31, 1976:
Chargers acquired: WR Charlie Joiner
Bengals acquired: DE Coy Bacon
Bacon was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cowboys in 1967, but never appeared in a game with Dallas and was traded to the Rams the following year. He played five seasons in Los Angeles, making the Pro Bowl in 1972 as a member of the “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line. Bacon spent three years in San Diego before being moved to Cincinnati. Thomas was a former Arizona State running back who was traded by the Rams after posting career highs with 433 rushing, 95 receiving, and 212 kick return yards, as well as three touchdowns, in 1972. He totaled 164 yards (104 rushing, 60 receiving) in two years with the Chargers before retiring in 1974.
Hadl was selected to five Pro Bowls in 11 seasons with the Chargers, and was the team’s all-time leader in passing yards (26,938) and touchdowns (201) before Fouts came along. Hadl played just one full season (1973) with the Rams, but earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors while leading Los Angeles to a 12-2 record. He spent a year and a half with Green Bay and two years in Houston before retiring in 1977.
Joiner was drafted by the Oilers as a defensive back out of Grambling State in 1969, but converted to wide receiver as a rookie. He was traded to the Bengals during the 1972 season and he spent 3½ years with Cincinnati before being sent to San Diego. Joiner’s career took off with the Chargers, thanks to Fouts and the “Air Coryell” offense. With San Diego, Joiner posted four 1,000-yard seasons, earned three Pro Bowl selections and was named an All-Pro in 1980. The Chargers reached back-to-back AFC Championship Games, with Joiner posting six catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns in a 1980 loss to the Raiders. He ranks second in Chargers history with 586 receptions, third with 9,203 yards and fourth with 47 touchdowns. Joiner was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
Although sacks were not an official statistic until 1982, Bacon set an unofficial Bengals team record with 22 in 1976. After two Pro Bowl seasons with the Bengals, he was traded a fourth time in 1978, this time to Washington, where he spent the final four years of his NFL career. After a year away from football, Bacon played with the Washington Federals of the United States Football League, retiring after the 1983 season.
Assessment: Bacon was better with Los Angeles and Cincinnati than he was in San Diego. Hadl had a strong career in San Diego, but earned his only All-Pro selection with the Rams. Joiner was at home in the “Air” Coryell offense, ranking high on San Diego’s all-time receiving list and helping the team reach the AFC Championship Game twice. CHARGERS
4. May 3, 1979:
Chargers acquired: A first-round pick in the 1979 NFL Draft
Browns acquired: First- and second-round picks in 1979
The Chargers used this trade to move up seven spots in 1979 and draft Kellen Winslow, who was an All-American tight end at Missouri the year before. In his first five seasons, Winslow was selected to the four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. He also had three 1,000-yard campaigns and led the NFL in receptions twice. Winslow suffered a knee injury as a rookie, a pinched nerve in his shoulder during a playoff game in 1982, and a severe right knee injury in 1984 that required extensive surgery. Winslow made the Pro Bowl for the fifth time in 1987 and retired after the season, finishing with 541 receptions (third in Chargers team history). He also ranks fifth on San Diego’s all-time list with 6,741 yards and 45 touchdowns. His most memorable game was the one in which he injured his shoulder, an AFC Division Round Game that became known as “The Epic in Miami.” Winslow scored a touchdown, set playoff records with 13 catches and 166 yards and blocked Uwe Von Schamann’s late field goal attempt, which sent the game to overtime. The Chargers went on to win the game, 41-38. Winslow was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
Cleveland’s first selection was Willis Adams, a former University of Houston wide receiver who totaled 61 receptions and 962 yards in seven seasons as a reserve with the Browns. The second-rounder was Sam Claphan, an offensive lineman with Oklahoma. Claphan failed to make the Browns as a rookie and signed with the Chargers the following year. He appeared in 87 total games in several spots on the offensive line during his seven seasons with San Diego retiring in 1987. Claphan died of a heart attack in 2001.
Assessment: Winslow was a Hall of Famer, and one of the best receiving tight ends of his era. Adams was a part-time starter in Cleveland and Claphan never played for the Browns. CHARGERS
5. (Part One) October 2, 1981:
Chargers acquired: First- and second-round picks in the 1983 NFL Draft
49ers acquired: DE Fred Dean and a first-round pick in 1983
(Part Two) April 22, 1983:
Chargers acquired: A first-round pick in the 1983 NFL Draft
49ers acquired: Two second-round picks in 1983
The 1981 trade included a swap of first-round picks two years later, which allowed the Chargers to select Oklahoma’s two-time All-American linebacker Billy Ray Smith Jr. fifth overall. The son of the former Colts defensive lineman of the same name, Smith Jr. played 126 games and spent his entire 10-year career with the Chargers. He totaled 26½ sacks (including a career-high 11 in 1986), as well as 15 interceptions and 14 fumble recoveries. Smith Jr. retired in 1992.
The second-round pick was sent back to the 49ers on Draft Day in 1983 as part of the deal that gave the Chargers back the late first-rounder they sent to San Francisco in the initial trade. San Diego selected San Jose State defensive back Gill Byrd with pick 22. Byrd was a two-time Pro Bowler and is the all-time franchise leader with 42 interceptions. He retired in 1992 after 10 seasons with the Chargers and turned to coaching. Byrd was a coach for several NFL teams from 2003-17 before taking his current position as defensive backs coach with the University of Illinois.
Dean was a Louisiana Tech product who starred on the Chargers’ “Bruise Brothers” defensive line for six full seasons. Although sacks were not an official NFL statistic during his tenure in San Diego, he was credited with 15½ in 1978. Dean was a two-time Pro Bowler and a 1980 All-Pro, but he and the Chargers were involved in a contract dispute that led to this trade. With San Francisco, he was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in his first season. Two years later, Dean made his fourth and final Pro Bowl after setting a career-high with 17½ sacks. He was also a member of two 49ers championship teams. Dean retired after the 1985 season and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
The 1983 trade allowed San Francisco to draft Nebraska’s Roger Craig, who became one of the most versatile running backs in NFL history. Craig is a four-time Pro Bowler who ranks third in team history with 7,064 rushing yards and 50 touchdowns. He is also third with 508 receptions (including a league-high 92 in 1985) and 10th with 4,442 receiving yards. Craig’s best season was 1988, when he earned All-Pro and Offensive Player of the Year honors after posting career highs with 1,502 yards and nine scores. He was the first running back in NFL history to post both 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season (1,050 rushing and 1,016 receiving in 1985). Craig was also a key member of three Super Bowl-winning teams, scoring touchdowns in two games and posting 101 receiving yards in the other to become the first running back to accomplish that feat in the Super Bowl. He signed with the Raiders in 1991, and also spent two seasons with the Vikings before retiring in 1993. Craig has continued running after his playing career. In addition to being the vice president of a tech company, he has competed in more than three dozen marathons and half-marathons.
The other pick was traded to the Rams later on Draft Day for Wendell Tyler, Cody Jones, and a third-round pick. Tyler was a UCLA running back who posted two 1,000-yard seasons with the Rams. He tallied a career-high 12 touchdowns in 1981. Three years later, Tyler made his only Pro Bowl after running for a career-best 1,262 yards and seven scores with the 49ers. He also ran for 65 yards in San Francisco’s Super Bowl XIX win over Miami. Jones was a former San Jose State defensive tackle who played 110 games in nine seasons with the Rams. He made the Pro Bowl in 1978, but missed the next year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon. Jones retired after the trade and never played with the 49ers. The third-round pick was used on Blanchard Montgomery, a linebacker from UCLA. He played just 27 games in two seasons before retiring, with his last game being San Francisco’s victory in Super Bowl XIX.
Assessment: Smith Jr. and Byrd spent their entire careers in San Diego and Dean had some of his best seasons there as well. Tyler and Craig created a formidable tandem in San Francisco’s backfield, with Craig becoming a dual-threat star who was a part of three title teams. The teams split victories in the trades, making this a PUSH
6. April 29, 1986:
Chargers acquired: First- and third-round picks in the 1986 Draft
Vikings acquired: First- and second-round picks in 1986
With this trade, San Diego moved up six spots and drafted Leslie O’Neal, who was a two-time All-American defensive end at Oklahoma State. O’Neal was named Defensive Rookie of the Year after posting 12½ sacks in 1986, but he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee that kept him out of action for nearly two years. He did not miss a beat after returning from surgery, amassing 10 or more sacks in seven of his nine active seasons in San Diego while splitting time between defensive end and linebacker. After amassing six Pro Bowl selections and a franchise-record 105½ sacks, O’Neal left the Chargers and played two seasons each with the Rams and Chiefs before retiring in early 2000. He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 2014. San Diego used the third-round pick on Colorado State defensive tackle Terry Unrein, who had three sacks in two seasons with the Chargers and retired after a failed tryout with the 49ers in 1989.
Minnesota’s first-round pick became Gerald Robinson, who was a defensive end from Auburn. His 26 sacks in college tied for the Tigers’ team record (along with Quentin Groves). Robinson had 3½ sacks in 16 games over two seasons with the Vikings. He signed with the Chargers in 1989 and played two seasons in San Diego and four more with the Los Angeles Rams, amassing 19 career sacks before he retired in 1994. The second-rounder was sent to the Giants as part of the deal that brought former Oregon offensive tackle and USFL star Gary Zimmerman to Minnesota. In seven seasons with the Vikings, Zimmerman was selected to four Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. He went to the Broncos in 1993, made three Pro Bowls, and was named an All-Pro in 1996. Zimmerman’s final game was a start in Super Bowl XXXII, in which the Broncos defeated the Packers. He retired in 1998 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
Assessment: O’Neal was a pass rush specialist who set San Diego’s sack record and is a member of the team’s Hall of Fame. Zimmerman was one of the best tackles in the NFL throughout his career, and he cemented his Hall of Fame status with his Super Bowl success in Denver. PUSH
7. March 13, 1998:
Chargers acquired: The No. 2 overall pick in the 1998 Draft
Cardinals acquired: The 1998 No. 3 overall pick, a 1998 second-round pick, a 1999 first-rounder, LB Patrick Sapp and RB Eric Metcalf
This 1998 NFL Draft featured a quarterback competition for the top two draft spots between Tennessee’s Peyton Manning and Washington State star Ryan Leaf. Manning went first to the Colts and the Cardinals were set with Jake Plummer, so they sent the selection to the Chargers for three picks and two players. Leaf is known as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history. He had a 4-14 record and a 13-33 touchdown-to-interception ratio with San Diego, while also missing the 1999 season due to a shoulder injury. He also suffered a wrist injury that slowed his progress. Leaf was in the revolving door of quarterbacks for the Cowboys in 2001 and signed with the Seahawks the following year, but he abruptly retired before training camp. Leaf later struggled with drug and alcohol abuse and was arrested several times, mostly for theft and burglary. He was also arrested for domestic battery on May 22, 2020.
Arizona used the third overall pick on Andre Wadsworth, a defensive end from Florida State who totaled eight sacks in three years before three knee surgeries led to his retirement in 2000. The Cardinals took Vanderbilt safety Corey Chavous in the second round. He had five interceptions in four seasons with Arizona and 14 more in four years with the Vikings, including eight in 2003, when he made his only Pro Bowl. He played three seasons with the Rams and retired in 2008. The 1999 first-round pick was wide receiver David Boston, a 1998 All-American wide receiver at Ohio State who had two 1,000-yard seasons with the Cardinals. He was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro after leading the NFL with 1,598 yards in 2001. Boston was suspended for steroids, then suffered a knee injury, which cost him the entire 2004 season. He played just one season with the Dolphins and signed with the Buccaneers in 2006. However, he did not appear in a game and was released after a DUI arrest the following year. Boston signed with the Toronto Argonauts later that year, but he never played for the CFL team due to a stress fracture in his foot that required surgery. He retired in 2008 and has been in trouble with the law ever since. Boston has been arrested multiple times, with his most recent charge for aggravated battery on a woman in Florida in 2011. Coming off a Pro Bowl season with the Chargers in 1997, Metcalf spent just one year with Arizona, posting 1,218 kick return and 295 punt return yards. He played two seasons with the Panthers and one each with the Redskins and Packers before retiring in 2002. Sapp converted from quarterback to linebacker while at Clemson. He spent two years with San Diego and had two sacks in two seasons with Arizona. Sapp retired after spending the 2001 season with the Memphis Maniax of the original XFL.
Assessment: Boston had the most success of any player in this trade, but he and Leaf basically cancel one another out in terms of headaches created. Arizona holds the edge in this deal because they got such a big haul of assets and only had to move down one spot in the draft. CARDINALS
8. April 20, 2001:
Chargers acquired: The fifth overall pick and a second-rounder in the 2001 NFL Draft, as well as a second-round pick in 2002
Falcons acquired: The top overall pick in 2001
With the fifth overall pick, the Chargers selected running back LaDainian Tomlinson, a 2000 All-American at TCU. Tomlinson is the all-time franchise leader with 12,490 yards and 138 touchdowns, and he ran for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first eight seasons. In 2006, he earned MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors after leading the NFL with 1,815 yards and setting a league record with 28 touchdowns. The five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro led the league in yards and scored twice each. Tomlinson signed with the Jets in 2010, and spent his final two seasons in New York. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. San Diego used the third-round pick on Florida State cornerback Tay Cody, another 2000 All-American. Cody had two interceptions as a rookie, but played just five games over the next two seasons. He ended his career in the CFL, spending one season with the Edmonton Eskimos and three with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before retiring in 2008. The 2002 second-rounder was Reche Caldwell, a former Florida wide receiver who caught just 76 passes in four seasons with the Chargers but excelled on special teams. He played in the 2006 AFC Championship Game as a member of the Patriots and spent the following year with the Redskins before he retired
The Chargers held the top pick in the 2001 Draft, but they already had Doug Flutie at quarterback, so they traded away the pick for the haul mentioned above. The Falcons selected Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick, who was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2000. Vick was a dual-threat star who became a three-time Pro Bowler. He threw for at least 2,000 yards four times and ran for 1,039 yards in 2006, a single-season record by a quarterback until Lamar Jackson broke it with 1,206 in 2019. Vick led the Falcons to the playoffs twice, including a loss to the Eagles in the 2005 NFC Championship Game. However, he missed the following two seasons after pleading guilty for running an illegal dogfighting ring. Vick signed with the Eagles in 2009 and made the Pro Bowl once in his five years with Philadelphia. He played for the Jets in 2014 and the Steelers in 2015 before retiring.
Assessment: While Vick lost two seasons in the prime of his career to the dogfighting scandal, he still might not have matched Tomlinson’s production anyway. Not only did San Diego have a future Hall of Famer on its roster for nine seasons, but another 2001 second-round pick was used on quarterback Drew Brees. CHARGERS
9. April 24, 2004:
Chargers acquired: First- and third-round picks in the 2004 NFL Draft, along with first- and fifth-round picks in 2005
Giants acquired: The top overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft
The Chargers knew going into the 2004 NFL Draft that consensus top pick Eli Manning did not want to play for San Diego (likely due to the influence of his father, Archie). Instead of selecting someone else or calling Manning’s bluff and either making him play or letting him sit out, general manager A. J. Smith sent him to the Giants for what became a monumental haul for the Chargers. The main piece of the deal was the fourth overall selection, which became Philip Rivers, the ACC’s Player of the Year in 2003 at North Carolina State. Despite spending his first two seasons as Drew Brees’ backup, Rivers holds team records with 59,271 yards and 397 touchdowns, and he led the league in both categories once. The eight-time Pro Bowler hit the 4,000-yard mark 11 times, threw for 20 or more scores 14 times, and had at least 30 touchdowns in six different seasons. Rivers also took his team to the playoffs six times, including a run to the AFC Championship Game in 2007. After 16 years with the Chargers, Rivers will bring his wife and nine children 2,000 miles to the northeast after signing a one-year deal with the Colts in 2020.
San Diego used the 2004 third-round pick to select Nate Kaeding, a two-time All-American kicker at Iowa. Kaeding ranks third in franchise history with 889 points, including seven seasons with 100 or more and a league-leading 146 in 2009, when he was named an All-Pro. He was a two-time Pro Bowler, but struggled during the postseason, going just 8-for-15 on field goal attempts in eight playoff games. Injuries derailed Kaeding’s later career. He missed almost all of the 2011 season after tearing his ACL in the first game, and was released the following year after suffering a groin injury. Kaeding played two games with the Dolphins at the end of the 2012 season and signed with the Buccaneers in 2013, but retired after another groin injury. After his career, he owned a restaurant in Iowa.
The 2005 first-round pick became Shawne Merriman, a former Maryland linebacker who earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors after posting 12 sacks. Merriman went to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons and was named an All-Pro after leading the league with 17 sacks in 2006. Despite the performance, he was not allowed to participate in the Pro Bowl after testing positive for steroids in October, which bound a four-game suspension. The NFL used the incident to enact a rule prohibiting players from getting selected to the Pro Bowl or winning any awards in the same season they tested positive. Merriman missed all but one game in 2008 due to surgery to repair a torn PCL and LCL in his knee and was also out 13 games in 2010 thanks to an injured calf. He totaled 43½ sacks with San Diego, but just four came in his final three seasons. Merriman’s unluckiness continued after he signed with Buffalo the following year, as he missed 11 games due to an Achilles injury. After one more season with the Bills, he retired in 2013. The fifth-rounder was traded to the Buccaneers for tackle Roman Oben, who started all 16 games his first season with the Chargers but eventually lost playing time to Marcus McNeill. Since his retirement in 2008, Oben has been an advocate for youth sports enrichment and educational opportunities for former players.
The centerpiece to the deal for the Giants was Eli Manning, who won the Maxwell (best all-around player) and Unitas (best senior quarterback) awards in 2003 at Mississippi. Manning holds all-time Giants records with 57,023 yards, 366 touchdowns, and 244 interceptions. The four-time Pro Bowler has seven 4,000-yard campaigns and threw 30 or more scores three times. However, he also led the NFL in interceptions in three seasons. Manning led the Giants to the playoffs six times and was the MVP of Super Bowl XLII and XLVI victories against the Patriots. He was also the co-winner of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2016, an honor he shared with Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Manning began his career by replacing future Hall of Famer Kurt Warner as Giants starter in 2004, and he ended it after being supplanted by New York’s first-round pick, Daniel Jones. He retired after the 2019 season.
Assessment: A look at the stats between Rivers and Manning show nearly equal totals, with Rivers holding a slight edge. Kaeding was a good regular season kicker but his playoff misses proved costly. Merriman was fantastic in his first three seasons, but injuries ruined his promising career. All this would normally point to a Chargers advantage, but you can’t discount Manning’s leadership in winning two titles. PUSH
10. (Part One) April 16, 2003:
Chargers acquired: A conditional fifth-round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft
Dolphins acquired: LB Junior Seau
(Part Two) April 28, 2007:
Chargers acquired: A second-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft
Bears acquired: Second-, third- and fifth-round picks in 2007 and a third-rounder in 2008
These two trades involve two of the Chargers’ most recognizable defensive stars over the past 20 years. The 2003 deal brought in future star running back Michael Turner, but at the expense of Seau, arguably the most talented player in franchise history. Turner ranks second in Northern Illinois history with 4,941 rushing yards and fourth with 43 touchdowns. He spent his first four seasons as LaDainian Tomlinson’s backup in San Diego, but his career took off after signing with Atlanta in 2008. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and earned All-Pro honors after rushing for career highs with 1,699 yards and 17 scores in his first season with the Falcons. Turner had double-digit touchdowns in each of his five seasons in Atlanta and is the all-time franchise leader with 60 scores. He also ranks second with 6,081 yards. Turner retired after being released by the Falcons in 2013.
The 2007 pick became Eric Weddle, a 2006 All-American safety at Utah. Weddle had 19 interceptions in nine seasons with the Chargers, including a league-leading seven in 2011. The three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro ranks third in team history with 851 tackles. Weddle signed with the Ravens in 2016 and made the Pro Bowl in all three seasons with Baltimore. He started all 16 games with the Rams last season and retired early in 2020.
Seau was a former USC linebacker who did just about everything on defense with San Diego. He made the Pro Bowl in all but his rookie season and was named an All-Pro six times. Seau’s 1,480 tackles are the most in franchise history, and he reached the 100-stop mark in eight seasons. The 1994 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award winner also ranks in the top 10 on the Chargers’ all-time list with 47 sacks (fifth), 11 forced fumbles (fourth) and 16 fumble recoveries (most among defensive players). Seau left the Chargers after 13 seasons, spending three years with the Dolphins and four with the Patriots before retiring in 2010. His later career was ruined by injuries, including a torn pectoral muscle, an Achilles injury and a broken right arm. He played in two Super Bowls, San Diego’s loss to San Francisco in Super Bowl XXIX and a loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII that spoiled the Patriots’ perfect season. In 2012, Seau’s girlfriend found him dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. The death brought more attention to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease that is common in athletes and can cause severe brain damage that gets worse over time. Seau’s family donated some of his brain tissue to be used to study the effects of CTE on the brain. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015, but his family was not allowed to speak on his behalf due to their lawsuit against the NFL.
The Bears originally held the Weddle pick, and they received four selections that turned into Dan Bazuin, Garrett Wolfe, and Kevin Payne in 2007, as well as Marcus Harrison in 2008. Bazuin was the 2005 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Defensive Player of the Year at defensive with Central Michigan. He was on injured reserve his entire rookie season with the Bears and retired after spending all of 2008 on the Texans’ practice squad. Ironically, Wolfe replaced Turner as Northern Illinois’ running back and set school records with 5,164 yards and 52 touchdowns in three years. He was a non-factor during his NFL career, rushing for just 282 yards in four seasons with the Bears. Wolfe spent 2011 with the United Football League’s Omaha Nighthawks and retired after a failed tryout with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes the following year. Payne was a former University of Louisiana at Monroe safety who had four interceptions and 137 tackles in three seasons with the Bears. He suffered an injury in 2010 with the Rams and retired the next year after a preseason injury while he was with the Panthers. Harrison was a defensive tackle at Arkansas who had three sacks in three seasons with Chicago. He signed with the Patriots in 2011, but retired after he was released by New England.
Assessment: None of Chicago’s picks amounted to much in the NFL. Seau did not have much individual success after leaving San Diego. Turner was much better with Atlanta, but Weddle’s presence in the defensive backfield is enough to give his longtime team the win in this trade. CHARGERS
All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.pro-football-reference.com/
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