Chris Chambers is looking for a new home. Any takers?
San Diego decided to cut ties with Chambers on Monday, just one day after he had a 20-yard grab in a 24-16 victory over the Raiders. Even with the big catch his receiving total for the season was only 122 yards, and considering his base salary is $4.55 million, it didn't quite make sense for the Chargers to keep him.
However, Norv Turner stated it was also about the emergence of Malcom Floyd, who had recently overtaken Chambers' starting spot, and the need for roster flexibility on the defensive end.
"There are a number of things that went into the decision," coach Norv Turner said in a team-issued release. "The reason we're able to do this is the play of Malcom [Floyd] and the way Legedu Naanee is performing. Certainly there are a number of other things in terms of our football team that we need to address. Defensively and in the kicking game . . . we need to get some help."
San Diego could look to fill Chambers' roster spot with a linebacker. Tim Dobbins suffered a knee injury in Sunday's victory and was taken to the locker room on a cart. Dobbins had been starting in place of right-inside linebacker Kevin Burnett, who missed his second straight game with a sprained ankle.
Chambers was obtained at the trading deadline in 2007 for a second-round draft pick and played a big role in the Chargers' march to the AFC championship game that year. But his production had fallen off over the past couple of years, as he totaled 462 yards receiving last season and had hauled in only nine catches through seven games in 2009. That's a long way down from his impressive 82 catches, 1,118 yards, and 11 TDs just a few years ago.
As Pro Football Talk mentions, any team that lands Chambers on waivers will have to pick up the balance of his hefty salary, and if he clears waivers by late Tuesday afternoon, he'll be entitled to collect the remaining $2.4 million as termination pay.
There are a few teams that could be interested in picking up Chambers, such as the Ravens, Dolphins and even the Patriots, since they recently cut Joey Galloway and lost Julian Edelman to a broken arm.
And if the receiving thing doesn't quite work out, at least a Redskins cornerback job may be in his future, according to mischievous Wikipedia page pranksters.
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