Reggie Bush to the Chargers?

The Greg One can make a case for almost any big time free agent looking to take his talents to San Diego. That was until I saw a paragraph on a soon-to-be free agent Reggie Bush coming to play for the bolts.  Forget almost, I cam make no case why the Chargers would even want Reggie Bush. Bush is the disgraced Heisman Trophy winner who has caused the ruination of his alma mater, USC. Strike One. Reggie Bush has played six seasons in the NFL. He is designated as a running back but he has never run for more than 600 yards in any season. Strike Two. Even if you add  his receiving totals to his rushing he has only eclipsed 1000 yards once. Strike three. Reggie Bush is the highest paid decoy in the league. There is always the threat of a swing pass that goes to the house when Bush is on the field but even that threat has diminished as Bush has only played a full 16 game schedule once. Bush is not an every down back, he gets injured a lot and his greatest contribution has been in the return game.

The Chargers already have a mini-Reggie Bush clone in Darren Sproles. Sproles also is electric in the open field. Sproles had the game winning touchdown on a swing pass against the Colts two seasons ago in the playoffs and did take up a huge chunk of the slack two seasons ago when Ladainian Tomlinson went down to injury. Sproles has proven himself worthy of his lightning bolts.  Sproles stays healthy as he has played all 16 games for the last three seasons and 15 games the two seasons before that. (He did miss 2006 with a broken ankle suffered in preseason). For all intents and purposes however, Sproles makes too much money to just be a third-down back and returner which is why the Chargers went out and drafted Jordan Todman to fill his role. Sproles doesn’t have the drama and the shame Bush carries with him everywhere he goes. Sproles made 7.2 million last season and will be looking for similar money. Bush is in the fourth year of a six-year, 52.5 million contract which puts him at 8.75 million per season. With the emergence of Ryan Mathews there is no need to have a seven million dollar backup/kick returner.

If forced to choose, the Chargers would stay with Sproles rather than bring in Reggie Bush. Sproles makes less, plays more, stays healthy and is a quiet, humble and active in the community. Reggie Bush enjoys the spotlight too much for a player who has been nothing more than a sideshow. We know more of what Bush has done off the field than on it. Bush has been stripped of the Heisman Trophy, caused his university to lose scholarships and bowl eligibility and worst of all enjoyed his big man on campus ‘benefits’ beyond what the NCAA allowed. He dated Kim Kardashian, loves the camera and has shown he’s too fragile to be relied upon year in and year out. There is absolutely no reason for the Chargers to allow Bush into Qualcomm unless its in the visitors uniform.