Chargers Will Cut Ties With Jared Gaither, Stick with Robert Meachem In 2013
By BoogaP
Dec 5, 2011; Jacksonville, FL, USA; San Diego Chargers tackle Jared Gaither (78) during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field. The Chargers defeated the Jaguars 38-14. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
The fact that Jared Gaither played so well at the end of the 2011 season led many to believe that he was the answer at left tackle. It has now become clear that his place on the team has transitioned to a series of questions.
Will he ever be able to stay healthy? Have his injuries been so severe that he should not have been on the field? Has his lack of effort to return from multiple ailments become a major topic of conversation amongst the players in the locker room?
I addressed the Gaither situation during my interview with Chargers featured columnist of the San Diego Union Tribune Kevin Acee.
He made it very clear he believed that upper management, and the players, have grown tired of attempting to figure out what’s eating Jared Gaither.
See what I did there? Nevermind.
Mr. Acee is of the opinion that Gaither will not be wearing lightning bolts in 2013. In fact, my guess is that he has some solid information that makes him “know” that his release will happen. I’ll admit that I am assuming that he has info stating that Gaither will indeed be gone. We all know what happens when we assume….
Although the Chargers will take a cap hit for releasing “Big Lazy,” it is not what is considered to be “real money” as Kevin put it during our interview.
My next assumption is that the majority of the fans are ecstatic to hear that Gaither will no longer be a member of the Bolts.
That leads me to a small portion of my interview with Acee that also concerns Robert Meachem. The team owes him right around five million in the aforementioned “real money.”
This is money that will be paid out regardless of his status on the team. Kevin made it clear that the team, regardless of a new regime at both Head coach and General Manager, will stick with Meachem due to his guaranteed cash.
Although anything is possible under new leadership in San Diego, I tend to agree wholeheartedly with Acee. As much as I have been terribly frustrated with the performance of Meachem, I believe that it would be a mistake to cut him knowing the money that would be lost in doing so in 2013. Gaither can go, in my opinion. I will have no love lost, so to speak, when he is released by the team. Here’s to hoping that Kevin is right about Gaither.
Despite it opening up another serious void on the roster, the time has come to cut ties with Big Lazy. I said it earlier in the year in my article “Big Lazy driving us crazy.” But what do I know? It seemed to me that I was able to see the writing on the wall.
Stay tuned for my full interview with Kevin Acee to be posted tomorrow evening exclusively on BoltBeat.com. It contains a lot of insight that I have no doubt will be important to each and every #BoltFam member.
Thanks a lot for reading!
BoltUp!!!
BoogaP