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LaDainian Tomlinson Donald Miralle/Getty Projected starting lineup Offense No. Player Pos. 88 Eric Parker WR 82 Reche Caldwell WR 85 Antonio Gates TE 73 Roman Oben LT 64 Phil Bogle LG 60 Jason Ball C 79 Mike Goff RG 72 Courtney Van Buren RT 41 Lorenzo Neal FB 9 Drew Brees QB 21 LaDainian Tomlinson RB 10 Nate Kaeding K Defense No. Player Pos. 90 Adrian Dingle DE 76 Jamal Williams NT 99 Igor Olshansky DE 51 Ben Leber OLB 59 Donnie Edwards ILB 58 Randall Godfrey ILB 53 Steve Foley OLB 23 Quentin Jammer CB 22 Sammy Davis CB 42 Kwamie Lassiter SS 20 Jerry Wilson FS 5 Mike Scifres P 2004 Draft Rd. Player Pos. School 1 Eli Manning QB Ole Miss 2 Igor Olshansky DT Oregon 3 Nate Kaeding K Iowa 3 Nick Hardwick C Purdue 4 Shaun Phillips DE/OLB Purdue 5 Dave Ball DE UCLA 5 Michael Turner RB Northern Illinois 6 Ryan Krause WR Nebraska-Omaha 7 Ryon Bingham DT Nebraska 7 Shane Olivea T Ohio State 7 Carlos Joseph T Miami Outside the Huddle Yet another Philip Rivers will someday join a long list of Charger starting quarterbacks since Hall of Famer Dan Fouts retired after the 1987 season. Preceding Rivers: Babe Laufenberg, Mark Malone, Mark Vlasic, Jim McMahon, Billy Joe Tolliver, John Friesz, Stan Humphries, Bob Gagliano, Gale Gilbert, Sean Salisbury, Jim Everett, Craig Whelihan, Ryan Leaf, Erik Kramer, Jim Harbaugh, Moses Moreno, Doug Flutie and Drew Brees. Marty ball Marty Schottenheimer's 4–12 record in '03 continues a stretch which is hardly Schottenheimer-esque. Over his past four seasons as a head coach, Schottenheimer is 27–37. His two-year showing in San Diego is a dreadful 12–20. 200 club LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 200 yards twice last year, including a franchise-best 243 in the season finale against Oakland. Tomlinson has gained 200 yards on the ground four times, a feat accomplished by only four other players: O.J. Simpson, Jim Brown, Earl Campbell and Barry Sanders. Veteran Rivers was 2 years old when Doug Flutie, who turns 42 in October, made his famous last-second pass to beat Miami while at Boston College. 2003 Revisited The Prophecy: "The Chargers' postseason drought will extend to eight years ... " The Lie: "The Chargers can't hide their pleasure in adding [David] Boston, a bona fide receiving threat whose career is on the upswing." --Athlon Sports Pro Football 2003

The Charger Nation has spoken: Eight is enough. The San Diego Chargers have delivered eight consecutive years without a winning season -- eight consecutive years without a playoff visit.

Patient Chargers fans, though, are likely in for more misery after suffering through last season's wretched 4–12 campaign. That's not to say this franchise is sprinting toward its own black hole. It has a standout running back (LaDainian Tomlinson), a potential franchise-type quarterback (rookie Philip Rivers), a rebuilt defense under new coordinator Wade Phillips, and a head coach in Marty Schottenheimer who's the ninth-winningest in NFL history.

Still, while the Chargers plugged some of their gaping holes this offseason, there are still leaks in this listing vessel.

"We're not a good team yet," says general manager A.J. Smith. "But we're on the right track."

Drew Brees was once christened the team's quarterback for years to come. Then came last season, when he was benched for five starts and pulled from two other games. What was once a promising beginning to a long Chargers career has disintegrated into a 4–16 starting mark during his past 20 games.

Brees, though, could remain the top gun. It's his third year in this offense, and he swears to have learned from past mistakes, ones he attributes to overanalyzing situations and not letting his talents flow naturally.

But Brees can't ignore the Chargers' draft-day quarterback chase. It ended with the team acquiring Rivers, a record-setting quarterback from North Carolina State. There's no discounting Rivers' accomplishments, and many speculate he was the draft's most NFL-ready quarterback after starting an NCAA-record 51 games in college. But as countless NFL rookie quarterbacks discover, performing well quickly at the next level seldom happens. So even if Rivers beats out Brees -- doubtful, knowing Schottenheimer's preference for experience -- the learning curve figures to be steep.

Doug Flutie, who turns 42 this season, heads to camp as well. Depending on how the Brees-Rivers battle develops, Flutie could be the odd man out.

It's hard to believe, but Tomlinson was overlooked last year for the Pro Bowl despite rushing for 1,645 yards. His 2,370 yards from scrimmage last season led the NFL and represented the second-highest total in league history. What's more remarkable is he did it behind an injury-depleted front line.

Helping open holes for Tomlinson is Lorenzo Neal, the bruising fullback who embraces lead blocks with a passion. Neal is shooting for his eighth consecutive season clearing the way for a 1,000-yard rusher.

Tomlinson could have a productive backup behind him for the first time. Michael Turner, a fifth-round pick, compiled some impressive numbers at Northern Illinois.

The Chargers need some bodies to throw to, especially after dealing the talented but troubled David Boston to Miami in the offseason. Reche Caldwell's injury-filled season resulted in eight catches. He's looking increasingly like a second-round pick the Chargers would love to have back. Eric Parker missed eight games with a shoulder ailment, limiting him to 18 catches. Tim Dwight was again derailed by a partially collapsed lung and recorded just 14 receptions. Kassim Osgood showed a spark, but there's no guarantee he can do it on a consistent basis in his second year.

Does journeyman Kevin Dyson have anything remaining? He's bounced around because of various ailments, but the Chargers will take a look.

Tight end Antonio Gates, who played basketball at Kent State, was among the gems unearthed last season.

Considering Schottenheimer's love of the running game, it's a bit of surprise the offensive line is in such disarray. But that, without a doubt, is the case. Center Jason Ball returns, and that's it from last year's opening-day lineup. The Chargers disposed of both starting tackles (Vaughn Parker, Damion McIntosh) and guards (Kelvin Garmon, Solomon Page).

The Chargers are hopeful free agent Mike Goff will hold down one guard spot. The tackle situation is in better shape -- barely. Veteran Roman Oben will likely man the left-tackle spot, while Courtney Van Buren is most likely to man the right-tackle spot.

Coordinator Wade Phillips installed a 3-4 alignment, and there are lot of issues to be addressed on the defensive line.

Jamal Williams becomes the nosetackle, but at just over 300 pounds some wonder if he's big enough for that role. Plus, he hasn't played a full season since 2000. At end, Adrian Dingle (six sacks) is back, but there's not much else returning, though tackle DeQuincy Scott hopes to repeat his 6 1/2-sack performance.

The Chargers will likely turn to some young players, expecting draft picks like Igor Olshansky, Shaun Phillips and Dave Ball to find a way to the quarterback.

While everyone pointed to the youthful secondary when things went poorly last year, the lack of a pass rush can't be overlooked. After letting veterans Marcellus Wiley and Raylee Johnson go, the Chargers are banking on fresh legs bringing fresh results.

Phillips' tinkering is in full swing here, as he slides Donnie Edwards inside to team with newcomer Randall Godfrey. Ben Leber will remain on the outside opposite newly acquired Steve Foley. Edwards has had two dynamite years since joining the Chargers. Last season his 162 tackles made him worthy of Pro Bowl consideration, but his accomplishments were overlooked playing on a four-win team. He should flourish in the 3-4.

Leber enters his third year as a starter in as many NFL seasons. He should keep improving, although by his own admission he had an uneven '03. Look for him to have a better year.

Godfrey will be asked to help stop the run, a role he's filled in Dallas, Tennessee, and Seattle. He has 821 tackles in eight seasons, and at one point had 111 tackles in five consecutive seasons. Foley, a seventh-year pro, supplies the rush from the outside. He's hoping to see the field more than last year, when he made only three starts for the Texans.

If Foley falters, Phillips, who was a defensive end at Purdue, can be used as a pass-rushing linebacker as well.

The team anticipates growth in the secondary one season after getting torched for 36 touchdown passes, the most in franchise history.

The safety spots are secured by two veterans, Kwamie Lassiter and Jerry Wilson. But if Terrence Kiel continues to improve, he could bump Wilson from the lineup. The spotlight will again find the cornerbacks. Quentin Jammer, the fifth overall pick in 2002, showed late last year the skills that warranted such a high selection. He finished with a team-high four interceptions, and his confidence grew as the season progressed. The results weren't as encouraging opposite Jammer. Sammy Davis, the team's top pick in '03, had opposing quarterbacks eyeing him with glee. He continually was beaten and seemed to be overmatched in nearly every game. The Chargers are certain Davis' rookie mistakes were just that, and they are confident he will be a different player this season.

It's a new look, with punter Mike Scifres taking over for Darren Bennett, and rookie kicker Nate Kaeding replacing Steve Christie. Scifres, in his second year, has plenty of leg. But he's never punted in an NFL game. The club thought so much of Kaeding, an ex-Iowa star, that they used a third-round pick to grab him.

Leon Johnson, a bright spot on kick returns (23.0-yard average), is back. The punt-return duties figure to fall to either Parker or Dwight.

The Chargers will still ride in the AFC West caboose as they continue with their massive rebuilding effort. But the future looks bright, with Tomlinson hitting his prime, Rivers in place and a new approach on defense. Plus, there are the two 2005 No. 1 picks the team has secured after swapping a reluctant Eli Manning to the Giants.

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