April 16, 1999
By Bernie Wilson
AP SPORTS WRITER
Bobby Beathard doesn't have next year's first-round draft pick to trade away. He did that last year. He's not inclined to part with his No. 1 in 2001 - yet.
A rather boring Saturday is shaping up for the San Diego Chargers, who won't surface in the NFL draft until the next-to-last pick in the second round, the 60th overall.
By then, some teams will already have made three picks. The Denver Broncos, who won as many games in last season's Super Bowl run as the Chargers have in three years, will have made two selections before the Chargers make their first.
``It'll be a long day Saturday,'' Beathard said, rather wistfully.
Beathard usually livens up the draft - and confounds the fans - by giving away the following year's first-round pick for the chance to take a no-name player in the second round. That won't happen this year, because Beathard's literally out of bullets, the result of too much wheeling and dealing last year.
``We could possibly change positions, but I don't really think we have ammunition to do it,'' Beathard said.
Not after including this year's first-rounder, along with last year's Nos. 1 and 2, plus two players, in the megadeal with Arizona that allowed him to move up one spot last April to claim quarterback Ryan Leaf with the second pick overall.
Arizona, which made the playoffs, thus gets the eighth pick overall in this year's draft, plus its own at No. 21. San Diego, meanwhile, is still waiting for Leaf to grow up and produce. The Chargers even had to go out and sign Jim Harbaugh to help get through 1999.
One round after raking in Leaf, Beathard just couldn't resist going even deeper in debt, trading his 2000 first-rounder to Tampa Bay for the right to take 6-foot-5 wide receiver Mikhael Ricks in the second round. Ricks got into Kevin Gilbride's doghouse, was liberated by June Jones, showed promise, but dropped too many balls.
Even after a 5-11 season, Beathard doesn't second-guess himself. He'd still rather forfeit a future first-round pick for the right to take a player now.
As for the Leaf deal, ``It's something that I right now think was a great trade, because it's the only way you're going to get a guy like that,'' Beathard said. ``We still think that he's going to be the quarterback that we expected him to be.''
A year ago, San Diegans clamored for the Chargers to pick Leaf. After meltdowns on and off the field, he's now the backup, not the savior.
``There are enormously high expectations when you draft that high at any position,'' Beathard said. ``Of all positions, that's probably the most difficult to play. I think Ryan's coming along fine. The good thing that I see from Ryan is he hasn't lost his confidence. I think the change, with everything around here, he's having fun.''
Beathard was referring to the coaching change, with Mike Riley replacing Jones, who was interim head coach, but bolted to Hawaii to rebuild that program.
Beathard said practically giving away the franchise for Leaf, even at the expense of a third straight year out of the playoffs, was worth it.
``Shoot yeah,'' he said.
Then there's Bryan Still.
Beathard loves reaching down for speed guys, and traded his 1997 first-rounder to Tampa Bay in order to take Still in the second round in 1996.
After three seasons, he's still a bust.
Beathard was asked at a pre-draft news conference if he's got to do a better job of drafting. He eventually got around to discussing Still.
``I think we're always looking to try to be more successful in the draft and get impact players,'' he said. ``I don't think I've ever been satisfied with the draft and I don't know that others have. I know it always gets back to the Bryan Still draft choice. And Bryan Still's production has come way up from that first year (six catches, 142 yards), and he's getting better. I would think that would be one of the ones that you people always point out, so I might as well address that one.''
Still skipped a recent minicamp and his agent wondered why he hadn't been offered a contract similar to that of Charlie Jones, who recently re-signed for $4.4 million over four seasons.
Jones, a fourth-round pick in 1996, has caught 119 passes for 1,656 yards and eight touchdowns in three seasons. Still has caught 73 balls for 1,071 yards and two TDs in the same span.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, spent that 1997 first-round pick on Reidel Anthony, who has 86 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 TDs in two seasons.
This time, Beathard will have little choice but to take lesser knowns.
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