Ryan Leaf cost the Chargers:100% I said I was picking nits.Yes, but you focused on those from the list that were not top 3 or 4 picks. I listed 7 top 3 and 1 top 4 for a total of 8 with great draft capital that were busts. You won't find many that gave up what SF gave up for Lance.Splitting hairs but even though they all failed, ultimately, as NFL QBs most of those guys had given their teams greater RoI than Lance so far. It's not fair to Lance because he got injured and the book on him hasn't been finished but life and judgement in the public eye, are tough.Add Jeff George to my list.Several were. 8 to be exact and Schlichter was 4th overall.I don't think all those guys were drafted in the top 3 picksAkili Smith, Brady Quinn, Heath Shuler, Dan McGwire, Casey Clausen, Josh Rosen, Art Schlichter, Ryan Leaf, Rick Mirer, Andre Ware, Todd Blackledge, David Klingler, Cade McNown, Tim Druckenmiller, Kelly Stouffer, Jack Thompson, Joey Harrington.JaMarcus and Zach Wilson come instantly to mind
I also don't think any of those players cost more in draft capital than Lance.
George, for example, was a huge wasted talent but he did have an 11 year career and even led the league in yardage once. He had frequent flashes of brilliance. Unfortunately he was also, mostly uncoachable.
Quinn, McGwire, Drukenmiller were back half of the first round picks. Rosen & McKnown were 10th & 12th, which is also pretty far from #3. And, I don't know who Casey Clausen is but Jimmy Clausen was a 2nd rounder.
Any way you slice it l, it's going to be tough for Lance to turn his career around in San Francisco.
We're there any major trades to get these guys other than Lance?
#3 overall (Andre Wadsworth, though may have been Charles Woodson if they'd kept the pick)
#33 overall (Corey Chavous)
1999 1st (David Boston)
Eric Metcalf (1st team AP returner, and mediocre slot WR)
Patrick Sapp (backup LB)
For comparisons sake, Lance cost SF:
#12 overall (Micah Parsons, probably Mac Jones if they'd stayed put)
2022 1st (Cole Strange)
2022 3rd (Channing Tindall)
2023 1st (Bryan Breese)
ETA: Just a fun fact I like, since Jeff George was mentioned, he was a really weird case where Indy both lost the deal but got a very good ROI.
In 1990, they traded to Atlanta:
Chris Hinton
Andre Rison
1991 1st (Mike Pritchard)
But then 4 years later traded George to Atlanta for:
1994 1st (traded to SF who took Bryant Young, in the Trev Alberts trade up)
1996 1st (Marvin Harrison)
The 94 Falcons also flipped Mike Pritchard to Denver for a 94 2nd rounder (Bert Emanuel) and a 95 1st rounder which was traded to Minnesota for Chris Doleman.
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