Every year leading up to the official start of the new trading season, I allow myself to get carried away into this fantasy world where all of my hopes and dreams come true. 

In this fantasy world, the Chargers hit the ground running, pursuing all of the best free agents on the market.  Usually, my hopes are let down as the Chargers are never too active in the offseason.  As we all know, A.J. tends to focus more on rebuilding our team via the draft.  This year though, I really thought I had a chance to see my fantasies come true.  With all of the people we have been letting go, and all the spots we are going to need to fill up before the season begins, I thought for sure we were going to make some major moves in the offseason. 

With the release of LT and then Bennett, it seemed like a Godsend when the Jets released Thomas Jones right before trading began.  In the midst of reading rumor after rumor of many other free agents planning trips to see teams after once trading started, I googled Chargers rumors all the time in hopes of finding something on Jones and the Chargers.  It made perfect sense for us to go after someone like Jones, a tough veteran who can stand to carry a full load, with enough experience and leadership to school whoever we take in the draft.  Jones would be a perfect fit in San Diego.

But the Friday when all our hopes and dreams were supposed to come true came and went, and nothing happened.  I didn't hear of any moves the Chargers were making, and to make matters worse, I was still getting over the fact that the Chargers got rid of Cromartie for a third rounder that won't even be in this year's draft.  Don't get me wrong, I wanted to get rid of Cro as much as the next guy.  I just feel like when it comes to trades, we're almost always on the losing end of the stick.  All the players we're losing, with a draft deeper than it's been in years, and we get nothing to help us in the short-run.  Then we lose Osgood to Jacksonville for practically nothing, while we place a tender on Sproles that's gonna cost us over $7 million for one year?

As I was signing on Bolts in the Blue earier, I glanced at a post that said something about us losing Jamal Williams to Denver.  When I read that I almost pulled my hair out!  I just don't understand the decision making in this organization.  If we are releasing Jamal, fine.  But don't do so without already having an immediate replacement lined up.  Someone that can come in right now and be ready to go.  Not a rookie, and not someone that is going to get run over, because Jamal is nothing to sneeze at.  I heard that Shaun Rogers might be on the chopping block in Cleveland, why not pursue him?

So today I find out we finally sign a back, and I'm hoping to read something about Thomas Jones, and instead read we signed Marcus Mason.  Now I'm not dissing Mason, because although I read whatever I could find on him, I don't know all that much about him.  I do know that he hasn't had that much playing time in the last few years, and even though he did well in college, I would have rather had a Thomas Jones in my backfield with all the new things going on, than a Marcus Mason.

I hope someone in the Spanos family is paying attention to the voices of the San Diego Chargers fans.  Every year we suffer the same emotions.  Every year we enter the playoffs on a run, defending the team that is the focus of so match smack talking.  Every year we have such high expectations, thinking we're destined to be in the Super Bowl.  And every year we are let down.  When the same thing happens year after year, one needs to realize that if you want something you've never had, you've got to do something you've never done.  So why not we consider going after players like Shaun Rogers and Thomas Jones, instead of always trying to find the next diamond in the rough.