Jake Roth-USA Today Sports
The NFL Draft came and went, and the San Diego Chargers still have the same gaping hole at left tackle.
Bryant McKinnie is set to meet with the Chargers today. Though left tackle is such a huge need and McKinnie is one of the top available players, San Diego should pass on him.
McKinnie may have been a key in the Baltimore Ravens’ run through the NFL playoffs that ended with a Super Bowl championship. However, he wasn’t even a starter during the regular season after losing his job in training camp for showing up overweight. This wasn’t even the first time he showed up to training camp overweight. In fact, he was cut by the Minnesota Vikings in 2011 for the same reason.
As a professional athlete, it’s your job to stay disciplined and keep in shape. Clearly, McKinnie has motivational issues.
Sound familiar?
This sounds terribly similar to Jared Gaither, another former Ravens left tackle oddly enough, whose motivation and work ethic issues got him the nickname “The Big Lazy.”
Gaither was signed to a big contract by the Bolts after a stellar five-game stretch as the Chargers’ starting left tackle to close out the 2011 season. Out to prove himself, Gaither was motivated in those five games to increase his value before his contract was set to expire, only to hang it up once he got paid. Gaither played in just four games last season before getting released last month.
If San Diego signs McKinnie, they’d be signing him because of his stellar four-game playoff stretch at left tackle to close out the 2012 season. McKinnie was also playing on a contract set to expire and was particularly motivated because it was the playoffs. He could very well show up overweight like he has in the past or be unmotivated like Gaither.
At 33 years old, McKinnie won’t command the type of money the Chargers gave Gaither. However, he’s not worth the risk and the Chargers should find someone else more reliable.
Kevin Chan is a San Diego Chargers writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
