Swagger? We Don't Even Know Her

Those of you who had "1" in your How Many Games Shawne Merriman Will Last on Two Torn Knee Ligaments pool, you can now collect your winnings.

So what does this mean for the Chargers? Well, they can still win, especially since they reside in the horrifically bad AFC West. 

And the Bolts still have some very good linebackers not named Merriman. It's probably the deepest position on their roster, except for this group.

But where the Chargers will miss Merriman the most is in the emotion department. Words that come to mind here are leadership, confidence and swagger.

A team's collective confidence is a fragile thing, even at the professional level.

Look at the teams who are successful each year and you'll see clubs who are overflowing with swagger. It's usually the difference between who wins and who loses in the postseason.

So now, Shawne Merriman has left the building -- and the Chargers' swagger goes out the door with him.

What figured to be an interesting Charger season just became even more compelling.