Chargers Don’t Appear to Be Interested in Stouffer

Charger owner Alex Spanos said Monday the Chargers won’t pick Kelly Stouffer in the first round of Sunday’s NFL draft.

“No one has shown any interest in him,” Spanos said, referring to the Charger coaches and front-office staff. “So I’d have to say, no, we won’t pick him in the first round.”

The name of Stouffer, the former Colorado State quarterback, is on the tip of NFL tongues this week. The Chargers have the 15th pick in the first round.

The Cardinals selected Stouffer with the sixth pick of the first round last year. But they failed to sign him. League rules state that Stouffer will go back into the draft if the Cardinals don’t sign him or trade him by draft day.

Steve Ortmayer, Charger director of football operations, wasn’t as definitive as Spanos regarding Stouffer. And he conceded that Stouffer may go in the first round if he re-enters the draft. But, Ortmayer said, “We’re a little more interested in a veteran with starting experience.”

The Chargers traded for veteran Pittsburgh quarterback Mark Malone earlier this month. But they announced at the time they were still looking for quarterback help. Ortmayer has been working the phones, trying to make a deal. But he has not found a buyer’s market.

“We have found that most of the quarterbacks that we are interested in are stone cold unavailable,” he said. “Now we’re into the area of beating a dead horse. People know we’re interested and they know where we are. Everybody is into more of a, ‘We’ll call you, don’t call us again approach.’ ”