The A.J. Smith era started with a bang. One year after taking over as general manager of the San Diego Chargers in 2003, Smith drafted Eli Manning with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 draft before trading him for Philip Rivers and picks that turned into linebackerShawne Merriman and kicker Nate Kaeding.
The San Diego Chargers deny a report that Smith will be let go at the end of the year, but we trust the reporting from U-T San Diego. It's time for Smith to go and it makes all the sense of the world. Smith's best days were a long time ago.
The amount of talent Smith assembled in his early years was incredible. There's a strong argument to be made that Smith had the best two-year draft runof any general manager of the last decade in 2004 and 2005: Rivers, Kaeding, Merriman, running backMichael Turner, center Nick Hardwick, linebackerShaun Phillips, defensive tackle Luis Castillo, wide receiver Vincent Jackson and running back Darren Sproles. That's an insane run.
Smith just couldn't keep the roll going. His first-round pick of Buster Davis in 2007 was the turning point. The Smith run was the most successful run in Chargers history, but it will be remembered for unfulfilled expectations.
crushing playoff loss to the New York Jets. The 2006 Chargers was one of the best regular season teams I've ever seen. And they fell to an inferior version of the New England Patriots in the playoffs.
Smith's tenure truly began its slow decline when he fired Marty Schottenheimer and looked for a head coach that wouldn't challenge him: Norv Turner. Rarely has a head coach shown such an obvious regression year-after-year. Turner won two playoff games in his first season, one in his second and lost in the wild-card round in his third year. The team won't make the playoffs for the third straight season in 2012. Turner's win total will decline for the third straight year barring a four-game winning streak.
It's easy to crush Smith now, and his polarizing personality rubs people the wrong way, but his teams went 84-52 over the last nine years. That record is why we suspect that we haven't heard the last of Smith in the NFL.
The amount of talent Smith assembled in San Diego ultimately made the Chargers' shortcomings and long, slow decline all the more frustrating.