Is A.J. Smith a Good GM?

[Thurman#1]

This article accuses him, with justification, of being stubborn and letting his ego get in the way of improving the team.

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/

 

Clearly, A.J. would have been the best GM we've had since Polian except for maybe Butler, and maybe Nix (who's to know yet about Nix?).

 

My question is this: would we have won a Super Bowl if we'd kept A.J.? This article asks some very interesting questions about his character.

[mpl6876]

I am here in San Diego and by default I have learned quite a lot about A.J. Smith. He is one tuff SOB. I think his style has many advantages and disadvantages. I wouldn't want to be a player negotiating my contract with him. He even intimidates me when I read the local paper. However, he has had quite a good team here for quite some time. The stigma is the team can't win the big playoff games. It does seem to be true.

[thewildrabbit]

If he doesn't win a super bowl soon things will come back to haunt him...some already have.

 

First, he had a huge problem with Marty Schottenheimer wanting to hire his son to replace Cam Cameron as OC after Cameron left for Baltimore, the result was Marty getting fired after his team posting an astounding 14-2 record. Then last season the Jets go on to knock the Chargers out of the playoffs with Martys son calling plays as the Jets OC, how Ironic huh. Not to mention that Rex Ryan the HC of the Jets sent Marty the game ball from that playoff win!

 

Seems to me that AJ Smith screwed himself and the team by firing Marty and not letting his son become the offensive coordinator as they could have already won a super bowl or two by now.

 

 

Second, he was responsible for choosing Phillip Rivers to replace Drew Brees as he thought Brees was to short to be competitive and win a championship. So he shipped Drew Brees out to New Orleans where he goes on to win a super bowl for the Saints.

 

After Schottenheimer was fired the owner of the Chargers supported AJ Smith by publicly stating that the team had a policy about hiring family members. Someone go tell that to the president of the Colts Bill Polian and his son the GM.

Now granted Drew Brees was injured at the time he was traded and Rivers is now a top QB... guess we will never know what could have been had Schottenheimer and / or Brees stayed at San Diego.

 

Needless to say AJ Smith could easily be ridiculed for some of his past decisions, now he is playing hard ball with his best O tackle and WR and could end up needing to trade them because of his negotiation tactics. Losing those two will diminish the teams chances to reach the playoffs this year.

 

The guy might have an eye for talent but has questionable management skills. If I'm a Charger fan I'd be bald from pulling my hair out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS, need to fix that link as it just takes you to the SI home page

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writ...gers/index.html

[mpl6876]

Rabbit another good post. The Rivers/Brees QB comparison is debatable as you stated. Lots of fans here in San Diego wanted to see Marty go. I am not so sure that your comparison is completely accurate. Marty did had a very good to great regular season record. His post season record was another story. Consistently the Chargers would lose in the their playoffs games. He wasn't "hammered" in the local papers for playing "Marty Ball." Which was an ultra conservative game plan. Whether it's valid or not that was the perception here. I guess Marty's ghost still huants the fans and Norv Turner.

 

Right on about needing to get McNiel and Jackson signed. IMO, they will still win their division but they will not go far the playoffs without them.

 

AJ is one tough SOB and his style is something that will be talked about for a long time here in San Diego. Some fans really like him and others don't. Pick your poison.

[TheLynchTrain]

You win some, you lose some. Marty was historically a choker in the playoffs. Brees had only one good year when he left SD (and an injury that ruins most careers).

 

AJ's stubbornness has gotten him into plenty of trouble and his ego has clouded numerous decisions made in SD.

[Doc]

Yeah, Marty winning a SB with the Chargers was doubtful seeing as how he couldn't win a playoff game with them, and they've have actually been more successful under Turner, winning 3 playoff games. I don't know if that was a mistake per se.

 

As for drafting Rivers when they had Brees, Brees looked pretty bad for his first 3 seasons and only broke-out the season they drafted Rivers. Then he got hurt in his contract year and NO ONE wanted him when he was an UFA, except for NO who took a gamble that paid off big-time. That wasn't a mistake so much as bad luck/timing.

 

Ralph asked Smith to be the Bills' GM after Butler refused the extension, but Smith told Ralph to F off (probably literally).

[DarthICE]

I think he is a complete ass, that said I would be taking the same approach with Free agents/ people wanting new contracts as he does. All 3 would be sitting out for the team as well if I owned it.

 

I can tell you now I extend NO contracts till the CBA is fixed. I am not going to put the future of my team at risk not knowing what the new cap will be or it's rules.

[JohnC]

If he doesn't win a super bowl soon things will come back to haunt him...some already have.

 

First, he had a huge problem with Marty Schottenheimer wanting to hire his son to replace Cam Cameron as OC after Cameron left for Baltimore, the result was Marty getting fired after his team posting an astounding 14-2 record. Then last season the Jets go on to knock the Chargers out of the playoffs with Martys son calling plays as the Jets OC, how Ironic huh. Not to mention that Rex Ryan the HC of the Jets sent Marty the game ball from that playoff win!

 

Seems to me that AJ Smith screwed himself and the team by firing Marty and not letting his son become the offensive coordinator as they could have already won a super bowl or two by now.

 

 

Second, he was responsible for choosing Phillip Rivers to replace Drew Brees as he thought Brees was to short to be competitive and win a championship. So he shipped Drew Brees out to New Orleans where he goes on to win a super bowl for the Saints.

 

After Schottenheimer was fired the owner of the Chargers supported AJ Smith by publicly stating that the team had a policy about hiring family members. Someone go tell that to the president of the Colts Bill Polian and his son the GM.

Now granted Drew Brees was injured at the time he was traded and Rivers is now a top QB... guess we will never know what could have been had Schottenheimer and / or Brees stayed at San Diego.

 

Needless to say AJ Smith could easily be ridiculed for some of his past decisions, now he is playing hard ball with his best O tackle and WR and could end up needing to trade them because of his negotiation tactics. Losing those two will diminish the teams chances to reach the playoffs this year.

 

The guy might have an eye for talent but has questionable management skills. If I'm a Charger fan I'd be bald from pulling my hair out

 

All your points are excellent and clearly stated. However, let me add to some context some of Smith's decisions. In the era of the cap you can't keep all your talent, especially at the same position. You have to make very tough judgments and move on. Brees is a tremendous qb. No one doubts that. But Rivers is also one of the young premier qbs in the league. While many teams miss on their high drafted franchise qb selections he certainly didn't with the Rivers pick. When Smith let Brees walk he was considered a high risk player because of his shoulder injury. Miami (based on medical staff advice) didn't take him because they also had serious concerns with his shoulder.

 

The essence of the Shottenheimer/Smith feud had to do with two people who didn't like each other. Both were bull headed and both were unyielding. Smith had some issues with the Shottenheimer conservative offensive philosophy but that was not the central basis of their conflict. Smith couldn't stand and tolerate Marty and vice versa. Their split was inevitable. The owner recognized there was an irreconcilable personality clash. One had to go. The owner kept Smith and Marty left.

 

What makes A.J. Smith an exceptionable talent scout is that he has strong convictions and is not afraid to act on them. The same trait also gets him in trouble when dealing with people who challenge his convictions. He is uncompromising.

 

As you stated he has an eye for talent. If he were with the Bills our team would certainly not be as feeble as they presently are. There is no doubt that with his type of hard nosed personality and desire to succeed on the field there is no way he would have lasted in a Ralph Wilson/Jeff Littman run organization. He would have had the same result as Polian did: Run out of the organization.

 

To be a successful GM you have to be tough. You are making difficult decisions on players and contracts which don't win you friends. Knowing talent and value is what Smith is good at doing. Compare that to the dysfunctional operation in western NY? Do you think he would have been foolish enough to give the big contracts to mediocre talents such as Dockery and Walker? I would take A.J. Smith and his faults any day over the clones who have worked for the Bills over the past generation. The Chargers under A.J. Smith are a serious team. The Bills under Ralph Wilson are a very ridiculed team.

[PromoTheRobot]

I think you will see losing Nix was hard on SD. Good for us though.

 

PTR

[JohnC]

Ralph asked Smith to be the Bills' GM after Butler refused the extension, but Smith told Ralph to F off (probably literally).

 

What is wrong with telling the owner where to go? If more people would be frank with him instead of fawing over him just maybe the franchise wouldn't be so submerged in the muck. Did you really expect Smith to betray his good friend and mentor? I strongly suspect that both Butler and Smith had tacit deals already struck with San Diego.

[Bob in STL]

If he doesn't win a super bowl soon things will come back to haunt him...some already have.

 

First, he had a huge problem with Marty Schottenheimer wanting to hire his son to replace Cam Cameron as OC after Cameron left for Baltimore, the result was Marty getting fired after his team posting an astounding 14-2 record. Then last season the Jets go on to knock the Chargers out of the playoffs with Martys son calling plays as the Jets OC, how Ironic huh. Not to mention that Rex Ryan the HC of the Jets sent Marty the game ball from that playoff win!

 

Seems to me that AJ Smith screwed himself and the team by firing Marty and not letting his son become the offensive coordinator as they could have already won a super bowl or two by now.

 

Second, he was responsible for choosing Phillip Rivers to replace Drew Brees as he thought Brees was to short to be competitive and win a championship. So he shipped Drew Brees out to New Orleans where he goes on to win a super bowl for the Saints.

 

After Schottenheimer was fired the owner of the Chargers supported AJ Smith by publicly stating that the team had a policy about hiring family members. Someone go tell that to the president of the Colts Bill Polian and his son the GM.

Now granted Drew Brees was injured at the time he was traded and Rivers is now a top QB... guess we will never know what could have been had Schottenheimer and / or Brees stayed at San Diego.

 

Needless to say AJ Smith could easily be ridiculed for some of his past decisions, now he is playing hard ball with his best O tackle and WR and could end up needing to trade them because of his negotiation tactics. Losing those two will diminish the teams chances to reach the playoffs this year.

 

The guy might have an eye for talent but has questionable management skills. If I'm a Charger fan I'd be bald from pulling my hair out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS, need to fix that link as it just takes you to the SI home page

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writ...gers/index.html

 

 

Good post but the part in bold ... how do you know that?

[Bob in STL]

All your points are excellent and clearly stated. However, let me add to some context some of Smith's decisions. In the era of the cap you can't keep all your talent, especially at the same position. You have to make very tough judgments and move on. Brees is a tremendous qb. No one doubts that. But Rivers is also one of the young premier qbs in the league. While many teams miss on their high drafted franchise qb selections he certainly didn't with the Rivers pick. When Smith let Brees walk he was considered a high risk player because of his shoulder injury. Miami (based on medical staff advice) didn't take him because they also had serious concerns with his shoulder.

 

The essence of the Shottenheimer/Smith feud had to do with two people who didn't like each other. Both were bull headed and both were unyielding. Smith had some issues with the Shottenheimer conservative offensive philosophy but that was not the central basis of their conflict. Smith couldn't stand and tolerate Marty and vice versa. Their split was inevitable. The owner recognized there was an irreconcilable personality clash. One had to go. The owner kept Smith and Marty left.

 

What makes A.J. Smith an exceptionable talent scout is that he has strong convictions and is not afraid to act on them. The same trait also gets him in trouble when dealing with people who challenge his convictions. He is uncompromising.

 

As you stated he has an eye for talent. If he were with the Bills our team would certainly not be as feeble as they presently are. There is no doubt that with his type of hard nosed personality and desire to succeed on the field there is no way he would have lasted in a Ralph Wilson/Jeff Littman run organization. He would have had the same result as Polian did: Run out of the organization.

 

To be a successful GM you have to be tough. You are making difficult decisions on players and contracts which don't win you friends. Knowing talent and value is what Smith is good at doing. Compare that to the dysfunctional operation in western NY? Do you think he would have been foolish enough to give the big contracts to mediocre talents such as Dockery and Walker? I would take A.J. Smith and his faults any day over the clones who have worked for the Bills over the past generation. The Chargers under A.J. Smith are a serious team. The Bills under Ralph Wilson are a very ridiculed team.

 

Right on! See bolded area. The only thing that could have save Smith as a Bills GM is his tough contract negotiations. However, history has shown that Wilson does not do will with autocratic GMs (Polian, Butler, Donahoe) or coaches (Saban, Knox, Phillips).

[Doc]

What is wrong with telling the owner where to go? If more people would be frank with him instead of fawing over him just maybe the franchise wouldn't be so submerged in the muck. Did you really expect Smith to betray his good friend and mentor? I strongly suspect that both Butler and Smith had tacit deals already struck with San Diego.

They probably did have deals struck. Why stay and save a franchise you helped submarine when you can go elsewhere and rebuild from almost scratch?

[JohnC]

Right on! See bolded area. The only thing that could have save Smith as a Bills GM is his tough contract negotiations. However, history has shown that Wilson does not do will with autocratic GMs (Polian, Butler, Donahoe) or coaches (Saban, Knox, Phillips).

 

The really true autocrat in the Bills' organization is the owner. With the exception of Donahoe the others you mentioned weren't really autocratic. They were football oriented in an organization which was financially oriented. When the football interests conflicted with the perceived financial interests of the owner there is no question which side of the argument is going to win.

 

Lou Saban is an all together different issue. He was an eccentric volatile traveling man who was incapable of staying in one place. His urge to move had little to do with Ralph and much more to do with the "uncontrollable impulses" within himself. Ralph Wilson held a grudge against Saban because he felt that Lou quit on him. With Lou it was never personal. He quit on everyone. He just needed to go on to another location, from which he would continue to move on.

 

Lou Saban should be on the Wall at the Stadium. The small minded owner will never allow that to happen because Ralph won't let that grudge go. For the aged owner loyalty is a one way street. Ralph is Ralph.

[JohnC]

They probably did have deals struck. Why stay and save a franchise you helped submarine when you can go elsewhere and rebuild from almost scratch?

 

The franchise has been under water for a long time because the owner is out of his depth.

[Doc]

The franchise has been under water for a long time because the owner is out of his depth.

To the extent that he hires the GM, he's responsible. But there are many other people responsible for the Bills' failures this past decade John. Would you say that Bob Kraft was responsible for the Pats illegally videotaping, costing them a 1st rounder, cash, and tainting their SB wins?

[Bob in STL]

The really true autocrat in the Bills' organization is the owner. With the exception of Donahoe the others you mentioned weren't really autocratic. They were football oriented in an organization which was financially oriented. When the football interests conflicted with the perceived financial interests of the owner there is no question which side of the argument is going to win.

 

Lou Saban is an all together different issue. He was an eccentric volatile traveling man who was incapable of staying in one place. His urge to move had little to do with Ralph and much more to do with the "uncontrollable impulses" within himself. Ralph Wilson held a grudge against Saban because he felt that Lou quit on him. With Lou it was never personal. He quit on everyone. He just needed to go on to another location, from which he would continue to move on.

 

Lou Saban should be on the Wall at the Stadium. The small minded owner will never allow that to happen because Ralph won't let that grudge go. For the aged owner loyalty is a one way street. Ralph is Ralph.

 

 

I agree that Wilson is the true autocrat. Whenever anyone else has tried to spread their power or influence (Polian is a great example) they have been pushed back by Wilson (and sometimes Littman). The only time this is not true is when Wilson gave total control to Donahoe.

 

Saban may have been a wanderer and incapable of staying anywhere for very long but I recall there where issues with front office meddling on Saban's second tenure. Cases in point:

 

1. The failure to sign Ahmad Rashad.

2. The releasing of our veteran LBs (Cheyunski and Washington) and then playing hardball with rookies Rudd and Nelson and not signing them in time to help the team.

 

Saban was pissed about control on the second tenure. He did not leave purely by impulse.

 

Also agree that he should be on the Wall. He may be the best football coach we ever had.

[sllib olaffub]

I think when you have a very uncompromising, arrogant person in charge you're likely to see mild people below them - N. Turner, is a good example. Schottenheimer was too strong a personality for their partnership to work. I think if you have to choose which of the two positions is better suited by a strong personality, the Head Coach, IMO, is the better spot for it - like R. Ryan. You don't need the outspoken, almost taunting quality of Smith in a G.M. - I think that probably hurts negotiations at times. But you do need a firm, confident, no nonsense coach.

When I look at our Bills of recent memory - we've not had, since Williams, a stern, stubbornish coach, and we haven't had much to speak of with a G.M., either. I think our current mix is a good one, though. They seem to be more of a team than you see many other places, with Nix obviously in charge, but not looking for any attention or publicity - he's quietly, unassumingly doing what needs be done in the background, and letting Gailey run the show.

[Spiderweb]

The really true autocrat in the Bills' organization is the owner. With the exception of Donahoe the others you mentioned weren't really autocratic. They were football oriented in an organization which was financially oriented. When the football interests conflicted with the perceived financial interests of the owner there is no question which side of the argument is going to win.

 

Lou Saban is an all together different issue. He was an eccentric volatile traveling man who was incapable of staying in one place. His urge to move had little to do with Ralph and much more to do with the "uncontrollable impulses" within himself. Ralph Wilson held a grudge against Saban because he felt that Lou quit on him. With Lou it was never personal. He quit on everyone. He just needed to go on to another location, from which he would continue to move on.

 

Lou Saban should be on the Wall at the Stadium. The small minded owner will never allow that to happen because Ralph won't let that grudge go. For the aged owner loyalty is a one way street. Ralph is Ralph.

 

Personally, I don't want Saban on the wall of fame. We rant about players who won't honor their contracts, and owners to cut players almost on a whim, voiding contracts. Yet a pass is given to a man who walked out, not once, but twice? Wilson did bury the hatchet once and brought Saban back, only to have him walk out again during the 1976 season. In fact, Saban's entire life was a monument to broken contracts. What amazes is that he was able to continue to get new jobs, even a baseball one for a while (he was friendly with Stienbrenner).

 

Lou Saban did himself in. Not to speak ill of the dead, and no pun intended, let dead dogs lie.

[BillsVet]

What is wrong with telling the owner where to go? If more people would be frank with him instead of fawing over him just maybe the franchise wouldn't be so submerged in the muck. Did you really expect Smith to betray his good friend and mentor? I strongly suspect that both Butler and Smith had tacit deals already struck with San Diego.

 

If reports are true, most of Buffalo's front office has been go along to get along these past few years post-TD. It's almost as if no one wanted to cross Wilson and possibly lose their job. Even the giant restructuring that people say happened this off-season was more symbolic than substantive because ultimately everything has to be run by RW. I wish Buffalo had a GM who would have more control over football without people like RW, Littman, and Overdorf butting in. Polian was the last guy who had the audacity to tell RW and his family that he was the GM and didn't just take orders. History shows Polian was right and RW was wrong. But that's all in the past.