Talent. That's what it all boils down to. Either you have it or you don't. Hard work and effort get you far in life, they just don't get you as far if you don't have the talent.
GM A.J. Smith has a proven eye for talent and how to keep that talent. He did it with a dysfunctional relationship between the coach, he did it following the death of his mentor and friend.
He has an attitude and doesn't apologize for it. He doesn't bend to the public perceptions and sticks to his guns.
But most importantly, he brings in talent.
Comparing GMs in the West just isn't fair. The Broncos just fired Sundquist—a testament to his performance.
He liked to make the big splash. He tried signing the big name free agents, bringing in the whole Cleveland defensive line. He tried making the big trade—Javon Walker, who never turned out. He drafted Maurice Clarett after he sat out of football for a year.
He certainly tried, but he didn't have an eye for talent.
The Chiefs GM, Carl Peterson (King Carl), has mismanaged for 18 years and has never done much.
Sure, he brought in an aging Joe Montana, but it was never right and it was all about selling tickets.
Peterson has shown a fantastic penchant for drafting untalented players. Since 2000, he has drafted three players that have played in the Pro Bowl. Kick returner Dante Hall, defensive end Jared Allen and running back Larry Johnson.
He tossed money at aging, unproductive free agents. Yes—I'm talking about Ty Law and Sammy Knight. He doesn't have a plan.
Al Davis, the head of the most dysfunctional franchise in sports. That's all that really needs to be said, but let's look a little bit deeper.
Since they have moved back to Oakland, Davis has hired seven different coaches in thirteen years, and he's tried to get rid of all seven of them. In that same time span, they have finished fourth in the West eight times and third once.
That kind of ineptitude takes a different type of talent. Davis does not have any eye for talent, he looks at the numbers from college and the combine, gets a man crush on a player and drafts them, regardless of where they fit in their offense or defense. Davis drafts their 40 speed and their bench press more than he drafts the player.
The same can be said of free agents. He sees a free agent that did well in a specific scheme and throws money at them.
Other than the cornerback with the unspellable name, Nnamdi Asomugha, Davis has not drafted an impact player that is still with the team (the jury is still out on JaMarcus Russell).
To build a winning franchise, you need a GM with a plan, and the guts to follow through on that plan regardless of what the public thinks of you. A.J. Smith has figured out a plan that works:
- You draft talented players, and if two talented players are available, you draft based on their work ethic.
- You don't draft their 40 time, you don't draft their combine workout. You draft their college career and you draft their interview.
- You draft a person, not a machine. When you have drafted these talented individuals, you keep these talented individuals, unless you have a more talented individual to replace them.
- You don't sign other teams' garbage and you manage the cap.
The other GMs in the West should sign up for classes with A.J.
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3 months ago
Nice article
3 months ago
They'll win their division only because the competition downright sucks in the AFC West. The only serious contender that might have a legit shot at one of the Wild Cards would be the Oakland Raiders, only because of their upgraded defense.
from 3 months ago
The reason the competition sucks is the whole point of the article. In essence, this is a response to the article on why the Raiders will win the West.
3 months ago
A.J. Smith has done a pretty good job bringing in talent. However you didn't mention some negatives. He brings in Marty who instills descipline and takes you to the next level only to be replaced by a coach who does not posess that quality. Now I like Norv, but building a team (Redskins and Raiders) and maintaining descipline I don't see as his best qualities. I expect a steady decline in team dicipline. I also question not retaining Michael Turner. LT has had a few years of pounding now and will start to be more and more injury prone. You need two good backs in the NFL now. I believe your un-challenged top of the division position is over, not to say you still can't do it.
To be fair though, you still haven't been to the big dance in a while and even the most dysfunctional (Notice the c ) team in all of sports (you say) was there 5 seasons ago. Also to be fair there have been some draft successes such as, Zach Miller who set the team record in rookie receptions last year, Kirk Morrison who started a middle linebacker his first year, Thomas Howard who led the league in interceptions as a linebacker last year. The jury is still out on JaMarcus Russell, Michael Bush, Jay Richardson who will start at DE this year, Michael Huff (FS instead of SS) and even Robert Gallery at guard. You think everyone should take classes? Not so fast.
from 3 months ago
First I am a little shocked, a Raider fan who actually has a real opinion and is open to discussion. Whether you actually come back is debatable because you are anonymous but I will respond regardless.
As for Marty, I was not a fan of the move. I was expecting a 6-8 win season last year as a result of it. Luckily, the rest of the division was as inept as we were to start the season and we survived. Norv does not do the discipline thing, nor does he do the inspirational thing. Norv is not a leader, he is a mastermind. He needs to have strong leadership within the team. That is where Smith has faltered recently. Letting solid leaders like McCree, Edwards and Neal leave. Now Norv needs people like Williams, Jammer and Tomlinson to be the strong leaders.
With Michael Turner, there was going to be no way to retain him, even if we wanted to. He wanted a shot at the top spot. He is a team player, but he wanted the shot. We'll draft a running back in the 4th or 5th round and see what we can get.
Comparing trips to the "big dance" doesn't make sense. Al Davis has been managing the Raiders for what? 35 years? I don't know how long exactly, but they haven't been regulars in the Super Bowl, that is for sure. Smith only took over as GM in 2002 or 2003, so he has done well given the relatively short period of time.
I wouldn't label Zach Miller as a superstar yet, a 44 grab team record is nothing to brag about. Morrison had a strong start to the season, slowed a little bit but still finished well. We will see what is to come. The same is for Howard, but I will admit they both show good potential.
I think the jury has spoken for Gallery though, he is a bust. And even though I say the jury is out for Russell, I just don't see him succeeding. He reminds me of Culpepper, who I think was always overrated because of Moss.
And thanks for the spelling correction, I seem to have missed my c's.
3 months ago
yeah right! greyhawk68
from 3 months ago
Insightful! greenbaron24
3 months ago
If they heal from all their surgeries, this Charger team has the best shot at winning the Super Bowl of any Bolts squad of the past 30 years. People can still think Norv is a bad coach, hell, I was one of his biggest opponents until last season. To keep a team together and not lose focus after having gone 14-2 the previous season, only to start out 1-3 and look hoppless the next, well that is coaching at it best! If it weren't for injuries to its offensive weapons, the Bolts would have cleaned up in Foxboro and dismantled Sheli and the Giants in the bowl. I'm getting sick of the worlds love affair with the Colts and Pats, their best days are behind them and the new leaders of the AFC are the Chargers. Whether you like it or not, its the truth, so give credit where it is due, the Chargers are Definitely the team to beat this year, and while 12 teams will try, few will succeed!!!
3 months ago
I'm expecting a decline in this team this year. The team did not achieve any more with Norv perhaps less. They got to the exact spot in the playoffs as they did the year before but with a more experienced team. I'm thinking this is going to be another jOHN GRUDEN
3 months ago
Chargers will win the AFC West this year again...and lose in the Divisional Round.
3 months ago
People still have their head in the sand with Norv..If last year did not convince you, then you are probably a Marty apologist. As for AJ "bringing Marty in"....that is incorrect. Marty was never AJ's guy. AND a small distinction that everyone keeps seeming to miss...AJ did not fire Marty..Marty basically fired himself. To say that they got to the exact same place in the playoffs is very disingenuous..This past year they played in the AFC title game...Last year, they lost in the divisional round...The fact that they WON a playoff game cannot be over looked. Yes, Marty had become the perception of Marty...Sure there was always a good excuse, but whether it was Marty or his staff making poor decisions or the players having no confidence in him, it became an insurmountable hurdle and it was the main topic when the Bolts got into the playoffs...Can Marty get the monkey off his back?
To blame Norv for Washington and the Raiders with those teams and those owners...Well I think thispast year sheds a lot of light on that. Leaders aren't necessarily cheerleaders..I think Norv showed tremendous leadership this past year...When everyone wanted him run out of town, he stayed steady..He maintained all along that what they were doing early would pay off in the playoffs. I guess that not only is he a leader, but a prophet as well. AJ is not only a tremendous evaluator of player talent, but I now believe that he has the right knack for picking coaches as well.
3 months ago
Matt you must be about 20-25 years old. You say the Raiders have not been regulars in the Super Bowl. For your information, which you obviously need! The Raiders have been to five Super Bowls and won three. There are 32 teams in the NFL and if an average team played in five then the NFL would have to play about 160 super bowls. (5X32=160) The NFL has only played 42 super bowls. So by you saying the Raiders are not regulars, makes no sense. Sounds like you need to look at the NFL record books. You are old enough to read?? I guess your Chargers must be well below the average since they have only been to one and lost.
3 months ago
Matt your a deush. What did you hop on the San Diego Boat when you came down from Canada? Why don't you look into what you are preaching a bit more so that those poor excuses for words that come from your mouth dont look so much like my freshly laid STEAMER!
3 months ago
Way to dog pile on Matt...When your team has been down for so long, I guess it beats strutting around spouting off your "Commitmment to Excrement.....er...Excellence" line, because no one is buying it anymore. I believe that Matt was saying that the Raiders have not been regulars in the SB during AJ's tenure. Go ahead...I dare you to compare players that AJ has tapped vs the ones that Big Al has chosen...The most noticable freshly laid steamers are the Raiders season records over the past 5 years..How many AFC West games have they won in that span? How many coaches have they had? Every year about this time we hear about all of the great off season moves they made that are going to get them back to their glory days...My neighbor, a HUGE Radier fan called me the day they signed Randy Moss and told me that was the missing piece to the puzzle and he was laying down a big bet for them to win the SB...
Al Davis is a legend..I don't really like him but his contributions to Pro Football are undeniable. The problem is that he is sooooo desperate to win another championship and is sooo old that he has mortgaged your future to try to win now. The problem is, he no longer has a few holes to fill..Your whole team needs revamping and you can't do that thru free agency. I wonder how Nmande(Sp?) feels about Al giving your newest FA such a big contract while refusing to re-work his. He will be gone when his contract is up next year. Oh...and good luck with JaMarcus..Now that you've unloaded your best wide receiver and hired a receivers coach that got fired from the Chargers because he couldn't coach his receivers to run precise routes...I'm sure his develpment will really pick up speed. Oh...by the way...I'm being sarcastic. I'm not trying to be condescending (that means, when you talk down to someone)...It is just that with Raider fans, you really have to explain things in very basic terms.
3 months ago
Can you explain what the feeling is when chargers walk past the trophy case? You chargers can only celebrate mediocrity. It’s the up swing you fear and the plank and blind fold are being dusted off. “The autumn wind is in the air”
3 months ago
When you have no present and you have no future...you have no choice but to roll around in your past..What do Raiders feel when they take the field with the Chargers (who have taken them to the woodshed for how many consecutive games now??? NINE I believe. That is what I would call DOMINATION. I'm sure those old dusty trophies are great consolation to your present team which is completely mired in mediocrity. They kind of remind me of the fledgling Seahawks from back in the day...but much sadder.
Also, If you cared to look, you would see an AFL championship trophy in our trophy case....but who really cares..that is ancient history..It is today's team that concerns me...I can understand why your current roster is not of much interest to you and you would rather live in the past. It has to be brual going from year to year with no improvement..no hope for the future..Well I guess they DID win their first division game in the past 3-4 years this past season, didn't they?
3 months ago
Going to the AFC Championship game after winning two playoff games is not ht e exact same spot as one and done in the playoffs under Marty. And they did that with half the starters injured. The only thing that can stop them this year is injuries, as the Chargers have the most talented squad in the NFL.
3 months ago
Raiders suck, will continue to suck and they do it well. End of story. Cellar dwellars!! Bwahahahahahaha! Prepare fopr another Bolt sweep of dat Azzzzzzz.
3 months ago
Chargers are going to dominate the AFC next year....patriots??? they are going tu suck on defence cuz they lost some of their key player asnate samuel and randall "gay" hahaha and that safety eugene wilson?...and whos got the best defence to stop the pats??? the chargers! 30 INTERCEPTIONS!!!....then we got the colts which we beat them twice now...hahaha....so who that leaves steelers? we can beat them two probably CRO will have 6 interception...(as he had his way with Manning..3 INT!) and jacksonville they have it coming the got lucky last time but not in the playoff next year! SAN DIEGO CHARGERS SUPER BOWL 43 CHAMPIONS
3 months ago
puff, puff.... raiders rule dude. puff, puff... nobody will complete a pass against us... puff, puff..
3 months ago
Uhm, how did they get to the exact same spot? they never won a playoff game w/ marty, they won two with Norv.
3 months ago
Man you TURD fans are funny. Its like you live in an alternative dimension where your team is the best. Come dock your pirate ship back here in Port Reality. SD has tapped Oaklands backside 9 times in a row. Thats not competition. Yeah you play hard because its against up but 9 in a row??? Im a realist, it cant go on forever...........NAH IT WILL!!!!
3 months ago
I don't think you follow the Chargers at all. Norv Turner won two playoff games this past year. Marty had a better regualr season record the year before, but unfortunately, couldn't win in the playoffs as we all know. If anything, Norv made a believer out of many with his coaching this past post season. With all of the Chargers' talent, they should do very well next season.
3 months ago
Hey Raider Revenge- Perhaps you can tell me. What year was it when the Raiders last defeated the Chargers. I forget...
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