2012 NFL Draft: 6 NFL Teams That Need New General Managers Before the Draft

The offseason is no longer too far, and players aren't the only guys who will be jumping teams. Many head coaches will have to find new jobs and several general managers will as well. Some of these moves will come as surprises; others will not.

A team usually loses games because it lacks the talent to win consistently. A lack of good talent can usually be blamed on the team's decision maker—often a general manager.

Many team leaders have been successful over the years but struggled in recent years. Bill Polian has led the Indianapolis Colts to multiple playoff appearances and one Super Bowl victory, yet he is facing an enormous amount of public criticism.

It seems impossible to imagine some of these NFL giants leaving the teams they have been with for so long, but it will happen eventually.

While the firing of coaches and other team leaders is interesting, the retaining of them is often more important.

With this in mind, let's take a look at the six guys who not only could be fired, but should be fired.

Miami Dolphins

Though the Bill Parcells regime in Miami seemed like a winner at first, it has actually been a huge failure. Parcells is no longer even with the Dolphins, and general manager Jeff Ireland has failed to acquire the talent needed to win.

In 2008, the Dolphins drafted Jake Long with the No. 1 pick of the draft, passing on Matt Ryan. Ryan hasn't been great by any means, but Miami still does not have a franchise quarterback on the roster.

Though Ireland has acquired talent in some areas, the Dolphins roster is weak on the whole. After three offseasons with the team, Ireland has had more than enough time in Miami for the Dolphins to show some improvement.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Though Gene Smith hasn't been Jacksonville's general manager for very long, he hasn't shown much promise. Smith has been able to find some gems in the late rounds of the draft, but he has struggled with his early picks.

In the 2011 NFL draft, Smith traded up to No. 10 in order to draft Blaine Gabbert, who has looked horrific throwing the ball. The Jaguars are currently in one of the NFL's weakest divisions, yet the team has struggled immensely.

Smith does have some positives, and he is great at discovering sleeper prospects in the draft process. However, he has made many costly decisions and, at best, is disorganized. The handling of Jacksonville's quarterbacks this year alone shows that.

Oakland Raiders

This is probably a shocking pick considering the fact that the Raiders general manager, Al Davis, recently passed away. CEO Amy Trask and head coach Hue Jackson have both been actively involved in personnel moves since Davis's passing, but they are clearly overwhelmed.

Oakland's ridiculous trade of a first- and second-round draft pick for Carson Palmer demonstrates how far out of their depths Trask and Jackson are. Palmer, a 30-year-old quarterback, is already past his prime and hasn't played well for several years.

Add in Palmer's issues in Cincinnati, and this trade looks even more awful.

There shouldn't be much controversy surrounding Oakland's pursuit of a new decision maker, however. The Raiders have indicated that the team will add a general manager, and there is no reason to suspect dishonesty.

Indianapolis Colts

For years, Bill Polian has been one of the most successful front office executives in the NFL. With the Colts, Polian drafted not only Peyton Manning, but all of the team's recent stars.

However, Polian's recent moves have all ended quite poorly, and as a result, the Colts are lost.

Since 2004, none of Indianapolis' first-round draft picks have been successful, and many have been huge failures. On the other hand, with Polian's son Chris now in charge of the draft, there may be some reason for optimism.

With Manning, the Colts are obviously able to win. Manning's success has given Polian far too much leeway, though. Because Polian had Manning to fall back on, the Colts' awful drafting has hardly been noticeable until this year.

Though Indianapolis has had recent success, Polian isn't necessarily doing a good job.

Chicago Bears

Since Jerry Angelo became the Bears general manager in 2001, the team has been very successful. However, Chicago's team has aged and is not nearly as good as it once was.

When watching the Bears, it is obvious that Chicago—especially the team's defense—is aging. The team has had several high draft picks in recent years, and though they are playing well in 2011, there is reason to believe they won't keep it up for multiple seasons.

Angelo only has a job because of his previous success. Chicago is living off of the same players they have for years, and very little new talent has been added recently.

San Diego Chargers

Though general manager A.J. Smith compiled a team that has had great regular season success, the Chargers have never advanced far into the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. Like some of the other teams on this list, Smith has had his moments, but isn't doing well as of late.

Because Smith was able to add great talent in his earlier years, San Diego is still a good team. However, the team's defense has lost many of its stars due to age and other issues, and has virtually zero young talent.

With Philip Rivers struggling in 2011, the Chargers are looking worse than ever. If Smith could put together just a couple more good drafts in addition to his earlier success, the San Diego could become a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

Unfortunately for the Chargers, Smith hasn't added any great talent in years, and the team is suffering as a result.