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AJ Smith to be fired after the draft?


Fatman
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If this turns out to be true, something crazy(er) is going on in SD...losing the GM and essentially the entire coaching staff from a 14-2 team? :D

 

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SCHEFTER GIVES LIFE TO OUR SMITH PREDICTION

 

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the San Diego Chargers might part ways with G.M. A.J. Smith after the April 2007 draft.

 

This reports meshes with our prediction that Smith will be let go for his role in the dysfunction that resulted in the termination of coach Marty Schottenheimer.

 

It also bolsters the mounting speculation that USC coach Pete Carroll is being, or has been, privately courted by the Chargers. Carroll most certainly would want final say over the roster, and if Smith couldn't get along with a head coach who didn't have final say, he'd never be able to work for one who does.

 

Still, if Carroll gets the job, the biggest challenge will be for him to hire a personnel guru who can do the job right. It's no coincidence that college coaches who have made the leap to the NFL in the post-salary cap era have struggled. It's one thing to recruit 25 blue-chippers every year and line 'em all up three deep on the depth chart. It's quite another to engage in the Peter-robbing, Paul-paying world of the NFL, where there are only so many quality players that can be signed without going over the total spending limit.

 

Though Carroll surely has Pat Kirwan on speed dial, Kirwan's specialty is cap and contracts. Besides, he has been out of the league for a while now. Carroll needs someone with the skills to find the right players at the right price, and then Carroll will be required to take that talent and coach it up in a way that will allow the team to overcome a playing field far more level than the raw talent gap Carroll has enjoyed in at least seven or eight games per year at USC.

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PFT is the worst site for news.

 

This time last year they had "scooped" that Brady Quinn was gong to be ineleigible for his Sr. season becuase of dealings with agents. Clearly, nothing ever came of it, they just throw stuff out there to see if it sticks.

 

Still, this crap site has its defenders, to whom I ask - will you provide a link to their prediction that "meshes" with the story they're lifting? I'd be willing to bet there is none. :D

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Why would you fire a GM after a draft? Isn't the Draft probably the most important day (or at least one of them) for a GM...if you don't like the job the GM is doing, and want someone diff, wouldn't you make sure you put in a new one first...

 

 

I don't know either but Houston thought it was a good strategy last year...that worked out well for them...

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Why would you fire a GM after a draft? Isn't the Draft probably the most important day (or at least one of them) for a GM...if you don't like the job the GM is doing, and want someone diff, wouldn't you make sure you put in a new one first...

 

 

He has an intimate knowledge of their needs, their scouting, and their plans for the draft... they don't want to let someone like that go who could be hired by another competing organization before the draft takes place.

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He has an intimate knowledge of their needs, their scouting, and their plans for the draft... they don't want to let someone like that go who could be hired by another competing organization before the draft takes place.

 

 

 

Good point, but I'm sure every NFL management contract has a non-compete (without permission) -heck, I have one at my crap-ass job.

 

Really, less about "keep AJ on payroll" then about new guy - who wants to walk in as GM after a draft.

 

Houston point - heck, part of the reason he prob. got fired was the handling of the draft. That's a whole diff issue I'd think.

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PFT is the worst site for news.

 

This time last year they had "scooped" that Brady Quinn was gong to be ineleigible for his Sr. season becuase of dealings with agents. Clearly, nothing ever came of it, they just throw stuff out there to see if it sticks.

 

Still, this crap site has its defenders, to whom I ask - will you provide a link to their prediction that "meshes" with the story they're lifting? I'd be willing to bet there is none. :D

 

 

POSTED 12:03 p.m. EST; UPDATED 12:14 p.m. EST, February 14, 2007

 

RUMORS SPREAD THAT CARROLL-TO-CHARGERS IS A DONE DEAL

 

There is increasing talk in league circles regarding suspicions that the San Diego Chargers already have a secret deal in place with USC coach Pete Carroll.

 

Folks are pointing to some of the same facts we outlined on Monday night, after word broke that Marty Schottenheimer had been fired. Some think that the most convincing proof was/is USC assistant Steve Sarkisian's abrupt about-face with the Raiders, followed days later by the decision of his former Trojan colleague, Lane Kiffin, to take the job.

 

Why else, the theory goes, would Kiffin take a job that Sarkisian didn't want unless they both knew that Carroll wasn't long for the USC gig, and that Sarkisian, not Kiffin, had been hand-picked to replace him?

 

Others are pointing to the fact that the first guy to be interviewed is Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who has no head-coaching experience but who helps the Chargers satisfy the Rooney Rule quickly, in the event that the Pete Carroll cat gets out of the bag prematurely and none of the minority candidates agree to sit for the job. (See Detroit Lions and Steve Mariucci.)

 

We're also told that there is worry among the incoming class of USC recruits regarding the possibility that Carroll is leaving. But Pete has opted not to even address the situation publicly.

 

If he were not going to be the San Diego coach, he could easily say so. The fact that he has said nothing at all speaks volumes, in our view. Especially since he now has a couple dozen nervous high school seniors who signed papers seven days ago under the assumption that the head coach would be sticking around for at least the next month.

 

Stay tuned. We predict that the Chargers will go through the motions with several candidates, and that Carroll will then swoop in out of the blue as the guy.

 

If that happens, look for Pat Kirwan to soon follow him -- and for G.M. A.J. Smith to definitely get the boot after the draft.

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Schefter is a rumor mongerer who says things to compete with Mortensen, King, and Clayton.

 

Look at what happened in San Diego: Half the coaching staff left, including both coordinators. In replacing them, Schottenheimer wants his guys, Smith wants his guys. The two aren't on the same page. You make a choice as to who stays and who goes. Choice made.

 

Casserley was already set to retire from the Texans last season, botching the draft only amplified his departure.

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Why else, the theory goes, would Kiffin take a job that Sarkisian didn't want unless they both knew that Carroll wasn't long for the USC gig, and that Sarkisian, not Kiffin, had been hand-picked to replace him?

 

 

Because when you're 31, you don't turn down any opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL?

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Look at what happened in San Diego: Half the coaching staff left, including both coordinators. In replacing them, Schottenheimer wants his guys, Smith wants his guys. The two aren't on the same page. You make a choice as to who stays and who goes. Choice made.

 

 

unless they decided to get rid of BOTH of them.

 

i'm not quite buying it, though. if they had this supesecret plan in place with carroll, why dump schottenheimer when they did? why not just wait until after the draft, then chitcan smith and schotty at the same time and hire carroll two days later?

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unless they decided to get rid of BOTH of them.

 

i'm not quite buying it, though. if they had this supesecret plan in place with carroll, why dump schottenheimer when they did? why not just wait until after the draft, then chitcan smith and schotty at the same time and hire carroll two days later?

 

 

Why go through the charade? Pete Carroll made it through LOI day, it's a week before the combine, do it now while everyone's got a break. Makes no sense to wait until after the draft.

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POSTED 12:03 p.m. EST; UPDATED 12:14 p.m. EST, February 14, 2007

 

RUMORS SPREAD THAT CARROLL-TO-CHARGERS IS A DONE DEAL

 

There is increasing talk in league circles regarding suspicions that the San Diego Chargers already have a secret deal in place with USC coach Pete Carroll.

 

Folks are pointing to some of the same facts we outlined on Monday night, after word broke that Marty Schottenheimer had been fired. Some think that the most convincing proof was/is USC assistant Steve Sarkisian's abrupt about-face with the Raiders, followed days later by the decision of his former Trojan colleague, Lane Kiffin, to take the job.

 

Why else, the theory goes, would Kiffin take a job that Sarkisian didn't want unless they both knew that Carroll wasn't long for the USC gig, and that Sarkisian, not Kiffin, had been hand-picked to replace him?

 

Others are pointing to the fact that the first guy to be interviewed is Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who has no head-coaching experience but who helps the Chargers satisfy the Rooney Rule quickly, in the event that the Pete Carroll cat gets out of the bag prematurely and none of the minority candidates agree to sit for the job. (See Detroit Lions and Steve Mariucci.)

 

We're also told that there is worry among the incoming class of USC recruits regarding the possibility that Carroll is leaving. But Pete has opted not to even address the situation publicly.

 

If he were not going to be the San Diego coach, he could easily say so. The fact that he has said nothing at all speaks volumes, in our view. Especially since he now has a couple dozen nervous high school seniors who signed papers seven days ago under the assumption that the head coach would be sticking around for at least the next month.

 

Stay tuned. We predict that the Chargers will go through the motions with several candidates, and that Carroll will then swoop in out of the blue as the guy.

 

If that happens, look for Pat Kirwan to soon follow him -- and for G.M. A.J. Smith to definitely get the boot after the draft.

 

 

 

Fair enough - but do we know that Shefter isn't reporting what PFT reported, thereby creating a circlejerk of conjecture with PFT reporting on Shefter's reporting of the PFT story?

 

I have been listening to TONS of SoCal talk radio since this went down and although Carroll has been mentioned (unlesss he's stupid, no way he takes it), there hasn't been a hint of Smith's canning.

 

Edited to add: their 'prediction' was YESTERDAY and Shefter was less than 20 hours later. That's not a prediction, they're reporting the saem story with PFT getting it out first and taking credit for starting it. Crapola!

Edited by Pope Flick
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Why go through the charade? Pete Carroll made it through LOI day, it's a week before the combine, do it now while everyone's got a break. Makes no sense to wait until after the draft.

 

If that were the case, Smith probably would've been fired at the same time as Marty.

 

 

well, that's pretty much the point i was making. i don't think smith is going anywhere. if they made the decision to fire him, they would have either already canned him, or if they DID have some sort of supersecret wait-until-after-the-draft deal going with carroll (which i agree doesn't make much sense, but who knows), then they would have waited to fire schottenheimer as well.

Edited by Azazello1313
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or if they DID have some sort of supersecret wait-until-after-the-draft deal going with carroll (which i agree doesn't make much sense, but who knows), then they would have waited to fire schottenheimer as well.

 

 

If they had a super-secret deal with a coach, it's probably more likely that it's Parcells than Carroll. I just don't see Pete leaving his cushy job at USC. Parcells, OTOH, would be in a position to win immediately with SD and MAY be able to be coaxed back into the league for another two years or so.

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A super secret deal with Carrol might be something like... we hire you as Head Coach now... so you get to have some input into the draft but for the good of the organization we keep AJ on through the draft... then after the draft we get rid of him and make you the Head Coach/GM.

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A super secret deal with Carrol might be something like... we hire you as Head Coach now... so you get to have some input into the draft but for the good of the organization we keep AJ on through the draft... then after the draft we get rid of him and make you the Head Coach/GM.

 

 

I find it incredibly difficult to believe that a franchise that has been as well run as the Chargers would allow for this kind of instability an inanity to occur at this point in the season.

 

They gave Marty EXACTLY one month to make nice with Smith. In the meantime, both coordinators and three position coaches left. You got a week before the combine. This is the last ditch opportunity for the player personnel person (Smith) to make a hire without it getting into his primary duties.

 

There is no conspiracy or grand wizardry going on here.

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A super secret deal with Carrol might be something like... we hire you as Head Coach now... so you get to have some input into the draft but for the good of the organization we keep AJ on through the draft... then after the draft we get rid of him and make you the Head Coach/GM.

 

 

Sort of interesting how Marty left so peacefully. Pretty sure he would love to see his young rival get canned unexpectedly. :D

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If that were the case, Smith probably would've been fired at the same time as Marty.

 

If the Chargers indeed do fire Smith now, Spanos is a complete moron and Archie/Eli definitely made the right decision.

 

 

:D

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I find it incredibly difficult to believe that a franchise that has been as well run as the Chargers would allow for this kind of instability an inanity to occur at this point in the season.

 

They gave Marty EXACTLY one month to make nice with Smith. In the meantime, both coordinators and three position coaches left. You got a week before the combine. This is the last ditch opportunity for the player personnel person (Smith) to make a hire without it getting into his primary duties.

 

There is no conspiracy or grand wizardry going on here.

 

 

 

Let me be clear that I don't actually believe that this is going on... I simply was laying out what could happen if for any reason there was some truth to the rumor of a super secret agreement out there.

 

And what does the KKK have to do with any of this? :D

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