AJ Smith works the field

Above AJ Smith looks on the beginning of practice.
AJ Smith after talking with Norv Turner and the Mini Camp is about to begin.
AJ Smith along the sideline watching the action.

AJ Smith is always out on the field and supervising the action. AJ is a hard working GM. He is always checking on his team and coaches. He has shown himself to be a great GM at drafting, but he has also shown he is a great GM at running a team from Coaches to Players and everything that goes on both on the field and off.

I believe AJ Smith is the best GM the Chargers have even had, and it is showing every day in practice and in the games themselves. AJ Smith has really developed one of the best teams in the NFL. All in just a few short years at the helm as GM.

For a great current article on AJ Smith click link below:

Chargers enter '08 season with one goal in mind

"I study organization and I study trends,'' Smith said. "If it's clearly in front of your face, you need to look at it and learn from it. Doesn't that only make sense? Why would you study losers? What are you going to get out of that? If you study winners, you find out how they win and the roads they took to get there. You try to figure out what they're doing right.

"And eventually you find out it's players. It's always going to come back to players. And you have to get them by any means necessary. The draft. Unrestricted free agency. Supplemental draft. Trades. Arena League. Canada. Whatever means it takes.''

"If you're doing your job, you're planning for the future two to three years ahead,'' Smith said. "We took Cason this year because I believe in three cornerbacks. Now we feel we have three corners and we can match up. You look at New England, and they're always doing what's in the best interest of their team. They wanted Welker and they gave up a lot for him. Why would they do that? Because they realized what he is. They felt he was worth it. I respect the way they operate from that standpoint.

"It's the kind of judgment call we made with Weddle, and with Hester we did it again. People say you can't give up the picks. I'm more worried about the player than the picks. What difference does it make if he cost this pick or that pick if you have a real conviction about the player and what he can do for your team?''

"I always say two go, one wins it, and the rest of us try to figure it out,'' said Smith, of the NFL's annual Super Bowl quest. "I think we're a good football team, a playoff-caliber team. But we haven't done anything yet this season. I like that we were in three playoff games last year, and we won two. We made some noise and moved forward.

"What you want is a team that keeps going back. Like the Patriots, the Colts and the Steelers. You want to always be knocking on that door. I'd like to see that for the San Diego Chargers. We want to have the opportunity to chase the world championship every year. I've fallen a little short there, but if you're there every year, and keep giving yourself a shot, maybe you can make that goal happen one of these years.''

From Chargers.com

A. J. Smith

Executive Vice President - General Manager

Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith has assembled one of the NFL’s most talented rosters. Named by Forbes Magazine as the NFL's top general manager in 2006, Smith has overseen a renaissance in San Diego as the Chargers have won two straight AFC West titles and three of the last four. Since President and CEO Dean Spanos named Smith as his general manager in 2003, the Chargers have won 50 games, including a franchise-record 14 in ’06.