A.J. Smith and a Man Crush

The man of the hour around San Diego has been General Manager A.J. Smith and with due cause as the deal he worked out with the Seattle Seahawks for the services of third string quarterback Charlie Whitehurst was a gem. The trade was necessitated by the fact that Seattle lacked a 3rd round pick in this year’s draft meaning that they would need to workout a deal with the Bolts in order to sign Whitehurst. A 2011 3rd round pick and a twenty spot leap from 60 to 40 in the 2nd round of this year’s draft later, the Bolts are feeling pretty confident about their draft status. When asked his thoughts on what transpired to make the deal happen, Smith said: “We presented them a deal we thought was good for us, and we are thrilled it was accepted.” Thrilled in large part because of the many needs that must be filled before the 2010 campaign kicks off in San Diego, the Chargers now own the 28th and 40th overall selections in the upcoming draft.

Although this situation isn’t identical to the Drew Brees scenario in the way it played out, the similarities are undeniable as far as the location and the new address for the departing player. Seattle owns the 4th and 16th overall selections in the upcoming NFL Draft and they will be looking to build a cast around Whitehurst to help him succeed much like the New Orleans Saints did for Brees when he arrived in the Big Easy. Chargers GM Smith expressed his best wishes for Whitehurst in Seattle saying: “We are very excited and happy for him (Whitehurst). He’s a very talented player and now has a great opportunity to break out on his own.” This deal really seems like the best thing for everyone involved from the Bolts to the Seahawks to Whitehurst himself. He will no longer be buried on a depth chart somewhere and now has a chance to make a name for himself at the NFL level.

The jubilation in San Diego would be extended if the Chargers are able to land both a starting running back and nose tackle with their two picks among the top 40, but that scenario seems increasingly unlikely by staying put. It seems like just a few short days ago that the Bolts would be sitting pretty picking at number 28 selecting their targeted future ball carrier in Fresno State mini tank on legs Ryan Mathews, but those days are long gone as Mathews continues his meteoric rise up the draft board. After a standout showing at the NFL Scouting Combine many doubted whether he would even go through the ringer of having another workout for NFL teams at Fresno’s pro day aside from the usual individual drills.

Not only did Mathews participate in the pro day festivities, his performance reinforced his status as an upper echelon back and may cost the Bolts some money and draft picks in the process if they are fixated on acquiring his services. In his two efforts running the 40 yard dash he put up solid 4.48 and 4.53 times that will only reassure teams that he has what it takes to excel in the NFL. One of the few question marks about his skill set is his hands as he wasn’t asked to catch the ball out of the backfield much during his collegiate career and on the few occasions that he was, the results weren’t all that positive. Those myths were dispelled at the pro day as well when Mathews showed his hands to be more than capable of making tough, extended grabs on the run. Needless to say, it will most likely require a trade up scenario for the Bolts to jump ahead of either the Houston Texans, the New England Patriots, or both to get Mathews onto their roster at this rate.

Smith was in attendance for the pro day in Fresno and had a conversation with Mathews prior to his on-field performance on campus. When asked about what the two discussed, Mathews said: “When GMs come out here to watch you, it’s a big deal. Hopefully, they like you. Hopefully, I impressed him enough to where if I get a chance to be on his team, and he (Smith) picks me up.” There is no denying the fact that these comments really should give Bolts fans goosebumps having a home state kid wanting to play in San Diego. His energy, demeanor, and obvious on-field credentials make him a perfect fit with the Chargers organization. Smith also had a lengthy 45 minute conversation with Fresno State Head Coach Pat Hill about his running back and picked his brain about what Mathews has to offer. Now the only question is what kind of maneuvering will Smith be willing to persue in order to have this kid putting on a Bolts jersey on April 22nd.

With the Texans sitting at pick number 20 and the Patriots shortly thereafter at 22, the Chargers would most likely look to find a way to jump into the late teens to take Mathews ahead of those clubs. According to the draft pick value chart that most teams abide by when making trades, San Diego’s 28th selection is worth 660 points while the 19th pick is worth 875. To make up those additional 215 points in the difference, the Bolts may have to delve into their 2011 stock of picks and offer up a 2nd rounder. A move such as this would likely occur on draft day just before the pick is announced to keep the other teams in the mix for Mathews in the dark on the Bolts plans. Clearly more information will become available as the days wane toward draft day, but the Chargers front office is generally pretty tight lipped about which players they covet.

Moving away from the mind games of the NFL Draft a little bit, the Bolts have expressed some interest in free agent cornerback Nathan Vasher who was recently cut by the Chicago Bears. Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera is familiar with Vasher from his days in Chicago and could work wonders with him in the Bolts zone techniques on the outside. An acquisition such as this would give the Bolts more flexibility in the draft and some additional competition for Antoine Cason and recently signed Donald Strickland for the starting corner gig opposite Quentin Jammer. The more draft picks that can be focused in the trenches on both the offensive and defensive lines, the better as the Bolts could really use some depth among the big fellas.

The antennas are up for any and all draft related material as we are now just one month away from the annual convention in Radio City Music Hall. It wouldn’t be shocking to see more moves by the Chargers before April 22nd in terms of personnel as A.J. Smith continues the revamping process by stocking up on draft picks and giving himself some ammunition to maneuver during the draft. In A.J. we trust in San Diego and Bolts fans should be looking forward to seeing what type of a new look team the Chargers field when the 2010 season begins.

Tags: A.J. Smith, Antoine Cason, Charlie Whitehurst, Chicago Bears, Donald Strickland, Drew Brees, Houston Texans, Nathan Vasher, New England Patriots, NFL Draft, NFL Scouting Combine, Pat Hill, Ron Rivera, Ryan Mathews, Seattle Seahawks