Nicks Drops Top 5 GM’s

Norv may have swung and missed, AJ may have set us back, but San Diego has 0 reasoning to not be a contender next year. Majority of people think that teams have windows, I am not one of those people. A perfect example is the Indianapolis Colts. Last year they were certainly down. The organization made the right decisions and now find themselves in the playoffs. The Chargers can certainly be no different in 2013. While I send my Happy New Years out to all of the readers and fellow San Diego fans in internet world I stand before you and say confidently the 2013 San Diego Chargers CAN compete next year. With the 11th overall pick if the Chargers make 2 good decisions they can find this draft really paying off for them. With all that being said here are my top 5 GM’s for the San Diego Chargers position that is currently open.

5 Jimmy Raye Director of Player Personnel, San Diego Chargers- I honestly don’t really like this pick. It’s more a of a respect thing. While the Chargers should make sure they don’t lose Raye it really isn’t his time right now. I feel as if the Chargers need new blood and bring someone in who has was with a successful team. Jimmy has had success in the past though. Helping draft players up to this year like Kendell Reyes. He also helped draft players like Eric Weddle and Donald Butler. I just feel as if the Chargers need new blood. San Diego hasn’t been successful in a long time and some of AJ’s bad habits may have rubbed off on Jimmy. Still he has had success drafting players for the Chargers and should still at least be considered.

4 Dave Caldwell Director of Personnel, Atlanta Falcons- This is Caldwell’s first season as Director of Personnel, the last 4 seasons before that his title was Director of College Scouting. The Falcons are another team that is on the brink of winning a Championship. It’s no secret that Atlanta has one of the most potent offenses in the NFL. Players he has taken a part in include Sean Weatherspoon, Matt Ryan, and Julio Jones. Those players have yet to win a playoff game but they are all very young and very talented. Caldwell wouldn’t be a terrible choice and could very well put the Bolts on a competitive status as soon as next year.

3 Omar Khan Chief Contract Negotiator, Pittsburgh Steelers- While I don’t like numbers guys as a GM, Omar Khan has been reported to be extremely smart when it comes to contracts. Khan has been able to talk to the toughest of agents and build relationships with them. Khan can also clean up our books a little bit and has reported to be, “Smart enough to know what he doesn’t know.” -Jason La Confora. Which essentially means Khan knows what he can and can not handle. You won’t see him in the office watching film trying to make a decision by himself. This would be a great hire if you were looking at a head coach like Jon Gruden, who is someone who might want some control of scouting and personnel. We always know as well that the Steelers are competitive year in and year out.

2 Tom Gamble Director of Player Personnel, San Francisco 49ers- Gamble is a very hot commodity. He knows how to keep a well maintained roster and stay competitive. Gamble also worked with the Colts from 98-’04 as a member of the scouting team. The Colts first round draft picks are as follows: ’98 Peyton Manning, ’99 Edgerrin James, ’01 Reggie Wayne, ’02 Dwight Freeney, ’03 Dallas Clark. As if that isn’t impressive enough, the 49ers draft picks since he has been their (2005) Vernon Davis, Aldon Smith, Patrick Willis, Anthony Davis just to name a few. The proof has been in the pudding and with the 49ers on the brink of winning a championship it goes without saying that Gamble would be a great GM. With San Diego not too far from San Francisco it could make the Chargers more appealing as well.

1 Marc Ross Director of College Scouting, New York Giants- Marc Ross has been with the Giants for sometime now and has proven to know what he has been talking about. Being a big part of two Super Bowl Championship teams means a lot. Ross knows what needs to be done and and can put the pieces in place for this team to be successful. Ross also helped make decisions on players such as Hakeem Nicks and Jason Pierre-Paul. His experience is definitely there. I would rather have a personnel guy than a numbers guy in the front office due to the fact that the numbers game can always be handed off and be dealt with having an assistant. It takes something extra to know great talent, and if they know he can be a vital part of the team they can make the numbers happen.

San Diego has a big task in front of them this year. It will be extremely interesting to see the next step because the next step will play a role in the step after that, which would be hiring a head coach. The right decision could put San Diego back in the saddle for next year.

Bolt Pride!

-Joey Nicks