"Maybe you've noticed, but A.J. Smith sort of does things his own way.

While acknowledging in no uncertain terms that he has made mistakes and saying he could do things differently in some areas going forward, he made a point on Tuesday, the day of his reprieve, to say his philosophy on the all-important topic of free agency has not and will not change.

"It hasn't," he said. "It's the same."

So, while it would seem the pressure is on Smith to make a splash in free agency, he probably doesn't think so.

It says here that the perfect storm is upon the Chargers to do just that – what is expected to be an excellent crop of available veteran talent coupled with an abundance of Chargers' needs."