Chargers fans, applaud A.J. Smith. He made a nice move sending a 7th-round pick to the Cowboys for wide receiver Patrick Crayton.
The immediate question: What affect (if any) does this have on the ongoing Vincent Jackson saga?
Smith will likely say the move has nothing to do with Jackson. The team simply saw an opportunity to add a quality football player and jumped on it because it makes "good football sense."
There is an element of truth to that. The Chargers have prepared for a while to go on without Vincent. It's almost like he doesn't even exist in their world.
So, what about the new guy?
He's a former 7th round pick who worked his way into the starting rotation in Dallas, then was kind of forgotten about by his coaching staff.
Jerry Jones fell in love with the physical skills of Roy Williams (who has underachieved to an almost Ryan Leafian level in Texas) and gave him a monster contract.
Miles Austin came out of nowhere to become one of the best wideouts in the NFL and start dating Kardashians.
Then Jones (who meddles with his roster like it's his Fantasy Football team) fell in love with another physical freak, drafting Dez Bryant in the first round this year.
So in one off-season Crayton went from number two receiver to odd man out, even thought he arguably kept getting better as a pass catcher.
He's known for having a solid work ethic. He's effective in the slot or on the edge and has the speed to stretch defenses or make defenders miss over the middle. Perhaps most important, he's smart. Crayton was described to me as a "heady" player. Just the kind of guy Norv Turner likes, and the feeling is mutual.
Crayton already said he's excited to play in the Chargers offense and catch balls from Philip Rivers.
So, in conclusion, A.J. Smith gave his head coach another weapon, and got it at a Costco price. I like it!
