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When Tom Telesco received an interview for the San Diego Chargers’ vacant general manager post in January, it was considered a terrific opportunity in the career of promising young front-office man.

Telesco wasn’t considered a sure bet to be hired to pump life into a stale franchise after the 10-year A.J. Smith era. But Telesco took control of his future and essentially stole the job.

It was well known that the Chargers were focused on removing Smith and head coach Norv Turner. Longtime personnel man Jimmy Raye was widely considered as a slam-dunk to be promoted. The Chargers were fine with the front office as a whole. They figured Smith’s time with the team had run its course and that the bigger issue was finding a replacement for Turner.

Then, Telesco interviewed. Everything changed. Telesco opened the Chargers’ minds. Perhaps an outside voice to lead the front office was exactly what the team needed. And in a big upset, the Chargers named the 40-year-old Indianapolis front-office man to replace Smith.

The surprise hiring was met with applause from around the league. Telesco was a career front-office man and a protégé of former Colts general manager Bill Polian. Telesco was known for a keen scouting eye and was credited with helping turn the Colts back into a playoff team by restocking the roster.

“Tom has that no-stone-unturned mindset,” said Ryan Grigson, his boss in Indianapolis last year. “Tom never stops working. That's what the Chargers are going to appreciate. If I asked Tom if this guy could play or not, an hour later I was getting a text from him or he was knocking on my door, giving me a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down. Tom is a bright, bright, bright guy with a great work ethic.”

Ownership was reportedly blown away by Telesco's knowledge of the Chargers' roster during his interview. The Spanos family was stunned by his vision for the team moving forward.

I asked Telesco about that, and he brushed it off.

“It’s my job to know the league,” said Telesco, polite as always. “I have to know that stuff. It’s my job to study rosters every day.”

Polian, now an ESPN analyst, wasn’t surprised that Telesco impressed the Chargers. Telesco first joined the NFL with Carolina in 1995 when Polian ran the Panthers. He followed Polian to Indianapolis in 1998.

“Tom knows the league, he does what it takes to be good at his job,” Polian said. “He’s a hard worker. He’s level-headed. He’s a great judge of talent. … He will be great in San Diego.”

His first offseason in San Diego has been positive. He received kudos for tabbing heavily sought-after Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy to coach the team. Chargers employees tout Telesco, who played receiver at noted NFL coaching and front-office factory John Carroll University in Ohio, as friendly. They say he has re-energized a building that lacked excitement at the end of the Smith era.

Most league observers believe the Chargers, who have gone three seasons without making the playoffs, had one of the best drafts in the NFL. The Chargers scored big in the first three rounds with the selections of Alabama right tackle D.J. Fluker (first round), Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o (second) and California receiver Keenan Allen (third). ESPN analysts Todd McShay and Mel Kiper both said during the draft that Telesco got three first-round picks with his first three choices. Telesco aggressively went after Te’o, who was falling, and traded up on the clock to take him.

Telesco was less aggressive in free agency. The cap-strapped Chargers were active, but they didn’t make many splashes. They did get several players who should help right away, starting with cornerback Derek Cox, guard Chad Rinehart and running back Danny Woodhead.

San Diego has not sufficiently addressed its biggest need yet: left tackle. Free-agent signing King Dunlap is currently expected to start there even though he is not considered a solid option. The team is also talking to Pittsburgh free agent Max Starks. In Telesco’s defense, the Chargers never really had a great chance of adding a top option at the position because of cap issues and because the top three draft options were gone after the first four picks of the draft.

Regardless of whether the Chargers enter Telesco’s first season a finished project, he promises to continue to approach the job his way.

“(I) come into work every day trying to find the best players we can,” Telesco said. “Part of building chemistry with the team and the team process is getting to know the coaches well, getting to know the scouts, the front office. That's all part of team building for me. It's just trying to get to know everybody really well.”

If the four 2013 AFC West head coaches were put together for a group photo, folks would wonder why the big guy from Philadelphia crashed the Denver reunion.

The AFC West is undergoing a major change at the top: The division is now headed by a fascinating group of coaches. After just two seasons in Denver, John Fox is the dean of AFC West coaches. Oakland’s Dennis Allen -- who, in his second season, is still the youngest coach in the NFL -- is second in seniority in the AFC West.

When San Diego fired Norv Turner, who was previously the senior AFC West coach with six years in the division, and Kansas City jettisoned Romeo Crennel after one season as the permanent coach, two interesting head-coaching doors opened.

The Chargers followed the stale Turner era with former Denver offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, and the Chiefs kicked off the 2013 NFL coaching season by making a big splash in the form of Andy Reid, who was fired after a 14-season stay in Philadelphia.

Both hires were met with rave reviews. Reid was the most accomplished coach available, and McCoy -- who was on virtually every short candidate list in 2013 -- was considered the most desirable of the available coordinators. Along with former Oregon coach Chip Kelly's hiring in Philadelphia, the Reid and McCoy hires are the most anticipated of the eight new hires in the NFL.

Making the new division coaching lineup even more intriguing is that both McCoy -- the second-youngest head coach in the NFL -- and Allen are direct branches on the Fox coaching tree. Allen was hired by Oakland in 2012 after one season as Denver’s defensive coordinator. Then, San Diego did the same thing with McCoy after the 2012 season.

"There's only 32 of these [jobs], so it's a little unusual that it would be two years in a row that a coordinator [from the same team] would get a head-coaching job [in] the same division,” Allen said.

The changing power structure in the division was a major topic at the NFL combine in Indianapolis last month.

“I’ll tell you it’s a pretty good division,” Reid said. “[Denver has] a lot of good players, and they’ve got a phenomenal coach. You see what happened in San Diego with the hiring there. Mike is a heck of a football coach, great offensive mind. He’s got a quarterback that is a good football player, and he’s got a good surrounding cast. Then, you look at Oakland, they’re a good football team. [General manager] Reggie [McKenzie] is building that thing up and doing a nice job there, so I think there is great competition in there. Obviously, we didn’t do very well last year, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

The reason there has been so much change in the AFC West in the past few years is that the division has been among the weakest in the NFL. In 2012, Denver won 13 games, and the other three teams won a combined 13 games.

These changes have people thinking the division can get better quickly.

“Mike McCoy, Dennis Allen and then Andy Reid in Kansas City -- you’re looking at with me really knowing two of them and then Andy Reid and his reputation and what he’s done in this league, we know we’ve got our hands full,” Denver vice president John Elway said. “So we have to continue to get better and hopefully stay ahead of them.”

McCoy acknoweldged that getting his first job in the division where he's spent the past four seasons is a head start. He knows the personnel of his three opponents well. McCoy can focus on getting his new team to compete better within the AFC West.

Still, McCoy is aware that the Broncos will know his traits, as they knew Allen’s when he went to Oakland.

“You got to look at it that you still have to go out and play between the lines,” McCoy said. “You can give the players so much information, but if you give them too much information, you might hurt them to a certain extent. Obviously, knowing the Broncos inside and out, we’ll have a good idea on what they want to do. But they’re going to change also. With Peyton [Manning], he’s going to change code words and all those things. So sometimes, I think there’s too much made of that.”

We’ll find out the answer to that question soon enough in the new-look AFC West.

Have the Kansas City Chiefs finally found their long-term franchise quarterback with the pending acquisition of Alex Smith?

That may be a stretch.

But he is a solid solution for the next few years, and considering the quality of available quarterbacks and the Chiefs’ considerable talent level, that may be good enough.

I don’t consider Smith a franchise quarterback. Frankly, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who does. But I do consider him a fine bridge starter, and he was the best option for Kansas City in 2013.

There is no question Smith gives the Chiefs the best opportunity to win now out of the group of available quarterbacks. Let’s face it: This is a bad year to need a quarterback.

Smith, who played well while compiling a record of 19-5-1 in 2011 and 2012 before he was hurt and replaced in San Francisco, is the best option. This trade means the Chiefs will not draft Geno Smith with the No. 1 overall pick. Smith was considered a major reach with the No. 1 pick, anyway.

Other potential options were Nick Foles of the Eagles and Matt Flynn of the Seahawks. New Kansas City coach Andy Reid drafted Foles and made him his starter last season. He would have been a fine fit -- a better fit than Smith because of his age and familiarity with Reid. The Chiefs asked about Foles, but he wasn't available.

New Kansas City general manager John Dorsey was with Flynn in Green Bay, but the Chiefs never really showed interest in Flynn. Besides, Smith is a better player than Flynn.

Yes, the compensation Kansas City paid is steep. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Chiefs sent a second-round pick this year (No. 34) and a conditional high pick in 2014. It’s a load, and the 49ers made out like bandits in this deal considering they were moving away from Smith.

For Kansas City, though, it’s the cost of doing business when you need a quarterback. If Smith leads the Chiefs to the playoffs a couple of times and finally solidifies the position, then the traded draft picks will be well worth it. The Chiefs think they can win with Smith, who turns 29 in May.

Getting a starting quarterback isn’t cheap. Oakland gave up a first- and second-round pick for Carson Palmer when he was 31, and Arizona gave up a second-round pick and standout cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for the unproven Kevin Kolb.

Let’s not forget that Kansas City has a solid roster overall. A major reason this team went 2-14 in 2012 was poor leadership from coach Romeo Crennel and his staff and terrible quarterback play from Matt Cassel, who should be released any day, and Brady Quinn. The Chiefs addressed the coaching issue by hiring Reid, who is one of the most respected coaches in the NFL.

And now they have their quarterback.

I know many people worry that Smith is similar to Cassel, who was brought in by the previous regime in 2009 to be the franchise quarterback. Cassel played well in 2010 but regressed badly the past two years.

Smith is a better version of Cassel because he doesn’t turn the ball over. Smith turned the ball over six times last season, while Kansas City quarterbacks turned it over 29 times. He plays well in the West Coast system. And he'll benefit from a premier running game in Kansas City.

A key here is Reid. He reportedly has liked Smith, who was the seventh highest-ranked quarterback in Total QBR in 2012, since he was the No. 1 overall pick in 2005. Reid has shown he can succeed with multiple quarterbacks.

I think Reid and Smith have similar personalities. Both are calm and level-headed. Smith responded to good coaching when he played for Norv Turner and Jim Harbaugh. He will continue to get good coaching from Reid in an atmosphere that he should respond well to. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said Wednesday that Smith and Reid could make a good pair.

“Smith is great at valuing the football,” Williamson said. “How many wins would Kansas City have had last year with a quarterback who didn’t turn over the ball?”

If Smith continues to play well and continues to value the ball, the Chiefs should be much better in 2013. Are they a surefire playoff team with Smith? Well, that depends on a lot of variables, but there is no question that the addition of Smith gives them a better chance than any of the other available options.

For now, that’s all the Chiefs can ask for.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The San Diego Chargers hired a pair of 40-year-olds in Tom Telesco and Mike McCoy to bring a fresh approach to an organization that got stale.

The two men put on an impressive showing in their NFL scouting combine debut Thursday when both met the media. Both came off as strong, confident leaders who have a common goal in San Diego.

McCoy, the former Denver offensive coordinator who has been described as being presidential in how he goes about his business, finally stated that he and Telesco plan to change the culture of the organization that was once known as having one of the better rosters in the NFL, but now has gone three straight years without making the playoffs. When he was asked what that met, McCoy replied without hesitation: “We’re going to build a football team that is going to win a lot of games.”

The fresh approach is exactly what was needed in San Diego. The Chargers fell flat and probably should have made an organizational change after 2011. But general manager A.J. Smith and coach Norv Turner were given one more year. It didn’t work.

Telseco was hired away from the Colts to take over as general manager and then he led the charge to hire McCoy, who was one of the most coveted coaching candidates in the league this year. McCoy said the goal of both men is to turn the franchise into a “long-term winner.”

McCoy said he thinks Denver has to be considered the favorite in the division because it is coming off a 13-3 season, but “it is a new season.”

Both Telesco and McCoy said the team will continue to build around quarterback Philip Rivers. Both men said the presence of Rivers was a major selling point in coming to San Diego.

“Philip is a big asset of this job,” Telesco said.

Rivers had had two down seasons and he has been turnover-prone in both years, although he drastically cut down on his miscues in the final six games of last season. McCoy said he believes Rivers can flourish in his system and he expects Rivers to “get it going again.”

It’s a new day in San Diego, but getting Rivers back on track will make McCoy and Telseco reach their goals much quicker.

Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie gave his end of-the-season address to media on Thursday.

There wasn’t much earth-shattering news as reported by CSNBayArea. As expected, McKenzie said he expects running back Darren McFadden to be with the team in the final year of his contract. McKenzie did say he didn’t think McFadden was best suited for the zone-blocking scheme Oakland used last season.

He also said he hopes the Oakland coaching staff is filled in the coming days and acknowledged he talked with former San Diego head coach Norv Turner about the offensive coordinator job. Turner was not interested.

McKenzie also said the Raiders’ salary-cap situation (they are currently $4.5 million over the cap for 2013) is better than last year, but the team still has work to do and he doesn’t expect any big-name free-agent additions. Still, he hopes to be able to make some additions in free agency.

Guard Mike Brisiel underwent “major” ankle surgery after the season, McKenzie reported. Even the worst ankle injuries are often healed within eight months. Barring something unusual, Brisiel should be on pace to play next season.

In other AFC West news:

Knowshon Moreno's injury from the Saturday playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens is not considered serious. Surgery will not be required and he is expected to be fine moving forward.

As expected, John Spanos has been named executive vice president of football operations with the San Diego Chargers. He will work closely with his father, owner Dean Spanos.

The sad story of former San Diego quarterback Ryan Leaf took another turn. He was dismissed from a drug treatment program and he is now in a Montana prison.

 

I’m sure it had to bother Oakland Raiders fans to see AFC West-rival Denver fill its offensive coordinator job less than 48 hours after it opened. Oakland’s search has been ongoing now for 17 days with no end in sight.

But Denver’s decision to promote quarterbacks coach Adam Gase to offensive coordinator instead of going outside of the organization could benefit the Raiders. There seem to be more offensive coordinators than open jobs at this point.

Among the available candidates include Ken Whisenhunt, Pat Shurmur, Chan Gailey, Cam Cameron, Mike Mularkey, Marty Mornhinweg and Mike Tice.

Oakland has already considered Mike Martz, Greg Olson and in-house candidate Al Saunders. Stanford offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton could also be a candidate. He is well-regarded and has NFL experience. Oakland coach Dennis Allen tabbed defensive coordinator Jason Tarver out of the nearby school last year.

Yes, the process is slow, but there is no real timetable. Sure, the Oakland staff is coaching in the Senior Bowl next week, but it doesn’t need an offensive coordinator in place for that game. The Raiders would get by with its current staff if need be. The Senior Bowl is traditionally a prime opportunity to interview for coaches, so perhaps Allen will find his new offensive coordinator there. Allen also needs a special-teams coach, offensive line coach and a linebackers coach.

So, even though the process has been slow, there is no shortage of potential candidates in Oakland.

In other AFC West news:

• As long expected, the Browns hired former San Diego coach Norv Turner as offensive coordinator. He is reuniting with former San Diego assistant Rob Chudzinski, who is now Cleveland’s head coach. Turner’s son, Scott, is the Browns’ wide receivers coach.
• Former Kansas City special-teams coach Tom McMahon has been hired for the same job with the Colts.

John Fox has been in the AFC West for two years and two days.

Yet, his impact has been great. Fox -- who became the dean of AFC West coaches after Norv Turner’s firing two weeks ago -- was won two division titles in two years in Denver. It has been duly noted by Denver’s rivals.

For the second time in a year, Fox’s staff has been raided by another AFC West team when Broncos’ offensive coordinator Mike McCoy became San Diego’s head coach Tuesday. Last year, Oakland hired Denver defensive coordinator Dennis Allen off of Fox’s staff.

Monday, in his season-ending news conference, Fox sounded prepared despite losing another top assistant.

“No different than when Dennis left a year ago,” Fox said when asked if he thought McCoy would leave his staff. “I think that worked out alright. I don’t have any reasons to think any different."

Fox was referring to Denver’s defensive success under Allen’s replacement, Jack Del Rio. Denver was 20th in the NFL in total defense in 2011 and No. 2 in 2012.

So that brings us to the natural question: Who will replace McCoy?

Denver shouldn’t have a problem finding candidates. The prospects of working with Peyton Manning make this a top job.

Among the expected candidates are former Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt (if he doesn’t get a head coaching job), former Colts offensive coordinator Tom Moore, Colts quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen and Denver quarterback coach Adam Gase. Moore is the wild card here. He has reportedly said he wants to become a full-time coach again. If so, Moore, 74, becomes the favorite.

He and Manning were in Indianapolis together for 13 years. They remain close and Moore helped Manning train last year when he was returning from his neck injury that kept him out for all of last season. If Moore is not in the mix, Christensen and Manning are close. Manning also has a good relationship with Whisenhunt, although they never worked together.

The person Fox hires for this job will be someone who Manning feels comfortable with. We all know Manning is essentially a coach on the field, so the person who replaces McCoy will be someone who Manning can work well with.

The San Diego Chargers won on Tuesday morning.

Will it result in more victories when it counts? That’s the goal, but it is clear the Chargers want to take a young, refreshed approach as they move away from the long tenure of GM A.J. Smith and coach Norv Turner that ended with a three-year playoff drought.

And the Chargers want to do it by fixing their 31-year-old quarterback.

Less than 72 hours after Mike McCoy landed on the market, the Chargers plucked the grand prize of the remaining head-coaching candidates by agreeing to terms with the Denver offensive coordinator. San Diego was one of five open jobs when it agreed with McCoy. McCoy had interviewed with four of the five, and the fifth -- Jacksonville -- was hoping to line up a visit.

San Diego finalized its deal with McCoy while Arizona tried to get a second interview with him Tuesday. The Cardinals were his most aggressive pursuer, and they were considered one of the few teams that would have waited for McCoy if Denver had ended up in the Super Bowl. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday -- the day of McCoy’s only interview with the Chargers -- that McCoy wanted the Chargers’ job.

And he got it.

His first task will be working with quarterback Philip Rivers.

Heading into the 2011 season, Rivers was considered the best active quarterback without a Super Bowl ring. But Rivers has since become a turnover machine. Still, he is far from a lost cause. He threw just one interception in the final six games of the 2012 season and none in the final four games.

Rivers has seen the talent dwindle around him at essentially every offensive position. It will be up to new San Diego general manager Tom Telesco -- who, like McCoy, is 40 -- to help in the talent area. It is up to McCoy to give Rivers a new life and to give him new philosophies. Rivers has worked closely with Turner since 2007.

Now, McCoy will get a chance to infuse his energy and knowledge into Rivers. This must be the main reason McCoy has been hired. Nothing can turn around a franchise like a top quarterback. Rivers can be that guy again.

Rivers is clearly the reason McCoy wanted the Chargers. Rivers was considered the best quarterback among the five teams without a coach, including Jay Cutler in Chicago. Cutler is younger than Rivers, but he is considered a more difficult personality to work with.

McCoy enters his relationship with Rivers on the heels of two unbelievable quarterback coaching experiences in the past two years. In 2011, McCoy coached Tim Tebow. In 2012, he guided Peyton Manning. He went to the playoffs with both QBs.

McCoy got on the radar as a head-coaching candidate with his Tebow work. In midseason, simply as an act of survival, McCoy scrapped a pro-style offense and scripted an option-based offense that suited Tebow. It worked. Then, in 2012, McCoy got a year into the mind of Manning, the greatest quarterback mind of all time.

McCoy comes to San Diego with quite a résumé and playbook.

For the second time in less than a week, I applaud San Diego for a key hire. The Chargers hired Telesco over longtime A.J. Smith assistant Jimmy Raye. Telesco is known as one of the bright young minds in the league. Going outside of the organization was a smart move for the stale Chargers.

The Chargers talked to several older coaches, including Lovie Smith and Ken Whisenhunt, and the team was planning to talk to Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, who worked with Telesco.

But when the young, fresh McCoy became available, he clearly became the Chargers’ target. There’s no doubt the Chargers won the coaching sweepstakes with McCoy, and the reason why is the presence of Rivers. Now, they all have to make it work.

John Pagano is in a tough spot.

He is under contract with the San Diego Chargers, and there is a chance he will be kept as defensive coordinator. However, the Chargers’ coaching search is still full swing, so Pagano must wait.

In the meantime, he is missing out on opportunities. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Cleveland wants to hire Pagano as defensive coordinator. Former San Diego head coach Norv Turner is likely going to be Rob Chudzinski’s offensive coordinator. The three men worked in San Diego together. However, the Chargers aren’t letting Pagano out of his deal, because they might have plans for him.

Schefter also reported that Pagano had a chance to interview in Kansas City. Andy Reid hired Jets linebackers coach Bob Sutton to run his defense. Pagano did an excellent job in San Diego. If Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians is the hire in San Diego, I expect Pagano to stay.

In other AFC West news:

Schefter reports former Chicago coach Lovie Smith wants to hire Stanford offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton as his offensive coordinator if he gets the San Diego job. Hamilton coached for Smith in the past. I think Hamilton could interest Oakland as well.

Denver had three first-team players on the Associated Press’ All-Pro squad. They are: quarterback Peyton Manning, left tackle Ryan Clady and linebacker Von Miller.

New Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid is working to complete his coaching staff. ArrowheadPride.com has an update on Reid's search.

While the Chiefs haven’t announced the hiring of any coaches, several reports state that former Eagles’ quarterback coach Doug Pederson will be Reid’s offensive coordinator. It is interesting that Reid is going young with the hire. But let’s face it, the offense will be Reid’s show and Pederson will manage it.

The most important hire on Reid’s staff will be defensive coordinator. After the death of his longtime defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, the Eagles’ defense sagged in recent years. Reid has to get this one right.

The New York Daily News is reporting New York Jets linebacker coach Bob Sutton is in line to get the job. Sutton was the Jets' defensive coordinator from 2007-08. He has been with the Jets for 13 years and is known as a good coach. Still, he is fairly inexperienced as a coordinator.

If Sutton gets the job, the Chiefs will likely keep the 3-4. I think that is important. This defense is set up for the 3-4 and is solid on paper. Sutton will have plenty to work with.

If Pederson is the choice in Kansas City that means former Eagles’ offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg will be available. He could be someone Oakland looks at for its opening at offensive coordinator. He is experienced and from the Bay Area.

Meanwhile, there are reports former San Diego Chargers head coach Nor Turner may end up with the Cleveland Browns. The Browns just hired Rob Chudzinski. Until last year, he was one of Turner’s top assistants in San Diego. Chudzinski is reportedly bringing Turner’s son, Scott, with him from Carolina to Cleveland. At this point of his career, I can see Turner wanting to work with people he is comfortable with.

 

Now, that the San Diego Chargers have hired former Indianapolis executive Tom Telesco to take over as general manager, the search is fully focused on finding the team’s new head coach.

The plan is to make a hire by the end of next week. The Chargers, who fired general manager A.J. Smith and coach Norv Turner on Dec. 31, have started the coaching search, but Telesco takes over.

There have been several names connected to the job including former Chicago coach Lovie Smith, Indianapolis offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, UCLA coach Jim Mora and former Seattle and Green Bay coach Mike Holmgren.

I think Smith and Arians may be the favorites of that group, although anything could happen.

Two more names could be part of the team’s list as well. Cincinnati offensive coordinator Jay Gruden could interest the team. Telesco played at John Carroll University with San Francisco offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Cincinnati defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer could also be part of the process.

While the Chargers’ immediate ends are on offense, Telesco has worked in programs that have been led by both offensive and defensive-minded head coach.

Arians has long been considered a favorite for this job. the fact that he and Telesco were key parts of the team’s wonderful turnaround likely won’t hurt his chances. But I’m not sure if it increases the chances of Arians being hired because I think Telesco will be open minded.

Telesco is also connected to Smith in a round-about way. Telesco was with the Colts when Tony Dungy coached there. Smith is part of Dungy’s coaching tree. Overall, I think everything is one the table for San Diego as it fully concentrating on replacing Turner now that Telesco is in place.

UPDATE: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Arians will tentively is set to interview with the Chargers on Monday.

This is not a knock on Jimmy Raye, the Chargers' director of player personnel.

By all accounts, he has been a terrific employee for the Chargers over the past 17 years and he has all the makings of a fine general manager. With that said, the San Diego Chargers made the right call by bypassing Raye in favor of Indianapolis executive Tom Telesco for their vacant GM job.

The Chargers badly need an influx of outside perspective.

Had Raye been hired (he was considered the heavy favorite), the front office would have largely remained the same outside of the firing of A.J. Smith, who was let go last week after nearly 10 years on the job. The Chargers needed to do more than just moving away from Smith in the front office.

They need a new set of eyes. They need a new philosophy.

I salute them for making this hire. Prior to the search, it was considered nearly a foregone conclusion that Raye would be promoted.

But the search committee, which included former Green Bay general manager Ron Wolf, did an excellent job of talking to several outside candidates. From what I understand, Telesco blew the committee away. He was prepared and he had plenty of ideas.

Plus, he already has skins on the wall. Telesco has been credited for helping the Colts turnaround their roster this season.

Like the front office, the Chargers’ roster has gotten stale. With new ideas and experience from another franchise, Telesco can breathe new life into this program.

San Diego owner Dean Spanos told reporters Wednesday that Telesco will run the search for a new head coach, which now begins in earnest. I get the sense the Chargers hired Telesco because they trust he can add something to the program it didn’t have.

I’m not sure ownership believed it was going to find someone so impressive.

The Chargers need Telesco’s eye for talent right away. When he was fired, former coach Norv Turner said he didn’t think the Chargers had the most talented roster in the AFC West for the past three seasons (San Diego didn’t make the playoffs all three years). Turner also said San Diego fans should lean more toward being surprised if the Chargers make the playoffs next year rather than expecting it.

Turner is right. This roster has holes, especially on offense. Quarterback Philip Rivers needs help at nearly every position. Defensively, San Diego is stout. But Telesco needs to score in free agency and in the draft.

He also has to find a strong coach. We will be back with thoughts on that search later. But this is a fine start in San Diego. Telesco’s hiring is the front step in re-energizing this organization.

The San Diego Chargers have begun their front-office restructuring with the hiring of Indianapolis executive Tom Telesco as general manager.

Telesco takes over for A.J. Smith, who ran the team since 2003. Smith was fired Dec. 31, along with coach Norv Turner after the Chargers failed to make the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

The hiring of Telesco is considered a bit of a surprise. The favorite to get the job was in-house candidate Jimmy Raye. Telesco is well respected and he is credited with helping the Colts’ quick turnaround this season.

I like it. The Chargers need an influx of talent, especially on offense, and getting a pair of eyes from outside the organization should help.

I will have much more on this story upcoming.

In an Insider piece, Pro Football Focus thinks the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs could mirror the 2012 Indianapolis Colts as a team that went from having the No. 1 pick in the draft to having big success.

I think the Chiefs can get better quickly but there is one type of player the 2012 Colts had that the Chiefs do not yet have – Andrew Luck. The Chiefs must find a quarterback before making any big 2013 plans.

In other AFC West news:

ESPN’s Ed Werder is reporting Dallas could pursue former San Diego coach Norv Turner to run their offense. Turner had immense success as Dallas’ offensive coordinator in the early 1990s.

In an Insider piece, Mel Kiper thinks a couple of Denver rookies are poised to have big seasons in 2013.

In an Insider piece, Herm Edwards thinks the Chargers will be among a group of teams to bounce back in 2013. I maintain that the key is getting an influx of talent on offense for San Diego. The Chargers just aren’t currently good enough on offense.

Denver cornerback Champ Bailey and left tackle Ryan Clady both made USA Football’s All-Fundamentals team.

The Raiders named defensive back Michael Huff their recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Chip Kelly is set to talk to nearly half the teams looking for a head coach.

However, the Oregon coach’s dance card does not currently include any AFC West teams. USA Today is reporting the offensive innovators will talk to Buffalo, Cleveland and Philadelphia. There are seven job openings including spots in San Diego and Kansas City.

The Chargers and Chiefs theoretically could be added to the list of Kelly pursuers at any time. But I’d be surprised if either team joins the fray.

He doesn’t seem like a typical financial or physical fit for either team right now. Yes, both teams will likely want to hire offensive coaches. But the Chiefs and Chargers are looking elsewhere.

It’s clear Kansas City is focusing on Andy Reid. He met with the Chiefs all day Wednesday and it could come down to Reid making a decision between the Cardinals and the Chiefs. If Reid goes to Arizona, perhaps the Chiefs will re-think their plan.

The Chargers, meanwhile, are concentrating on their general manager search and then they will commence their coaching search. It doesn’t appear a coach like Kelly will fit the structure they want to follow. While anything can change, I’m not surprised the AFC West is not involved in the Kelly pursuit.

In other AFC West news:

As expected, the Jets have former San Diego coach Norv Turner on their short list to be their new offensive coordinator. Turner will not have a shortage of opportunities.

In an Insider piece, Mel Kiper recognizes some AFC West rookies for their strong seasons .