Time to make the biggest splash

San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith did a good job retaining key players in center Nick Hardwick and left tackle Jared Gaither. It was also nice to see Smith sign wide receiver Robert Meachem and outside linebacker Jarret Johnson. Now it's time for Smith to go outside the box and add an impact player. After missing out on offensive guard Carl Nicks, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it's time to bring Houston Texans defensive end/outside linebacker Mario Williams to San Diego.

Williams was in Buffalo yesterday, talking to the Bills. Although Buffalo is switching back to the 4-3 scheme and has a young stud at defensive tackle in Marcell Dareus, the Bills do not have an elite quarterback such as Rivers. Buffalo committed itself to Ryan Fitzpatrick with a long-term contract in the middle of last season, a decision that will probably haunt them over the next few years. Moreover, Buffalo hasn't participated in postseason action since 1999, and Williams hasn't played in a postseason game since he entered the NFL as the #1 overall pick of the 2006 draft--he was injured for the Texans' first playoff game in franchise history last year. As a result, he knows what it's like to play for a dead-end team, and while San Diego hasn't been in "the tournament" over the last two seasons, Williams is the biggest piece the Chargers are missing for a championship puzzle. Clearly, the Chargers are much more appealing than the Bills.

There are also reports stating the Seattle Seahawks have immense interest in Williams. With Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst at quarterback, however, it's doubtful that Williams will prefer to go to the Pacific Northwest over San Diego.

According to ESPN, Williams has also set up visits with other, undisclosed teams. For our sake as Chargers fans, let's hope none of those teams is the New England Patriots.

Ultimately, as most decisions are made in free agency, it will mostly come down to the money offered. In that case, it's time for Smith to finally bite the bullet and spend the big bucks to lure in this impact player.