southeastjerome
Footballguy
Where's redman on this? I guess he has a life. 
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****OFFICIAL**** 2008 Washington Redskins Off Season Thread! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter DCThunder
- Start date
valhallan
Footballguy
Local here, and I've been following this whole thing. It was clear the fans were not excited about Fassel, so Danny did right to avoid that debacle. Zorn has been the "guy they brought in" who epitomized the "staff is already hired" thing. The real question here is Campbell.. he's not a WC guy 
Sidewinder16
Footballguy
Haven't been able to find it again, but I thought someone said in this thread that Campbell had a WCO one year in college and did fairly well with it. Anyone else remember that, or am I making it up?The real question here is Campbell.. he's not a WC guy
Guinis72
Footballguy
As a lifelong Skins fan, I actually like this move more than hiring Fassel too. On ESPN they were saying that Snyder liked the success former Holmgren QB coaches have had, like Andy Reid. Campbell has to hold some kind of record for most offenses learned at his age, but a young QB-friendly coach will be good for him.
I'm not happy about the process but I can't complain about the end result.
I'm not happy about the process but I can't complain about the end result.
fatness
Footballguy
I just heard about Zorn this morning and after my initial laugh, I think (hope) that everyone gives him a chance and lets this play out. It's not tru that there isn't someone to "mentor" him as the Redskins have a former head coach (for two teams) on the staff right now, namely Joe Bugel. Buges may not have been a great HC, but he was a long time Gibbs guy and can, I hope, be a source of inspiration and saneness when things get crazy in Ashburn.
Let's all hope that Zorn = Gibbs in 1981.
Let's all hope that Zorn = Gibbs in 1981.
redman
Footballguy
All I can say is, I just hope this works out. I'm looking down at the tangled mess of cords in my home office that hook up two computers, two printers, a scanner, a fax, a modem, a wireless router, headphones, an external drive, etc. Fortunately, when I hit the power switch, everything runs as it should. That's what I hope this feels like when it's all said and done.
redman
Footballguy
Where's redman on this? I guess he has a life.
We were celebrating my mother in law's birthday, and then I watched a few episodes of Band of Brothers last night on DVD before hitting the sack. I wasn't in any kind of hurry to come back to the board to check this situation. 
ChrisCooleyFan
Footballguy
Where's redman on this? I guess he has a life.
Happy Bday MIL.
ChrisCooleyFan
Footballguy
From JLC.
Posted at 10:12 PM ET, 02/ 9/2008
What's Next
Starting to try to nail down some possible candidates to take over as Offensive Coordinator now that Jim Zorn is the head coach, now that the carpet guy - cool dude, by the way - left and the basement flood is under control.
Talked to some people who know Zorn and they pointed me to Tennessee assistant head coach Sherman Smith. Smith and Zorn are close friends and were teammates in Seattle and Smith is looking to move up the ladder after being with the Titans since 1995. Smith is a former running back and longtime running backs coach and despite his title, he is not the top offensive guy with the Titans (newly hired OC Mike Heimerdinger is) and league sources said they do not believe the Titans would block a move to the OC spot here.
Someone for us to keep an eye on. People tell me Smith is a great dude - I hear the same thing from people who know Zorn - and they have a hunch he could be on Zorn's immediate radar.
I'll see what else I come up with.
Will post more on what people around the league are saying about Zorn tomorrow, but for now he's the take of one prominent coach:
"Jim is a very good guy, a very even-tempered coach with a really good knowledge of the quarterback position and I think that will be a great thing for Jason Campbell. He's very well respected in the coaching ranks. But there's so much stuff that goes into being a head coach that you have to do that takes away from the tutelage of that guy. I can't imagine being a first time head coach - a guy who was preparing to be a first-time offensive coordinator - and than also being the quarterback coach and putting in an offense and the whole deal. I also wonder, who's going to be Jim's mentor there?
"It may turn out to be a great choice, and Jim can teach, there's no doubt about that. But you look at this and you see they had no plan. You hire a guy for one job, based on the recommendations of coaches you don't end up hiring, and then promote him to head coach two weeks later? A lot of people turned away from that job and going in there with Vinny and Dan Snyder running everything, it's going to take some work putting out the fires and managing them. Joe Gibbs did a tremendous job of managing that owner, but it's going to be very hard for Jim Zorn as a first-time coach to control their impulses and all the fantasy football stuff. You look at the way this whole thing has played out over what, five weeks now, and you have to wonder how they're going to operate
Posted at 10:12 PM ET, 02/ 9/2008
What's Next
Starting to try to nail down some possible candidates to take over as Offensive Coordinator now that Jim Zorn is the head coach, now that the carpet guy - cool dude, by the way - left and the basement flood is under control.
Talked to some people who know Zorn and they pointed me to Tennessee assistant head coach Sherman Smith. Smith and Zorn are close friends and were teammates in Seattle and Smith is looking to move up the ladder after being with the Titans since 1995. Smith is a former running back and longtime running backs coach and despite his title, he is not the top offensive guy with the Titans (newly hired OC Mike Heimerdinger is) and league sources said they do not believe the Titans would block a move to the OC spot here.
Someone for us to keep an eye on. People tell me Smith is a great dude - I hear the same thing from people who know Zorn - and they have a hunch he could be on Zorn's immediate radar.
I'll see what else I come up with.
Will post more on what people around the league are saying about Zorn tomorrow, but for now he's the take of one prominent coach:
"Jim is a very good guy, a very even-tempered coach with a really good knowledge of the quarterback position and I think that will be a great thing for Jason Campbell. He's very well respected in the coaching ranks. But there's so much stuff that goes into being a head coach that you have to do that takes away from the tutelage of that guy. I can't imagine being a first time head coach - a guy who was preparing to be a first-time offensive coordinator - and than also being the quarterback coach and putting in an offense and the whole deal. I also wonder, who's going to be Jim's mentor there?
"It may turn out to be a great choice, and Jim can teach, there's no doubt about that. But you look at this and you see they had no plan. You hire a guy for one job, based on the recommendations of coaches you don't end up hiring, and then promote him to head coach two weeks later? A lot of people turned away from that job and going in there with Vinny and Dan Snyder running everything, it's going to take some work putting out the fires and managing them. Joe Gibbs did a tremendous job of managing that owner, but it's going to be very hard for Jim Zorn as a first-time coach to control their impulses and all the fantasy football stuff. You look at the way this whole thing has played out over what, five weeks now, and you have to wonder how they're going to operate
redman
Footballguy
For some reason this reads a lot like Parcells to me.
dgreen
Footballguy
Hope is the exact word I was thinking last night. We're pretty sure Fassel or Mooch would have produced mediocrity. With Zorn, we can hope for something better. I could be much, much worse, but we at least have the hope of something better.Given what I was expecting, I like this. I actually feel hope for the future when just a few hours ago I was certain I'd be dreading next season.We get a relatively young guy who has been learning at the feet of Holmgren (a coach who I feel is a pretty decent HOF candidate) and has been an integral part of Matt Hasselbeck's success. If he can turn a Hasselbeck into a legit NFL QB just imagine what he could do with Campbell.We get some stability/continuity with the defense and a shot at a WCO-based offense. I'm actually getting anxious for OTAs to begin so I can read the reports on what the offense will start to look like.The Process may have been unorthodox to the point of being flawed, but I can't really say I'm disappointed with the result (which is relative because I've been disappointed for about 4 weeks now).
ChrisCooleyFan
Footballguy
From JLC
Posted at 2:55 PM ET, 02/10/2008
Highlights From Zorn News Conference
What follows is a rough transcript of key comments, posted live during the 3 p.m. Zorn presser:
• First up, of course was owner Daniel Snyder, who thanked fans for "their patience and understanding. I appreciate very much the fan support and patience. ... I also want to thank Joe Gibbs for his daily calls and support. ... It was very comforting as he told me to keep going on the process. ... i appreciate every much that support. ...
The commissioner, Roger Goodell, was frequent caller too, telling me to be patient and complete the process....We conducted a full search and we ended up with the right guy."
• On the circumstances that led to Zorn as the choice: "Vinny kept saying after every interview, 'Zorn.' And that's how we got there."
• Fashion note: Zorn is wearing a black suit and a bright yellow-gold tie. After the usual thank yous, he addressed the matter of taking over a pre-fab staff. "I'm excited that there's a lot of the staff in place already. I think it would be very difficult for me to come in and start from square one [with the combine and draft upcoming]. ... It's going to be much more comfortable for me in this situation than it would be starting from scratch.
"I want to acknowledge Joe Gibbs. I look at these three trophies [like I have to tell you they're the Lombardis...] and it's quite intimidating and I know who's responsible. ... In my playing career, I was only on a team that had a chance to play for the AFC championship in a losing situation. ... I want to acknowledge that a lot of the things that are in place were by Joe and Dan...Thanks, Joe, and thanks for being here [at Redskins Park]. I hope to be able to lean on you in situations that could be a struggle."
• On his mentors: "Bobby Ross with the Detroit Lions has been a major influence in my coaching career. ... The thing I learned from him was how to work. ... Working under Mike Holmgren, I learned how to be efficient, how to delegate, how to oversee and make sure that all the areas you have in place are being taken care of. ... [He's great at] stepping in, stepping back out. ..."
• He also said he would definitely hire an offensive coordinator.
• Zorn now is saying how much he admires the players for the character they showed in the aftermath of Taylor's death. On the tribute to Taylor by the defense in the first game after he died: "I thought to myself, 'Who could have thought something like that up, to play with 10 players on a play to honor a fallen teammate? It's pretty awesome when you think about it."
• He favors a balanced attack and, duh, the West Coast offense, "This whole game is about rhythm, not about hanging onto the ball until you see a guy open."
• On his reaction when Snyder asked Thursday if he wanted to be considered for the head coaching job: "I was taken aback, but not quite speechless because the first words out of my mouth were 'Certainly, I'd like to do that.' It was a little but shocking."
• Zorn gave a little shoutout to The Post's copy desk: "I loved the newspaper headline today: 'Quarterback Sneak.' That's kind of how I got in here, isn't it? The Post got it right."
• On the number of offensive coordinators that quarterback Jason Campbell has worked for in his short career: "I say, 'Ehhh, bummer.' That's his career. I'm not going to worry about all the influences he has had. I am going to worry about the influences he is going to have now.
"The thing I didn't like is the way he has had to squat when he's under center. We've got to get the center to tweak his rear end up a little bit. Part of being a quarterback is being ... explosive off the line of scrimmage. When I was watching him, I wondered how he could be explosive off the line of scrimmage."
• Lastly, Zorn introduced Hall of Fame WR Steve Largent, who was at Redskins Park, and -- of course --was a longtime teammate: "We're still friends and it's tremendous that he lives in Washington D.C., and his boys are here."
Posted at 2:55 PM ET, 02/10/2008
Highlights From Zorn News Conference
What follows is a rough transcript of key comments, posted live during the 3 p.m. Zorn presser:
• First up, of course was owner Daniel Snyder, who thanked fans for "their patience and understanding. I appreciate very much the fan support and patience. ... I also want to thank Joe Gibbs for his daily calls and support. ... It was very comforting as he told me to keep going on the process. ... i appreciate every much that support. ...
The commissioner, Roger Goodell, was frequent caller too, telling me to be patient and complete the process....We conducted a full search and we ended up with the right guy."
• On the circumstances that led to Zorn as the choice: "Vinny kept saying after every interview, 'Zorn.' And that's how we got there."
• Fashion note: Zorn is wearing a black suit and a bright yellow-gold tie. After the usual thank yous, he addressed the matter of taking over a pre-fab staff. "I'm excited that there's a lot of the staff in place already. I think it would be very difficult for me to come in and start from square one [with the combine and draft upcoming]. ... It's going to be much more comfortable for me in this situation than it would be starting from scratch.
"I want to acknowledge Joe Gibbs. I look at these three trophies [like I have to tell you they're the Lombardis...] and it's quite intimidating and I know who's responsible. ... In my playing career, I was only on a team that had a chance to play for the AFC championship in a losing situation. ... I want to acknowledge that a lot of the things that are in place were by Joe and Dan...Thanks, Joe, and thanks for being here [at Redskins Park]. I hope to be able to lean on you in situations that could be a struggle."
• On his mentors: "Bobby Ross with the Detroit Lions has been a major influence in my coaching career. ... The thing I learned from him was how to work. ... Working under Mike Holmgren, I learned how to be efficient, how to delegate, how to oversee and make sure that all the areas you have in place are being taken care of. ... [He's great at] stepping in, stepping back out. ..."
• He also said he would definitely hire an offensive coordinator.
• Zorn now is saying how much he admires the players for the character they showed in the aftermath of Taylor's death. On the tribute to Taylor by the defense in the first game after he died: "I thought to myself, 'Who could have thought something like that up, to play with 10 players on a play to honor a fallen teammate? It's pretty awesome when you think about it."
• He favors a balanced attack and, duh, the West Coast offense, "This whole game is about rhythm, not about hanging onto the ball until you see a guy open."
• On his reaction when Snyder asked Thursday if he wanted to be considered for the head coaching job: "I was taken aback, but not quite speechless because the first words out of my mouth were 'Certainly, I'd like to do that.' It was a little but shocking."
• Zorn gave a little shoutout to The Post's copy desk: "I loved the newspaper headline today: 'Quarterback Sneak.' That's kind of how I got in here, isn't it? The Post got it right."
• On the number of offensive coordinators that quarterback Jason Campbell has worked for in his short career: "I say, 'Ehhh, bummer.' That's his career. I'm not going to worry about all the influences he has had. I am going to worry about the influences he is going to have now.
"The thing I didn't like is the way he has had to squat when he's under center. We've got to get the center to tweak his rear end up a little bit. Part of being a quarterback is being ... explosive off the line of scrimmage. When I was watching him, I wondered how he could be explosive off the line of scrimmage."
• Lastly, Zorn introduced Hall of Fame WR Steve Largent, who was at Redskins Park, and -- of course --was a longtime teammate: "We're still friends and it's tremendous that he lives in Washington D.C., and his boys are here."
fatness
Footballguy
I watched part of the press conference and Zorn came across well --- as a new guy who seemed honestly surprised at the recent turn of events that changed him from OC candidate to actual head coach, but who was not taken aback by it. He was friendly, credited people he had to credit (Holmgren, Gibbs, Snyder, Blache, others). He made it clear Blache will run the defense and that'll be that. He made it clear he'll be hiring an OC.
He made it clear he thinks an offense runs on rhythm, not on waiting for things to develop.
Best line of the news conference, though, went to Dan Snyder.
Reporter: "Why a 5-year contract?"
Snyder: "Why not?". Slight hand shrug. Looks directly at the crowd and says nothing more.
Second-best line was Zorn mentioning that his current 40% approval rating is higher than the President's.
He made it clear he thinks an offense runs on rhythm, not on waiting for things to develop.
Best line of the news conference, though, went to Dan Snyder.
Reporter: "Why a 5-year contract?"
Snyder: "Why not?". Slight hand shrug. Looks directly at the crowd and says nothing more.
Second-best line was Zorn mentioning that his current 40% approval rating is higher than the President's.
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fatness
Footballguy
There's a 6-minute interview with Zorn now on Redskin.com in the video section. It contains a lot of praise for Clinton Portis's effort and discipline. Said that so far he's been focused on film of the O-line and the RB's, and will review the WR's and TE's next. Wants to be hardnosed in the first game, and still fast and strong in the last game.
fatness
Footballguy
redman
Footballguy
GenerallyGordonGekko said:
A couple of thoughts in response
lenty of head coaches have deferred on a wholesale basis to coordinators with specialties on the opposite side of the ball from them. In fact, Joe Gibbs has always done this, deferring 100% to Richie Petitbone during his first tenure, and to Gregg Williams during his second, in every respect except for the broadest strategic decisions. I think this occurs more often than you think, especially with head coaches who are also filling a coordinator position. Campbell ran the WCO for at least one year in college. Also, he has show good ability to make timely, accurate throws on crossing routes and other intermediate routes in the middle of the field - it's probably his strength at this point. I'm less concerned about his ability to adapt than the fact that I don't think a change here was necessary given that he was still growing into Saunders' offense, and this will represent at least a short term setback.
buster c
Footballguy
pardon the reply to my own post
but I should have just logged off and hit the sack.With 24 hours to mull this over...to Jimmy Z, the scrambing lefty, I say: 
I think Skins fans will soon be going: 
to Danny & Vinny - while I am not ready quite yet to 
you guys get credit for making the best out of a potential disaster.Top 5 reasons I like this hire:1) the Holmgren coaching tree is fruitful2) Zorn seems like a good communicator - a players coach3) Zorn is tough and demanding (told the press the players will have to "punish themselves")4) He's a 1st timer so he should be hungry 5) it's not Fassell
fatness
Footballguy
I have been giving it thought and not talking about it too much. My opinion is now one of that the Zorn hiring will either be a fantastic move, one that the rest of the NFL marvels at the genius of Snyder remarking on how he studied under Gibbs and learned how to be a smart football sense owner........or.......This will go down in flames. I don't see a middle ground here.
I also think we need to give him a chance and see how he does before making any judgements about Zorn's ability to be a HC. Yes, it's a BIG promotion from QB coach to HC, but it's been done before (see Reid, Andy). I just spent my morning commute listening to Czaban rip both Snyder (no surprise) and Zorn on his national show. A direct quote: "Zorn, which rhymes with scorn, which is what MOST Redskins fans are feeling right now." Snyder may deserve to be ripped, but Zorn has done nothing to warrant "scorn" by anyone. I realize this is mostly schtick, but still, let's give Zorn the benefit of the doubt for at least a little while. After all he isn't Fassel.I'm also a little sick of the revisionism that is making Gregggggg Williams out to be the second coming of Lombardi, all becuase he didn't get the Skins HC job.
ChrisCooleyFan
Footballguy
Redskins to play in the Hall of Fame Game
Posted at 7:19 PM ET, 02/10/2008
Hall of Fame Game
The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced that the Redskins indeed will play in the annual Hall of Fame game, facing the Indianapolis Colts at 8 p.m. Aug. 3 in Canton, Ohio. The game is played the day after Hall of Fame inductions, which, this year, will include Art Monk and Darrell Green.
Posted at 7:19 PM ET, 02/10/2008
Hall of Fame Game
The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced that the Redskins indeed will play in the annual Hall of Fame game, facing the Indianapolis Colts at 8 p.m. Aug. 3 in Canton, Ohio. The game is played the day after Hall of Fame inductions, which, this year, will include Art Monk and Darrell Green.
dgreen
Footballguy
Kelli Johnson of Comcast Sportsnet interviewed Zorn after the PC yesterday. She asked him about installing the WCO and how big a deal that will be. He said he won't be changing anything in the terminology of the running game or the line blocking, but he will in the passing game.
Sidewinder16
Footballguy
Looks like he's going to defer to the expertise of others (Bugel) and focus changes on what he does/knows best. It almost sounds like he wants to mesh "Redskins running" with a west coast passing offense. If so, it will be an interesting experiment.Buges on Zorn:
I HATED Stump Mitchell back when he played for the Cardinals. For some reason he always had big games against the Skins. Dave Butz could NEVER tackle him.
southeastjerome
Footballguy
Maybe he'll come in and interview. blow the team away and become offensive coordinator.
fatness
Footballguy
I always liked Dave Butz, but he had the range and mobility of a stump.
Salley makes some more good points...figured id add it since this seems to be the place to quote the washington post today....i didnt know much about sally before some of you homers filled me in...why does the post let her discourage the fans like this...even if she is probably right im not sure id let her write for my paper...
The Power Of Positive Thinking
By Sally Jenkins
Monday, February 11, 2008; Page E01
Many of you are angry and out of patience with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder for taking a month to search for a head coach, only to end up with the unproven Jim Zorn. But it's done, and the only choice now is optimism. Come on, people, get behind it. If you need help, play one of those soothing therapy tapes in your head, the kind you find in a "successories" catalogue. Search for your inner spiral stairway. Breathe and think tranquil thoughts. Even if the whole thing turns out to be another of Snyder's juvenile misadventures at the ticket holder's expense, focus on the positive: At least you are important in the life of a child.
The pessimistic view is that Zorn was hired because stronger candidates rejected the job, and because he is malleable enough to suit Snyder and executive vice president Vinny Cerrato. But we're not going to think that way, are we? Instead we're going to polish our affirmation crystals and tell ourselves that Zorn, 54, is a good find who was somehow missed by the rest of the league, that he was just waiting to be chosen by someone with the penetrating insight to recognize he can be the game's next great. We're going to take the upbeat view that he's displayed real offensive verve as quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks, and that he can make the leap to head coach despite the fact that he is a career deputy.
Let the naysayers dwell on the fact that Zorn will have to learn on the job how to steer a large and famously difficult organization. Or that most of his assistant coaches already have been picked by the owner, who incidentally also likes to dabble in personnel and play-calling philosophy. Zorn himself acts like Redskins Park is a field of daisies. "I'm excited that there's a lot of the staff in place already," Zorn said at his introductory news conference. "I think it would be very difficult for me to come in and start from square one. It's going to be much more comfortable for me in this situation than it would be starting from scratch." See? Doesn't that feel better than kicking a hole in the wall?
The fact is, there is something immensely likable about Zorn, with his rough, curry-comb haircut, and his untutored answers, and his high enthusiasm, even when he talks about how great it's going to be to wear maroon and black.
Two things we can count on are that Zorn will be a good teacher for quarterback Jason Campbell, and the ball will go up in the air, given Zorn's credentials as a master of the West Coast offense. Of course, the Redskins will have to unlearn their old offense in hurry, and grasp the patterns and intricacies of the new offense. But push away that negativity. Embrace change. "This whole game is about rhythm," he said, "not about hanging onto the ball until you see a guy open." It was the most interesting thing anyone's said at Redskins Park in some time, and in an instant it made up for the maroon-and-black gaffe, and for letting it slip that he wasn't approached about the top job until three days ago.
A skeptic might worry that the search for the man to replace Joe Gibbs took more turns than a Tilt-A-Whirl at the amusement park. It initially appeared the Redskins would promote from within. Gregg Williams, the assistant head coach-defense, was Gibbs's apparent choice and favorite for the job -- right up until Snyder fired him. Twice it seemed Jim Fassel was on the brink of signing a contract, but the final phone call never came. Good people were strung along and inexcusably left hanging. Jim Mora and Pete Carroll were pursued and begged off, and so did Steve Spagnuolo of the New York Giants after enduring a 28-hour interview. What did they talk about all that time? Perhaps Tom Cruise wanted to be sure he was free of Thetan bodies.
The whole ordeal took so long you wondered if Snyder was going to name himself head coach, and while he was at it, change the name of the team to the Redskyns.
The case for Zorn seemed to come down to Snyder's personal hunch, a gut feeling. "We knew of Jim's stellar offensive reputation, so we hired him as coordinator, but we also suspected he would be a strong candidate for head coach," Snyder said in a news release. "After our first six-hour interview with him, I told Joe [Gibbs], 'This guy would make a terrific head coach.' "
Now, a cynic might find something troubling at the heart of that statement: Snyder told Gibbs who would make a head coach? Wouldn't we all feel better if it had been the other way around, if it were Gibbs who did the talking and Snyder who did the listening on the subject of what makes a good head coach? But let's not think about it that way, instead let's focus on our Tibetan singing bowl and hum as we meditate on how nice it is to learn that Snyder finally knows what he's looking for in a coach, after going through five of them in nine years.
Zorn represents a fresh start for everyone. Whatever has happened at Redskins Park is in the past, the tangled management decisions, the confused strategies, the mixed results, the seasonal swoons from 10-6 to 6-10, Zorn had nothing to do with it. He deserves every chance try to make a success of the job in his own way, free of prejudgment. He was awfully good at his last job, and just maybe he's the man who can make this one work. At least, it's something to dream about as you swill a calming tea infusion, clutch your obsidian meditation sphere, and lay your head on a zen pillow.
The Power Of Positive Thinking
By Sally Jenkins
Monday, February 11, 2008; Page E01
Many of you are angry and out of patience with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder for taking a month to search for a head coach, only to end up with the unproven Jim Zorn. But it's done, and the only choice now is optimism. Come on, people, get behind it. If you need help, play one of those soothing therapy tapes in your head, the kind you find in a "successories" catalogue. Search for your inner spiral stairway. Breathe and think tranquil thoughts. Even if the whole thing turns out to be another of Snyder's juvenile misadventures at the ticket holder's expense, focus on the positive: At least you are important in the life of a child.
The pessimistic view is that Zorn was hired because stronger candidates rejected the job, and because he is malleable enough to suit Snyder and executive vice president Vinny Cerrato. But we're not going to think that way, are we? Instead we're going to polish our affirmation crystals and tell ourselves that Zorn, 54, is a good find who was somehow missed by the rest of the league, that he was just waiting to be chosen by someone with the penetrating insight to recognize he can be the game's next great. We're going to take the upbeat view that he's displayed real offensive verve as quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks, and that he can make the leap to head coach despite the fact that he is a career deputy.
Let the naysayers dwell on the fact that Zorn will have to learn on the job how to steer a large and famously difficult organization. Or that most of his assistant coaches already have been picked by the owner, who incidentally also likes to dabble in personnel and play-calling philosophy. Zorn himself acts like Redskins Park is a field of daisies. "I'm excited that there's a lot of the staff in place already," Zorn said at his introductory news conference. "I think it would be very difficult for me to come in and start from square one. It's going to be much more comfortable for me in this situation than it would be starting from scratch." See? Doesn't that feel better than kicking a hole in the wall?
The fact is, there is something immensely likable about Zorn, with his rough, curry-comb haircut, and his untutored answers, and his high enthusiasm, even when he talks about how great it's going to be to wear maroon and black.
Two things we can count on are that Zorn will be a good teacher for quarterback Jason Campbell, and the ball will go up in the air, given Zorn's credentials as a master of the West Coast offense. Of course, the Redskins will have to unlearn their old offense in hurry, and grasp the patterns and intricacies of the new offense. But push away that negativity. Embrace change. "This whole game is about rhythm," he said, "not about hanging onto the ball until you see a guy open." It was the most interesting thing anyone's said at Redskins Park in some time, and in an instant it made up for the maroon-and-black gaffe, and for letting it slip that he wasn't approached about the top job until three days ago.
A skeptic might worry that the search for the man to replace Joe Gibbs took more turns than a Tilt-A-Whirl at the amusement park. It initially appeared the Redskins would promote from within. Gregg Williams, the assistant head coach-defense, was Gibbs's apparent choice and favorite for the job -- right up until Snyder fired him. Twice it seemed Jim Fassel was on the brink of signing a contract, but the final phone call never came. Good people were strung along and inexcusably left hanging. Jim Mora and Pete Carroll were pursued and begged off, and so did Steve Spagnuolo of the New York Giants after enduring a 28-hour interview. What did they talk about all that time? Perhaps Tom Cruise wanted to be sure he was free of Thetan bodies.
The whole ordeal took so long you wondered if Snyder was going to name himself head coach, and while he was at it, change the name of the team to the Redskyns.
The case for Zorn seemed to come down to Snyder's personal hunch, a gut feeling. "We knew of Jim's stellar offensive reputation, so we hired him as coordinator, but we also suspected he would be a strong candidate for head coach," Snyder said in a news release. "After our first six-hour interview with him, I told Joe [Gibbs], 'This guy would make a terrific head coach.' "
Now, a cynic might find something troubling at the heart of that statement: Snyder told Gibbs who would make a head coach? Wouldn't we all feel better if it had been the other way around, if it were Gibbs who did the talking and Snyder who did the listening on the subject of what makes a good head coach? But let's not think about it that way, instead let's focus on our Tibetan singing bowl and hum as we meditate on how nice it is to learn that Snyder finally knows what he's looking for in a coach, after going through five of them in nine years.
Zorn represents a fresh start for everyone. Whatever has happened at Redskins Park is in the past, the tangled management decisions, the confused strategies, the mixed results, the seasonal swoons from 10-6 to 6-10, Zorn had nothing to do with it. He deserves every chance try to make a success of the job in his own way, free of prejudgment. He was awfully good at his last job, and just maybe he's the man who can make this one work. At least, it's something to dream about as you swill a calming tea infusion, clutch your obsidian meditation sphere, and lay your head on a zen pillow.
redman
Footballguy
me so zorny
I'm warming to this hire, and I think I'm doing it for the right reasons as opposed to blind homerism. It sounds like the QB coach under Holmgren has a significant amount of responsibility not just over the QB's but over the offense as a whole, and Zorn sounds like a guy who has the respect of a lot of people. This guarantees nothing, of course, but it is encouraging.
The Post lets her do this stuff because: 1. they already have "
columnists in Tom Boswell, Mike Wilbon and Mike Wise, 2. The Post REALLY doesn't care about sports too much, it's a paper about politics and government, first and foremost3. She's a woman and having her be a columnist shows just how liberal and progressive the good folks who run the Post are.Her columns are one of the main reasons that Snyder HATES the Post and never gives them any access or interviews, which also POs the Post management and lets them have Sally write more of those kinds of columns.. Rinse and repeat.
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dgreen
Footballguy
Even though we don't have a big WR, I like what the WCO can do with our current WRs. Moss and ARE are guys that need the ball in their hands. Moss was GREAT in 2005 and really excelled at the WR screen. If the WCO can get the ball in his hands more often, I think he can get back to some big numbers. ARE could also be better if given the ball and a little space. Cooley should continue to do well. I'm not sure how much higher his numbers can go, but he certainly shouldn't drop. I'm also looking forward to Portis/Betts being a bigger part of the passing game other than dump offs. If Zorn can bring a solid screen package and other RB routes, they should really produce. Like I said, though, would be nice to have a big WR. I'm guessing that'll be a target of theirs in FA.
Of course, Campbell's ability to excel is the big question here.
Of course, Campbell's ability to excel is the big question here.
fatness
Footballguy
Baloney.You're both missing the point of what newspapers are supposed to do.They're not supposed to support the home team. They're supposed to report about, and express opinions about, the home team. That includes positive and negative opinions, and flattering and unflattering news. That's exactly why Snyder dislikes them --- because they're not lapdogs he can control."Liberal and progressive" doesn't have anything to do with it either. If you've followed them since the 1960's like I have, you know they've made every single President squirm with their reporting. Kudos to them for doing it, too. Sally Jenkins's column gets read. And discussed. And a lot of what she said in that column and the previous column isn't homerism, and isn't being said out loud by other folks. I'd imagine she's getting denounced thoroughly at Extremeskins, for example. I hope the Post keeps doing what they're doing, and make people squirm when they ought to squirm.
The Post lets her do this stuff because: 1. they already have "columnists in Tom Boswell, Mike Wilbon and Mike Wise, 2. The Post REALLY doesn't care about sports too much, it's a paper about politics and government, first and foremost3. She's a woman and having her be a columnist shows just how liberal and progressive the good folks who run the Post are.
I don't disagree with anything you say, (and I've been reading the Post since 1961 when I was 10 years old, thank you very much), but the columnists like Shirley Povich or Bob Addie back in the day were critical without being demeaning. You can say a team played poorly or a coach made a poor decision, without getting into the kind of name calling and general snarkiness towards Snyder of most of Jenkins columns. Or you can say the team did something smart without being a "lapdog". Same thing as with Czaban and his rants on Snyder.Yes, Jenkins columns get read and sells papers Czaban gets ratings and sells advertizing on WTEM. That doesn't mean that there aren't agendas behind them.Oh, and the main thing newspapers are supposed to do is SELL PAPERS and that's what Jenkins does, I guess. I certainly get that.Baloney.You're both missing the point of what newspapers are supposed to do.They're not supposed to support the home team. They're supposed to report about, and express opinions about, the home team. That includes positive and negative opinions, and flattering and unflattering news. That's exactly why Snyder dislikes them --- because they're not lapdogs he can control."Liberal and progressive" doesn't have anything to do with it either. If you've followed them since the 1960's like I have, you know they've made every single President squirm with their reporting. Kudos to them for doing it, too. Sally Jenkins's column gets read. And discussed. And a lot of what she said in that column and the previous column isn't homerism, and isn't being said out loud by other folks. I'd imagine she's getting denounced thoroughly at Extremeskins, for example. I hope the Post keeps doing what they're doing, and make people squirm when they ought to squirm.
The Post lets her do this stuff because: 1. they already have "
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redman
Footballguy
Jesus, a trolling Cowboys fan posts a Sally Jenkins column and all of a sudden we're bickering among ourselves.
I don't side with Snyder by and large in his feud with the Washington Post, but it is absolutely fair to say that Jenkins has a very jaundiced view of the team and a definite slant to her columns. Boswell, a neutral sports columnist who I respect greatly, can criticize without bashing. Wilbon, less so, but he's at least more or less neutral/fair.
Jenkins isn't neutral, and moreover it's hard to remember anything positive she's had to say about the Redskins at all.
And finally, man alive are some of you guys OLD!
I don't side with Snyder by and large in his feud with the Washington Post, but it is absolutely fair to say that Jenkins has a very jaundiced view of the team and a definite slant to her columns. Boswell, a neutral sports columnist who I respect greatly, can criticize without bashing. Wilbon, less so, but he's at least more or less neutral/fair.
Jenkins isn't neutral, and moreover it's hard to remember anything positive she's had to say about the Redskins at all.
And finally, man alive are some of you guys OLD!
dgreen
Footballguy
And finally, man alive are some of you guys OLD!
ChrisCooleyFan
Footballguy
fatness said:Baloney.You're both missing the point of what newspapers are supposed to do.DCThunder said:
The Post lets her do this stuff because: 1. they already have "dallas428 said:columnists in Tom Boswell, Mike Wilbon and Mike Wise,
2. The Post REALLY doesn't care about sports too much, it's a paper about politics and government, first and foremost
3. She's a woman and having her be a columnist shows just how liberal and progressive the good folks who run the Post are.
They're not supposed to support the home team. They're supposed to report about, and express opinions about, the home team. That includes positive and negative opinions, and flattering and unflattering news. That's exactly why Snyder dislikes them --- because they're not lapdogs he can control.
"Liberal and progressive" doesn't have anything to do with it either. If you've followed them since the 1960's like I have, you know they've made every single President squirm with their reporting. Kudos to them for doing it, too.
Sally Jenkins's column gets read. And discussed. And a lot of what she said in that column and the previous column isn't homerism, and isn't being said out loud by other folks. I'd imagine she's getting denounced thoroughly at Extremeskins, for example.
I hope the Post keeps doing what they're doing, and make people squirm when they ought to squirm.
Maybe you should change your name to OLDNESS 
fatness
Footballguy
Meanwhile, the press everywhere is ripping Snyder. Frankly he deserves it for this fiasco of a hiring process.
Hog Heaven
Hog Heaven
CBS Sportsline
And Jim Fassell finally talked. Clark Judge article
ChrisCooleyFan
Footballguy
If you're a fortunate man, you will be too some day.redman said:And finally, man alive are some of you guys OLD!
The press is really starting to piss me off. For years the complaints have been "Snyder is rash", "Snyder doesn't think about his decisions", blah blah blah. Well this time he took his time and made what should be a well thought out, well researched choice. Now it could still be a horrible choice but I don't think they should be ripping Zorn when he hasn't called a play yet.
