****OFFICIAL**** 2008 Washington Redskins Off Season Thread! (1 Viewer)

[Arsenal of Doom]

I was just thinking - is there a WCO that is run with smaller WR's than we have?

Brace yourselves for the remake.

But Chad Johnson, Roy Williams, and Randy Moss aren't small.

Serious question. Would having Clinton Portis and Chad Johnson on the same team set off a chain reaction that would ultimately cause the universe to implode?

 

[fatness]

There's been no indication that Portis has ever done anything to make the team explode. Quite the opposite, actually. He's been quite a team player.

 

[DCThunder]

Time to go listen to Czaban rant about Danny. and Andy say "none of this would happen if we had a GM..."

 

[phrozen]

PFT

POSTED 1:57 p.m. EST, January 28, 2008NO MOOCH IN D.C.?A source with knowledge of the dynamics in the Washington front office firmly believes that former San Francisco and Detroit head coach Steve Mariucci won't be the next coach of the Redskins. Though both Mariucci and 'Skins executive V.P. of football operations Vinny Cerrato worked together in San Fran, Mariucci was hired by former Niners owner Eddie DeBartolo and front-office exec Carmen Policy. "Mooch was never a Vinny guy," the source said.Mariucci has been linked to the job via informed speculation from Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post.

it never endsare we in the twilight zone?

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

There's been no indication that Portis has ever done anything to make the team explode. Quite the opposite, actually. He's been quite a team player.

lol I was thinking more along the lines of having two such... flamboyant... personalities on the same team.

 

[redman]

PFT

POSTED 1:57 p.m. EST, January 28, 2008NO MOOCH IN D.C.?A source with knowledge of the dynamics in the Washington front office firmly believes that former San Francisco and Detroit head coach Steve Mariucci won't be the next coach of the Redskins. Though both Mariucci and 'Skins executive V.P. of football operations Vinny Cerrato worked together in San Fran, Mariucci was hired by former Niners owner Eddie DeBartolo and front-office exec Carmen Policy. "Mooch was never a Vinny guy," the source said.Mariucci has been linked to the job via informed speculation from Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post.

it never endsare we in the twilight zone?

Time will tell.I'm eight years into this bad movie, so I can't stop watching now.

 

[fatness]

I'm eight years into this bad movie, so I can't stop watching now.

"Onward Through The Bitterness!"

 

[fatness]

Posted at 4:15 PM ET, 01/28/2008

Larry Brooks - Next D Line Coach??/Fun With Titles At Redskins Park

Certainly looks like Larry Brooks is a strong candidate to be defensive line coach. He interviewed today. Saw him at Redskins Park. Brooks was Greg Blache's defensive line coach in Chicago and they also worked together in Green Bay. (He's part of the Mariucci family, also, for what that's worth).

"That's Blache's right-hand man," one NFL source said. "There's a lot of trust there. If he's in there today, then I'm telling you that's Blache's guy."

JLC's blog

 

[fatness]

Second-hand report: Randy Thomas said Joe Bugel will be returning, on Comcast Sportsnet.

message board link

 

[redman]

Posted at 4:15 PM ET, 01/28/2008

Larry Brooks - Next D Line Coach??/Fun With Titles At Redskins Park

Certainly looks like Larry Brooks is a strong candidate to be defensive line coach. He interviewed today. Saw him at Redskins Park. Brooks was Greg Blache's defensive line coach in Chicago and they also worked together in Green Bay. (He's part of the Mariucci family, also, for what that's worth).

"That's Blache's right-hand man," one NFL source said. "There's a lot of trust there. If he's in there today, then I'm telling you that's Blache's guy."

JLC's blog

At this point I'm just relieved it's not Mel Brooks.

 

[Mungo Burrows]

Time to go listen to Czaban rant about Danny. and Andy say "none of this would happen if we had a GM..."

Good shtick never gets old.

 

[Bizkiteer]

PFT

POSTED 1:57 p.m. EST, January 28, 2008NO MOOCH IN D.C.?A source with knowledge of the dynamics in the Washington front office firmly believes that former San Francisco and Detroit head coach Steve Mariucci won't be the next coach of the Redskins. Though both Mariucci and 'Skins executive V.P. of football operations Vinny Cerrato worked together in San Fran, Mariucci was hired by former Niners owner Eddie DeBartolo and front-office exec Carmen Policy. "Mooch was never a Vinny guy," the source said.Mariucci has been linked to the job via informed speculation from Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post.

it never endsare we in the twilight zone?

Thought you might like this....NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports Steve Mariucci has refused to deny rumors he's in the running for the Redskins' head coaching job.Mooch isn't commenting about his candidacy, but is known to be interested in coaching again. The general feeling in D.C. is that his hiring would go over much more favorably among the fan base than would Jim Fassel's.

 

[DCThunder]

PFT

POSTED 1:57 p.m. EST, January 28, 2008NO MOOCH IN D.C.?A source with knowledge of the dynamics in the Washington front office firmly believes that former San Francisco and Detroit head coach Steve Mariucci won't be the next coach of the Redskins. Though both Mariucci and 'Skins executive V.P. of football operations Vinny Cerrato worked together in San Fran, Mariucci was hired by former Niners owner Eddie DeBartolo and front-office exec Carmen Policy. "Mooch was never a Vinny guy," the source said.Mariucci has been linked to the job via informed speculation from Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post.

it never endsare we in the twilight zone?

Thought you might like this....NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports Steve Mariucci has refused to deny rumors he's in the running for the Redskins' head coaching job.Mooch isn't commenting about his candidacy, but is known to be interested in coaching again. The general feeling in D.C. is that his hiring would go over much more favorably among the fan base than would Jim Fassel's.

Except for Czaban who said on his national show this morning that he'd rather have Fassel than Mooch because "no coach who's ever come out of the TV booth has ever been good". When a caller pointed out that Vermeil won a Super Bowl after doing that, Czabe said that didn't count for some reason. He also attacked Larry Weiseman of USA Today for being a Snyder stooge because Weisman said that Gregg Williams wasn't the second coming of Vince Lombardi and was disrespecting Joe Gibbs by doing "the only start 10 players as a tribute to Sean Taylor" thing. It was sort of surreal last night.

 

[phrozen]

PFT

POSTED 1:57 p.m. EST, January 28, 2008NO MOOCH IN D.C.?A source with knowledge of the dynamics in the Washington front office firmly believes that former San Francisco and Detroit head coach Steve Mariucci won't be the next coach of the Redskins. Though both Mariucci and 'Skins executive V.P. of football operations Vinny Cerrato worked together in San Fran, Mariucci was hired by former Niners owner Eddie DeBartolo and front-office exec Carmen Policy. "Mooch was never a Vinny guy," the source said.Mariucci has been linked to the job via informed speculation from Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post.

it never endsare we in the twilight zone?

Thought you might like this....NFL Network's Adam Schefter reports Steve Mariucci has refused to deny rumors he's in the running for the Redskins' head coaching job.Mooch isn't commenting about his candidacy, but is known to be interested in coaching again. The general feeling in D.C. is that his hiring would go over much more favorably among the fan base than would Jim Fassel's.

Just heard this on the Junkes. I agree Mooch > Fassel in my opinion espicially since the WCO is being implemented.

 

[fatness]

PHOENIX — As his search for a coach reaches a third week today, Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder is expanding his options. Snyder chatted with Pete Carroll over the weekend, but the conversation never reached the interview stage once the Southern Cal coach outlined his demands for near full-control of the football side of the organization. Carroll was an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers in 1995 and 1996, when Redskins executive vice president Vinny Cerrato worked in the club's front office. Cerrato still was there when Steve Mariucci became the 49ers' coach in 1997, and sources with knowledge of the situation said Mariucci now is under consideration.

Mariucci, now employed by the NFL Network, could meet with Snyder and Cerrato in Arizona tomorrow, a day after they hold a second interview with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks.

Mariucci, who last coached in 2005 with the Detroit Lions, is known to want to get back into coaching. One hangup could be his relationship with Cerrato, whom he declined to keep on when the 49ers' front office broke up in 1998. Snyder and Cerrato could spend Thursday here talking with current front-runner Fassel, an Arizona resident.

Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is expected to meet with Snyder and Cerrato shortly after his team plays the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII here Sunday. Snyder and Cerrato also are considering asking for permission to speak to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is on the verge of a contract extension with his current team.

Washington Times

 

[fatness]

There's a very good,long article here about Jim Zorn, the West Coast offense, and how it applies to the current Redskin personnel: LInk

It's far too long to quote entirely.

Although we lack a tall receiver (the Smurf-skins receiver corps is long on speed and short on height) our quarterback’s height makes up for their short-ocity. In addition, this receiving corps has shown true grit and guts going over the middle. No one doubts their ability to run the crossing route and zero in on the ball no matter what the traffic. Add to that Chris Cooley on a drag pattern or any of our running backs floating out into the flat and the potential for West Coast gold is immense

Campbell will also excel in this offense as he has shown the quick delivery, accuracy and timing to make it work. His arm strength and ability to scramble add dimensions that only expand the potential of the offensive threat. However, it will require time and experience for Jason to overcome the one key factor that has limited his success to date: fast and accurate reads of the defensive situation followed by split-second decisions on receiver selection. Jason’s inability to consistently read-and-react effectively resulted in stalled drives, interceptions, and lost opportunities. The contrast between Campbell’s and Collins’ effectiveness in clutch situations brought the issue to stark light. It almost seemed as if there was a whole new offense on the field when Collins took over. Once Jason gains the experience and skills necessary to read-and-react like Collins, his performance in this offense could be deadly. Jason is Zorn’s number one priority.

Our line is exceptionally tall, and could obstruct the quarterback’s view on the quick slants across the middle. Jason’s height should mitigate that problem coupled with cut blocking to drop the defenses hands. The one issue that will have to be addressed is the offensive line’s ability to run the sweeps and screens that are a key part of the West Coast strategy. We run fairly well to the left around Samuels, but our sweeps to the right have been anemic. Screen passes to the backs were limited and not particularly effective when they were run; flanker screens were most often used, and used effectively. Joe Bugel will have his work cut out for him getting this crew to restore rushing balance across the line (yes, it appears that Buges will return, thankfully). Getting Randy Thomas and Jon Jansen back will be a major boost, too. But the team can’t stand pat on this hand; they have to draft this season with an eye to bolstering the youth, talent and speed on the offensive line.

 

[dgreen]

If Zorn and the WCO can improve the RB screens, I'll be so happy. It seems like we've been the team that has the most trouble running a RB screen. Either the throw is just off or one guy just misses a block. So many times they had a ton of open space but they just couldn't put it all together. Portis would be pure gold on a team with good screen execution.

 

[fatness]

I'd be happy to see that too. They've been fundamentally wasting Portis for years now. I mean, the guy is tough as nails, and if you send him into the middle of the line 35 times a game he'll do it until he drops. He's a tough, tough player. But he's still better when in space, when he can make a move before being hit, when he can get moving without anticipating the hits that cause him to reach protectively for the ball and go down. The guy can break runs (or screens), and he he'll break enough of them that it'll make a difference to their offense (and to their defense, by virtue of keeping drives alive and scoring more).

 

[dgreen]

I'd be happy to see that too. They've been fundamentally wasting Portis for years now. I mean, the guy is tough as nails, and if you send him into the middle of the line 35 times a game he'll do it until he drops. He's a tough, tough player. But he's still better when in space, when he can make a move before being hit, when he can get moving without anticipating the hits that cause him to reach protectively for the ball and go down. The guy can break runs (or screens), and he he'll break enough of them that it'll make a difference to their offense (and to their defense, by virtue of keeping drives alive and scoring more).

And from a fantasy perspective, so many people think Portis has "lost it." So many people think he doesn't have the burst anymore. They don't realize that he's been asked to play a different role under Gibbs. Gibbs like tough RBs. (Heck, Gibbs likes tough players at any position.) So, he asked Portis to hit and be tough and help out in pass protection, all things that he can do very well.

 

[buster c]

Campbell will also excel in this offense as he has shown the quick delivery, accuracy and timing to make it work. His arm strength and ability to scramble add dimensions that only expand the potential of the offensive threat. However, it will require time and experience for Jason to overcome the one key factor that has limited his success to date: fast and accurate reads of the defensive situation followed by split-second decisions on receiver selection. Jason’s inability to consistently read-and-react effectively resulted in stalled drives, interceptions, and lost opportunities. The contrast between Campbell’s and Collins’ effectiveness in clutch situations brought the issue to stark light. It almost seemed as if there was a whole new offense on the field when Collins took over. Once Jason gains the experience and skills necessary to read-and-react like Collins, his performance in this offense could be deadly. Jason is Zorn’s number one priority.

this is so not true: Campbell is the anti-WCO QB. He's the classic stretch-the-field passer with just enough pocket presence to keep a play alive. the writer pretty much contradicts himself, saying he isn't consistent in a read-and-react environment...

 

[thayman]

So the only way I will be completely OK with this peculiar process is if they hire Mariucci. At least then we can look and say they knew what he wanted, and waited to hire him so we didn't need to send any compensation to Detroit.

That's my positive thought for the day I suppose.

 

[redman]

So the only way I will be completely OK with this peculiar process is if they hire Mariucci. At least then we can look and say they knew what he wanted, and waited to hire him so we didn't need to send any compensation to Detroit.That's my positive thought for the day I suppose.

That's where I am too.

 

[dgreen]

Long post on Vinny from JLC.

 

[The_Man]

There is nothing, and I mean nothing, worse than being a 35-year-old DC sports fan right now. You grew up without a baseball team in town, so you were an Oriole fan, and being an Oriole fan meant you cheered for the team that personified smarts, hustle, selflessness, and winning. Whether they just missed like in 82, or won it all in 83, your team was always great, and always something to be proud of.

In the NFL, the same was true with the Redskins. Lacking the talent of other dynasties, they still won 3 Super Bowls in 10 years, again through grit, smarts, and selflessness. They were a team to be proud of, and they were always a winner.

Now, it's 25 years later, and the teams you love are the biggest jokes in their respective sports, owned by two of the biggest dooosh bags anywhere. The crap with Angelos presumably vetoing the Bedard trade is the final straw for me with the Orioles. And the search to replace Gibbs that has so far resulted in no head coach, the firing of Williams and Saunders, and the plan to saddle the new coach with coordinators not of his own choosing is an utter debacle. The Ravens ended the season with a staff of Billick, Neuheisel (really Billick) as OC, and Ryan as DC. Now they've got Harbaugh, Cameron and Ryan -- a clear and total upgrade. The Skins went from Gibbs, Saunders, and Williams to NOBODY, Zorn, and Blache -- looks like a clear and total downgrade.

I wish I could switch my allegeiances from Orioles and Redskins to Nationals and Ravens. The Nationals and Ravens both seem to embody a little bit of what I grew up cheering for. The Orioles and Redskins are a joke.

 

[Bizkiteer]

Watch this! Now what do you think?

Here's what I think...I'm going to hear Danny say the following words next week:

"Please help me welcome and congratulate our new Head Coach...Steve Mariucci."

 

[dgreen]

He's certainly not denying anything. It seems clear to me that they've talked. If they haven't even talked, I think he'd say that.

 

[fatness]

Long post on Vinny from JLC.

Interesting stuff from that article.

(Gregg Williams wanted to keep Saunders as OC - he had back-up plans, including Zorn, but Al was his first choice for the good of Campbell, league sources said. He would have made Al focus more and curtail his legendary 700-page playbook, rather than force Campbell to start all over again.)

"The West Coast offense is a short, quick, very accurate passing game," the NFL exec said. "Coryell is a vertical, deep game. Campbell has a long delivery. He's a longer type guy (6-5) and when you think of the QBs that are most successful in the West Coast offense, you think more of guys who are 6-2, scramblers like McNabb, Garcia, Young. Quick-footed guys. Campbell's long, he can run but he's not really a scrambler. Whereas Gibbs/Coryell is a vertical, stretch, pocket-passing game. Their franchise quarterback is at risk, my friend."

PS - Don't be shocked to see a veteran QB or two with long West Coast ties to be on hand to support Campbell/take his job at a moment's notice in case the overriding goals of immediate gratification are not met.

Others around the league would tell you that a year ago the Redskins came ever so close to altering their entire personnel structure, with Cerrato worried he might be gone.

 

[fatness]

Second-hand report of what Charley Casserly said today (apparently on Washington Post radio):

He said that Fassel was set to be hired and there was such a backlash that they pulled back. He confirmed it. Most of the recommendations for staff were set-up by Fassel.

He did confirm that they would be interviewing Mooch this week.

It did not sound like Mooch had been previously interviewed. Meaning, approval on the DC/OC, etc.

Also mentioned that the NFL does not like hiring announcements to interfere with the fanfare of superbowl week. It's kind of an unwritten rule.

 

[thayman]

There is nothing, and I mean nothing, worse than being a 35-year-old DC sports fan right now. You grew up without a baseball team in town, so you were an Oriole fan, and being an Oriole fan meant you cheered for the team that personified smarts, hustle, selflessness, and winning. Whether they just missed like in 82, or won it all in 83, your team was always great, and always something to be proud of.In the NFL, the same was true with the Redskins. Lacking the talent of other dynasties, they still won 3 Super Bowls in 10 years, again through grit, smarts, and selflessness. They were a team to be proud of, and they were always a winner.Now, it's 25 years later, and the teams you love are the biggest jokes in their respective sports, owned by two of the biggest dooosh bags anywhere. The crap with Angelos presumably vetoing the Bedard trade is the final straw for me with the Orioles. And the search to replace Gibbs that has so far resulted in no head coach, the firing of Williams and Saunders, and the plan to saddle the new coach with coordinators not of his own choosing is an utter debacle. The Ravens ended the season with a staff of Billick, Neuheisel (really Billick) as OC, and Ryan as DC. Now they've got Harbaugh, Cameron and Ryan -- a clear and total upgrade. The Skins went from Gibbs, Saunders, and Williams to NOBODY, Zorn, and Blache -- looks like a clear and total downgrade.I wish I could switch my allegeiances from Orioles and Redskins to Nationals and Ravens. The Nationals and Ravens both seem to embody a little bit of what I grew up cheering for. The Orioles and Redskins are a joke.

I will agree with you depending on what happens with the Skins HC. If it's Mooch and if the only reason things were delayed was because they are waiting for his contract to expire I won't be upset at all with the team. After all NOT waiting and just tossing a draft pick over to Jacksonville is what everyone hated so much about the Brunell trade. I know I'm probably being a bit over optimistic but if that's the case then Snyder and company might just be learing a bit more about the football business than we have been giving them credit for (at least I hope and pray so).As far as the Orioles go I was a die hard fan growing up until it appeared to me that Angelos was driving down attendance to support his claim that there couldn't be a Washington and Baltimore baseball team. After that I bailed on the franchise until it's sold. I love rooting for the Nats, and I won't root against the Orioles but it certainly doesn't hurt my feelings when they lose.

 

[Lowen1]

There is nothing, and I mean nothing, worse than being a 35-year-old DC sports fan right now. You grew up without a baseball team in town, so you were an Oriole fan, and being an Oriole fan meant you cheered for the team that personified smarts, hustle, selflessness, and winning. Whether they just missed like in 82, or won it all in 83, your team was always great, and always something to be proud of.

In the NFL, the same was true with the Redskins. Lacking the talent of other dynasties, they still won 3 Super Bowls in 10 years, again through grit, smarts, and selflessness. They were a team to be proud of, and they were always a winner.

Now, it's 25 years later, and the teams you love are the biggest jokes in their respective sports, owned by two of the biggest dooosh bags anywhere. The crap with Angelos presumably vetoing the Bedard trade is the final straw for me with the Orioles. And the search to replace Gibbs that has so far resulted in no head coach, the firing of Williams and Saunders, and the plan to saddle the new coach with coordinators not of his own choosing is an utter debacle. The Ravens ended the season with a staff of Billick, Neuheisel (really Billick) as OC, and Ryan as DC. Now they've got Harbaugh, Cameron and Ryan -- a clear and total upgrade. The Skins went from Gibbs, Saunders, and Williams to NOBODY, Zorn, and Blache -- looks like a clear and total downgrade.

I wish I could switch my allegeiances from Orioles and Redskins to Nationals and Ravens. The Nationals and Ravens both seem to embody a little bit of what I grew up cheering for. The Orioles and Redskins are a joke.

I will agree with you depending on what happens with the Skins HC. If it's Mooch and if the only reason things were delayed was because they are waiting for his contract to expire I won't be upset at all with the team. After all NOT waiting and just tossing a draft pick over to Jacksonville is what everyone hated so much about the Brunell trade. I know I'm probably being a bit over optimistic but if that's the case then Snyder and company might just be learing a bit more about the football business than we have been giving them credit for (at least I hope and pray so).As far as the Orioles go I was a die hard fan growing up until it appeared to me that Angelos was driving down attendance to support his claim that there couldn't be a Washington and Baltimore baseball team. After that I bailed on the franchise until it's sold. I love rooting for the Nats, and I won't root against the Orioles but it certainly doesn't hurt my feelings when they lose.

I grew up a huge Orioles fan - some years in my late teens up to mid-20's I went to 30-40 games a year (at Memorial Stadium). Once Angelos bought the team, things went down hill, as did my interest in the O's. I quit going to games, I quit watching games on tv. I was happy when the Orioles lost. I cheered Angelos' bonehead front office moves. But, I eventually lost interest in baseball. When the Nats came to town, I tried to get back into the team. I went to a few games the first year, and few last year, but Peter Angelos ruined baseball for me. Snyder is trying to do the same for the Redskins & football. I had Skins season tix from when Fedex opened until last season. I just got tired of leaving the house at 10am and getting home after 6pm for a 1pm game. I got tired of $8 beer and what seemed like $15 burger & fries. I got tired of seeing all of the empty yellow (club) seats as I stared down from the upper deck. I got tired of paying $20 to park at Fedex. I got tired of paying full price for the pre-season games. So, now I watch from home. I still love the Skins, but Snyder is making it hard.

 

[fatness]

There's a report at CPND that the Redskins already have an agreement to hire Spagnuolo. It seems very far-fetched to me, but there's the Link.

 

[thayman]

There is nothing, and I mean nothing, worse than being a 35-year-old DC sports fan right now. You grew up without a baseball team in town, so you were an Oriole fan, and being an Oriole fan meant you cheered for the team that personified smarts, hustle, selflessness, and winning. Whether they just missed like in 82, or won it all in 83, your team was always great, and always something to be proud of.

In the NFL, the same was true with the Redskins. Lacking the talent of other dynasties, they still won 3 Super Bowls in 10 years, again through grit, smarts, and selflessness. They were a team to be proud of, and they were always a winner.

Now, it's 25 years later, and the teams you love are the biggest jokes in their respective sports, owned by two of the biggest dooosh bags anywhere. The crap with Angelos presumably vetoing the Bedard trade is the final straw for me with the Orioles. And the search to replace Gibbs that has so far resulted in no head coach, the firing of Williams and Saunders, and the plan to saddle the new coach with coordinators not of his own choosing is an utter debacle. The Ravens ended the season with a staff of Billick, Neuheisel (really Billick) as OC, and Ryan as DC. Now they've got Harbaugh, Cameron and Ryan -- a clear and total upgrade. The Skins went from Gibbs, Saunders, and Williams to NOBODY, Zorn, and Blache -- looks like a clear and total downgrade.

I wish I could switch my allegeiances from Orioles and Redskins to Nationals and Ravens. The Nationals and Ravens both seem to embody a little bit of what I grew up cheering for. The Orioles and Redskins are a joke.

I will agree with you depending on what happens with the Skins HC. If it's Mooch and if the only reason things were delayed was because they are waiting for his contract to expire I won't be upset at all with the team. After all NOT waiting and just tossing a draft pick over to Jacksonville is what everyone hated so much about the Brunell trade. I know I'm probably being a bit over optimistic but if that's the case then Snyder and company might just be learing a bit more about the football business than we have been giving them credit for (at least I hope and pray so).As far as the Orioles go I was a die hard fan growing up until it appeared to me that Angelos was driving down attendance to support his claim that there couldn't be a Washington and Baltimore baseball team. After that I bailed on the franchise until it's sold. I love rooting for the Nats, and I won't root against the Orioles but it certainly doesn't hurt my feelings when they lose.

I grew up a huge Orioles fan - some years in my late teens up to mid-20's I went to 30-40 games a year (at Memorial Stadium). Once Angelos bought the team, things went down hill, as did my interest in the O's. I quit going to games, I quit watching games on tv. I was happy when the Orioles lost. I cheered Angelos' bonehead front office moves. But, I eventually lost interest in baseball. When the Nats came to town, I tried to get back into the team. I went to a few games the first year, and few last year, but Peter Angelos ruined baseball for me. Snyder is trying to do the same for the Redskins & football. I had Skins season tix from when Fedex opened until last season. I just got tired of leaving the house at 10am and getting home after 6pm for a 1pm game. I got tired of $8 beer and what seemed like $15 burger & fries. I got tired of seeing all of the empty yellow (club) seats as I stared down from the upper deck. I got tired of paying $20 to park at Fedex. I got tired of paying full price for the pre-season games. So, now I watch from home. I still love the Skins, but Snyder is making it hard.

The big difference between Angelos and Snyder though is that I always get the impression that Snyder really really wants to win, and he doesn't have a problem spending whatever it takes to get people in here. However he just isn't that good of a talent evaluator and has way too many yes men all around him. IMO if Snyder can ever just hire a competent GM, or become a good talent evaluator, the Skins will be a very dominant team.

 

[redman]

There is nothing, and I mean nothing, worse than being a 35-year-old DC sports fan right now. You grew up without a baseball team in town, so you were an Oriole fan, and being an Oriole fan meant you cheered for the team that personified smarts, hustle, selflessness, and winning. Whether they just missed like in 82, or won it all in 83, your team was always great, and always something to be proud of.

In the NFL, the same was true with the Redskins. Lacking the talent of other dynasties, they still won 3 Super Bowls in 10 years, again through grit, smarts, and selflessness. They were a team to be proud of, and they were always a winner.

Now, it's 25 years later, and the teams you love are the biggest jokes in their respective sports, owned by two of the biggest dooosh bags anywhere. The crap with Angelos presumably vetoing the Bedard trade is the final straw for me with the Orioles. And the search to replace Gibbs that has so far resulted in no head coach, the firing of Williams and Saunders, and the plan to saddle the new coach with coordinators not of his own choosing is an utter debacle. The Ravens ended the season with a staff of Billick, Neuheisel (really Billick) as OC, and Ryan as DC. Now they've got Harbaugh, Cameron and Ryan -- a clear and total upgrade. The Skins went from Gibbs, Saunders, and Williams to NOBODY, Zorn, and Blache -- looks like a clear and total downgrade.

I wish I could switch my allegeiances from Orioles and Redskins to Nationals and Ravens. The Nationals and Ravens both seem to embody a little bit of what I grew up cheering for. The Orioles and Redskins are a joke.

I will agree with you depending on what happens with the Skins HC. If it's Mooch and if the only reason things were delayed was because they are waiting for his contract to expire I won't be upset at all with the team. After all NOT waiting and just tossing a draft pick over to Jacksonville is what everyone hated so much about the Brunell trade. I know I'm probably being a bit over optimistic but if that's the case then Snyder and company might just be learing a bit more about the football business than we have been giving them credit for (at least I hope and pray so).As far as the Orioles go I was a die hard fan growing up until it appeared to me that Angelos was driving down attendance to support his claim that there couldn't be a Washington and Baltimore baseball team. After that I bailed on the franchise until it's sold. I love rooting for the Nats, and I won't root against the Orioles but it certainly doesn't hurt my feelings when they lose.

I grew up a huge Orioles fan - some years in my late teens up to mid-20's I went to 30-40 games a year (at Memorial Stadium). Once Angelos bought the team, things went down hill, as did my interest in the O's. I quit going to games, I quit watching games on tv. I was happy when the Orioles lost. I cheered Angelos' bonehead front office moves. But, I eventually lost interest in baseball. When the Nats came to town, I tried to get back into the team. I went to a few games the first year, and few last year, but Peter Angelos ruined baseball for me. Snyder is trying to do the same for the Redskins & football. I had Skins season tix from when Fedex opened until last season. I just got tired of leaving the house at 10am and getting home after 6pm for a 1pm game. I got tired of $8 beer and what seemed like $15 burger & fries. I got tired of seeing all of the empty yellow (club) seats as I stared down from the upper deck. I got tired of paying $20 to park at Fedex. I got tired of paying full price for the pre-season games. So, now I watch from home. I still love the Skins, but Snyder is making it hard.

The big difference between Angelos and Snyder though is that I always get the impression that Snyder really really wants to win, and he doesn't have a problem spending whatever it takes to get people in here. However he just isn't that good of a talent evaluator and has way too many yes men all around him. IMO if Snyder can ever just hire a competent GM, or become a good talent evaluator, the Skins will be a very dominant team.

It's funny, but my football and baseball teams are the 'Skins and the Dodgers*, and I've thought over the years about how similar they are. They're both flagship franchises in their respective sports, though not the most prestigious, and they're both - after long runs of success - in protracted dry spells. The Dodgers at least have some young talent and hope for the future; I'm less optimistic about the 'Skins. *This was based purely upon when I became conscious of those two respective sports; I was born in the D.C. area and was immediately indoctrinated in all things 'Skins. We moved out to Los Angeles when I turned nine and began playing Little League, which caused me to gravitate towards the Dodgers.

 

[dgreen]

The more I think about it, the more I believe Gibbs left because of Danny. I'm starting to believe that Saunders was totally a Snyder hire. When it happened we heard how Gibbs was putting his ego aside to bring his offense into the 21st century. We heard how Gibbs had decided as early as the late stages of the 2005 season that he needed help modernizing his offense. For some reason, I bought that story at the time. Now I don't. It makes absolutely no sense that Gibbs would hire Saunders then not let Saunders be Saunders.

Then there's the video on Gibbs' website where he asks people to pray for the coaches and their jobs. I think Gibbs wanted to take the team in a direction Snyder didn't want and they decided to part ways. I think it ended because Snyder wanted something Gibbs didn't believe in.

It's all a shame. The reason Gibbs came back was because he loves the franchise. But, my current belief is that Snyder was even able to ruin that. Now, I believe Gibbs still loves the Redskins, the coaches, the players, and its fans. But, he obviously loves his own family and his own family business more. It just didn't make sense for him pour all he has into the Redskins anymore if even he, the most loved Redskin of all time, can't keep Snyder out of certain things.

Do I have much evidence for this belief? No, but it's where I am right now.

 

[DCThunder]

The more I think about it, the more I believe Gibbs left because of Danny. I'm starting to believe that Saunders was totally a Snyder hire. When it happened we heard how Gibbs was putting his ego aside to bring his offense into the 21st century. We heard how Gibbs had decided as early as the late stages of the 2005 season that he needed help modernizing his offense. For some reason, I bought that story at the time. Now I don't. It makes absolutely no sense that Gibbs would hire Saunders then not let Saunders be Saunders.Then there's the video on Gibbs' website where he asks people to pray for the coaches and their jobs. I think Gibbs wanted to take the team in a direction Snyder didn't want and they decided to part ways. I think it ended because Snyder wanted something Gibbs didn't believe in.It's all a shame. The reason Gibbs came back was because he loves the franchise. But, my current belief is that Snyder was even able to ruin that. Now, I believe Gibbs still loves the Redskins, the coaches, the players, and its fans. But, he obviously loves his own family and his own family business more. It just didn't make sense for him pour all he has into the Redskins anymore if even he, the most loved Redskin of all time, can't keep Snyder out of certain things.Do I have much evidence for this belief? No, but it's where I am right now.

Some/all of this may be true, but I believe that the $30+ million that Toyota is paying Joe Gibbs Racing to be the lead team and win Toyota a Sprint Cup, also played a major role in this. Joe could live at home in Charlotte, schmooze corporate bigshots at Daytona and Las Vegas and whereever and still get competition at a high lever. Why deal with Danny and his eqo when you can do that? Seems like a no-brainer to me...

 

[dgreen]

The more I think about it, the more I believe Gibbs left because of Danny. I'm starting to believe that Saunders was totally a Snyder hire. When it happened we heard how Gibbs was putting his ego aside to bring his offense into the 21st century. We heard how Gibbs had decided as early as the late stages of the 2005 season that he needed help modernizing his offense. For some reason, I bought that story at the time. Now I don't. It makes absolutely no sense that Gibbs would hire Saunders then not let Saunders be Saunders.Then there's the video on Gibbs' website where he asks people to pray for the coaches and their jobs. I think Gibbs wanted to take the team in a direction Snyder didn't want and they decided to part ways. I think it ended because Snyder wanted something Gibbs didn't believe in.It's all a shame. The reason Gibbs came back was because he loves the franchise. But, my current belief is that Snyder was even able to ruin that. Now, I believe Gibbs still loves the Redskins, the coaches, the players, and its fans. But, he obviously loves his own family and his own family business more. It just didn't make sense for him pour all he has into the Redskins anymore if even he, the most loved Redskin of all time, can't keep Snyder out of certain things.Do I have much evidence for this belief? No, but it's where I am right now.

Some/all of this may be true, but I believe that the $30+ million that Toyota is paying Joe Gibbs Racing to be the lead team and win Toyota a Sprint Cup, also played a major role in this. Joe could live at home in Charlotte, schmooze corporate bigshots at Daytona and Las Vegas and whereever and still get competition at a high lever. Why deal with Danny and his eqo when you can do that? Seems like a no-brainer to me...

I think if he was allowed to run things with the Redskins the way he wanted to, he would have fulfilled his contract and coached another year. I think Danny made leaving an easier decision.

 

[redman]

The more I think about it, the more I believe Gibbs left because of Danny. I'm starting to believe that Saunders was totally a Snyder hire. When it happened we heard how Gibbs was putting his ego aside to bring his offense into the 21st century. We heard how Gibbs had decided as early as the late stages of the 2005 season that he needed help modernizing his offense. For some reason, I bought that story at the time. Now I don't. It makes absolutely no sense that Gibbs would hire Saunders then not let Saunders be Saunders.Then there's the video on Gibbs' website where he asks people to pray for the coaches and their jobs. I think Gibbs wanted to take the team in a direction Snyder didn't want and they decided to part ways. I think it ended because Snyder wanted something Gibbs didn't believe in.It's all a shame. The reason Gibbs came back was because he loves the franchise. But, my current belief is that Snyder was even able to ruin that. Now, I believe Gibbs still loves the Redskins, the coaches, the players, and its fans. But, he obviously loves his own family and his own family business more. It just didn't make sense for him pour all he has into the Redskins anymore if even he, the most loved Redskin of all time, can't keep Snyder out of certain things.Do I have much evidence for this belief? No, but it's where I am right now.

Maybe. The problem is that we'd never seen what it was like for Gibbs to defer totally to someone else on offensive matters the way he had on defense. This was a first, and we had nothing to compare it to. Gibbs may have just ended up being less willing to he hands-off on offense than he'd envisioned, or else perhaps he'd assumed that, coming from the same coaching tree, Saunders was going to have a more similar vision to his on offense. It's hard to say, and it may be a combination of things. One thing's for sure - Saunders and Gibbs didn't end up working well together.

 

[Bizkiteer]

The more I think about it, the more I believe Gibbs left because of Danny. I'm starting to believe that Saunders was totally a Snyder hire. When it happened we heard how Gibbs was putting his ego aside to bring his offense into the 21st century. We heard how Gibbs had decided as early as the late stages of the 2005 season that he needed help modernizing his offense. For some reason, I bought that story at the time. Now I don't. It makes absolutely no sense that Gibbs would hire Saunders then not let Saunders be Saunders.Then there's the video on Gibbs' website where he asks people to pray for the coaches and their jobs. I think Gibbs wanted to take the team in a direction Snyder didn't want and they decided to part ways. I think it ended because Snyder wanted something Gibbs didn't believe in.It's all a shame. The reason Gibbs came back was because he loves the franchise. But, my current belief is that Snyder was even able to ruin that. Now, I believe Gibbs still loves the Redskins, the coaches, the players, and its fans. But, he obviously loves his own family and his own family business more. It just didn't make sense for him pour all he has into the Redskins anymore if even he, the most loved Redskin of all time, can't keep Snyder out of certain things.Do I have much evidence for this belief? No, but it's where I am right now.

No, I don't agree with this at ALL. If that was the case, then Saunders would not have been fired. It's reported that Greg Williams wanted to keep Saunders, but tailor down the 700 page playbook. Saunders tired to use his system, but after it was unsuccessful in that they didn't control the game & clock, Gibbs decided to take more of an active role in the offense. Gibbs didn't like that they weren't playing Redskin ball and pounding it at all. Gibbs is a good man and I think he hoped that everything would stay the same, other than him not being there. Once he realized that it wasn't going to be the same, he knew his decision to stop coaching was going to affect others much more than him just not being there. May it be guilt or hindsight...regardless, he was concerned about them and their families after.I think Greg might have hurt his ability to be the HC by just trying to stay the same, opposed to trying to improve the offensive side. I think his backing of Saunders either did him in or contributed to it. Danny and the FO (Vinny) knew that changes had to be made on that side of the ball because we were stagnate and predictable. Defense played well, but was being wasted on an offense that was not consistant.So, I think Saunders was a mutual hire at the time, but clearly he fell out of favor with Gibbs and the Dan.

 

[dgreen]

So, I think Saunders was a mutual hire at the time, but clearly he fell out of favor with Gibbs and the Dan.

I don't doubt that he fell out of favor with Snyder. I just don't buy that he was a mutual hire in that Gibbs was the one looking to hire him. I think Gibbs was willing to work with him after the fact, but would not have brought him in on his own.I really don't think Gibbs had the control we think he might have had. I think he had much more control than anyone else, or anyone will have, under Snyder, but I think Snyder may have trumped him too often.

 

[redman]

So, I think Saunders was a mutual hire at the time, but clearly he fell out of favor with Gibbs and the Dan.

I don't doubt that he fell out of favor with Snyder. I just don't buy that he was a mutual hire in that Gibbs was the one looking to hire him. I think Gibbs was willing to work with him after the fact, but would not have brought him in on his own.I really don't think Gibbs had the control we think he might have had. I think he had much more control than anyone else, or anyone will have, under Snyder, but I think Snyder may have trumped him too often.

Regardless, that's the kind of thing that we'll only find out about, if ever, after guys like Breaux and Bugel retire and decide to talk. Otherwise we're left to guess.

 

[Bizkiteer]

So, I think Saunders was a mutual hire at the time, but clearly he fell out of favor with Gibbs and the Dan.

I don't doubt that he fell out of favor with Snyder. I just don't buy that he was a mutual hire in that Gibbs was the one looking to hire him. I think Gibbs was willing to work with him after the fact, but would not have brought him in on his own.I really don't think Gibbs had the control we think he might have had. I think he had much more control than anyone else, or anyone will have, under Snyder, but I think Snyder may have trumped him too often.

I agree in that Dan is very much like Jerry in that their hand is in everything. Just think, if Jerry hadn't wanted to be such a part of it...Jimmy Johnson would have continued his reign and who knows how many more trophies they would have gotten. I think Gibbs realized that the game itself had passed him by some, not the managing of people, but the game itself. Saunders was an supposed today's offensive genius type and Gibbs must have thought it was a good idea to have him in there. I think the honeymoon was over pretty fast when they kept having 3 & outs and our better than avg defense was out on the field all day long. I'm sure Gibbs and Saunders had talks and Saunders would keep reverting to his ways. Of course, that is what he was used to doing. Gibbs then had to realize to himself that he had to take more control of the O.To be honest, I think Gibbs had the power that was claimed he had all along. I would guess that he thought by putting very experienced coaches, that could have been HC themselves, around him...he would have not had to dedicate as much time as he did in the past (cot in office). I think he looked in the mirror and knew this was just his nature and no matter who was around him...if just didn't matter. He was a go full force all day and all night kind of guy. You can change many things in life, but you can't change the core of who you are...other than being re-born/saved. As we all know, he'd done that before too.Also, if he'd soured on Dan...he wouldn't have hung out around Redskins park as long as he did after stepping down. Dan is far from perfect, so I hope it doesn't come across as though I am defending him to ends of the earth.

 

[Bizkiteer]

So, I think Saunders was a mutual hire at the time, but clearly he fell out of favor with Gibbs and the Dan.

I don't doubt that he fell out of favor with Snyder. I just don't buy that he was a mutual hire in that Gibbs was the one looking to hire him. I think Gibbs was willing to work with him after the fact, but would not have brought him in on his own.I really don't think Gibbs had the control we think he might have had. I think he had much more control than anyone else, or anyone will have, under Snyder, but I think Snyder may have trumped him too often.

Regardless, that's the kind of thing that we'll only find out about, if ever, after guys like Breaux and Bugel retire and decide to talk. Otherwise we're left to guess.

Very true, good point!

 

[dgreen]

I think Gibbs realized that the game itself had passed him by some, not the managing of people, but the game itself. Saunders was an supposed today's offensive genius type and Gibbs must have thought it was a good idea to have him in there.

This is the part that accepted for a couple years that I'm now doubting.Look how they finished the 2005 regular season. They started to score some points and were running the ball very well. This is the time he supposedly decided he needed coaching help. He didn't need coaching help, he needed QB help.Also, I no longer look at the situation and say, "Since Saunders was there, then Gibbs must have wanted him there." Snyder's actions post-Gibbs don't make me think Gibbs carried as much weight as I thought he did. Again, he carried far more weight than anyone else has or will have under Snyder.

Also, if he'd soured on Dan...he wouldn't have hung out around Redskins park as long as he did after stepping down. Dan is far from perfect, so I hope it doesn't come across as though I am defending him to ends of the earth.

Good observation. Right now, I just chalk that up to Gibbs being a great guy. I don't think he hated Dan, just that he didn't want to work for him any more.I'm not trying to say this is the only reason Gibbs left. But, I think his decision was much easier because he may not have been able to do all he wanted.Just a theory.

 

[DCThunder]

The more I think about it, the more I believe Gibbs left because of Danny. I'm starting to believe that Saunders was totally a Snyder hire. When it happened we heard how Gibbs was putting his ego aside to bring his offense into the 21st century. We heard how Gibbs had decided as early as the late stages of the 2005 season that he needed help modernizing his offense. For some reason, I bought that story at the time. Now I don't. It makes absolutely no sense that Gibbs would hire Saunders then not let Saunders be Saunders.Then there's the video on Gibbs' website where he asks people to pray for the coaches and their jobs. I think Gibbs wanted to take the team in a direction Snyder didn't want and they decided to part ways. I think it ended because Snyder wanted something Gibbs didn't believe in.It's all a shame. The reason Gibbs came back was because he loves the franchise. But, my current belief is that Snyder was even able to ruin that. Now, I believe Gibbs still loves the Redskins, the coaches, the players, and its fans. But, he obviously loves his own family and his own family business more. It just didn't make sense for him pour all he has into the Redskins anymore if even he, the most loved Redskin of all time, can't keep Snyder out of certain things.Do I have much evidence for this belief? No, but it's where I am right now.

No, I don't agree with this at ALL. If that was the case, then Saunders would not have been fired. It's reported that Greg Williams wanted to keep Saunders, but tailor down the 700 page playbook. Saunders tired to use his system, but after it was unsuccessful in that they didn't control the game & clock, Gibbs decided to take more of an active role in the offense. Gibbs didn't like that they weren't playing Redskin ball and pounding it at all. Gibbs is a good man and I think he hoped that everything would stay the same, other than him not being there. Once he realized that it wasn't going to be the same, he knew his decision to stop coaching was going to affect others much more than him just not being there. May it be guilt or hindsight...regardless, he was concerned about them and their families after.I think Greg might have hurt his ability to be the HC by just trying to stay the same, opposed to trying to improve the offensive side. I think his backing of Saunders either did him in or contributed to it. Danny and the FO (Vinny) knew that changes had to be made on that side of the ball because we were stagnate and predictable. Defense played well, but was being wasted on an offense that was not consistant.So, I think Saunders was a mutual hire at the time, but clearly he fell out of favor with Gibbs and the Dan.

Again, some or all of this may be true, but I also think that Gibbs was stubborn and prideful that HIS offense would work either in the '80s or in the '00s even in the face of evidence to the contrary. This is sort of the same problem with Brunell. HE selected Brunell to run HIS offense and by GUM it WILL WORK!! That prideful thing is something he'll have to pray on.This may be heresy, but maybe the game DID pass Joe by, at least a little. And I hate to say that because no one loved Joe Gibbs more than I did.

 

[fatness]

Just got off the phone with a league source who said Ron Meeks is among the finalists for the Redskins' coaching vacancy after his second interview yesterday in Indianapolis, but it appears that Steve Mariucci could soon become a bigger part of the process.

Meeks, the Colts' defensive coordinator, met with owner Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato, executive vice president of football operation, in Indianapolis, and the question-and-answer portion of the interview lasted about five hours. Meeks made a good impression in his initial interview Jan. 17 that lasted more than 10 hours (it continued into the next morning at Snyder's home), and Snyder's opinion of Meeks remained high as he left Indianapolis to fly to Arizona for the Super Bowl, the source said.

But here comes "Mooch." Mariucci, who formerly coached the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions, apparently has increased his behind-the-scenes efforts to get into the mix for the job, the league source said. Although Mariucci's agent yesterday denied a TV report that Mariucci would formally interview with the Redskins next week, the buzz at the Super Bowl is that Snyder will meet privately with Mariucci, who works for the NFL Network, before everyone bolts from Arizona after the big game.

Link

 

[Bizkiteer]

The more I think about it, the more I believe Gibbs left because of Danny. I'm starting to believe that Saunders was totally a Snyder hire. When it happened we heard how Gibbs was putting his ego aside to bring his offense into the 21st century. We heard how Gibbs had decided as early as the late stages of the 2005 season that he needed help modernizing his offense. For some reason, I bought that story at the time. Now I don't. It makes absolutely no sense that Gibbs would hire Saunders then not let Saunders be Saunders.

Then there's the video on Gibbs' website where he asks people to pray for the coaches and their jobs. I think Gibbs wanted to take the team in a direction Snyder didn't want and they decided to part ways. I think it ended because Snyder wanted something Gibbs didn't believe in.

It's all a shame. The reason Gibbs came back was because he loves the franchise. But, my current belief is that Snyder was even able to ruin that. Now, I believe Gibbs still loves the Redskins, the coaches, the players, and its fans. But, he obviously loves his own family and his own family business more. It just didn't make sense for him pour all he has into the Redskins anymore if even he, the most loved Redskin of all time, can't keep Snyder out of certain things.

Do I have much evidence for this belief? No, but it's where I am right now.

No, I don't agree with this at ALL. If that was the case, then Saunders would not have been fired. It's reported that Greg Williams wanted to keep Saunders, but tailor down the 700 page playbook. Saunders tired to use his system, but after it was unsuccessful in that they didn't control the game & clock, Gibbs decided to take more of an active role in the offense. Gibbs didn't like that they weren't playing Redskin ball and pounding it at all. Gibbs is a good man and I think he hoped that everything would stay the same, other than him not being there. Once he realized that it wasn't going to be the same, he knew his decision to stop coaching was going to affect others much more than him just not being there. May it be guilt or hindsight...regardless, he was concerned about them and their families after.

I think Greg might have hurt his ability to be the HC by just trying to stay the same, opposed to trying to improve the offensive side. I think his backing of Saunders either did him in or contributed to it. Danny and the FO (Vinny) knew that changes had to be made on that side of the ball because we were stagnate and predictable. Defense played well, but was being wasted on an offense that was not consistant.

So, I think Saunders was a mutual hire at the time, but clearly he fell out of favor with Gibbs and the Dan.

Again, some or all of this may be true, but I also think that Gibbs was stubborn and prideful that HIS offense would work either in the '80s or in the '00s even in the face of evidence to the contrary. This is sort of the same problem with Brunell. HE selected Brunell to run HIS offense and by GUM it WILL WORK!! That prideful thing is something he'll have to pray on.This may be heresy, but maybe the game DID pass Joe by, at least a little. And I hate to say that because no one loved Joe Gibbs more than I did.

It might be painful to admit in a certain degree, but I don't think it's shows any less love for the man. Many on ES start to fight over this topic as saying it is against Gibbs, but it's more like stating what appears to be fact and not anything to do with the love or any allegiance to the man himself. Gibbs will always be GREAT in my mind and that has absolutely nothing to do with any football/teams record(s).

 

[redman]

Gibbs didn't lose any of his mastery with organizing and motivating people.

He did lose, however, precisely the kind of skills that you'd figure would atrophy after more than a decade away from the game, and that was his ability to be innovative in the football sense and to stay one step ahead of evolutions in the NFL game. He never got that back, and it showed in his game planning and game management, and in more subtle things like reports from veterans about how they didn't spend enough time in practice running game situations for Campbell to help him develop (Gibbs had never worked with such a young starting QB before).

 

[fatness]

Darrell Green has a new blog Here, which is pretty cool.

However, as an analyst of front-office moves, Darrell is a great cornerback.

I've enjoyed watching them pull together their new coaching staff. It reminds me of how Lee Marvin picked his team in the 1967 movie, The Dirty Dozen. In the movie, each man was picked individually and with a specific skill for a specific task to meet the team's goal. Now, if I am right and this is what they are doing, then I applaud it because this way there is no place to hide for anyone. Every coach, just like every player, is in an independent contractor with full accountability to the owner and the owner alone. I think this is a great formula for success as it makes everyone pull their own weight with no relational hiding places as when a head coach hires everyone.

 

[fatness]

Redskins Interviewing Steve Mariucci

ABC 7 Sports has learned that Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder and Vinnie Cerrato are in Phoenix interviewing Steve Mariucci as a possible replacement for Joe Gibbs. Mariucci is currently an analyst for the NFL Network. He was fired as head coach of the Detroit Lions in 2005 during his third season at the helm. Mariucci spent six seasons as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 1997 to 2002.

ABC 7 Sports spoke with Adam Schefter of the NFL Network who confirmed that Snyder and Cerrato were speaking with Mariucci on Wednesday.

 

[redman]

Redskins Interviewing Steve Mariucci

ABC 7 Sports has learned that Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder and Vinnie Cerrato are in Phoenix interviewing Steve Mariucci as a possible replacement for Joe Gibbs. Mariucci is currently an analyst for the NFL Network. He was fired as head coach of the Detroit Lions in 2005 during his third season at the helm. Mariucci spent six seasons as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 1997 to 2002.

ABC 7 Sports spoke with Adam Schefter of the NFL Network who confirmed that Snyder and Cerrato were speaking with Mariucci on Wednesday.

This is looking more and more like the hire. Props to JLC for making this connection days ago and sticking with it when everyone was denying it.