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Coaching rumors: Jeff Fisher a Redskin by 2008?

By Skin Patrol

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This is not actually a rumor, as contact isn't even alleged to have been made between the Redskins and the Titans Head Coach, though I'm interested in where reader(s) sit on this:

Titans Coach Jeff Fisher is heading into the final year of his contract, but Wednesday he said he expects a new deal to be ironed out without problems.

There has been talk that Fisher could stall negotiations with the Titans and become a free agent after the 2007 season, when several high profile teams including the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, New York Giants and Cleveland Browns could be in the market for a new coach.

It doesn't get much more non-story than this. The Coach predicts a deal is made and the Redskins are mentioned only in virtue of them maybe-possibly-I-dunno needing a new Coach by year's end. Coach Gibbs is under contract through 2008, so that assumes he bails out after this season, which I find awfully presumptious on the part of The Tennessean. Then again, perhaps Gibbs will want to retire after his fourth Super Bowl victory.

I'm on record saying that it's doubtful Dan Snyder sends Coach Gibbs away prematurely, and whether Joe leaves the team has a lot to do with how this next season goes. I am not ready to presume a failed season and, consequently, a premature exit for Gibbs.

There's an additional issue with bringing in Coach Fisher to lead this team. How would Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams react to once again coaching under Jeff Fisher? Remember that Gregg Williams started his professional coaching career with the Oilers coaching staff in 1990, later joined by Fisher in 1995.

[Incidentally, that means Coach Williams was on the bad guys' team in our 16-13 victory over the Oilers in 1991, which Ben at The Curly R has chronicled so extensively.]

First, the Redskins would owe Coach Williams 1M dollars...

... that is allegedly stipulated in his contract should he not become the Head Coach when Gibbs departs. I cannot find a source on that claim, though. But even barring that, would Coach Williams want to be under Fisher yet again as DC, like he was from 1997-2000?

Before that gets sorted out, the better question to reader(s) is whether or not Fisher is a suitable replacement, at all?

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