This season hasn’t gone exactly as planned for the Redskins. Hell, I’m not even going to try and sugar-coat it any longer - the team is a steaming pile of garbage, led by the worst front office executive in the NFL...Bruce Allen!
But, as the season nears its end, there are a few things Redskins fans can look forward to before the new league year begins in March.
Black Monday:
Black Monday is the name given to the day after the NFL’s regular season ends, where coaching and front office firings are prevalent.
The Redskins could be VERY active on Black Monday - and the days following. There is a lot of smoke surrounding some members of the staff; even head coach Jay Gruden.
And, as usual, there is smoke surrounding Team President Bruce Allen - although I wouldn’t hold my breath on this one.
If Gruden were to get relieved of his duties come Black Monday, it would be WISE for the team to hire a true General Manager before they began a new coaching search.
Even if Gruden is retained for another season, we very well may see Manusky and Callahan fired come Monday or shortly there after.
Hiring a GM:
This team needs a leader on the FOOTBALL side of things to run the daily operations. As I mentioned above, if Gruden is fired at season’s end, it would be wise to have a General Manager in place to conduct the coaching search.
It’s possible that GM candidates have already been vetted by the organization, and maybe a a promotion from within is on the horizon. Guys like Doug Williams and Kyle Smith are names that keep popping up.
Another name to watch is Louis Riddick. The current ESPN analyst was with the Redskins before in a scouting/personnel role, and it’s been hinted on social media that the team may be seeing a familiar face return soon. Could this face be Riddick?
Will the Redskins look elsewhere to fill the GM position that has been vacant since Scot McCloughan was fired?
Re-working the Front Office:
Aside from the possibility of hiring a real GM, there could be some re-working of the front office structure.
If our dreams come true, Bruce Allen would be sent packing. That may not happen, but Allen being “re-assigned” to a non-football role is a possibility. There is no secret that Dan Synder is enamored with Senior Vice President of Football Operations Eric Schaffer, and a promotion may be long overdue for the well-respective executive.
There could also be some movement if the team decides to promote a General Manager from within, or back-fill Shaffer’s role if he were to be elevated.
Coaching Search:
Coaches will be fired - make no mistake about that. Who they will be is still a mystery.
The search for new coaches will be of great interest to Redskins fans. If Gruden is fired, the search for his replacement will keep fans occupied and debating for weeks. More interesting to me will be who is chosen to run the defense, and what type of system they will bring in. I see no way Greg Manusky can be retained as Defensive Coordinator after his unit’s mid-season collapse, and fights with players about how he calls games.
What are you looking forward to when the season ends for the Redskins this Sunday afternoon?