It's an interesting question because the 'Skins are coming off of a solid year where, due to unfortunate circumstances, they really grew together as a family. Many players want to keep the team as intact as possible and not have much turnover/transition. However, we all know Snyder wants to make a big splash and won't want to give the job to someone that isn't proven. That said, to me there is only a few possible choices:
1. Gregg Williams: There is a clause in his contract that says if he is not named the head coach after Gibbs, he will receive $1M bonus. He would result in the least amount of change in the team as he is a known quantity and knows the players. His style is very different than Gibbs in that he is more fiery and in your face. Many of the players seem to endorse him again that may be in large part due to his not disrupting personnel too much.
My take: Gregg hasn't had tremendous success as a head coach previously. Perhaps he has matured and learned with age and being around Joe Gibbs. As mentioned, he would result in the least amount of change with the team as far as players/coaches which is a plus. The $1M clause in the contract will play no part in Snyder's decision. $1M is chump change for Snyder. Personally, I don't think Gregg is head coach material. He seems like a solid coordinator but seems like a guy that will try and impose his will on the team and that might not go over too well with today's professional football player. I don't think he is much of a people person and he seems that he will be more of a dictator. It was mentioned that he lost control of his team in Buffalo and I can imagine the same thing happening here. I don't think he would be pleased with the "U" guys wanting to train in Miami and that sort of thing. He seems better suited to serve as D coordinator. However, if he is not selected as head coach, he may decide to leave.
2. Bill Cowher: He has said that he wants to take two years off before a possible return (he has only taken one off so far). Reports are that he is very comfortable being a television analyst. He may want to wait for the Carolina job to open since that is close to his home. However, D.C. is not too far from Carolina and the Redskins are a much higher profile team than the Panthers. Also, I am sure that Snyder will make him by far the richest coach in the NFL with a salary around $10M a year. That might be too much to pass up. However, Cowher would probably want full control of personnel decisions and that might be difficult for Danny boy to swallow.
My take: I like Cowher and if we can get him, lets get him. He is very passionate and given the changes/turnover in Pittsburgh when he was coach there and to still be successful, there is no question he knows how to get the best effort out of his players. He seems like a players coach in that he truly cares for them and just a great overall leader.
3. Russ Grimm: Solid choice. He was coached by Gibbs as a player. He served as a long time assistant under Bill Cowher. He knows Washington. He seems to have the right temperament. However, he is an unknown quantity. He has never been a head coach and might be in a little over his head coming to D.C. where the expectations are really high.
My take: Not a bad choice. I don't think he would get the same treatment if a Bill Cowher were to take the job. I think Snyder would keep a closer eye on Grimm and not give him the same latitude. The little I know of Grimm the coach he seems like a guy that won't put up with much but isn't a yeller/screamer type. You do it his way or you don't play. He has learned from some of the best and I think he is ready to be a head coach. Again, I wouldn't opposed to the selection.
4. Pete Carroll: Has had tremendous success at USC. He has previous NFL head coaching experience. The Falcons are making a play for him and reports are that he is interested in that position. He would command a high salary and would want full control of personnel decisions.
My take: He's a jackass. We all know that being a good college coach doesn't mean you will be a good NFL head coach (see Spurrier or Petrino). He seems like a good recruiter which is easier to do in California with the abundance of talent they have there. He seems arrogant and I don't think his personality would match well with Snyder and he might have difficulty meshing with the professional football player. He seems like the little kid that wanted to play football but couldn't but wanted to hang around the football players and try to be cool like them. Not sure if he would be a good choice.
I know there might be some other candidates out there (Billick, Singletary, etc.) but I think the above four are the most legitimate. We'll see how it plays out. Should be interesting.
8 comments:
If they can get Cowher, he is the obvious choice. But he will command a huge salary (which Danny Boy would pay) and likely want control of the front office (which Danny Boy will not give up).
I think Cowher will sit out another year and hope for the Carolina job. He will be available next year.
I think they should stick with Double G, purge their roster, hope for respectability, fix their cap problem, and then go for Cowher next year. They would be able to make themselves more attactive as a team that needs to be rebuilt from the bottom up.
Obviously if Danny Boy pays a ridiculously high sum of money, Bill Cowher may sign. However, from an organizational perspective I see no reason why Cowher would come. He would have to take over a mediocre team that slipped into the playoffs with the miraculous play of a 37-year old journeyman QB. The fact is the Redskins have huge cap problems. The fans are going to expect playoffs, but the reality is that they are going to have to lose some players and won't have money. Just being respectable would be great.
They will make a play for Cowher. Gregg is okay and I suppose he could be a temporarly fit for a year if Cowher is adamant on taking two years off. Of course, if Gregg does a good job, he should keep the position.
I don't know why you think the Redskins are so bad. The Redskins deserved their season. They earned it. They have quality people on the team. We have been through this all before but we aren't too far away from being a very good team. JC had a solid season. Hopefully he will continue to develop and he will have more latitude in the plays they call for him. He has tremendous upside. Portis is still one of the better backs in the NFL and had a good year. Hopefully Moss will be healthy and he has proven to be a playmaker. We need some improvement on the O line but still we have a better line than most teams. Cooley is one of the best at his position. We need a playmaker at the #2 WR position.
Defensively we need another DE (hopefully through the draft). Fletcher and McIntosh are good. Not sure what will happen to Washington but we might need help there. Smoot and Rogers are okay. Landry is good. Doughty is fine as well. We could use depth at CB if we lose Springs but it's a pretty solid group - hence the top 10 rating they received.
You cry purge every year. I'll wait for that to happen. Again, we have so many fewer problems than the Bears. They have issues on the entire offensive side of the ball. Defense is a question as well. The D line needs help. The LBs will need help with Briggs potentially leaving and Urlacher getting up in age with a bad back. CBs is set but safety is a question mark. Can Brown come back and play effectively? If so, can he actually play for a full season? Babich and Turner's coaching have come into question and Lovie himself does not seem to have full control of the team. They are in far worse shape than the 'Skins.
We'll see.
Robs...You need to purge yourself of that bug up your arse. The 'Skins cap status is not going to cause great turmoil like you always predict. $21 million over the cap? That includes Brunell who is all but gone and all of Cooley's $11M signing bonus. Spread that bonus out over 4-5 years and cut the old stiff QB and we're already down to $9M-10M over. The "core" Redskins are all saying they want to stay (i.e. renegotiate). I'm certain Snyder will be able to manage the cap just fine.
If players will stay here their entire careers, there's nothing wrong with spreading out their bonuses. The problems are the stiffs like Lloyd and Arch Deluxe who eat up cap space and don't produce.
I have no doubt the cap will be managed and we will be in good position to acquire a needed free agent at some position. Keep the cap mismanagement crapola to yourself until it really does bite Snyder and the 'Skins in the butt.
Deeps, you may not have seen my earlier post, but here are the "big cap" guys for 2008:
Brunell - $6.5M
Carter - $5M
Cooley - $12.1M
Griffin - $6.2M
Jansen - $8.8M
Lloyd - $4.2M
Moss - $5.9M
Portis - $8.9M
Samuels - $8.3M
Springs - $7.5M
Thomas - $8.9M
Washington $6.5M
They are going to renogiate some of the contracts and hope that they can trade Springs away.
They will cut some of the guys after June 1 because they can split the contract amounts over 2008 and 2009.
Let's say that they cut Brunell, Lloyd, Griffin, Jansen, and Washington. That would save them $21M for 2008 and get them even (this leaves no money for signing players).
But that is not the end of their contracts. The Redskins will still have $20.1M in dead cap space in 2009. You can bet that next year they will be maxed out again because they keep pushing back so many contracts with renogiations.
You are completely wrong about what would happen if they cut Lloyd and Brunell. If they cut both of them today there would be no savings whatsoever. In fact, they would take a cap hit of $10.3M for 2008. If they keep them on the roster they take a cap hit of $10.7M and at least they have two guys on the roster.
Here are your choices with those stiffs:
Cut them before June 1:
For Brunell, the Redskins would save $3.4M, but $3.1M is still owed to him and would still count against the cap.
For Lloyd, his contract would accelerate and the Redskins would have to take a $7.2M hit (if they keep him his cap number is $4.2M).
So they may cut Brunell before June, but there is no way they are going to cut Lloyd.
If they wait until after June 1, then they can split the cap hits over the 2008 and 2009 seasons. They still owe Brunell and Lloyd more than $10M, but they will have some flexibility with how they spread the dead cap amounts.
For Brunell, they could split the $3.1M over two years. This would create a dead cap hit of about $1.5M for 2008 and 2009. The benefit is that it would clear about $5M in cap space this year.
For Lloyd, there is no real gain for cutting him. The Redskins are still on the hook for $7.2M and are not likely to want to create that much dead cap. They could release him after June 1, take a $1.8M hit this year, free up about $2.4M in cash for 2008. But then in 2009, they would be left with $5.4M in dead cap space. There is no real benefit to doing that given their cap situation.
I know you don't care, but when everything falls apart - and it will sooner or later - you'll see I was absolutely right.
Absolutely right...just like you've been with your picks this year...and with your prediction that the Bears' superior organization had built a great team...and with your prediction that the 'Skins would stink up the joint this year.
Like I said, I'll believe it when I see it, but you're right...I don't care about your take on the situation.
Well said, Deepie.
Yeah Deepie! Good one! Tee Hee Hee.
(That is my JKD impersonation)
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