Success starts at the top and trickles down. If you don't have someone setting the tone and making sound decisions, then you're just wasting everyone's time.
That's the problem with the Washington Redskins. They've never had somebody up top that could set a positive tone or make good decisions. In fact, they've never had a real true blue football mind running the show in D.C. since Dan Snyder bought the team in 1999.
Longtime vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato was nothing more than a Yes Man for Snyder to bully into idiotic free agent deals (Albert Haynesworth, Deion Sanders, Bruce Smith) and poor draft selections (Rod Gardner, Patrick Ramsey, Jason Campbell). Cerrato was replaced with general manager Bruce Allen in 2009, despite the fact that he had never been the sole decision maker in his previous NFL stints.
"In his first offseason with roster control, Allen has made so many missteps that there's no telling how long it could take to untangle his dunderheaded moves," the Washington Post's Jason Reid wrote. "His failure to address glaring holes and identify others has resulted in a roster that could be years away from merely being competitive, a team official recently acknowledged. The organization has never appeared more lost-and that's saying a lot."
Wow. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it?
So, with the Redskins facing their fourth losing season in Allen's five years, it's safe to say that it's time for a change. But where will that change come from?
The first option is to promote from within. A.J. Smith is a current senior executive with the Redskins and the former general manager of the San Diego Chargers. Smith did a solid job with the Chargers in terms of personnel. He's the guy who drafted Drew Brees (he also let him walk in free agency, but still). He was around when the team drafted LaDanian Tomlinson and handpicked Michael Turner in the 2004 draft. He selected 2005 Defensive Rookie of the Year Shawne Merriman and scouted basketball players (such as Antonio Gates) as potential game changers long before it became a popular trend. Conversely, he chose to go with Norv Turner over Marty Schottenheimer. But overall, the Redskins could do a lot worse than a guy with a proven track record in player evaluation.
Another option for the Redskins is to bring in an outside guy. One potential suggestion is Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff. There have been rumblings that owner Arthur Blank wants to replace Dimitroff amid back-to-back losing seasons for the Falcons. Dimitroff certainly deserves his share of the blame for letting Atlanta's depth erode to such an alarming degree. But he also deserves credit for building a team that posted winning records in five straight seasons and made the playoffs four times since 2008. That's a far better stretch of success than the Redskins have ever had in the Snyder era. Should Dimitroff be fired, Snyder should seriously consider bringing him into the fold.
One left-field suggestion is for Washington to add the best NFL scout in the game; although there is a reason he isn't currently employed.
Scot McCloughan is the former Senior Personnel Executive for the Seattle Seahawks and former General Manager of the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams, if you'll remember, have played in a Super Bowl recently with rosters that McCloughan helped build. But the 43-year-old, who is considered "by many to be football's best talent evaluator," has also struggled with a serious drinking problem.
McCloughan had a role in drafting six players who were selected to the Pro Bowl last season. He spearheaded the internal hype on Patrick Willis and Vernon Davis for San Fran while also noting that Russell Wilson could be the exception to the rule for Seattle. Of course, he was also asked to leave by the 49ers and resigned from the Seahawks last year.
McCloughan says that his drinking is under control. If true, the Redskins are one of the few organizations that really have nothing to lose. There is nowhere to go but up at this point. Why not take a chance on a supremely talented football mind?
Regardless of which direction Washington goes in, it's clear that this team at least needs a direction. This franchise has been the epitome of instability and dysfunction for over a decade. Fans are fed up. If Snyder ever wants to climb out of the hole he's dug for himself, he has to hire a proven football mind to take the reins before it's too late.
