Posted at 8:55 PM ET, 01/21/2008 Skins At The Senior Bowl/Fassel
Most of the Skins coaching staff is in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. Vinny Cerrato was supposed ot be there too, but I hear he cancelled at the last minute because of the prolonged coaching search.
Again, if you put a gun to my head and made me guess about the mystery candidate, I'd say Fassel. He's the only name I mentioned that Friday night when the first mystery meeting took place. I can't get it confimred, but I heard Snyder's plane might be returning back to Scottsdale tonight, which just happens to be where Fassel lives.
I do know Fassel was supposed to be driving his rental car back to Milwaukee today to take a commercial flight back to Arizona, and he may have jumped Redskins One to Chateau Snyder instead.
Again, can't get it confirmed but the name I kept hearing today was Fassel. He has a history with developing QBs like Elway and Simms, but bombed with Boller and the Ravens. Could be talking to him about coordinator-type positions as well, given that numerous league sources have told me that Snyder and Cerrato are down on Al Saunders. Faslle interviewed withthe Chiefs a week ago for their OC opening, but did not get it.
Anyway, Gregg Williams, Greg Blache and Joe Bugel are among the Redskins coaches not at the Senior Bowl, according to sources, which is not unusual. Joe Gibbs remains around Redskins Park, as he is expected to until they finish this transition, but is not taking part in the interviews
Numerous league sources have said the Redskins have not asked the Packers for permission to interview any of their coaches. The Redskins can not interview any Pats or GIants coaches until after the Super Bowl,as they did not make a previous initial attempt to speak to any of them. So they'd have to wait to more weeks to even talk to them. Some aroudn the league believe the Skins were banking on a Giants loss, allowing them to interview Dc Steve Spagnuolo today, but the G-men pulled another upset. Spagnuolo might end up getting a good look from Atlanta should they opt to continue their search into it's second decade (okay, it just seems that long)
All the little birdies who suggest they know flight itineraries have floated out the possibility that a Redskins plane was in Green Bay today to pick up someone as the Redskins coaching search continues..
The team is not commenting publicly on who they have or will speak to, but one look at the Packers staff suggests there isn't anyone outside of Mike McCarthy the that might stand out better then Gregg Williams, but that is the purest of speculation as possible.. McCarthy is expected to receive a pay hike and contract extension, so I'm assuming it isn't him..
You know who else was in Green Bay yesterday? Jimmy Johnson.. Hmmm.. All reports suggest Johnson likes his off-seasons to have personal time and hasn't been interested in a return to coaching, but who knows with the money thrown around these days.. I didn't watch NFL Network, but I suppose it's possible Steve Mariucci was in Green Bay as well.. Vinny Cerrato worked with Mooch in San Francisco and Cerrato certainly is not in jeopardy of losing any control in DC so I suppose there could be a connection.. Bill Cowher said on CBS Sports web site that the Redskins job "has a lot to offer someone, just not Bill Cowher." So he is staying steadfast in his convictions to remain retired at least one more season..
This thing remains so underground, having any sense of where it is going is all guesswork.. Hell, if the Fox guys are finally talking about a "mystery candidate" then even they don't know.. So kudos to the Skins brass for staying underground..
I know the Skins are not particualrly pleased that Jim Mora said anything about the search, mainly he was dropping out but neither side has suggested he was going to be offered the position, although many watching this thing closely felt he was the team's choice.. At least he had the dignity to drop out before any offer could be turned down and putting the Skins cards on the table..
So I'm not sure if the search is officially re-opened but if it is, that suggests Gregg Williams falls lower down the priority list and while he certainly is not out of the running, this is becoming quite telling about their feelings about whether he is their top choice.. The process has gone long enough to give him the job, that hasn't happened so we'll see..
Ooh yeah, Pete Carroll just might be that mystery candidate.. Why not? He flirted with the Falcons, who's to say he isn't dating Dan right now..
LOSTHOG wrote:Maybe it's FIOS. I haven't seen him on here for a couple of days
I got the job! I had to "off" a number of other candidates but I would like to proudly announce that I am the new late-late-late shift assistant-to-the-assistant-to-the-assistant manager at the Taco Bell named "filthy and soon-to-be-closed" by the local government. The job doesn't come with "benefits" or "security" or "pay" but the chance to move up in the world is pretty much unparalleled since, as my boss put it (while playfully spilling scalding oil on me) "it's actually less noble than being unemployed." Look out world*!
*Through one eye, the other was playfully burned closed**
**PS, bleach is NOT the way to cure scalding-oil-in-the-eye, no matter what your boss says
