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[Manchester_Redskin]

From Yahoo sports

Redskins skin-deep in chaos

It’s not even quite the halfway point of the 2009 season, but the way we hear it, the odds that the disappointing Redskins can right what appears to be a steadily sinking ship are slimmer than Patriots head coach Bill Belichick suddenly appearing on the cover of Gentlemen’s Quarterly.

League insiders concur that the Redskins — currently wallowing in the NFC East basement with a 2-5 record despite opening the season with six straight games against opponents that had yet to win a game — are an unmitigated mess. With only two victories this season by a combined five points over the Buccaneers and Rams and an offense that has yet to score more than 17 points this season, the future for the Redskins, 4-11 since last Halloween, looks frightfully grim.

As for beleaguered head coach Jim Zorn, who was given a supposed vote of confidence by executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato the Friday before the Redskins’ latest ugly loss to the Eagles, our sources believe it would hardly be a shock if either the team changes its mind and lets him go before the end of the season or Zorn just up and quits. At the very least, we hear it’s very unlikely that Zorn, who looks increasingly uncomfortable in every passing press conference he’s been forced to endure, will be back as the Redskins’ head coach next season.

Word is the future of Cerrato, who has been under considerable heat much of the season, also could be on very thin ice.

What the current regime needed more than anything was a statement-making turnaround in the team’s latest game against the division-rival Eagles. As it turned out, though, the Redskins crashed and burned badly on a national stage, as the Eagles jumped off to a 20-point lead and never looked back. Beleaguered Redskins QB Jason Campbell(notes) was sacked six times (14 in the last three games) and threw his seventh interception of the season (one more than he had all of last year) and RB Clinton Portis(notes) gained only 43 yards rushing.

“The fans are losing interest,” said a frustrated Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth(notes), whose signing this offseason for a king’s ransom was expected to reap bigger dividends. “The more games we play, the fewer fans have come. It’s getting bad.

“If we just keep going our separate ways, then we’ll just keep getting slaughtered like we have.”

Portis, who was seen throwing his helmet down on the sideline during the latest loss, continued his knack this season for speaking his mind one day later when he openly questioned the front office’s failure to address the Redskins’ shaky situation on the offensive line.

“We went into the season, and we didn’t address the issue (lack of depth), and it came back to haunt us,” said Portis, who, not long afterward, was told to clam up by Redskins P.R. officials.

A major subplot in the Redskins-Eagles game was the play-calling debut of new offensive consultant Sherman Lewis, who three weeks earlier was calling bingo games and serving Meals on Wheels at a retirement home.

“I’m most comfortable calling plays myself, no question,” said Zorn. “I can’t deny that. I can’t fill you with fluff there.”

A few days later, though, Zorn praised Lewis for doing an excellent job — a critique that few, if any, observers could honestly agree with.

In the meantime, the Redskins’ higher-ups spent most of their time after the team’s latest debacle engaged in high-powered spin control. In addition to the team exercising a ban on Redskins fans carrying any signs into FedEx Field the rest of the season, chief operating officer David Donovan blasted the Washington Post’s consistently negative coverage of the team on a local sports-talk radio show.

Suffice it to say the Redskins are spinning their wheels, with no end in sight. Just think about how bad things could become with their schedule expected to become increasingly difficult following their bye week, with games on tap against Atlanta (4-2), Denver (6-1), Dallas (5-2), Philadelphia (5-2) and New Orleans (6-0).

Is there any sign of a light at the end of the tunnel?

According to numerous league and team sources, the answer to that question is an emphatic “No,” not as long as the team opts to continue conducting business in its current fashion.

“When you look at what is wrong with that team, it is very clear,” said a veteran personnel man with intimate knowledge of the organization. “They have misevaluated too many players, through free agency and the draft, and they have mismanaged the salary cap, not understanding the value of players. They have tried to build the team through free agency, which we all know is not the way to build a team. It gives you a roster top-heavy in talent and quality, but short-handed in quantity and on depth. In turn, your special teams are watered down, and you don’t have enough capable replacements. You have too much money tied up in too few players.

“(Redskins owner) Dan Snyder is not the problem — he wants to win. His problem is that he has not hired capable people to evaluate and get the evaluation of talent correct. He has done a tremendous job marketing and putting money into the franchise. He has done all the things an owner can do. But the one thing he has fallen short on is hiring capable evaluators and letting them do the job. He needs a GM whose strength lies on the evaluation side, not the business side. He has all the capable people to run the business operations.

“I think a lot of people in the league would like to work for Dan Snyder. He is a great owner. But as long as Vinny (Cerrato) is there, (Cerrato) is going to smear any threat to himself.”

Another high-ranking executive couldn’t help but give Cerrato low marks.

“Mike Shanahan could have hired Vinny (Cerrato) when he was in Denver and Vinny was out of football,” the executive told PFW. “(Cerrato) was working for ESPN when Snyder hired him. Then he was thrown out while Marty Schottenheimer was there and went back to ESPN. He didn’t hire him. Shanahan does not want anything to do with him. It’s been 10 years of futility since Vinny and Dan (Snyder) arrived.

“I’m done bagging on Cerrato. He should bag himself after he goes 6-10 again this year. I can speak from experience — when you start bringing in another set of eyes (Sherman Lewis) this early in the season, you are headed for disaster. The offense is not getting done what it should, based on their personnel. Their O-line stinks. They got all their money in underachieving skill players. They got a second-round tight end (Fred Davis(notes)) who can’t get on the field because he is too dumb. They have a first-round quarterback who is just as dumb as the tight end. They can’t knock anyone off the ball.”

What about the prospect of Snyder going after one of the many high-profile former head coaches currently biding their time? Our sources tell us the Redskins’ owner met with former Packers and Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren earlier in the season. And there have been published reports that he has also met with Shanahan.

Said one league source: “A guy like Holmgren could reel it in, but he will need a personnel guy to help him.”

Another name that has been mentioned is that of Jon Gruden, who presently appears to be enjoying himself immensely as an enthusiastic color commentator on “Monday Night Football.” Fueling Gruden’s potential future involvement with the team is the consulting work currently being done by former Buccaneers GM Bruce Allen, who teamed up with Gruden in Tampa Bay.

At least one source doesn’t think much of such a scenario.

“The worst thing in the world for (Jon) Gruden is for him to pair up with that owner, at least in my opinion,” said the source. “They both have the little-man complex and are both way too high-strung. It could be a match made in heaven, or it could also be a match made in hell. They will either love or hate each other — there will be no in-between. And even if they hit it off in an interview, I think it would sour fast. It’s difficult for those types of personalities to coincide.”

“What the owner really needs to do is find a capable GM first and let him help pick the head coach.”

Will Snyder follow our source’s suggestion?

While we can’t say for sure, we can virtually guarantee that the Redskins’ organization will look dramatically different a year from now.

[BurgundyandGoldfaith]

“The worst thing in the world for (Jon) Gruden is for him to pair up with that owner, at least in my opinion,” said the source. “They both have the little-man complex and are both way too high-strung. It could be a match made in heaven, or it could also be a match made in hell. They will either love or hate each other — there will be no in-between. And even if they hit it off in an interview, I think it would sour fast. It’s difficult for those types of personalities to coincide.”


This part is a guess based on pure speculation. If I made a stupid quote like this, I would want to be an unnamed source too. Everything else I essentially agree with, including that Snyder isn't the problem, it starts with Vinny. Vinhy wasted a 3rd round pick this year on a CB we haven't heard a damn thing from. It's clear to everyone and our owner will make the right decision

Part with Vinny

[Skinsfan55]

Can you post the real link? Yahoo sports loses revenue when you post the full article on another site. I prefer to read the article on their website anyway.

[Skinsfan55]

This actually looks like a PFW article, but the same rules apply:

http://www.profootballweekly.com/2009/1 ... p-in-chaos

[old-timer]

“The worst thing in the world for (Jon) Gruden is for him to pair up with that owner, at least in my opinion,” said the source. “They both have the little-man complex and are both way too high-strung. It could be a match made in heaven, or it could also be a match made in hell. They will either love or hate each other — there will be no in-between. And even if they hit it off in an interview, I think it would sour fast. It’s difficult for those types of personalities to coincide.”


This part is a guess based on pure speculation. If I made a stupid quote like this, I would want to be an unnamed source too. Everything else I essentially agree with, including that Snyder isn't the problem, it starts with Vinny. Vinhy wasted a 3rd round pick this year on a CB we haven't heard a damn thing from. It's clear to everyone and our owner will make the right decision

Part with Vinny

I disagree that Cerrato is the main problem. Snyder has always been more than willing to fire people when we lose. If Vinny was the one picking the players, Snyder would have fired him long ago. I think Snyder is a lot more involved in player selection than people realize - he's been attending workouts of potential draftees, for God's sake - what makes him think he's qualified to do evaluations like that? Answer: outsized ego.

It's not so easy to pin the whole thing on Vinny, which is not to say I wouldn't have been happy to see him go years ago. The real problem is Snyder's ego, which is susceptible to little worms like Vinny. Snyder needs to do his homework and find a good GM - just like Cooke did with Bobby Beathard - then let go of day-to-day operations of the team. Is Snyder wise enough to do this? That's the big question. Personally, i doubt it.

[Skinsfan55]

Honestly, Vinny would be great as someone's director of college scouting, or some other kind of assistant. The guy just can't be the loudest voice in the room, he can't lead an NFL personnel department.

He's done great things in football, he recruited for a National Champion, he was the director of college scouting for a Super Bowl winner, he was director of player personnel for a perennial playoff team.

Who could do any better with Dan Snyder in charge? The point is, the dude is valuable as part of a team, but as the head of the department, he's just not good enough.

[DEHog]

I disagree that Cerrato is the main problem. Snyder has always been more than willing to fire people when we lose. If Vinny was the one picking the players, Snyder would have fired him long ago. I think Snyder is a lot more involved in player selection than people realize

=D>

I have come to this conclusion as well... I no longer hold Vinny accountable for this mess it's 100% on Snyder IMO

[frankcal20]

I hold him accountable for making excuses. That guy's a prick

[Chris Luva Luva]

I think Snyder is a lot more involved in player selection than people realize

The Danny defenders would have burned you at the stake for this 6 months ago for saying this.

[RedskinsFreak]

I disagree that Cerrato is the main problem. Snyder has always been more than willing to fire people when we lose. If Vinny was the one picking the players, Snyder would have fired him long ago. I think Snyder is a lot more involved in player selection than people realize

=D>

I have come to this conclusion as well... I no longer hold Vinny accountable for this mess it's 100% on Snyder IMO

Why do you think the ever-impatient Danny has been anything BUT when it comes to Vinny? It's not easy to find someone willing to abandon any last shred of professional dignity and pride to let you hook your strings to them -- just to keep a job.

[DEHog]

I disagree that Cerrato is the main problem. Snyder has always been more than willing to fire people when we lose. If Vinny was the one picking the players, Snyder would have fired him long ago. I think Snyder is a lot more involved in player selection than people realize

=D>

I have come to this conclusion as well... I no longer hold Vinny accountable for this mess it's 100% on Snyder IMO

Why do you think the ever-impatient Danny has been anything BUT when it comes to Vinny? It's not easy to find someone willing to abandon any last shred of professional dignity and pride to let you hook your strings to them -- just to keep a job.

I have but Like Chris said you got blasted around here for saying that and now you’re a hater because we wanted to be right more than we wanted the Skins to win