Shannahan's Staff

[DEHog]

Some league insiders believe that free-agent coach Mike Shanahan would like to get another suitor to the table in order to drive up his leverage with the Redskins.

But even if he can't shake any other team out of the bushes, we're told that Shanahan will still make more than $50 million under the deal that the Redskins have ready for Shanahan's signature.

We assume it's a five-year contract, with an average salary in excess of $10 million per year.

It remains to be seen whether and to what extent Shanahan will keep any of the $7 million he's due to be paid in 2010 and 2011 by the Broncos. One league source recently told us that the Broncos might not be entitled to a full dollar-for-dollar offset, which means that Shanahan would keep some of the money from the Broncos, along with the $10 million from the Redskins.

The Redskins deal, if ultimately accepted by Shanahan, will make him the highest-paid coach in NFL history. Former Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren received an average salary in the range of $7.5 million to $8.5 million in his final years in Seattle.

[UK Skins Fan]

I am not saying we should switch to a 3-4... but how would it waste our three best guys? Orakpo and Carter have experience at linebacker and Haynesworth has played DE before.

The 3-4 probably isn't for us (although all the elite teams seem to used it) but we'd be in relatively good position to adjust (even though we'd have Fletcher and McIntosh who would need to go.

Haynesworth's greatest strength is getting up the field and being disruptive. I don't believe he has the discipline to be a 3-4 end, and it would be a colossal waste of money and talent. Orakpo and Carter are both classic 4-3 defensive ends. They have experience of playing linebacker, yes. But do you really think that dropping back into zone coverage is the best use of these two guys? Yes, they'd get sacks too, but they'd give up as many plays as they made.

And you've also just written off our best two linebackers, just like that? I know Fletcher is old, but he's good. And MacIntosh is exactly the sort of player that we should be looking to keep. He's solid, at worst.

We don't need a rebuilding job on defence, but switching to the 3-4 will commit the team to just that. Let's stick to rebuilding the offence from scratch - that should keep everybody busy for two or three years anyway!

[Gibbs4Life]

Shanahan's staff...

Offensive Coordinator / Asst. Head Coach - Gary Kubiak

Quarterback Coach - Kyle Shanahan

Oline Coach - Alex Gibbs

Def. Coordinator - Bob Slowik

[VRIEL1]

So you guys are going to tell me that in a 3-4 defense all they do is hold position, don't let the RB past and take up space?

I don't buy it. Look at Baltimore which ran a 3-4 and always went after the QB. Plus if I'm not mistaken the added bonus to the 3-4 is it's ability to adapt or change easily to stop the offense. The 4-3 is kinda limited in it's rigid roll.

[PulpExposure]

So you guys are going to tell me that in a 3-4 defense all they do is hold position, don't let the RB past and take up space?

I don't buy it. Look at Baltimore which ran a 3-4 and always went after the QB. Plus if I'm not mistaken the added bonus to the 3-4 is it's ability to adapt or change easily to stop the offense. The 4-3 is kinda limited in it's rigid roll.

The role of the 3 down linemen in a 3-4 is to hold blockers and let the 4 linebackers flow to make the plays. That's why you see the OLBs for the 3-4 defense (Demarcus Ware, James Harrison, etc.) with the huge sack numbers...not the 3-4 linemen.

For example, the best 3-4 end in the game, Aaron Smith, has had 2 seasons with 8 sacks, and that's his career high. He has 44 sacks in his 11 NFL seasons. Probably the best 3-4 NT in the league is NE's Vince Wilfork; he of the 7.5 career sacks over 6 years.

As for Baltimore, the big sack guys (Terrell Suggs, for instance), are their OLBs. Their pro-bowl DE, Haloti Ngata, has 1.5 sacks this year, and 6.5 over his 4 year career. Their NT, Kelly Gregg, has 18.5 sacks in his 10 year career.

These linemen aren't there to sack the QB; those guys are great because they occupy blockers and let the linebackers make the plays.

[UK Skins Fan]

Exactly. Of course a 3-4 defence still goes after the quarterback, but it's different personnel that do it. We have three people who are excellent at going after the QB - Orakpo, Carter and Haynesworth, and none of them is suited to the role they'd have to fill in a 3-4 scheme.

Which is why I'm hoping that, whoever the new HC is, he doesn't bring a DC with him who is rigidly married to the idea of the 3-4 defence. Getting the current players to execute the defence that we have now (although I would certainly like to see a more aggressive philosophy) would be more beneficial than completely changing the base defence.

[SkinsJock]

We are hopefully now under the control of a GM and are going to hopefully have one of the better FOs in the NFL - this is not Cerrato and Snyder et al anymore AND we are not going to see the 3-4 anytime soon NO WAY - not a chance, ZERO - with all that the FO has to work on they will be bringing in coaches and players that give them (in their estimation) the quickest way to bring this franchise back into line with the other teams in the NFC East

we are not going to see the 3-4 here, thankfully

[DEHog]

Any chance Jerry Gray is the DC...Snyder had to of promised him something for doing the RR interview??

[UK Skins Fan]

Any chance Jerry Gray is the DC...Snyder had to of promised him something for doing the RR interview??

Hmmmm....I've wondered that. Though, I have no idea who'd want to be a defensive assistant to a man who interviews for his boss's job behind his back. And I don't want anybody getting a job that SNYDER has promised them!

[DEHog]

Any chance Jerry Gray is the DC...Snyder had to of promised him something for doing the RR interview??

Hmmmm....I've wondered that. Though, I have no idea who'd want to be a defensive assistant to a man who interviews for his boss's job behind his back. And I don't want anybody getting a job that SNYDER has promised them!

That's my point... Gray had to know this would hurt his chances elsewhere...so it seem logical that he stays...the question is in what capacity??

[SkinsJock]

I have no problem with anything as long as Snyder is not making the choices AT ALL - I would be very surprised if Jerry Gray is Allen's (or the new HC's" choice so I don't see that snake being here

[UK Skins Fan]

Any chance Jerry Gray is the DC...Snyder had to of promised him something for doing the RR interview??

Hmmmm....I've wondered that. Though, I have no idea who'd want to be a defensive assistant to a man who interviews for his boss's job behind his back. And I don't want anybody getting a job that SNYDER has promised them!

That's my point... Gray had to know this would hurt his chances elsewhere...so it seem logical that he stays...the question is in what capacity??

I'm still amazed that he did take the interview (and it seems 99% likely that he did). He can't seriously think he's a head coaching candidate in DC? Actually, as long as he ends up doing ANYTHING other than coaching our defensive backs, then that would be an improvement on our coaching staff.

[frankcal20]

Report: Redskins will be required to interview Gray again
Posted by Mike Florio on January 3, 2010 10:43 AM ET
It's been a strange few weeks regarding the Redskins and the Rooney Rule.

And it officially will be getting stranger.

More than two weeks ago, the Redskins announced the resignation of executive V.P. of football operations Vinny Cerrato. A full 114 minutes later, the Redskins announced Bruce Allen as the new G.M.

In the wake of the move, it was disclosed that the Redskins pre-complied with the Rooney Rule by interviewing a minority candidate for the G.M. job before Cerrato quit, even though the Redskins and the NFL refused to identify the candidate. (Multiple subsequent reports indicated it was Redskins director of pro personnel Morocco Brown.)

Then, word emerged that the Redskins had interviewed one or more in-house minority candidates for the head-coaching job, even though the head-coaching job was and still is held by Jim Zorn. Last Sunday night, Andrea Kremer of NBC reported that the Redskins interviewed secondary coach Jerry Gray with the blessing of the league -- and with a finding by the Fritz Pollard Alliance that the interview complied with the Rooney Rule.

The Washington Post subsequently confirmed that the Fritz Pollard Alliance had concluded that the Redskins were in compliance, and thus that the Redskins could fire coach Jim Zorn and hire whomever they want.

Not so fast, Redskins.

Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that the Redskins will be required to comply with the Rooney Rule after Zorn is fired.

Mort's report, if accurate, clears up an ambiguous stance the league office has taken regarding whether a team may satisfy the Rooney Rule by interviewing a coaching candidate before there's a coaching vacancy. Several weeks ago, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said, as to the coaching job, there can be no compliance without a vacancy; last Sunday night, after Kremer's report emerged, Aiello was a bit more equivocal.

So now it appears that the Redskins will be required to go through the motions -- again -- before anointing Shanahan as the next head coach of the team.

And it would be great if Gray and Greg Blache and any other minority candidate politely declines.

Frankly, if they have any self-respect, they will.

Seems kinda stupid if the Redskins have already satisfied those parties who are required to enforce the rule. But in all reality, what does it matter. There will always be a minority guy who will interview knowing that he isn't going to get the job. His hope is that he'll leave a good impression on the owner and get a promotion somewhere else or with this franchise. But that's just my opinion.

[Skinsfan55]

The Redskins want Shanahan, so why be forced to interview a minority candidate who has no chance? It's just silly.

[DEHog]

Leave it to Snyder to screw this up...as I have said repeatedly he should have waited!!!

[frankcal20]

This one I don't think we can go after Snyder about. It was reported by the NFL that he did fulfill the requirements of the Rooney Rule. For them to then go back on their word, we'll that's not on Snyder. I kind of feel creepy about supporting Snyder in this subject but I think he did as he was advised too by Goodell and the RR committee.

[DEHog]

This one I don't think we can go after Snyder about. It was reported by the NFL that he did fulfill the requirements of the Rooney Rule. For them to then go back on their word, we'll that's not on Snyder. I kind of feel creepy about supporting Snyder in this subject but I think he did as he was advised too by Goodell and the RR committee.

Common sense would tell you to not make a mockery of a MINORITY rule...there are so many people waiting to criticize...I'm shocked we haven't heard form the Rev. Al yet!!

[RayNAustin]

The rule itself is a mockery. It is an insult to common sense, and should be an insult to all minorities.

Anytime you specifically use race as a criteria, it's racism. You cannot stand against racism by advocating and employing racism, anymore than you can stand against dishonesty by lying.

If I were Gray, I would have been smart enough to understand the deal, and not participate in such transparently obvious nonsense.

But the same thing occurred with Blache and Williams ...

[CanesSkins26]

This one I don't think we can go after Snyder about. It was reported by the NFL that he did fulfill the requirements of the Rooney Rule. For them to then go back on their word, we'll that's not on Snyder. I kind of feel creepy about supporting Snyder in this subject but I think he did as he was advised too by Goodell and the RR committee.

He botched this big time, which is nothing new. Interviewing your head coach's assistants for the head coaching job that is still occupied is beyond ridiculous.

[DEHog]

The rule itself is a mockery. It is an insult to common sense, and should be an insult to all minorities.

Anytime you specifically use race as a criteria, it's racism. You cannot stand against racism by advocating and employing racism, anymore than you can stand against dishonesty by lying.

If I were Gray, I would have been smart enough to understand the deal, and not participate in such transparently obvious nonsense.

But the same thing occurred with Blache and Williams ...

Ray...while I agree it doesn't excuse DS. As for Blache wasn't he deep in the woods hunting when Snyder called...they ended up doing the interview over the phone?? ANd it was done after Gibbs left with a coach that was staying..

[cleg]

The rule itself is a mockery. It is an insult to common sense, and should be an insult to all minorities.

Anytime you specifically use race as a criteria, it's racism. You cannot stand against racism by advocating and employing racism, anymore than you can stand against dishonesty by lying.

If I were Gray, I would have been smart enough to understand the deal, and not participate in such transparently obvious nonsense.

But the same thing occurred with Blache and Williams ...

This is just simple minded thinking. In order for racism to exist a power relationship must exist first. I.E. white people in positions of power intentionally exclude non-white who are not in power. A minority group cannot be racist - they can be bigots and hateful of other races but they cannot be racist and affect institutional change on the majority race.

The Rooney rule, while not elegant is justified because prior NFL owners (the power) were not hiring qualified black coaches with only a few small exceptions (Art Shell, Dennis Green and Ray Rhoades). Without the Rooeny rule Lovie Smith may never have been hired, Marvin Lewis, Tony Dungy, Mike Tomlin, etc. These guys were interviewed multiple times by other teams who knew they wanted to hire other coaches but it got their name out there. Without the Rooney rule I doubt the socially "progressive" billionaire owners of the 32 NFL teams would look much outside thier Good Old Boy network for coaches like most Division I college football programs.

Just beacuse we have come a long way in this country with relations between the races it is simply lazy and arrogant to think racism - especially institutional racism no longer exists.

[frankcal20]

But if you call your boss and say - is this ok if I do this. And your boss checks with the powers at be and they are ok with it. How is that a mistake?

I understand that there is not a vacancy but it has been know that there would be a vacancy regardless of the effort, etc put forth by the current coaching staff.

I personally don't have a problem with the way this was handled and I actually think that being pro-active is a good thing. I 100% support the way this has been handled even though I 100% dislike DS and the way he has run this organization and the current coaching staff.

[CanesSkins26]

But if you call your boss and say - is this ok if I do this. And your boss checks with the powers at be and they are ok with it. How is that a mistake?

I understand that there is not a vacancy but it has been know that there would be a vacancy regardless of the effort, etc put forth by the current coaching staff.

I personally don't have a problem with the way this was handled and I actually think that being pro-active is a good thing. I 100% support the way this has been handled even though I 100% dislike DS and the way he has run this organization and the current coaching staff.

Haha ok. So you support DS making coaching decisions on his own? Because that is what was happening when they interviewed Gray and Blache since Allen wasn't hired as GM yet.

[amadkins]

This is just simple minded thinking. In order for racism to exist a power relationship must exist first. I.E. white people in positions of power intentionally exclude non-white who are not in power. A minority group cannot be racist - they can be bigots and hateful of other races but they cannot be racist and affect institutional change on the majority race.I college football programs....

I find your accusation of simple mindedness quite humorous.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racist

[Skinsfan55]

This thread is getting way off topic. It's about Mike Shanahan's staff when he joins the Redskins, but I'm more worried about Bruce Allen's staff.

First of all, Bob McNair, who owns the Texans, says Gary Kubiak is definitely coming back as HC. What does that mean for OC Kyle Shanahan? Will he be excused from his contract to join his dad?

Bob Slowick, Jim Bates, Larry Coyer*, Ray Rhodes, and Greg Robinson were all DC's under Mike Shanahan. Rick Dennison and the aforementioned Kubiak, have been OC's for him.

Who comes on board his staff if he's hired?