New full-time role for AJ Smith

[Prowl33]

http://m.espn.go.com/nfl/story?storyId= ... rc=desktop

Im guessing Snyder is wising up after that press conference

[SkinsJock]

This is a good step .... BUT, it's a calculated move to encourage some that things could be different here ... not me

they have not reported yet that Bruce Allen is going to stop being the GM ... this is not good

HOWEVER - nothing changes really if Dan Snyder is still a part of the football operations - NOTHING

can't wait to hear from the suck-ups about how much better this organization might be now that Dan Snyder has AJ Smith in the fold ..

same old BS ... you cannot expect things to change here when you continue to manage the franchise with these 2 bozos ...

but .... I'll bet that there will be many that continue with the old mantra ..." if we can just draft a few really good players, pick up a good/great DC plus add some good Free Agents, in a few years, who knows, we could be contending again .... anythings possible "

what a load of horse manure

I do like AJ Smith and I do hope we get some great players and coaching ... but it means absolutely nothing with Dan Snyder involved

[riggofan]

I was expecting them to do something with AJ Smith, but this just seems so half a**ed. What is the big announcement here? Either make him the GM and empower him to make decisions or don't pretend like you've really changed anything in the front office.

[CanesSkins26]

I was expecting them to do something with AJ Smith, but this just seems so half a**ed. What is the big announcement here? Either make him the GM and empower him to make decisions or don't pretend like you've really changed anything in the front office.

Agreed. Smells like a PR stunt to try and stem some of the criticism. Even if true, why give more power to an overrated ex-GM? The team needs a young GM with a vision - look for top assistants in the organizations that have shown they can identify and develop talent...the Ravens, Seahawks, etc. A GM needs to be working 100+ hours a week, is 65 year old AJ Smith going to do that? Highly doubtful.

[riggofan]

but .... I'll bet that there will be many that continue with the old mantra ..." if we can just draft a few really good players, pick up a good/great DC plus add some good Free Agents, in a few years, who knows, we could be contending again .... anythings possible "

what a load of horse manure

lol. I'm really not sure why he's so bent out of shape about fans choosing to be optimistic. This is from SkinsJock just last year:

2014 will be an improvement over 2013 (how hard is that to predict) and 2015 should see this franchise competing for a playoff spot again

Robert Griffin will be the QB we expected and Jay Gruden will do a good job as HC because he's not going to micro manage like Mike

Robert Griffin is not the QB we saw in 2012 or the QB we saw in 2013 - he's just a really good QB and leader - that's what he's always been

http://www.the-hogs.net/forum/viewtopic. ... 8&start=30

good stuff.

[CanesSkins26]

but .... I'll bet that there will be many that continue with the old mantra ..." if we can just draft a few really good players, pick up a good/great DC plus add some good Free Agents, in a few years, who knows, we could be contending again .... anythings possible "

what a load of horse manure

lol. I'm really not sure why he's so bent out of shape about fans choosing to be optimistic. This is from SkinsJock just last year:

2014 will be an improvement over 2013 (how hard is that to predict) and 2015 should see this franchise competing for a playoff spot again

Robert Griffin will be the QB we expected and Jay Gruden will do a good job as HC because he's not going to micro manage like Mike

Robert Griffin is not the QB we saw in 2012 or the QB we saw in 2013 - he's just a really good QB and leader - that's what he's always been

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=40078&start=30

good stuff.

The Skins have even broken SkinsJock's spirits!!

[Prowl33]

I was expecting them to do something with AJ Smith, but this just seems so half a**ed. What is the big announcement here? Either make him the GM and empower him to make decisions or don't pretend like you've really changed anything in the front office.

I think its 1 of 2 things...

1) Danny sees Bruce is an idiot and this is a step to replace him next year

Or

2) Bruce is trying to save his ass, will have AJ make decisions, but will take all good credit for himself, and use him as a scapegoat behind closed doors.

[tribeofjudah]

AJ who? Perhaps he had some good years with the Bolts in the beginning.

But in the end, they wanted to RUN HIM OUT OF TOWN...!!! So let us be wise with that thought.

[PulpExposure]

I was expecting them to do something with AJ Smith, but this just seems so half a**ed. What is the big announcement here? Either make him the GM and empower him to make decisions or don't pretend like you've really changed anything in the front office.

Agreed. Smells like a PR stunt to try and stem some of the criticism. Even if true, why give more power to an overrated ex-GM? The team needs a young GM with a vision - look for top assistants in the organizations that have shown they can identify and develop talent...the Ravens, Seahawks, etc. A GM needs to be working 100+ hours a week, is 65 year old AJ Smith going to do that? Highly doubtful.

Not that I disagree with your overall thought (get someone young and hungry in), but there examples of GMs that are relatively older and who are still functional and good at their job. Ozzie Newsome is 58, Kevin Colbert of the Steelers is 58, Ted Thompson of the Packers is 61, etc.

And Jerry Jones is about 2700 years old. In a conservative estimation.

[oj]

Somebody needs to let the FO in on the fact that all the GOOD talent is still playing. So it stands to reason that anybody available right now is a looser! That is why they are available!

[SkinsJock]

... The Skins have even broken SkinsJock's spirits!!

That's true in a way ... not so much the Redskins, but, I am really down on the way things are managed here by Snyder and Allen

almost as 'down' as I am about some of the posters here who also have nothing to offer ...

we used to have a bunch of posters here that made for some interesting discussion ... not so much lately

[welch]

I learned that back when Eddie LeBaron was the QB. I stand and salute, even now, whenever I hear it.

- AJ Smith looks like a real GM. Make Allen the team president and let him handle the external-to-football stuff. Make AJ Smith the GM.
- Hire Todd Bowles (remember him?) as Assistant Head Coach Defense. He's currently DC in Arizona. The AHC/D is a promotion...that's what the Redskins did with Richie Petibon under Gibbs. Otherwise, Bowles cannot move unless he is fired.
- Maybe: fire Allen and hire Joe Gibbs as team president. Let Coach Gibbs select the GM and otherwise keep Snyder occupied. Let Gibbs continue to live in NC, near his family. Don't allow him to binge-work, sleeping at Redskin Park. He can be a real team president because no-one else kept Snyder from interfering. Give or sell Gibbs 50% of the team as compensation. Of course, that's just fantasy. Just like imagining where the Redskins would be if they had hired Mark Murphy as GM and president before he accepted a job in Green Bay.

[SkinsJock]

^^ it's a fact ... not fantasy ...

we are so close and it could all be made better in a relatively short time ...

but it's not going to happen

[StorminMormon86]

I think this screams as some sort of PR "placate the fans" type of move. That was why the Haslett "parting of ways" was announced before Bruce's presser...he thought it would take some of the heat of of him, IMO. I think this is another "so what" move, in an attempt to make people think they are changing when in fact little, if nothing has changed.

[Irn-Bru]

I don't really see how this is a PR move. None of the fans even know what it means — most fans don't care or are clueless and the ones who follow the team closely aren't sure what this is supposed to signify. Are the Skins going to make a big splash on their website about it? This is just a report on ESPN from leaked info. Even assuming it was leaked by Snyder or Allen, so what? Nobody really seems to care one way or the other.

It'll be pretty apparent if this becomes a PR move; e.g., if the team advertises this fact as though it is some big shakeup that's going to make 2015 so much better, etc. Maybe that will happen, but I doubt it will.

[riggofan]

I don't really see how this is a PR move. None of the fans even know what it means — most fans don't care or are clueless and the ones who follow the team closely aren't sure what this is supposed to signify. Are the Skins going to make a big splash on their website about it? This is just a report on ESPN from leaked info. Even assuming it was leaked by Snyder or Allen, so what? Nobody really seems to care one way or the other.

It'll be pretty apparent if this becomes a PR move; e.g., if the team advertises this fact as though it is some big shakeup that's going to make 2015 so much better, etc. Maybe that will happen, but I doubt it will.

Fair point.

[mastdark81]

I don't really see how this is a PR move. None of the fans even know what it means — most fans don't care or are clueless and the ones who follow the team closely aren't sure what this is supposed to signify. Are the Skins going to make a big splash on their website about it? This is just a report on ESPN from leaked info. Even assuming it was leaked by Snyder or Allen, so what? Nobody really seems to care one way or the other.

It'll be pretty apparent if this becomes a PR move; e.g., if the team advertises this fact as though it is some big shakeup that's going to make 2015 so much better, etc. Maybe that will happen, but I doubt it will.

Fair point.

I see it as a PR move plus more. It is not the average fan they are trying to maneuver on, its the media. The same media that ripped Bruce Allen and have a pretty big control of what the average fans read and see in the news regarding the Redskins. The themed questions during that press conference were scouting/player personnel.

The media for once is on our side, so this is a move that the Redskins think will allow the organization to appear that they have a "real" gm closer to the situation, however in reality the same guys that do the leg/dirty work while the season is going on in colleges, preparing film will do the scouting (Scott Campbell, etc.). So it wouldn't be a real change. But it may back off scathing reports and articles from guys in the media that has been pushing for change. Unfortunately the media around here are not dummies. Smith would be able to choose from a WR or an OT but if the same scouting crew is intact bring him poor talent to choose from and not finding any hidden gems then we have the same situation.

See the good organizations already have a list of top 5-10 HC, OC, DC, GM's available and with the bad team we had would have recognized they needed a GM week 13,14 that they would exhaust the list of GM/DC immediately following the season. The Redskins planned on keeping everything intact, otherwise you would have had more clarity from Bruce Allen during the press conference of a "plan". But he had no plan until he caught heat from reporters. So this is a last minute PR move to satisfy once again the media and the fans indirectly.

Additionally, not only is it a PR move but it also allows a guy that really wants to be in the background continue to really be in the background while Dan meddles with personnel decisions and get to use the team as his personal toy. AJ would be a sacrificial face. What does he care? He is a guy that no one was looking to hire and he really doesn't have a substantial reputation to lose. Dan wants a yes man. He wants to be able to recommend signing a Desean Jackson or a Suh and not have much push back.

Today's news of looking at interviewing the Seahawks old personnel guy was the best news thus far of the offseason. My gut tells me they are just going through the motions and will settle on AJ. We will see.

[Deadskins]

I was expecting them to do something with AJ Smith, but this just seems so half a**ed. What is the big announcement here? Either make him the GM and empower him to make decisions or don't pretend like you've really changed anything in the front office.

Agreed. Smells like a PR stunt to try and stem some of the criticism. Even if true, why give more power to an overrated ex-GM? The team needs a young GM with a vision - look for top assistants in the organizations that have shown they can identify and develop talent...the Ravens, Seahawks, etc. A GM needs to be working 100+ hours a week, is 65 year old AJ Smith going to do that? Highly doubtful.

Not that I disagree with your overall thought (get someone young and hungry in), but there examples of GMs that are relatively older and who are still functional and good at their job. Ozzie Newsome is 58, Kevin Colbert of the Steelers is 58, Ted Thompson of the Packers is 61, etc.

And Jerry Jones is about 2700 years old. In a conservative estimation.

So, you're saying Jerruh is a good GM?

[SkinsJock]

... So, you're saying Jerruh is a good GM?

I've heard that in Jerruh's estimation, the puke GM is doing a great job ...