https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2 ... ce129f7e17
The team is close:In rare appearance, Bruce Allen discusses state of the Redskins after another trying season
By Kareem Copeland and
Adam Kilgore January 22 at 7:59 PM
(I'm not quite sure how the "new coaches", at special teams, inside line-backer, and DB's, will change much...)“Our season was a bit of a roller coaster,” he said. “We had great hopes early in the year. Halfway through the season, we were in good shape. We didn’t finish strong. We’re not going to use injuries as an excuse because we had opportunities to win some games at the end that we didn’t. It’s that determination that we need and that desire we need in order to get into the playoffs this year. We will have some new players, and obviously some new coaches will be on the staff. We’re looking forward to the season.”
The Redskins did well, and then...“We were 7-9,” he said. “It wasn’t the players' 7-9. It wasn’t the coaches' 7-9. It was everybody was 7-9. [Vice president of player personnel Doug Williams] and his staff, we have to find some better players. We have to find some healthy, better players to come in, and the coaches have to put them in the right position to win. We’re in the middle of the pack, and we’ve been in the middle of the pack the last three seasons. It means you’re close. It means you’re close to being better. We have to find the right ingredients and right chemistry to do that.”
What about fans who think Allen should be fired?Washington Redskins
In rare appearance, Bruce Allen discusses state of the Redskins after another trying season
Redskins team president Bruce Allen held a news conference Tuesday for the first time since 2017. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)
By Kareem Copeland and
Adam Kilgore January 22 at 7:59 PM
MOBILE, Ala. — Bruce Allen stood at the top of an empty stairwell in Ladd-Peebles Stadium on Tuesday, wearing a black jacket and a gray hooded sweatshirt. The wind whipped scattered raindrops on a brisk afternoon as the team president of the Washington Redskins held his first news conference since the summer of 2017. “How about this setup?” he joked as he settled down in front of the microphones.
The backdrop — a Senior Bowl practice under ashen skies nearly 1,000 miles from the team’s practice facility — seemed fitting for a man who has endured calls for his firing from fans after posting a 59-84-1 record in nine years of leading a proud organization. Allen offered smiles, a few of which were forced, but often stared coldly as he responded to questions about being brought back for a 10th season despite a litany of issues consuming the franchise, which has made just five playoff appearances since 1992.
“Our season was a bit of a roller coaster,” he said. “We had great hopes early in the year. Halfway through the season, we were in good shape. We didn’t finish strong. We’re not going to use injuries as an excuse because we had opportunities to win some games at the end that we didn’t. It’s that determination that we need and that desire we need in order to get into the playoffs this year. We will have some new players, and obviously some new coaches will be on the staff. We’re looking forward to the season.”
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[Defensive backs coach Torrian Gray leaves Redskins for University of Florida]
Fan frustration boiled over this season, and much of the ire was directed at Allen. Attendance dwindled and was at peak embarrassment levels in the season finale, when huge swaths of FedEx Field were empty and the seats that were filled mostly contained fans of NFC East rival Philadelphia. The team brought in a new business staff last offseason — led by Brian Lafemina, who was named president of business operations and chief operating officer — to allow Allen to direct his energy toward football. But Lafemina and two other executives were let go after the season, and a fourth resigned.
Allen declined to discuss the personnel decisions, which shifted some of the team’s business responsibilities back under his purview, before he was asked about his own accountability for the squad’s lack of success.
“We were 7-9,” he said. “It wasn’t the players' 7-9. It wasn’t the coaches' 7-9. It was everybody was 7-9. [Vice president of player personnel Doug Williams] and his staff, we have to find some better players. We have to find some healthy, better players to come in, and the coaches have to put them in the right position to win. We’re in the middle of the pack, and we’ve been in the middle of the pack the last three seasons. It means you’re close. It means you’re close to being better. We have to find the right ingredients and right chemistry to do that.”
[Redskins hire Nate Kaczor as special teams coach, lose ILB coach Kirk Olivadotti to Green Bay]
The team had a league-high 24 players on injured reserve in 2018 and 23 in 2017. One of those injuries was a broken fibula and tibia to the right leg of quarterback Alex Smith, whose career is now up in the air. Allen expressed uncertainty about him playing during the 2019 season, further clouding Washington’s outlook at the most important — and perhaps most expensive — position on their roster. A four-year, $94 million pact with $71 million guaranteed, signed before last season, will count $20.4 million against Washington’s 2019 salary cap. Allen was noncommittal when asked whether a quarterback is now a priority in the draft or free agency.
Still, “frustrated” might not be a strong enough word to sum up fans’ feelings toward Allen, team owner Daniel Snyder and the organization as a whole. The hashtag #FireBruceAllen trended on Twitter, and an online petition calling for his ouster has surpassed 13,000 signatures.
Allen was asked about the disconnect between the fans’ feeling of futility and his optimism for the future.
“Well, you see our standards,” Allen said. “We’re 7-9. We went through some heartbreaking injuries for the players, and we kept our team together. I think they saw a good football team. I know where we were for 10 games, and we have to learn how to finish the season. ...
Some interesting talk about Reuben Foster, and then:So why is he the right person for that job?
“I share their passion for this franchise,” Allen said. “I share their passion for the things that we can accomplish, and we're going to get this whole organization believing in us.”
Finally, Allen explains that the Redskins still want a stadium at the site of RFK, without a moat, where the team will play for another fifty years.The franchise seemingly has decided to run the season back in 2019 with a similar staff. Gruden was brought back despite a 35-44-1 record and one playoff appearance in five seasons. Defensive coordinator Greg Manusky was retained despite discussions with former Jets coach Todd Bowles and former interim Browns coach Gregg Williams. Allen said Manusky was involved in those interviews as they try “to find the winning combination.” He added that they will be talking with several coaches over the next month to glean ideas, and that Gruden will probably talk with 20 to 30 more coaches in the near future.
“We looked at the program,” Allen said in explaining the decision to keep Gruden. “We felt the direction of the team was good. We didn’t get over that hurdle this year. [We’re] giving him the opportunity to build a staff and hopefully have a healthy team for the 2019 season.”
