HTTR24-7:Interview Transcript W/ Michael Lombardi 11/14/12..

Why are the Tampa Bay Bucs turning the team around so fast and Skins are not?

” I think Tampa has got a young team that has made some personnel moves to bring some players in this year with their cap room. I think Greg Schiano has done a good job fixing some of their problems. I think Washington’s issue has been really their inability to get things fixed defensively in terms of playing real good solid defense. The first two years without a Quarterback it was difficult and then the last three years without the defense. I don’t think they have been able to establish anything on either side of the ball with some continuity, so that’s been a real issue. I think Tampa is ahead of them, you know Indianapolis is 6-3 this year with the QB. I would have thought when the Redskins drafted RGIII that they had the better team but obliviously they don’t right now and Indianapolis does .”

Shanahan had issues with defensive in Denver and and now hes having problems in Washington..History repeating itself?

“Yeah..Mike Does, If you go back and look at Mikes drafts on defensive players and Free Agent signings on defense, Dre Bly and a lot of players there they really struggled to have guys that can perform. His Defensive drafting hasn’t been well and I think if you see the signings of the Redskins and where they think they are defensively I think you’re right, history is repeating itself in a sense that is a lot of the issues they have to get fixed. They have to find better players defensively like their corner situation, Is Josh Wilson really a good ....

Read the rest here http://httr24-7.com/?p=3452

You know we're hearing the arguments about how Mike's personnel decision aren't icing on the cake. We know this as well as everyone else and how do we know this? Because look at what Shanahan has had to do since he has been here (not going to rehash what we already are supposed to know)

I don't care what the media says (Lombardi is a part of the culprit) because they only know what they only feed off of each other's reluctant bull**** because we as fans are supposed to know what's going on here.

LL, that includes you so why even post this ****?

I mean... let's start with question 1...

Why is Tampa so good? Because they violated the spirit of the cap and didn't get penalized for it... and thus... signed most of the FA that we were looking at.

Everything else looks good LL... thanks!

You know we're hearing the arguments about how Mike's personnel decision aren't icing on the cake. We know this as well as everyone else and how do we know this? Because look at what Shanahan has had to do since he has been here (not going to rehash what we already are supposed to know)

I don't care what the media says (Lombardi is a part of the culprit) because they only know what they only feed off of each other's reluctant bull**** because we as fans are supposed to know what's going on here.

LL, that includes you so why even post this ****?

No idea what you are trying to say, but it seems your NNT has you grumpy.

Either way, its a pretty good Q&A with a good source that these guys take time out of their day to do so people like us can read it. So if you don't like it, you could at least respect that by not bashing the effort and not posting at all.

from M. Lombardi:

“That’s what you have to do. People focus on the minor issues when the core issues are do you have the right coach? , do you have the right GM? For me Mike is the GM of the team, hes the guy picking the players, hes got to make sure he is doing himself a job as the coach as well.”

This goes in line with what I was saying in another thread yesterday. RedskinsParadigm and I were discussing Shanny as a GM, and I said my theory was Shanny (Mike) was essentially acting as the GM and making major decisions on the field (4th down, go for it, punting, etc) and Kyle was the defacto HC making all of the other choices. I also said in 2010 that you could tell the drives that Mike was calling and the drives that Kyle was calling. To me, if this is true (and my wild hairs are normally more true than not), I'd be pissed... because we are not getting what we are paying for with Shanny.

I can remember hearing on the radio that Mike and Danny had dinner after the 2010 season and Danny yelled at Mike in regards to McNabb wearing a wristband... Dan asked why he wouldn't wear it, Mike said "I couldn't get him to wear it," and Dan yelled, "Well why am I paying you $7 mil a year if you can't get him to wear a wristband?" I've been a little skeptical ever since this hearing this...

Again, a theory and a reach, but I having a feeling I am right.

from M. Lombardi:

This goes in line with what I was saying in another thread yesterday. RedskinsParadigm and I were discussing Shanny as a GM, and I said my theory was Shanny (Mike) was essentially acting as the GM and making major decisions on the field (4th down, go for it, punting, etc) and Kyle was the defacto HC making all of the other choices. I also said in 2010 that you could tell the drives that Mike was calling and the drives that Kyle was calling. To me, if this is true (and my wild hairs are normally more true than not), I'd be pissed... because we are not getting what we are paying for with Shanny.

I can remember hearing on the radio that Mike and Danny had dinner after the 2010 season and Danny yelled at Mike in regards to McNabb wearing a wristband... Dan asked why he wouldn't wear it, Mike said "I couldn't get him to wear it," and Dan yelled, "Well why am I paying you $7 mil a year if you can't get him to wear a wristband?" I've been a little skeptical ever since this hearing this...

Again, a theory and a reach, but I having a feeling I am right.

That's a very good and logical question.

You know we're hearing the arguments about how Mike's personnel decision aren't icing on the cake. We know this as well as everyone else and how do we know this? Because look at what Shanahan has had to do since he has been here (not going to rehash what we already are supposed to know)

I don't care what the media says (Lombardi is a part of the culprit) because they only know what they only feed off of each other's reluctant bull**** because we as fans are supposed to know what's going on here.

LL, that includes you so why even post this ****?

Lombardi has been a die hard skins fan since he was a kid and he happens to be boys with Shanahan.I understand his opinions may not be popular but they do hold some weight. Everybody loved Lombardi being on the podcast over the offseason but now the message is not as positive and its a issue?

Trust me I did not enjoy hearing all of this but to many people in NFL circles this is the reality the Redskins are in right now. I would love to hear we are going to win the super bowl from everyone we interview but that just isn't going to happen.

I also would of debated with Lombardi but I really couldn't disagree and felt more like I just took a hammer to the heart.. I think he does bring up great talking points as well bro.

Ouch.

I mean, i know i should say more, a one word post is nearly flag worthy. But really, that's all there is to say...

Ouch.

There should be no reason why Shanny consistently has bad defenses. And I wonder what his thoughts are on that trend. I can't imagine the DC's aren't partly responsible for who they get and how they play.

No idea what you are trying to say, but it seems your NNT has you grumpy.

Either way, its a pretty good Q&A with a good source that these guys take time out of their day to do so people like us can read it. So if you don't like it, you could at least respect that by not bashing the effort and not posting at all.

This was in no way bashing LL because he is well-respected around here just like TK, Jumbo and JSteelz. He provides us with the necessary juice to keep us from going thirsty for news just like everyone else.

What I am taking offense to is the fact of how fickle this media machine really is... \

Mike Lombardi:

“I thought the Redskins were the better team so I thought RGIII would have more success but this is the second year in a row Ive miss evaluated the Redskins as a football team, I think their talent isn’t what I thought it was[/Quote]

What was the miscalculation between last year's and this year's football team outside of the Quarterback position?

Mike Lombardi:

” I think it is going to be a challenge for him to come up with the solutions especially in the light of the fact he has lost $18 million dollars in cap room and he cant spend his way out of the problem next year in free agency and the caps not going up. I think it’s going to be very difficult to improve the team in terms of finding new players, think they are going to have to work with the ones or find some ones that are young. I think it is a challenge because you don’t have a state of the art personnel department. [/Quote]

If he knows all of this, then he should know that Mike Shanahan has been hindered for the past three seasons even while not having a stellar personnell department.

Oh, but this is the same department that discovered Alfred Morris but even a blind squirrel finds a nut right.

Ouch.

I mean, i know i should say more, a one word post is nearly flag worthy. But really, that's all there is to say...

Ouch.

You should hear me on the pod.. Let out a few audible heartfelt sighs but couldn't really disagree.

Mike was fired in Denver after he delivered just one playoff win in ten years with full control of the team. So, we have to ask if he has picked up his game enough to make us a winner.

The one positive I can come up with is his handling of free agency. In Denver, he blew money on under-performing free agents almost as badly as the Skins did. He's doing better here. But, so far, his drafting is mediocre. Not counting Jenkins who only starts because of injury, Mike has added five starters since 2010. In the same period, Belichik added eight. Despite picking lower in the draft, the Patriots ended up with more picks and better results.

As a Redskins fan, I know the trials and tribulations we've had with coaches the past decade and change... but to me, I think a guy like Mike has come in here and done one thing very well... he's changed the culture of the team. This is a young team now with some talent, a couple of building blocks, and some very raw players that could be very good, okay, or not pan out. But culturaly, we are lightyears ahead of where we were in 2009 even.

That's something you can hold on to and crown Shanny for doing.

I think what LL and even Lombardi are eluding too throughout this interview, is, do you think Mike is the guy that you want here for a 10 year run with RG3? Is it Kyle? If the answer is no... you have to make the move now. Get a guy in here that you want to make a run, Make Bruce the President of the team... he can organize the homecomings, etc, Dan can sign the checks, and let's either promote Morroco Brown or get another guy in here from another organization who is ready to evaluate talent and do less with more.

The culture has been changed, so lets move on to the next chapter, because I truly don't think it happens with the current staff. If we lose on Sunday... we'll here more and more of this and I would whole heartidly support it.

I've been saying this for awhile now but Mike Shanahan the HC is limited by Mike Shanahan the GM.

Can we please get the podcasts back on iTunes for us iPhone users. Please? :whoknows:

What was the miscalculation between last year's and this year's football team outside of the Quarterback position?

I think he was talking about the defense this year and last year everyone was high on John Beck and even Rex because of how we performed in the pre-season. Marshall Faulk, Lombardi, a lot of cats said we were "for real" after beating the Colts and Steelers and playing very well against the Ravens first team.

Mike Lombardi:

If he knows all of this, then he should know that Mike Shanahan has been hindered for the past three seasons even while not having a stellar personnell department.

Oh, but this is the same department that discovered Alfred Morris but even a blind squirrel finds a nut right.

Morris is a great fit within the system. It's also the same department that missed on Dennis Moore, Erik Cook, Selvish Capers, etc. You take the good with the bad.

By no means do I think Shanny has been given and easy job:

- the uncapped year in 2010 led to the worst free agency class in the history of the NFL...

- the lockout in 2011 led to a frenzy of a week of condensed signing the likes of which we'd never seen... and we had no real quarterback

- the cap penalties in 2012 killed us. There is no way around that. It killed us.

My biggest gripe is not necissarily with his personnel moves, but with the coaching. I think there is some talent on this team, not as much as most, but there is some talent, but my gripe is with how that talent is being developed and coached, who is developing and coaching the talent, and the overall coaching on the field during the games. To me, it's not the right guys for the job on all three sides of the ball.

Lombardi has been a die hard skins fan since he was a kid and he happens to be boys with Shanahan.I understand his opinions may not be popular but they do hold some weight. Everybody loved Lombardi being on the podcast over the offseason but now the message is not as positive and its a issue?

Trust me I did not enjoy hearing all of this but to many people in NFL circles this is the reality the Redskins are in right now. I would love to hear we are going to win the super bowl from everyone we interview but that just isn't going to happen.

I also would of debated with Lombardi but I really couldn't disagree and felt more like I just took a hammer to the heart.. I think he does bring up great talking points as well bro.

So, what has to happen in your honest opinion and I am not reverting back to your thread that you started discussing whether or not we should retain Shanahan.

Did Snyder really yell out to Mike "What the hell am I paying you 7 mil for?" if he couldn't get McNabb to wear a wristband?

As a Redskins fan, I know the trials and tribulations we've had with coaches the past decade and change... but to me, I think a guy like Mike has come in here and done one thing very well... he's changed the culture of the team. This is a young team now with some talent, a couple of building blocks, and some very raw players that could be very good, okay, or not pan out. But culturaly, we are lightyears ahead of where we were in 2009 even.

That's something you can hold on to and crown Shanny for doing.

I think what LL and even Lombardi are eluding too throughout this interview, is, do you think Mike is the guy that you want here for a 10 year run with RG3? Is it Kyle? If the answer is no... you have to make the move now. Get a guy in here that you want to make a run, Make Bruce the President of the team... he can organize the homecomings, etc, Dan can sign the checks, and let's either promote Morroco Brown or get another guy in here from another organization who is ready to evaluate talent and do less with more.

The culture has been changed, so lets move on to the next chapter, because I truly don't think it happens with the current staff. If we lose on Sunday... we'll here more and more of this and I would whole heartidly support it.

Okay, I can agree with this... as much as I was taken back by that thread that LL had started, I can't say that I don't disagree with it now.

I've been saying this for awhile now but Mike Shanahan the HC is limited by Mike Shanahan the GM.

Agreed.

It gets old seeing people critique the sames things over and over but take none of the causes into effect. You don't expect a defense that already had problems to lose its starting safety tandem, starting DE and its best pass rusher and look like a good defense.

You don't expect a team low on draft picks and hit with a mysterious - day before free agency - 36 million dollar fine to be able to go out and just 'find' talent laying in wait.

No the team is not great but the circumstances around it don't lend itself to any kind of magical resurgence either. No one seems to want to acknowledge that though.

Can we please get the podcasts back on iTunes for us iPhone users. Please? :whoknows:

Was working on that with J yesterday. Bunch of them never got edited, & we're not labeled as "explicit" on iTunes so that's why they stopped going on there. You should still be able to go to the site & launch it in the player there though.

Can we please get the podcasts back on iTunes for us iPhone users. Please? :whoknows:

Yeah, TK usually handles putting the podcast on Itunes, I will talk to him.

At this point, it's becoming like we're piling on. It's amazing how there wasn't a peep of any of this before our losses to the Steelers and Panthers. The question posed about the Bucs shouldn't have even been posed considering we all know exactly HOW the Bucs got to where they're at right now and how it directly relates to us.

Whether all of this Shanahan bashing is true or not, it's annoying that NOW, all of a sudden, everyone seems to know we have glaring issues that are beyond fixable. Yeah. Good timing, I guess.

---------- Post added November-15th-2012 at 10:12 AM ----------

It gets old seeing people critique the sames things over and over but take none of the causes into effect. You don't expect a defense that already had problems to lose its starting safety tandem, starting DE and its best pass rusher and look like a good defense.

You don't expect a team low on draft picks and hit with a mysterious - day before free agency - 36 million dollar fine to be able to go out and just 'find' talent laying in wait.

No the team is not great but the circumstances around it don't lend itself to any kind of magical resurgence either. No one seems to want to acknowledge that though.

Exactly. They'd rather complain and just throw these very true conditions out as "excuses". As if there is no such thing as a good excuse. As if they've never had any themselves.

My main worry is that Shanahan will think that we don't need major staff changes, or if we finish strong, we can have continuity. I'll be worried if Shanny doesn't clear out the entire defensive staff and get a new DC who can pick an entire qualified staff.

If our defense simply played similar to how it did last year, we'd be 6-3 or better.

So, what has to happen in your honest opinion and I am not reverting back to your thread that you started discussing whether or not we should retain Shanahan.

Did Snyder really yell out to Mike "What the hell am I paying you 7 mil for?" if he couldn't get McNabb to wear a wristband?

I obviously was not there but have heard that Snyder/Shanahan incident did happen.

What I think should happen?

I think Snyder should use his money to have the best personnel and training department money can buy. I think Bruce should vacate the GM title and do the same work he is doing under a different title. Hire a true hot GM prospect ( Not a retread ) and then allow him to find the right coach ( Not a retread) .. We need guys leading this team who have that burning desire to be great and that usually comes from unproven commodities trying to make a name for themselves.

Then I would let my state of the art personnel department go to work and see what happens..

...I think Snyder should use his money to have the best personnel and training department money can buy. I think Bruce should vacate the GM title and do the same work he is doing under a different title. Hire a true hot GM prospect ( Not a retread ) and then allow him to find the right coach ( Not a retread) .. We need guys leading this team who have that burning desire to be great and that usually comes from unproven commodities trying to make a name for themselves.

Then I would let my state of the art personnel department go to work and see what happens..