Coaching Staff has changed but minus Bruce Allen, Front Office has not. Ideas Why?

[The Full Monty]

I find it very interesting that with Bruce Allen replacing Vinny Cerrato as head of the front office, he by all accounts thus far has chosen not to change our College Scouting Director Scott Campbell or Pro Personnel Director Morocco Brown.

It's reasonable to assume that coming into Washington, and planning on working with Coach Shanahan closely on all personnel issues, that Allen would bring in some of his favorite college or pro scouts from his time in Oakland and Tampa. Or even since Coach Shanahan has final authority on roster decision now, that our new coach would persuade Allen to bring in some of his most trusted scouts from Denver to come in and take over for Campbell or Brown, if not both. But no.

The inaugural draft of the Shanahan/Allen regime is fast approaching and we've not heard one peep about upcoming changes in our college and pro scouting operation. No preliminary discussions with any other front office types has surfaced in the media. Certainly, they may just be keeping things quiet and maybe next week or after the Super Bowl we'll hear something, but honestly, I would have expected a change much sooner if we are to have one at all.

The most obvious explanation could be that the new regime has interviewed and evaluated our personnel department and thinks Campbell and Brown's respective teams can get the job done.

This would constitute a huge vote of confidence and is shocking, in my opinion, however it may very well be the case. Although I've gone on record as saying Campbell is probably a good college talent evaluator, I am very surprised that Shanahan and Allen have not brought in people they have previous working relationships with, given that Shanahan has largely opted for this approach in assembling his coaching staff, particularly on offense. This first draft and first offseason for the new regime is absolutely critical. For Shanahan and Allen to rely on the draft and free agent evaluations of two men with whom they have no prior working relationship speaks volumes about how much respect they command, and by extension how little they are associated with the failings of Vinny Cerrato.

Another scenario explaining the lack of additional changes in the front office may be that given the time of year, Shanahan and Allen initially may have considered plugging in old lieutenants from their previous stops, but thought it best not to disrupt the scouting operations, especially Campbell's, and will rely on their reports in the upcoming draft before making some changes later.

Yet a third possibility is that Campbell and Brown have been retained pending an evaluation year together.

I've racked my brains for ideas and am welcome to any other opinions.

[NewRegime]

I do think its worth pondering. We would have to trust and rely that Allen and Shanny are fine with the scouting department. Perhaps they add more pieces down the line. I don't ever think the problem with the team has been identifying talent. There have been several reports that Vinny and Danny have gone AGAINST what Brown and Campbell have suggested on a number of occasions.

Allen and Shanny need to build a team. Broan and Campbell along with others need to evaluate the talent out there. I think they are both good. And this maybe a part of the rebuilding process where they give both the opportunity to show what they can do.

[whitejimmy]

Great point. I've been curious about the same thing and have contemplated emailing Keim with that question. I'm much more interested in who will fill these roles than in the assistant coach positions that are getting the press.

[authentic]

I remember JSteelz implying that M. Brown should be retained, but S. Campbell may not. From what i understand there will be some changes in the scouting dept.

[SMOSS89]

Yeah I'd say wait till the coaching staff is complete, and then we should see some action in the FO.

[AKM311]

The funny thing is, I never felt our scouting department was the problem.

It was the philosophy on how to build our team that was the problem. No scouting department gets every pick right, but I think they have done a decent job.

[Commander Adama]

I honestly think the scouting department is not something you clean house on. These guys have been evaluating players since the College Season had begun, and you cannot just bring in people off the street to replace them, and then expect to have a productive draft and off-season.

I think you keep people who are there currently, but bring in 1 or 2 people who you will put in charge of the department when they are ready for the change. That way those people can evaluate the current staff. Then after the draft, you make the transition. That's just my opinion, as to what I would do if I were in Bruce Allen's position.

[texasthunder]

I remember JSteelz implying that M. Brown should be retained, but S. Campbell may not. From what i understand there will be some changes in the scouting dept.

Yes, and I believe there was also Goodman joining the scouting dept.

[NewCliche21]

The funny thing is, I never felt our scouting department was the problem.

It was the philosophy on how to build our team that was the problem. No scouting department gets every pick right, but I think they have done a decent job.

I'm right on with this. Maybe a few changes should be made, but all that their jobs were was reporting to Vinny. Vinny would find pretty good talent, but he'd force square pegs into round holes.

[skinsdude]

There will be changes in the FO eventually but it's still too soon. Bruce Allen has only been with the team for a month and Coach Shanahan for two weeks.

[UK Redskins Fan]

I admit I don't know how scouting contracts work in practice but maybe it's a timing issue. With the regular and college season over but the offseason still ahead we are, in a sense, half way through a scouting cycle. Bruce Allen may have decided it's not wise to ditch existing staff unless he is sure of securing replacements who have been active in the last few months.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Nice, thought provoking OP.

I guess the short answer would be to say their either more than satisfied with what's in place; or it's maybe a time thing where their maybe already looking at people, but the process is taking a while, and their keeping everything under wraps to give us the advantage.

One thing I do think is very apparent though, as much as the personnel may not of changed as yet, if it does at all within the FO; is the completely new culture and professional attitude Allen is implementing as he get's to grips with running the whole show on the personnel side.

Maybe's it's just a simple case of them being real happy with what they've found in Campbell and Brown's departments, and are more than happy to work alongside them and trust the input they can provide.

One never got the feeling that everyone was pulling in the same direction like that when Vinny held the post, orchestrated by his loftier puppet master, or that he really took other views on board.

Hail.

[authentic]

Yes, and I believe there was also Goodman joining the scouting dept.

We'll see about that. Nothing definitive on the Goodmans as of now.

[BadKarma]

Remember the week before Vinny was fired him and Snyder were up North watching Claussen workout at practice.

I will just be truly amazed how much Dan is able to keep himself out of the draft process this season and if he really has decided that its better to let the professionals do their jobs.

[bird_1972]

I remember JSteelz implying that M. Brown should be retained, but S. Campbell may not. From what i understand there will be some changes in the scouting dept.

We need an INCREASE in the size of the scouting department.

I certainly hope that it becomes one of the priorities for B.Allen moving forward.

To respond to the OP, I too am a little concerned that we haven't seen this.

Changes in the FO are more important than at the coaching level, at least to assure us of the long-term health of the franchise.

[bird_1972]

I will just be truly amazed how much Dan is able to keep himself out of the draft process this season and if he really has decided that its better to let the professionals do their jobs.

That is key, obviously.

If that hasn't changed, we already know that no list of top-notch coaches will matter. This team will ultimately suck if fundamental changes in the way we scout talent, approach the draft, and manage our players in-house aren't undertaken.

[NewCliche21]

Can anyone point out what exactly is wrong with our scouting department while keeping in mind who makes the final decisions and the fact that the previous decision-maker is no longer employed with us?

[bird_1972]

Can anyone point out what exactly is wrong with our scouting department while keeping in mind who makes the final decisions and the fact that the previous decision-maker is no longer employed with us?

We need more bodies to be able to better identify talent at lesser known (Div 1AA/Div 2) schools.

My understanding is that we have one of the smallest scouting divisions in all of the NFL.

[NewCliche21]

We need more bodies to be able to better identify talent at lesser known (Div 1AA/Div 2) schools.

My understanding is that we have one of the smallest scouting divisions in all of the NFL.

I don't see how you can have too many scouts, either. Well, maybe if you get twice the league average, but you know what I'm saying.

However, I don't see why we should fire anyone. Hiring more would work for me.

[Sawyer5500]

They probably don't want to fire the scouts because the draft and free agency are coming up. They need them for this year. After the draft we could see some firings.

[pjfootballer]

I honestly think the scouting department is not something you clean house on. These guys have been evaluating players since the College Season had begun, and you cannot just bring in people off the street to replace them, and then expect to have a productive draft and off-season.

I think you keep people who are there currently, but bring in 1 or 2 people who you will put in charge of the department when they are ready for the change. That way those people can evaluate the current staff. Then after the draft, you make the transition. That's just my opinion, as to what I would do if I were in Bruce Allen's position.

Good point. They've been evaluating talent since last April and I think I'd keep the status quo at least through this draft. You may see a change after the draft, depending on how well they have scouted and what players we end up with.

[TheLongshot]

Typically, you probably won't see any changes in the personnel department until after the draft for obvious reasons. For example, Louis Riddick wasn't let go until May 2008.

[NewCliche21]

Good point. They've been evaluating talent since last April and I think I'd keep the status quo at least through this draft. You may see a change after the draft, depending on how well they have scouted and what players we end up with.

I would have a problem with this approach. I think that Shanallen should look at the players that each scout is high or low on and why over the course of his employment in lieu of who we end up with. Again, it was Vinny calling the shots and now Shanahanahanahan. Just because a player didn't make our team doesn't mean that the scout was wrong.

[Sawyer5500]

Our scouting really hasn't been that bad to begin with. The last 2 years we have hit on Chris Horton in the 7th, and both Kareem Moore (6th) and Marko Mitchell (7th) look like decent prospects as well.

[Commander Adama]

I would have a problem with this approach. I think that Shanallen should look at the players that each scout is high or low on and why over the course of his employment in lieu of who we end up with. Again, it was Vinny calling the shots and now Shanahanahanahan. Just because a player didn't make our team doesn't mean that the scout was wrong.

I have a problem with your use of Shanallen. I thought we were using Shallen? Anyway, the point PJ was making is even if we were to make a move, no wholesale changes would be made until after the draft. He was not necessarily saying any changes would be made. He was just agreeing with my point earlier that stated it would not make sense to drop current scouts since they have been gathering information and scouting since the beginning of the College Season, so to get anything from this draft, we keep most if not all of the staff and then after the draft can make some changes if he so cared to, which I thought is what the OP was asking: Why was the Scouting Department intact?