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

[Oldfan]

...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..

Plan approved. What's next on our agenda?

[More Complete]

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.

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

Thanks fellas. Unfortunately, iPhone users cannot launch it directly from the site due to the necessity of flash. I know it’s probably a lot of work, but I can’t be the only one who listens in my car via iPhone and Bluetooth. Having them all right there in iTunes was totally sweet.

[authentic]

Can Mike Shanahan improve the Redskins working with limited draft picks and Salary cap punishments?

” That’s a great question..To me when they got hit with cap penalties and got hit with $36 million and lost $18 million your gonna have to figure out how to find players, your gonna have to figure it out because you have to find a solution. Ive often said Daniel Snyder has made a mistake about putting money into players when he should of put $ 5 million dollars into having a state of the art personnel department, build the personnel department that”s the best in the league instead of spending money on one player that you’re never gonna see again so I think now is the time to do it. Its going to be a real challenge for Mike and its going to be difficult.”

Can Mike get it done in year 4 and stay 5?

” 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. You haven’t made those changes in the personnel department its still the same group, Vinny’s not there but it’s still the same people. Bruce isn’t personnel he does public relations, cap, and all those things. Bruce isn’t the true total GM in terms off breaking down teams and finding players.”

Yes Mr. Lombardi, i know exactly what you mean!!

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?373645-Is-it-time-to-start-evaluating-the-Scouting-Dept-(what-should-we-do-going-forward-

[WhoRUSupposed2Be]

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..

Yeah, I can agree with this but it doesn't mean it will actually happen. The idea is already in motion so now we're going to have to wait and see if it transpires into wins. This is what it's all about anyway... WINNING.

[Lavarleap56]

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 ----------

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.

If a team is winning then yes a lot of this stuff doesn't get talked about we all know that. Analysts and fans question winning teams by asking if the success is sustainable while losing teams get critiqued from top to bottom. Piling on ? no I wouldn't say that at all bro. The message sucks but unfortunately its a pretty accurate one.

As far as the " excuses" comments.. Mike Tomlin " Excuses are the tools of the incompetent"

I agree the NFL screwed the Redskins with the timing of the cap penalty and imposing penalties at all BUT the reality is they happened. I can't blame Bruce and Mike for trying to gain cap space under the premiss of a" uncapped season" but if they were told to not do this and did so anyway then they take some ownership in it. Had they just left the deals as is they could/would of planned 2010,2011,and 2012 offseasons around Haynesworth and Halls money coming out as scheduled. That would of lead to better planning, building, and no surprise sanction on the eve of free agency. The cap peenalty as a crutch for building is a tough battle and one that could go both ways so i don't really count that anymore.

Personnel department.. Does anyone really think it is a bad idea for Dan to spend wildly into the areas of the team that do not have a salary cap ? I see no downfall in doing so.

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

I don't see how anyone can see that the current regime isn't in a mess right now. Not only do you not have the confidence of ppl in the office, but you also have coaches fighting like *******.

The same drama still exists at Redskins Park. It never goes away. Ever.

I understand why ppl choose to keep their head in the sand. We've been ****** over so much that we just want to believe that this is where the change comes. I tried that route but now, it's obvious that nothing has changed except we are younger and have a star in QB who will have to be superman every week for this team to ever make something of itself.

[MartinC]

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..

My 2 cents on this is I would give Mike another offseason and next season under the current structure - it may be throwing good time after bad but I think we need to show patience. If we are not better than .500 though next year then I'd be in board with your plan even if it meant taking another step back to move forwards.

I do think that having a Head Coach who is also the de facto GM is almost always a bad idea.

[DC9]

Personnel department.. Does anyone really think it is a bad idea for Dan to spend wildly into the areas of the team that do not have a salary cap ? I see no downfall in doing so.

I think the practice bubble was the first sign of Dan realizing that there are more "toys" to be had in this league than players. The players and coaches love the bubble, and there is no doubt that it contributed to the win in New Orleans and has contributed to less embarrassing press releases like "Redskins practice at Dulles Airport Hanger," etc.

I don't doubt that he will spend on this type of thing if it's brought up to him.

[authentic]

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.

I hate this feeling, but its something i can't shake. However i can't help but to feel ^^ THIS way. I'm still holding out the little hope i have, but deep down, i don't see things improving the way its currently constructed.

[DarrellsMyHero28]

Only the Redskins could take such a gifted player in RGIII and still be a total debacle of an organization.

In a way, I'm glad I tempered my hope and optimism. Griff is stuck in a **** situation, and I feel bad for him.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

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.

This is exactly what I believe should be the next step once you give up on Shanahan!

Snyder works with Allen on PR and very high-level football visionary items. Allen hires a GM (or promotes someone like Brown) and works with that guy to revamp the personnel department. Then, they find a coach. I would be so excited to have that type of setup!

[Lavarleap56]

My 2 cents on this is I would give Mike another offseason and next season under the current structure - it may be throwing good time after bad but I think we need to show patience. If we are not better than .500 though next year then I'd be in board with your plan even if it meant taking another step back to move forwards.

I do think that having a Head Coach who is also the de facto GM is almost always a bad idea.

I should of been clear.. I'm not in favor of firing Mike Shanahan this offseason.. Once Shanahan is done then I would do what I posted.

---------- Post added November-15th-2012 at 05:54 PM ----------

I think the practice bubble was the first sign of Dan realizing that there are more "toys" to be had in this league than players. The players and coaches love the bubble, and there is no doubt that it contributed to the win in New Orleans and has contributed to less embarrassing press releases like "Redskins practice at Dulles Airport Hanger," etc.

I don't doubt that he will spend on this type of thing if it's brought up to him.

Dan wanted to build the bubble for awhile but Gibbs and Zorn said they didn't need it. Gibbs won three titles practicing in " Redskins Weather" , Zorn well you know the rest.

[SJValleySkinz]

I've been saying for years if you stink in the draft room you stink on the field. Scouting is the way you build a winner and there's absolutely no way around that.

[tibbidoe]

As one of the most valuable franchises in sports, it only seems logical for Dan to spend money for the best (GM/coach/training staff/scouting department/facilities/etc).

He finally backed off of the "young owner" stuff, stopped playing fantasy owner and all that. Is it too much to ask for him to take the next step, and truly invest in the guts/foundation of this team?

I feel like he owes us that much.

[Boss_Hogg]

After the Giants game, ES posters and media talking heads were high on the future of the Redskins. Even the Giants players themselves were amazed with the direction this team is going. Now after three losses, the fans, media, owner, team officials, etc are looking for answers or fingers to point.

I still have faith in this team, while not good they still have some nice pieces other teams would kill for. Perhaps we are just in a rough patch and the bye week was what we needed to get back on track? Or perhaps this team really is bad and we are confronted with the same ole same ole from 2009. Only time and on field performance(s) will tell.

If the Redskins suck it up against the Fecals and Cowturds then I may join in on the which hunt.

[WhoRUSupposed2Be]

If a team is winning then yes a lot of this stuff doesn't get talked about we all know that. Analysts and fans question winning teams by asking if the success is sustainable while losing teams get critiqued from top to bottom. Piling on ? no I wouldn't say that at all bro. The message sucks but unfortunately its a pretty accurate one.

As far as the " excuses" comments.. Mike Tomlin " Excuses are the tools of the incompetent"

I agree the NFL screwed the Redskins with the timing of the cap penalty and imposing penalties at all BUT the reality is they happened. I can't blame Bruce and Mike for trying to gain cap space under the premiss of a" uncapped season" but if they were told to not do this and did so anyway then they take some ownership in it. Had they just left the deals as is they could/would of planned 2010,2011,and 2012 offseasons around Haynesworth and Halls money coming out as scheduled. That would of lead to better planning, building, and no surprise sanction on the eve of free agency. The cap peenalty as a crutch for building is a tough battle and one that could go both ways so i don't really count that anymore.

Personnel department.. Does anyone really think it is a bad idea for Dan to spend wildly into the areas of the team that do not have a salary cap ? I see no downfall in doing so.

Has this idea even been bought up to Dan? Isn't that the job of Morrocco Brown oversee?

[TSO]

If a team is winning then yes a lot of this stuff doesn't get talked about we all know that. Analysts and fans question winning teams by asking if the success is sustainable while losing teams get critiqued from top to bottom. Piling on ? no I wouldn't say that at all bro. The message sucks but unfortunately its a pretty accurate one.

I don't think it's an accurate one. If it was accurate we'd have been hearing it all along. Two losses and a lot of frustration later, now it's considered truth? I'm not buying it. Losses are tough and they put everything into question. No man is bullet proof, so I understand that things should be questioned. But, at some point, it becomes exaggerated.

As far as the " excuses" comments.. Mike Tomlin " Excuses are the tools of the incompetent"

Ugh, I get so tired of these sayings. I get it. I believe that as well. However, one should understand these axioms and wisdoms within their context. Sometimes in life, things happen that have a negative effect that is not in your hands. And they ARE legitimate reasons.

Does Mike Tomlin tell one of his injured players that it's an excuse for him not to get on the field? Where do you draw the line of what is an excuse trying to limit your responsibility versus one that is true?

I agree the NFL screwed the Redskins with the timing of the cap penalty and imposing penalties at all BUT the reality is they happened. I can't blame Bruce and Mike for trying to gain cap space under the premiss of a" uncapped season" but if they were told to not do this and did so anyway then they take some ownership in it. Had they just left the deals as is they could/would of planned 2010,2011,and 2012 offseasons around Haynesworth and Halls money coming out as scheduled. That would of lead to better planning, building, and no surprise sanction on the eve of free agency. The cap peenalty as a crutch for building is a tough battle and one that could go both ways so i don't really count that anymore.

Yes, the reality is THEY HAPPENED. The reality. The truth. An undeniable fact. And, no, they don't take ownership in it because they did something within the rules and went against being told they couldn't. Even if they do, the other outcome was that we'd be stuck with massive cap issues because of the idiotic move of signing Haynesworth to a back-loaded contract. So, you see, we were screwed either way and tried to get out of it. We tried to get out of it the right way, and still got screwed.

There is no amount of overlooking or justifying that will change the truth of how bad this penalty affected us. We sound all mighty and righteous when we call it "excuses" and come up with wonderful sayings about the evils of excuse-making, but it doesn't matter. The truth is the truth.

Personnel department.. Does anyone really think it is a bad idea for Dan to spend wildly into the areas of the team that do not have a salary cap ? I see no downfall in doing so.

Completely agree with this, however, very little of this was spoken before and even during this season. Now it's just coming out that are scouting department sucks? A lot of the players we've drafted under Mike haven't had that long to develop, especially considering the lockout, so I'm willing to be a bit more patient with them. I am certainly NOT going to judge everyone after a couple of bad losses. I know, I know, Mike is 14-27 and it's not just this year, right? Well, the problem with that is everyone was so high on our scouting department this offseason even with the previous seasons taken into account. We all knew our limitations as a team before this offseason and we all knew how badly the cap penalty affected us. We all also acknowledged how the culture has changed and how many young players with good potential we brought in. Now, suddenly, that's crap?

Again, I'm not going to change my whole perception of this rebuild and where it's going because of two bad losses.

[Heavy Jumbo]

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.

Snyder works with Allen on PR and very high-level football visionary items. Allen hires a GM (or promotes someone like Brown) and works with that guy to revamp the personnel department. Then, they find a coach. I would be so excited to have that type of setup!

I've heard this sentiment a quite a few times around here, but how do we know Morocco isn't part of the problem? If I understand correctly (and I'm simplifying the process here), he gets all the info together on pro and college players, gives Shanahan a list of "good" players, and then Shanahan makes the ultimate decision. How do we know Shanahan hasn't just been given bad info?

[TD_washingtonredskins]

I've heard this sentiment a quite a few times around here, but how do we know Morocco isn't part of the problem? If I understand correctly (and I'm simplifying the process here), he gets all the info together on pro and college players, gives Shanahan a list of "good" players, and then Shanahan makes the ultimate decision. How do we know Shanahan hasn't just been given bad info?

It's certainly possible. We heard during the Vinny era that other teams were impressed with Brown (and Scott Campbell). My point isn't necessarily that we SHOULD promote Brown, just that it's an option. I want them to have the best GM possible.

[KingGibbs]

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.

I DO expect a veteran coach to instill more discpiline (see penalties) into the team three years into his tenure. I DO expect a veteran coach to have some semblance of a two minute offense or at least call two plays in the huddle. Down two score with four minutes left and showing no urgebcy had me screaming at the tv. Shall I go on?

Yes he's been handicapped by the cap penalties. Let's see how that plays out.

Injuries? Have you seen the list of players done for the year arond the league? Lame exciuse unless it's your franchise QB.

Quit with the injury excuses. If it's not your franchise QB out for weeks or the year you can recover if you draft fthe right players for depth. Shanny said himself we had more depth. Not looking so much right now.

We have a franchise QB and a better running game than we did last year, but the results remain the same. More losses than wins.

Bring up the defense and I'll point in the direction of Shanny again. He's the head coach/GM and he handpicked the players, coaches and it was Shanny that wanted to move to a 3-4.

His fingerprints are all over this franchise and it has been a failure so far.

[BRAVEONTHEWARPATH93]

After the Giants game, ES posters and media talking heads were high on the future of the Redskins. Even the Giants players themselves were amazed with the direction this team is going.

Were we/they high on the team or Robert Griffin?

[darrelgreenie]

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.

Well it depends on what you mean by 'any of this' but people have been discussing general management of the team under the Mike Shanahan regime. Maybe those discussions were drowned out if not out right shouted down but they were there. I've been questioning the HC as GM model from the outset.

I think characterizing this article or criticism of Mike Shanahan as a GM as 'bashing' seems like an knee jerk hardcore apologist position.

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.

Set backs are an opportunity. The cap hit and personnel misques represent an opportunity to fix that areas mistakes once and for all.

[Lavarleap56]

This is exactly what I believe should be the next step once you give up on Shanahan!

Snyder works with Allen on PR and very high-level football visionary items. Allen hires a GM (or promotes someone like Brown) and works with that guy to revamp the personnel department. Then, they find a coach. I would be so excited to have that type of setup!

Current setup

Executive VP/GM Bruce Allen

Director of Pro Personnel: Morocco Brown

Director of Player Personnel: Scott Campbell

VP Football Administration: Eric Shaffer

Area Scout: Cole Spencer , Darryl Franklin,Tim Gribble,Jim Zeches,David Whittington,Kyle Smith

Pro Scout: Alex Santos, Richard Mann II

[Hooper]

Shanny is far from perfect. In fact, he's made some terrible moves.

But he has had suffered some really bad luck at the same time.

Not ready to jump ship.

For one thing, I don't have a lot of faith in Snyder making a great decision in his next hire.

Gruden? HA. Am I the only one who remembers how things ended for him in Tampa? Him and Bruce Allen were a worse combo than... well, Shanny and Bruce Allen.

A smart young coach with a strong GM? Does anyone ever see that happening here?

I don't have the answers. But I think our best best -- and it's a longshot -- is sticking it out with Mike.

Also, as much as I enjoy listening to Michael Lombardi, HE WAS AN AWFUL PERSONNEL GUY IN THE NFL.

[Boss_Hogg]

Were we/they high on the team or Robert Griffin?

Peter King, an avid Skins hater (he voted to keep Art Monk out of the HOF) predicted Skins will win multiple championships. He cited not only RGIII, but Mike's track record with building potent offenses in Denver.

http://www.extremeskins.com/showthread.php?372570-Peter-King-predicts-Skins-will-win-championships-.-Plural.