Press Release: #REDSKINS NAME DOUG WILLIAMS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

[TK]

For Immediate Release                                                                                  

January 9, 2020

 

REDSKINS NAME DOUG WILLIAMS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

 

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins announced today Doug Williams will be named the senior vice president of player development. He will report directly to Head Coach Ron Rivera.

 

“Doug Williams is a legend within the Redskins franchise,” said Washington Redskins Owner Dan Snyder. “He is excited about this new role and in working with Coach Rivera. Doug is one of the most respected men in our building and I know that he will have an immediate impact on our players."

 

“I’ve had a chance to talk at length with Doug Williams since my arrival and he is ready to take on this new role,” said Washington Redskins Head Coach Ron Rivera. “We want to create an atmosphere that is all about the players. Doug will be an invaluable asset in player development in making sure that all of our players have the guidance and resources needed to be successful on and off the field.”

 

“After meeting with Dan Snyder, Coach Rivera and Senior Director of Player Development Malcolm Blacken, we all came to an agreement on the vision that we have for the franchise going forward,” said Doug Williams. “I am looking forward to this new opportunity to work with Malcolm and I have always respected his work during my time with the franchise. We both look forward to working with and supporting Coach Rivera in making sure that our players are prepared for life on and off the field.”

 

Williams is a member of the 80 Greatest Redskins and is also a Redskins Ring of Famer who played with the Redskins from 1986-89 and led Washington to a Super Bowl XXII title, a 42-10 rout of the Denver Broncos. Williams, the first African-American quarterback to play in a Super Bowl, completed 18-of-29 passes for 340 yards with four touchdown passes to earn Super Bowl XXII MVP honors.

 

 

[Califan007 The Constipated]

TK's out of control!!...

 

 

 

[spjunkies]

Errr ummmm congratulations?

[CommanderInTheRye]

So Doug will help provide players “guidance and resources on and off the field”. No mention of other specific duties or responsibilities.

 

Hmmm seems like a face saving way to remove Doug from the periphery of team control that he previously inhabited.

 while allowing him to remain with the team in a different, less essential capacity.

 

Put another way they gave the man a title and presumably a raise in exchange for a loss of power and influence.

 

Looks like Rivera’s been brushing up on his Sun Tzu and Machiavelli.

 

Well played.

[London Kev]

Good for Doug.

 

When he was first hired I was worried that he would be used as a scapegoat and smeared like many before him. It's good to hear Dan refer to him as a legend and acknowledge that he is well respected.

[TK]

Quote

“We want to create an atmosphere that is all about the players. Doug will be an invaluable asset in player development in making sure that all of our players have the guidance and resources needed to be successful on and off the field.”

This is actually something that PD93 tried to get Bruce to do for the players. He even had guest speakers lined up to come in & Bruce was basically “Awe f that” & didn’t care if these kids coming into the League were educated on how to handle their new wealth or not. 

[COWBOY-KILLA-]

This is the role Doug fits best in IMO. I always envisioned him as taking players under his wing and making sure the Skins were doing right by them.  A mentor they can lean on for anything.  As opposed to having his hand deep in player acquisition Or in charge of personnel.
 

I like this move hope it’s followed with more responsibility for Kyle Smith and Alex Santos on the personnel side for both FA and the draft. 
 

[Conn]

10 minutes ago, COWBOY-KILLA- said:

I like this move hope it’s followed with more responsibility for Kyle Smith and Alex Santos on the personnel side for both FA and the draft. 
 

 

Idk man, I haven't been impressed with our work in FA under Santos. I know he wasn't making the final call, but other than a couple of the bigger signings, our "spend above average money on average or worse vets" FA strategy sucks. Maybe that was Bruce pursuing mid-tier guys and having to pay well to lure them, but I just don't know what can be attributed as good work to Santos. Collins was obvious even if you're a fan who liked the signing. Flowers worked out well but was an obvious reclamation project type as a former top 10 pick. Hentges showed some promise near the end of the year but I tend to think young guys being pillaged from practice squads should be attributed to the college scouting guys that just did pre-draft work on those types who haven't played games yet. In fact I wish we'd make more of those types of signings. We could have really used Darren Waller or even Boston Scott on this roster, for instance. 

 

And none of this is even addressing the specific overpays of JAG vets over the years because I can't bear to conjure up all the names again. 

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

So in summary, Doug was demoted from vice principal to guidance counselor.  I’m cool with this.

[COWBOY-KILLA-]

 

I can see the issues, nobody gets it right all the time. I think he was definitely working within parameters set by Bruce. Bruce was cheap and wanted bang for his buck. But with what he had to work with I think he’s done ok.  The big signings I take it were not his call, but idk. He has found some nice value at the bargain bin though over the years. 

Ty Nsekhe
Alex Smith (read that he Did the research On the trades) 

Zach Brown

Vernon Davis

DJ Swearanger

Mason Foster

Pernell Mcphee

Danny Johnson

Eric Flowers

Peterson

Bostic 

Casanova Mckenzy
 

The OL guys and backups during these last few years of Mash Unit injuries and getting guys that and least came in and battled, gave us a chance. Thinking of that Titans game with a chance at the playoffs when we shouldn’t have still had a pulse. Should be commended a little.

 

 BUT he has been here 13 years (which is amazing) with the last 5 in his current role.  I’d be totally fine moving on I won’t be standing on a soapbox for him.  Just kinda threw him in with Kyle, but it’s good you pointed it out, would not be opposed to a move there. Just added a few names that he played a part in. ITs not great but..

@ConnSKINS26

[Conn]

Good post @COWBOY-KILLA-, you make some fair points. And I get that you aren't pounding the table for Santos so no worries. I do wanna say quickly that Sims was a rookie UDFA find, rather than a pro personnel find, and AP according to all the local guys was a Doug Williams joint almost entirely, ironically.  

[TSO]

What I like about all these moves today, outside of what I already mentioned regarding long-tenured members like Schaffer and Hess and the issues there, is that every role is clearly defined, the people filling them have a background specializing in them, and, outside of Doug’s, there’s not much redundancy. 
 

I don’t know what Doug will do differently than Malcolm Blacken, but I can see him being an asset in terms of relating to players, so why not add him there? I don’t see two voices to help the players out being a real problem, unlike with personnel acquisition. 
 

Either way, there’s not much vagueness to these titles and roles. I love that.
 

Doug was a redundancy in the personnel department. Many of us saw through that when Allen made that move to appease the fanbase after Scot. Schaffer had a title that probably didn’t really reflect his role (Senior Vice President of Football Operations) and then also had the redundant title of “General Counsel”. 
 

Like, exactly what did he have power to do? Just another vote to add to the lack of cohesion while Bruce did what he wanted anyway? 
 

With Rob Rogers, we know exactly what he’s going to do and what role he’s playing. He’ll stay in that lane, hopefully. 
 

Ron was probably losing his mind when trying to understand what everyone was doing here and exactly what authority and span of control they had, lol. 
 

They were like “it’s a Redskin decision, bro”.  

[HigSkin]