A New Start! (the Reboot) The Front Office, Ownership, & Coaching Staff Thread

[Zim489]

Everything is just so on point. Scotts not going anywhere because it goes against Rons fatal flaw. Loyalty to a fault. Also if a new owner is coming in no OC is coming in here for one season. So we'll suffer with him for another season for a lame duck year. 

 

Ron is a fantastic person and leader. Unfortunately a leader in a specific field? Not really. If he went to literally any position in any aspect of the working world he would be leading to the same level. Doesnt add much to the football field. 

 

Wentz is a product of desperation and failing to prepare for the position. How much of the slider is between Dan and Ron is up to debate. I believe Ron had a lot of leeway to do as much as he wants. I think he lended more to the coaching side which is making moves to win as many games as possible coming up as opposed to the GM side which goals is to win a SB. 

 

Agree on Taylor. For all of the talk about him being a great back up? I dont see it what so ever. The guy is completely unplayable. His best role is exactly what he was in vs TB in the playoff game. A guy off the street that comes in last minute and plays like his hair is on fire. Like theres no tomorrow. 

[method man]

22 minutes ago, skinzplay said:

Same gentleman told me Haz would be nothing more than LB coach post-Skins. You may recall I also shared that here; came to fruition.

 

Just curious...what other nuggets has this guy given you over the years?

[method man]

6 hours ago, skinzplay said:

Talked to a former GM about an hour ago. He's not 'former' because he was fired or can't find a job. He's 'former' because he's OLD. He said a few interesting things:

 

1. If he was interviewing potential HC candidates and any of them had Turner listed as a OC on their coaching staff, he wouldn't hire any of them because that right there shows poor judgment. He said (I'm paraphrasing): "it's like a president, that first important decision isn't policy, it's who's chosen as VP....i view HCs and their coordinator choices the same way." I said sometimes coaches choose people people the preferred options aren't available. He said Turner's been there long enough, there were better options available at the time of hire, and better since. He can't understand why RR is sticking with Turner, and noted that what was displayed Sunday night validated what a lot of current GMs also think about Turner. View him as a QB coach in the league or OC in the NCAA.

 

2. Loves, really loves RR, but said he belongs in the league office, not on the sidelines

 

3. Would've never brought in Wentz. Would've focused on LB and OL, and gone after Mariota as a bridge.

 

4. Said he'd cut Heinicke. Basically said something like if he's on the roster, you might actually have to use him, and his ceiling and limitations are obvious. Used the word 'spunk', which I guess is s synonym of moxie, but said that's not enough to keep him.

 

 

 

 

On #1, if you remember, the thinking at the beginning was that Ron was likely to keep KOC and make Scott the QB coach. I also remember Pat Shurmur being mentioned as a possibility for OC (the two of them were on the Philly staff back in the day). Dan should've pushed Ron to have the conversation with KOC before hiring him but didn't have the balls to do that given how desperate he was

[Conn]

We had such a special (offensive) coaching staff under Shanahan, it’s a crying shame the RG3 era didn’t work out and lead to Mike handing the team off to Kyle and his pocketful of young geniuses, as the original plan called for. 
 

Imagine the alternate reality with no Salary Cap penalty, and no RG3 trade—just that absolutely stacked offensive staff with either Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins in the 3rd or 4th (plus all those premium picks and cap space to build the roster). This reality we’re in was only about a half-step sideways from that one. In fact, even the news of the Salary Cap penalty leaking earlier would have maybe created that reality—Shanahan has said that if they knew they were going to be hamstrung like that, they wouldn’t have made the Griffin trade. And the Griffin drama is what created bad blood and tore that building apart, and it’s when Allen started consolidating power and becoming the favorite of Snyder. So much chaos and failure could have been averted—or stalled.

 

Obviously when it’s all said and done this summer and Snyder has sold, we’ll all say that whatever it took, in the end, was worth it. Including all the aforementioned failure and lost coaches and missed opportunities. But still. Hard not to imagine that alternate reality. 

Edited December 21, 2022 by Conn

[LetThePointsSoar]

5 hours ago, Conn said:

We had such a special (offensive) coaching staff under Shanahan, it’s a crying shame the RG3 era didn’t work out and lead to Mike handing the team off to Kyle and his pocketful of young geniuses, as the original plan called for. 
 

Imagine the alternate reality with no Salary Cap penalty, and no RG3 trade—just that absolutely stacked offensive staff with either Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins in the 3rd or 4th (plus all those premium picks and cap space to build the roster). This reality we’re in was only about a half-step sideways from that one. In fact, even the news of the Salary Cap penalty leaking earlier would have maybe created that reality—Shanahan has said that if they knew they were going to be hamstrung like that, they wouldn’t have made the Griffin trade. And the Griffin drama is what created bad blood and tore that building apart, and it’s when Allen started consolidating power and becoming the favorite of Snyder. So much chaos and failure could have been averted—or stalled.

 

Obviously when it’s all said and done this summer and Snyder has sold, we’ll all say that whatever it took, in the end, was worth it. Including all the aforementioned failure and lost coaches and missed opportunities. But still. Hard not to imagine that alternate reality. 

 

Agreed. I've said it often, but Shanny Sr IMO was the best coach this franchise has ever seen outside of Joseph Gibbs. 

 

That staff was otherworldly, and we're seeing it play out with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.  

 

Kyle Shanahan 

Sean McVay

Matt LeFleur

Kevin O'Connell

Mike McDaniel

 

So damn frustrating. 

[method man]

4 hours ago, LetThePointsSoar said:

 

Agreed. I've said it often, but Shanny Sr IMO was the best coach this franchise has ever seen outside of Joseph Gibbs. 

 

That staff was otherworldly, and we're seeing it play out with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.  

 

Kyle Shanahan 

Sean McVay

Matt LeFleur

Kevin O'Connell

Mike McDaniel

 

So damn frustrating. 

Shanny Sr has the worst winning pct here of any coach in the Snyder era. KOC was never on his staff - Jay hired him

[Hooper]

23 hours ago, skinzplay said:

Talked to a former GM about an hour ago. He's not 'former' because he was fired or can't find a job. He's 'former' because he's OLD. He said a few interesting things:

 

1. If he was interviewing potential HC candidates and any of them had Turner listed as a OC on their coaching staff, he wouldn't hire any of them because that right there shows poor judgment. He said (I'm paraphrasing): "it's like a president, that first important decision isn't policy, it's who's chosen as VP....i view HCs and their coordinator choices the same way." I said sometimes coaches choose people people the preferred options aren't available. He said Turner's been there long enough, there were better options available at the time of hire, and better since. He can't understand why RR is sticking with Turner, and noted that what was displayed Sunday night validated what a lot of current GMs also think about Turner. View him as a QB coach in the league or OC in the NCAA.

 

2. Loves, really loves RR, but said he belongs in the league office, not on the sidelines

 

3. Would've never brought in Wentz. Would've focused on LB and OL, and gone after Mariota as a bridge.

 

4. Said he'd cut Heinicke. Basically said something like if he's on the roster, you might actually have to use him, and his ceiling and limitations are obvious. Used the word 'spunk', which I guess is s synonym of moxie, but said that's not enough to keep him.

 

 

 

This sounds a lot like Michael Lombardi. Great on podcasts. Was not a great FO guy.

 

Also, big ESPN article today on potential HC openings... mentioned Turner as someone who has impressed those around the league this year.

 

Just saying... there are a ton of opinions out there. 

[SkinsFTW]

3 hours ago, Hooper said:

This sounds a lot like Michael Lombardi. Great on podcasts. Was not a great FO guy.

 

Also, big ESPN article today on potential HC openings... mentioned Turner as someone who has impressed those around the league this year.

 

Just saying... there are a ton of opinions out there. 

 

LOL, another Turner as an NFL HC.  

[spjunkies]

I've been pretty critical of Rivera, but there is no question in my mind that he is a great human being. 

 

 

 

[Professor_Nutter_Butter]

Just now, spjunkies said:

I've been pretty critical of Rivera, but there is no question in my mind that he is a great human being. 

 

 

 

For as much crap as we give Rivera, him having respect from the players is what you want. He's what this team needs right now.

[tshile]

1 hour ago, Professor_Nutter_Butter said:

For as much crap as we give Rivera, him having respect from the players is what you want. He's what this team needs right now.

It’s what ever team needs. 
 

let the OC and dc run the plays. 

[Stadium-Armory]

Tress seems almost moved to tears when he hears Reaves made it to the Pro Bowl. Terry was excited for him too. And then his reaction! Love it all.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Stadium-Armory

[KDawg]

On 12/20/2022 at 12:12 PM, skinzplay said:

Talked to a former GM about an hour ago. He's not 'former' because he was fired or can't find a job. He's 'former' because he's OLD. He said a few interesting things:

 

1. If he was interviewing potential HC candidates and any of them had Turner listed as a OC on their coaching staff, he wouldn't hire any of them because that right there shows poor judgment. He said (I'm paraphrasing): "it's like a president, that first important decision isn't policy, it's who's chosen as VP....i view HCs and their coordinator choices the same way." I said sometimes coaches choose people people the preferred options aren't available. He said Turner's been there long enough, there were better options available at the time of hire, and better since. He can't understand why RR is sticking with Turner, and noted that what was displayed Sunday night validated what a lot of current GMs also think about Turner. View him as a QB coach in the league or OC in the NCAA.

 

2. Loves, really loves RR, but said he belongs in the league office, not on the sidelines

 

3. Would've never brought in Wentz. Would've focused on LB and OL, and gone after Mariota as a bridge.

 

4. Said he'd cut Heinicke. Basically said something like if he's on the roster, you might actually have to use him, and his ceiling and limitations are obvious. Used the word 'spunk', which I guess is s synonym of moxie, but said that's not enough to keep him.

 

 

 

 

I don't necessarily disagree here.

 

The Wentz thing: eh. The issue isn't that. It's the mishandling of the position prior to that, which was also mishandled due to prior regimes and in large part thanks to the owner. There is a cascading effect that is difficult to isolate. 

 

Not sure I totally agree with his point on Turner. But if I were starting a pro staff he wouldn't be on my short list for OC. But I don't think he's awful. But he would need to be reined in a bit. 

 

Agree with the last line - kind of. It's contingent on Turner. If Turner is the OC, Heinicke needs to be here. We simply can't find a better backup option under Turner for cheap enough to make it worth while. We could find one, but there will be an adjustment and cost associated that I'm not sure Heinicke will have. Having said all that... If Turner is gone then Heinicke needs to go as well. 

 

Love the point about RR. Been saying for years that I thought the idea was that he is brought in as FO and HC in order to establish the program and after his contract he transitions to the FO and helps hire the new HC. He's diplomatic and would fare well in a president role (not GM). And he's a guy I'd love to have around for culture and I just like him. 

 

Even IF we get a new owner, I'd consider moving him to the front office president type of role so there is some continuity with the caveat that a new GM will be hired and the entire staff will be hired by whoever the GM/Rivera mutually agree upon as the new HC. 

 

But that may not be a situation Rivera is compelled to go with and if he isn't willing to bend then I'm not sure he'll have much of a role. 

[88Comrade2000]

7 minutes ago, KDawg said:

 

I don't necessarily disagree here.

 

The Wentz thing: eh. The issue isn't that. It's the mishandling of the position prior to that, which was also mishandled due to prior regimes and in large part thanks to the owner. There is a cascading effect that is difficult to isolate. 

 

Not sure I totally agree with his point on Turner. But if I were starting a pro staff he wouldn't be on my short list for OC. But I don't think he's awful. But he would need to be reined in a bit. 

 

Agree with the last line - kind of. It's contingent on Turner. If Turner is the OC, Heinicke needs to be here. We simply can't find a better backup option under Turner for cheap enough to make it worth while. We could find one, but there will be an adjustment and cost associated that I'm not sure Heinicke will have. Having said all that... If Turner is gone then Heinicke needs to go as well. 

 

Love the point about RR. Been saying for years that I thought the idea was that he is brought in as FO and HC in order to establish the program and after his contract he transitions to the FO and helps hire the new HC. He's diplomatic and would fare well in a president role (not GM). And he's a guy I'd love to have around for culture and I just like him. 

 

Even IF we get a new owner, I'd consider moving him to the front office president type of role so there is some continuity with the caveat that a new GM will be hired and the entire staff will be hired by whoever the GM/Rivera mutually agree upon as the new HC. 

 

But that may not be a situation Rivera is compelled to go with and if he isn't willing to bend then I'm not sure he'll have much of a role. 

I don’t see Rivera as a front office guy. He wants to coach. After being fired he also wanted that Gm role, or else he would either another job in 2020 or waited until 21.

[KDawg]

1 minute ago, 88Comrade2000 said:

I don’t see Rivera as a front office guy. He wants to coach. After being fired he also wanted that Gm role, or else he would either another job in 2020 or waited until 21.

 

You think he's going to be on the sidelines for years to come? And other teams are going to come knocking down his door?

 

I think this is just about it for him. He may have one more tenure somewhere left. But the age of NFL coaches is dropping significantly. We'll see. But he seems entirely too much of a well rounded man to give the majority of the rest of his life to being on the sidelines.

[88Comrade2000]

1 minute ago, KDawg said:

 

You think he's going to be on the sidelines for years to come? And other teams are going to come knocking down his door?

 

I think this is just about it for him. He may have one more tenure somewhere left. But the age of NFL coaches is dropping significantly. We'll see. But he seems entirely too much of a well rounded man to give the majority of the rest of his life to being on the sidelines.

Once his tenure ends here, he’ll head of into retirement.  I just don’t see him wanting to sit in an office once his coaching is done. There’s a chance he’d get another coaching gig after here but if not, he’ll go back home and relax on the golf course.

[London Kev]

Analysis of Commanders charity raises questions from watchdog groups

3:45 PM GMT

• Tisha Thompson

The Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation, which receives upward of 75% of its donations from fans and the public, is operating in a manner that calls into question whether it is upholding its charitable mission responsibly, according to two independent watchdog groups and an ESPN analysis of financial documents.

 

The nonprofit watchdog groups, CharityWatch and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, examined the charity's tax filings and said there are enough apparent red flags to warrant attention from attorneys general in the two states where it operates, Maryland and Virginia. Attorneys general regulate nonprofits on the state level and have authority to levy civil penalties.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35298372/watchdogs-question-finances-washington-commanders-charity

[Zim489]

1 hour ago, KDawg said:

Even IF we get a new owner, I'd consider moving him to the front office president type of role so there is some continuity with the caveat that a new GM will be hired and the entire staff will be hired by whoever the GM/Rivera mutually agree upon as the new HC. 

I want no part of Rivera doing anything Football related. His philosophies just dont match with modern football.

[Sacks 'n' Stuff]

Everyone who’s badmouthing Ron… LINE UP!! I’m gonna fight every one of you mother****ers!!

[BringMetheHeadofBruceAllen]

1 hour ago, London Kev said:

Analysis of Commanders charity raises questions from watchdog groups

3:45 PM GMT

• Tisha Thompson

The Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation, which receives upward of 75% of its donations from fans and the public, is operating in a manner that calls into question whether it is upholding its charitable mission responsibly, according to two independent watchdog groups and an ESPN analysis of financial documents.

 

The nonprofit watchdog groups, CharityWatch and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, examined the charity's tax filings and said there are enough apparent red flags to warrant attention from attorneys general in the two states where it operates, Maryland and Virginia. Attorneys general regulate nonprofits on the state level and have authority to levy civil penalties.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35298372/watchdogs-question-finances-washington-commanders-charity

 

"It's a very big deal," Dorfman said. "This is what a good attorney general investigation could really help uncover. Are they using dollars that were meant for charity instead for private gain?"

 

That's the key quote. Screwing charities out of money doesn't exactly go over well with the general public...or lawmakers.

 

Hurry up and sell, Dan!!

[Llevron]

3 minutes ago, BringMetheHeadofBruceAllen said:

Screwing charities out of money doesn't exactly go over well with the general public...or lawmakers.

 

 

Depends on who you are. But this one is universally disliked so it wont end well for him. 

[skinzplay]

2 hours ago, KDawg said:

 

I don't necessarily disagree here.

 

The Wentz thing: eh. The issue isn't that. It's the mishandling of the position prior to that, which was also mishandled due to prior regimes and in large part thanks to the owner. There is a cascading effect that is difficult to isolate. 

 

Not sure I totally agree with his point on Turner. But if I were starting a pro staff he wouldn't be on my short list for OC. But I don't think he's awful. But he would need to be reined in a bit. 

 

Agree with the last line - kind of. It's contingent on Turner. If Turner is the OC, Heinicke needs to be here. We simply can't find a better backup option under Turner for cheap enough to make it worth while. We could find one, but there will be an adjustment and cost associated that I'm not sure Heinicke will have. Having said all that... If Turner is gone then Heinicke needs to go as well. 

 

Love the point about RR. Been saying for years that I thought the idea was that he is brought in as FO and HC in order to establish the program and after his contract he transitions to the FO and helps hire the new HC. He's diplomatic and would fare well in a president role (not GM). And he's a guy I'd love to have around for culture and I just like him. 

 

Even IF we get a new owner, I'd consider moving him to the front office president type of role so there is some continuity with the caveat that a new GM will be hired and the entire staff will be hired by whoever the GM/Rivera mutually agree upon as the new HC. 

 

But that may not be a situation Rivera is compelled to go with and if he isn't willing to bend then I'm not sure he'll have much of a role. 

You're not really that far removed from his assessment. I was just summarizing it all a bit.

[Skinsinparadise]

1 hour ago, London Kev said:

Analysis of Commanders charity raises questions from watchdog groups

3:45 PM GMT

• Tisha Thompson

The Washington Commanders Charitable Foundation, which receives upward of 75% of its donations from fans and the public, is operating in a manner that calls into question whether it is upholding its charitable mission responsibly, according to two independent watchdog groups and an ESPN analysis of financial documents.

 

The nonprofit watchdog groups, CharityWatch and the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, examined the charity's tax filings and said there are enough apparent red flags to warrant attention from attorneys general in the two states where it operates, Maryland and Virginia. Attorneys general regulate nonprofits on the state level and have authority to levy civil penalties.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35298372/watchdogs-question-finances-washington-commanders-charity

A review of the tax filings by ESPN and the two independent groups found the Commanders' charity:

• Lacks sufficient independent oversight. Commanders co-CEO Tanya Snyder was the foundation's sole voting board member beginning in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, through April of this year. She assumed a more active role in the team in July 2021 after her husband, Dan Snyder, was suspended following an NFL investigation into the team's toxic work culture.

• Failed to disclose that a company it regularly lists on governmental filings as one it owes money to is owned by team owner Dan Snyder.

• Included in its financial filings unusual transactions, including how it accounts for ticket donations and the labeling of a $6,000 payment to a for-profit company that provided marketing services to the foundation as a "donation."

• Made grants to organizations that are not in line with its stated mission.

"There are so many red flags here, it's hard to keep score," said CharityWatch's executive director Laurie Styron. "Taxpayers who subsidize the existence of public charities also have a stake in knowing that nonprofits aren't being used to forward the personal interests of the people running it."

Both watchdog organizations recommend that public charities have at least five voting members with a "diversity of perspectives," and their names should be public.

"This protects the charity or foundation by making sure that people aren't making nefarious, self-interested deals and that they are getting multiple perspectives on the thorny societal problems that they claim they are trying to solve," said Aaron Dorfman, president and CEO of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. Tanya Snyder is the only board member listed on the foundation's most recent public filing. Before the fiscal year ended in March 2021, she had been one of three board members named in filings. The two other board members served as co-executive directors of the foundation.

"It is a violation of all the best practices in philanthropy," Dorfman said.

"This is a big problem," Styron agreed. "One person can't govern themselves. There is no board. There is no independence. There are no checks and balances against conflict or competing interests."

Weeks after ESPN started asking why the charity didn't have the recommended five trustees, Medina on Wednesday released a written statement saying that Tanya Snyder was the charity's sole board member for a time before selecting four additional voting members for the board in April. All four work or worked for the team: team president Jason Wright; senior vice president of corporate affairs and strategy Amina Bulman; the foundation's executive director, Valeri Biberaj; and chief operating officer Greg Resh, who resigned from the team and the foundation board in September. Medina declined multiple requests to review conflict-of-interest statements and other paperwork the foundation told government agencies it would provide for public inspection "on request."

Dorfman said that the charity's practice of filling the board with team employees was problematic. "The potential for abuse is really, really high."

As part of her statement, Medina provided a 12-page document compiled in response to ESPN's questions. The document listed nonprofits associated with other NFL teams that also have fewer than five voting members.

In its independent research, ESPN found that seven public charities associated with NFL teams have fewer than five members, while others, including foundations for the Ravens, Eagles and 49ers, have at least a dozen voting board members, according to the most recent government filings. Washington's is the only charity with just one voting member listed.

"The better practice would be to have some people on the board who are not beholden to the Snyders or to the team," Dorfman said. "People who have the best interests of vulnerable children, because the foundation says that is what it's working toward. And that would help guarantee that the foundation is used for its intended purpose of really benefiting the community.

Financial relationships with the Commanders' holding company

Another potential problem identified by Dorfman and Styron is how the foundation regularly lists liabilities owed to WFI Group, the for-profit holding company for the Commanders, without disclosing that the company is registered to Dan Snyder at the team's corporate address in Ashburn, Virginia. Tax documents show the foundation owed WFI Group $217,073 in fiscal year 2021, $61,405 in FY 2019, $53,000 in FY 2018 and $242,168 in FY 2017.

"It's a very big deal," Dorfman said. "This is what a good attorney general investigation could really help uncover. Are they using dollars that were meant for charity instead for private gain?"

While ESPN's investigation raised multiple questions about the charity's operations, it found no evidence that the Snyders or the Commanders profited from the foundation. In her statement to ESPN, Medina said the liability is for the repayment of "transactions paid by the Commanders on behalf of the Foundation," including payroll, postage, insurance and other expenses.

[tshile]

Another day

another investigation to launch

 

 

the fact that this started with espn doing its own investigation after the bad check for the 50/50 raffle is just sooooooo on point for this org

 

theyre sideshow bob, surrounded by rakes, smacking himself in the face with every step

 

As far as I’m concerned the more that pile on the better. Idk what it’ll mean for the org long term but it can be handled so long as the Snyders are gone. 

[CommanderInTheRye]

On 12/20/2022 at 11:04 PM, Conn said:

We had such a special (offensive) coaching staff under Shanahan, it’s a crying shame the RG3 era didn’t work out and lead to Mike handing the team off to Kyle and his pocketful of young geniuses, as the original plan called for. 
 

Imagine the alternate reality with no Salary Cap penalty, and no RG3 trade—just that absolutely stacked offensive staff with either Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins in the 3rd or 4th (plus all those premium picks and cap space to build the roster). This reality we’re in was only about a half-step sideways from that one. In fact, even the news of the Salary Cap penalty leaking earlier would have maybe created that reality—Shanahan has said that if they knew they were going to be hamstrung like that, they wouldn’t have made the Griffin trade. And the Griffin drama is what created bad blood and tore that building apart, and it’s when Allen started consolidating power and becoming the favorite of Snyder. So much chaos and failure could have been averted—or stalled.

 

Obviously when it’s all said and done this summer and Snyder has sold, we’ll all say that whatever it took, in the end, was worth it. Including all the aforementioned failure and lost coaches and missed opportunities. But still. Hard not to imagine that alternate reality. 

 

Alas, what might have been...