Moving Towards our Future Front Office and Coaching Hires. All the Way to the Water Boy - Adam Peters Hired as GM! The Mighty Quinn is HC Kliff Kingsbury as OC. Joe Whitt jr at DC.

[Voice_of_Reason]

4 hours ago, RWJ said:

New GM - Ian Cunningham, Alec Halaby

New HC - Ben Johnson, Frank Smith

 

I can't pretend to know anything about any of the GM canddiates except the organizations they've been a part of.

 

I've worked at enough companies, you can have some really bad people come through some really good organizations.  So just the fact they were there doesn't really tell me anything.  And since most of them never talk, you really don't know much about them.  Everything is second hand hearsay.  On that one, I'm  just going to put my faith in Josh Harris to make the right call.

 

I did say this before, and this is a complete and total guess, but I wouldn't be shocked if Eugene Shen, our newly minted SVP of Football Strategy, is quietly in the mix for GM. And then they bring in a VP of Player Personnel type guy who's the head scout.  I'm betting Shen is the person who talks to Harris the most of anybody in the building.  He was the guy Harris hired and stuck there, and he did it mid-season during a season which was failing, and there has to be a reason why.  So, my dark horse is Shen. Most likely that's not going to happen, but it's a bold prediction sure to go wrong.

 

For coaches, here are the ones I'd interview:

1. Frank Smith - OC D-Dolphins

2. Dan Quinn - DC Dolphins

3. Todd Monken - OC Ravens (especially if there's a chance they will draft Daniels)

 

I'm sure we'll interview Ben Johnson.  I am not on the Ben Johnson train.  I've watched Lions games and don't like the offense at all.  Maybe it's better without Goff.  I dunno.  But personal preference, I don't like that offense one little bit.  

 

Side note: did you know that Leonard Hankerson was the WR's coach with the 49ers?  He was drafted while Kyle was here in Washington, now he's the WR coach in SF.  Good for Hank. 

[RWJ]

5 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

I can't pretend to know anything about any of the GM canddiates except the organizations they've been a part of.

 

I've worked at enough companies, you can have some really bad people come through some really good organizations.  So just the fact they were there doesn't really tell me anything.  And since most of them never talk, you really don't know much about them.  Everything is second hand hearsay.  On that one, I'm  just going to put my faith in Josh Harris to make the right call.

 

I did say this before, and this is a complete and total guess, but I wouldn't be shocked if Eugene Shen, our newly minted SVP of Football Strategy, is quietly in the mix for GM. And then they bring in a VP of Player Personnel type guy who's the head scout.  I'm betting Shen is the person who talks to Harris the most of anybody in the building.  He was the guy Harris hired and stuck there, and he did it mid-season during a season which was failing, and there has to be a reason why.  So, my dark horse is Shen. Most likely that's not going to happen, but it's a bold prediction sure to go wrong.

 

For coaches, here are the ones I'd interview:

1. Frank Smith - OC D-Dolphins

2. Dan Quinn - DC Dolphins

3. Todd Monken - OC Ravens (especially if there's a chance they will draft Daniels)

 

I'm sure we'll interview Ben Johnson.  I am not on the Ben Johnson train.  I've watched Lions games and don't like the offense at all.  Maybe it's better without Goff.  I dunno.  But personal preference, I don't like that offense one little bit.  

 

Side note: did you know that Leonard Hankerson was the WR's coach with the 49ers?  He was drafted while Kyle was here in Washington, now he's the WR coach in SF.  Good for Hank. 

No, I didn't know Hank was Kyles' WR coach.  Kyle should have been our HC and I'll leave it at that an we all know why. I like Frank Smith as I have him listed Ben Johnson has completely changed Goff into a QB again after he fell off the cliff.  

[Skinsinparadise]

Standig

[RWJ]

@Skinsinparadise Unless someone blows him away other Cunningham at the meetings, I think he is the GM Harris hires.  Just a guess on my part.  His name was mentioned by someone on Twitter back in October.  I've mentioned Cunningham's Dad involved with the NBA so there is a connection with Irving Johnson too.  He's also well known by Shen.

Edited December 14, 2023 by RWJ

[Koolblue13]

2 hours ago, RWJ said:

@Skinsinparadise Unless someone blows him away other Cunningham at the meetings, I think he is the GM Harris hires.  Just a guess on my part.  His name was mentioned by someone on Twitter back in October.  I've mentioned Cunningham's Dad involved with the NBA so there is a connection with Irving Johnson too.  He's also well known by Shen.

I'm guessing that's why he didn't go with Gannon to Arizona.

[RWJ]

9 minutes ago, Koolblue13 said:

I'm guessing that's why he didn't go with Gannon to Arizona.

Maybe.  I'd sure like to see him here in DC! 

[FootballZombie]

5 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

Standig

 

Must have been a painful meeting for the Commander's regiment.

 

Whats the over/under on Adrian Peterson level handshakes received?

 

 

Gotta keep eyes on Harris for wrist wrap.

[Idaho fan]

After reading Cunningham's bio, a few of his interviews etc.. he is hard not to like as a potential candidate for the GM position.  He was an NFL player (albeit very briefly), Studied under Ozzie Newsome, Been in the Eagles organization, his desire and focus has always been around personnel, etc. etc. Sounds like he is or will be a top candidate for any team looking for a GM.  

 

Im going to be so happy once this franchise starts doing things the right way... Hiring a GM is that first step.

 

 

[Skinsinparadise]

48 minutes ago, Idaho fan said:

After reading Cunningham's bio, a few of his interviews etc.. he is hard not to like as a potential candidate for the GM position.  He was an NFL player (albeit very briefly), Studied under Ozzie Newsome, Been in the Eagles organization, his desire and focus has always been around personnel, etc. etc. Sounds like he is or will be a top candidate for any team looking for a GM.  

 

Im going to be so happy once this franchise starts doing things the right way... Hiring a GM is that first step.

 

 

 

He looks like a good prospect, we've posted articles about him on and off here.   Watched a few interviews of him, there are plenty of them, comes off well

 

 

5 hours ago, RWJ said:

@Skinsinparadise Unless someone blows him away other Cunningham at the meetings, I think he is the GM Harris hires.  Just a guess on my part.  His name was mentioned by someone on Twitter back in October.  I've mentioned Cunningham's Dad involved with the NBA so there is a connection with Irving Johnson too.  He's also well known by Shen.

 

I am not sweating it, a bunch of these guys profile wise excite me especially Cunningham, Halaby, Peters.

 

If its purely on reputation Peters stands out a little more to me but a bunch excite me.  But it feels like the 49ers might promote Peters to GM based on an article I read.

[Est.1974]

On 12/13/2023 at 11:32 PM, Voice_of_Reason said:

 

I did say this before, and this is a complete and total guess, but I wouldn't be shocked if Eugene Shen, our newly minted SVP of Football Strategy, is quietly in the mix for GM. And then they bring in a VP of Player Personnel type guy who's the head scout.  I'm betting Shen is the person who talks to Harris the most of anybody in the building.  He was the guy Harris hired and stuck there, and he did it mid-season during a season which was failing, and there has to be a reason why.  So, my dark horse is Shen. Most likely that's not going to happen, but it's a bold prediction sure to go wrong.

Agree. That’s something i’ve considered too.

21 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

Standig

Was it reported who else was in attendance from the FO alongside Harris?

[Andre The Giant]

 

[RWJ]

19 minutes ago, Andre The Giant said:

 

Interesting.  

[HigSkin]

 

[BringMetheHeadofBruceAllen]

GM Tom Telesco and HC Brandon Staley from the Chargers are available and looking for work...

 

Let's hope Harris gives them a pass. They were unable to build a team around Justin Herbert, but with their firing the Chargers job will be battling Harris to front office staff...at least the Chargers have a franchise QB.

[RWJ]

1 minute ago, BringMetheHeadofBruceAllen said:

GM Tom Telesco and HC Brandon Staley from the Chargers are available and looking for work...

 

Let's hope Harris gives them a pass. They were unable to build a team around Justin Herbert, but with their firing the Chargers job will be battling Harris to front office staff...at least the Chargers have a franchise QB.

Well, being that Harris owns two other professional teams in other sports, I think he is aware of what he needs to do and he has some good business partners working with him that are influential too.  

[clskinsfan]

Nevermind. I should have read further. 11 of the 14 current playoff teams have offensive minded head coaches by the way.

Edited December 15, 2023 by clskinsfan

[Andre The Giant]

I've always thought Telesco was a great drafter. 

[JSSkinz]

3 hours ago, RWJ said:

Interesting.  

It is, his resume is heavy rugby with a sprinkle of NBA and NHL.

[Andre The Giant]

Mentions that Harris likes how the Ravens do business. 

[Rufus T Firefly]

On 12/12/2023 at 3:33 PM, CapsSkins said:

Halaby... Eagles FO lifer - 16 years there but he's 36 years old so he started as a 20 year old intern.

 

If they go with a Boy Wonder GM, I'd want to bring in some gray hair in a Team President role, like Kevin Colbert.

 

Cunningham isn't much older but rose the ranks as a scout, which I think lends some extra credibility compared to a guy who's been in an office his whole career.

A first time GM should definitely have someone experienced around him. 

 

Personally, I'd be excited to see Thomas Dimitroff as assistant GM with whomever we hire. 

[Skinsinparadise]

1 hour ago, Andre The Giant said:

Mentions that Harris likes how the Ravens do business. 

We’re all learning on the fly about Commanders owner Josh Harris, who was accompanied by one of his limited partners, Mitchell Rales, at this week’s league meetings in Dallas. And one thing I learned down in Texas over the last few days could at least color how the next couple of months go with the new owners and their team—Harris likes how the Commanders’ beltway rivals from Baltimore do business.

It was apparent, too, in his first real football hire.

Seven weeks ago, Washington brought Eugene Shen aboard as its new senior vice president of football strategy, poaching him back from the world of finance, a world to which he’d returned in 2022 after serving as the Jaguars’ vice president of football analytics, and the Dolphins’ director of analytics between ’19 and ’22. For five years before that, Shen cut his NFL teeth helping to run analytics for the always innovative, always forward-thinking Ravens, who have gone so far as to build their own proprietary analytics systems.

 

That the hire was made before Harris made decisions on the futures of GM Martin Mayhew, top football exec Marty Hurney or coach Ron Rivera is notable for a couple of reasons. First, it’s an indication of how he sees the role—as one that would be there regardless of who the GM or head coach was. Second, it opens the possibility that Shen could have significant input in the next round of hires, whenever they’re made.

Maybe this means Harris tabs a Baltimore exec like Joe Hortiz or Nick Matteo to be his next GM, or a top Raven assistant like Mike Macdonald to be his head coach. Maybe it doesn’t. But at the very least, it brings a little insight into how he’s building and what he’ll be modeling after going forward.

 

[Conn]

 

Herbert is a selling point. Nothing else really is including the ownership. We’re in a good position to hire our top choices after casting a wide net in interviews imo. 

[Rufus T Firefly]

7 minutes ago, Conn said:

 

Herbert is a selling point. Nothing else really is including the ownership. We’re in a good position to hire our top choices after casting a wide net in interviews imo. 

Juts posted some thoughts about what they should do going forward int eh ATN thread. Won't repeat it here. 

 

Basically, it's tremendous opportunity for a forward thinking GM who is willing to let the team take a step back and do a mini-rebuild and wait to build a greta team over a couple of offseason. If it's a "go for it now"  the of plan where they are restructuring deals to hold onto the older and overpriced players they have, then I believe they are likely going to stay stuck in mediocrity. 

[Voice_of_Reason]

8 minutes ago, Conn said:

Herbert is a selling point. Nothing else really is including the ownership. We’re in a good position to hire our top choices after casting a wide net in interviews imo. 

Herbert and you get to live in LA are the two selling points.  They will never have a homefield advantage at that stadium, and there are like 17 total Chargers fans in LA.  The roster should have been good the last 3 years, now it's old. It's only a good landing spot because of Herbert (who I think is somewhat overrated) and living in LA.  Ben Johnson should go here.  I don't know if he's married or not.  He could pull a McVay and meet a supermodel or something though. 

 

So we know the following vacancies are open:

- Raiders

- Chargers

- Panthers

(Unless I missed one)

 

Commanders will be open

 

Who else? I think:

- Jets: unless they have some spectacular finish, Saleh was placed in a tough spot at QB but fumbled it pretty badly.

**  2 of the 3 teams in the NFC not named the Panthers, whichever 2 don't make the playoffs: New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Bucs.  I don't know which one is going to win that miserable division, but somebody will, and that will most likely save somebody's job.  The other two are toast. For the sake of argument, I'm going to say it's the Saints and the Bucs who make changes and the Falcons win the division at 8-9. 

- Tampa Bay Bucs

- New Orleans Saints. 

 

So between that group, the Chargers have Herbert.  The Panthers MIGHT have something in Young, but who knows.  The Raiders might just hire Antonio Pierce.  They damn well should have hired the last interim coach they had.  

 

The Bucs have nothing, the Saints have Carr, and that could be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view.  The Jets will have a 47 year old Rodgers off of an Achillies injury unless he decides to go into a dark room and never come out.  

 

I like our chances at being one of the better jobs.  For sure.

 

Could but I don't think so:

- Patriots: I personally don't think it's going to happen.  But if it does, I think Bill goes to the Panthers.  That would make a lot of sense for that owner. This seems like against conventional wisdom at this point, but eh, it's my gut feeling.

- Bears: I also don't think this happens.  They just hired a GM who hired a HC who had to deal with Fields, who he didn't choose.  So I am going against convensional wisdom and say the don't make a change.  

 

 

[RWJ]

59 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

We’re all learning on the fly about Commanders owner Josh Harris, who was accompanied by one of his limited partners, Mitchell Rales, at this week’s league meetings in Dallas. And one thing I learned down in Texas over the last few days could at least color how the next couple of months go with the new owners and their team—Harris likes how the Commanders’ beltway rivals from Baltimore do business.

It was apparent, too, in his first real football hire.

Seven weeks ago, Washington brought Eugene Shen aboard as its new senior vice president of football strategy, poaching him back from the world of finance, a world to which he’d returned in 2022 after serving as the Jaguars’ vice president of football analytics, and the Dolphins’ director of analytics between ’19 and ’22. For five years before that, Shen cut his NFL teeth helping to run analytics for the always innovative, always forward-thinking Ravens, who have gone so far as to build their own proprietary analytics systems.

 

That the hire was made before Harris made decisions on the futures of GM Martin Mayhew, top football exec Marty Hurney or coach Ron Rivera is notable for a couple of reasons. First, it’s an indication of how he sees the role—as one that would be there regardless of who the GM or head coach was. Second, it opens the possibility that Shen could have significant input in the next round of hires, whenever they’re made.

Maybe this means Harris tabs a Baltimore exec like Joe Hortiz or Nick Matteo to be his next GM, or a top Raven assistant like Mike Macdonald to be his head coach. Maybe it doesn’t. But at the very least, it brings a little insight into how he’s building and what he’ll be modeling after going forward.

 

I have tried to connect the dots to Shen and it appears that Breer seems to be doing the same, however the last hire, Tim McGrath doesn't have any connections to either the Ravens or Shen, that I can tell.  Shen knows both Ian Cunningham, Asst. GM with Bears and MacDonald, DC with the Ravens.  This search is going to be fun and interesting to watch, I think, or shall I say, I hope!  Joe Hortiz was around when Shen was there and has been with the Ravens since 1998.  Pretty good resume' Guess what?  He's from Philly born and raised, too.