Posted from Curmudgeon Corner, Maine
As is typically the case, the Redskins are off to a fast start in the offseason championships. Heck, the regular season wasn’t even officially over, and we already had a 4 game lead over the competition after the hiring of Bruce Allen. Immediately following the last regular season game, Jim Zorn was fired, and, to no one’s surprise, the proven Mike Shanahan was hired. Considering how we were all taken completely off guard by the hiring of Bruce Allen, the hiring of Shanahan was among the worst kept secrets in history.
This has always been the Danny’ time to shine… but it’s beginning to look… a bit at a time… as though he has permitted his wings to be clipped… at least a bit. Allen began the process of putting distance between the owner and football operations almost immediately after finding himself an office, when he made the players path to the owner’s office go through his. He put an end to the boss’s weekly lunches and film review with Zorn… and, then, ensured that Snyder sit with the audience instead of at the podium, for the Shanahan press conference.
Mostly symbolic, yes… but also encouraging. We can’t be faulted for watching these events with a healthy dose of cynicism, but, I have to say, with each event, a little more optimism that this franchise is in the hands of football professionals sneaks in. That causes some trepidation… I don’t like disappointments, and I just don’t have confidence that Snyder won’t somehow screw this up.
So, now we enter the winter doldurms… sure, there will be some moments, as Shanahan and Allen round out the front office and coaching staff. I suspect that a strong personnel type will be brought in (there are rumors of Doug Williams being in the mix), to bolster talent acquisition… But, for the most part, this will be the most tedious part of the year, until FA starts.
There is certainly some expectation that there will be some effort to begin the process of rebuilding the OL though one or two free agent acquisitions, followed by getting some talent through the draft. We are certainly positioned to make some noise in the draft, with the 4th pick… I can’t imagine it being used for anything other than an OT… or attempting to trade down for more picks.
But… after this disaster of a season, nothing that the Redskins do can possibly shock me.
One thing is sure. There will continue to be wild speculation about the ultimate outcome for two major Redskins players… What of Clinton Portis and Jason Campbell? The two engaged in a bit of a duel in the press last week… not pretty. Then, toss in Stump Mitchell’s comments about Portis’ work ethic… well…
Will both… or either… be with the team next year? Portis’ cap number is big… really big… of course, if an uncapped year, would it be a good time to move him out? If you don’t re-sign Campbell, where do you find a starting quarterback? And, what of Carlos Rogers and the “double-move sucker of the year”, Laron Landry?
Finally, good luck to Russ Grimm, who has entered the final 15 candidates for the Hall of Fame. This is a pretty deep group, with a lot of flash. There is not yet a Hog in the Hall. It’s about time that members of one of the most dominant offensive lines in the history of the game start to get some love. Russ Grimm is a great place to start.
Hail.