One of the most notable changes for the Washington Redskins this offseason had to do with the power structure of the organization and front office. After Bruce Allen was let go at the end of 2019, there was room to step up in the front office, and several people were deserving.
To fill the top spot, team owner Dan Snyder hired Ron Rivera, and vowed to make it a ‘coach-centric’ approach that the Redskins would take into the future. As far as the rest of the pyramid of power, though? That was still in need of shaking out.
When Kyle Smith, the VP of Player Development, took the stage on Tuesday to talk to the media at the 2020 NFL Combine, he said a bit to address the front office dynamic and paint a picture of who answers to whom. We already knew most of it, but a refresher can never hurt.
At the very top, obviously is Snyder, though he has ceded much of his decision making power to Rivera, who is the biggest power-centric figure in the organization. Under Rivera is Smith, who has a lot of say in off-field decisions, as he has a hand in both college and pro player personnel.
Doug Williams, who was a part of player personnel in the past, has been moved to a player development role, where he will focus more on the current players on the roster and how to better help them reach their ceilings. In Williams’ absence, Alex Santos will take over a larger role on the pro personnel side.
“That side kind of runs itself,” Smith said, via NBC Sports Washington.
More names like Tim Gribble (College), Jack Del Rio (Defensive Coordinator) and Scott Turner (Offensive Coordinator) are sprinkled on down the list, filling out the rest of the pyramid.
Hopefully, this one is more sturdy than the last one was.
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