The Washington Redskins got the job done on Sunday.
Of course, that ‘job’ was losing to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17, ensuring that they finish the 2019 season with three wins, 13 losses, and the No. 2 draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Now that the regular season is over, the real fun and games can begin.
Over the next several weeks, or possibly the next several days, Dan Snyder and the Redskins will make a few decisions that potentially change the future outlook of the team, and could get them back onto a winning path in Washington.
Obviously, we can’t predict the future, but let’s break down what we feel is likely to happen with the Redskins over the next few days.
Redskins Name Marvin Lewis as Head Coach
His name was the most recent to pop up on the Redskins’ coaching wish list, and that could end up being the biggest indicator that he will be the next in line in Washington.
Lewis may not be the biggest name that the Redskins could hire, but he is a source of stability, and whether Washington fans will admit it or not, he possesses a load of experience in the NFL and has found ways to get the job done in the regular season. His 0-7 playoff record in 16 years with the Cincinnati Bengals is definitely troubling, but a perfect coaching hire might not exist for Washington. Eric Bienemy and Mike McCarthy are likely to take better jobs, and Ron Rivera might weigh his options for longer than the Redskins want to wait.
Put Eric Schaffer in Charge of Football Operations
Bruce Allen was relieved of his duties regarding football operations over the weekend, which is the first and most necessary step towards ridding the Redskins of his fingerprints. With Allen taking a refocused role that has little to do with the on-field product, Washington will be looking for someone to take over player personnel and football ops, likely under the name of General Manager. A few big names like Urban Meyer and Lous Riddick have been floated, but it seems unlikely that such a big fish would take on the undesirable job of remaking the Redskins. Rather, we think that Eric Schaffer is the right man for the job.
Schaffer is already in the building, where he currently acts as the Senior Vice President of Football Operations. He has been with the team for 17 seasons and has recently taken on a bigger role in personnel decisions and contract negotiations. Schaffer is often credited with a lot of Washington’s draft success over the past couple of seasons, and he would likely be able to step into a bigger GM-type role seamlessly.
Fire Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky
Manusky has coached his last game for the Redskins, that much has been made obviously clear. The Redskins gave up TK points again on Sunday against the Cowboys, which is the eighth time this season they’ve given up 30-plus.
Manusky was rumored to be close to an exit last season, but the team kept him on and actually allowed a decent amount of buzz to build before the season, with the Redskins defense looking like it might be pretty decent. That all came crashing down in the first few weeks of the year, and since then it’s been a race to the finish. There have not yet been many words on who the Redskins would look to replace Manusky at the DC position, but we know that Manusky is not long for the job.
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