Smith has been rumored to be a great fit in the Redskins front office, but he made it clear on Monday that he hopes to play again in 2020.
The end of the regular season marks a time for players to clean out their lockers and chat with the media for one last time before the offseason begins.
It was a busy day, to say the least, for the Washington Redskins, as they announced the firing of team president of Bruce Allen. With that as a pertinent topic of conversation — along with the expected hiring of Ron Rivera as head coach — Redskins quarterback Alex Smith met with reporters and talked about his future with the team, and what he hopes to accomplish going forward.
Alex Smith says he feels partly responsible for the Redskins struggles this year. Says everyone in the building does. Sincere and honest answer. pic.twitter.com/QjPEpc4nRl
After spending the year rehabbing from a gruesome leg injury suffered last season, it was rumored that Smith could choose to take on a role in the front office for the Redskins, rather than return to the field in any fashion. Smith apparently shot down those rumors on Monday, saying that he absolutely hopes to return to football in the future. He also went on to give a very heartfelt and honest answer about his feelings on the 2019 season in Washington, saying he can’t help but feel that he’s partly to blame for the Redskins struggles.
With the emergence of rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins, it is tough to see how Smith fits in with the Redskins football plans going forward, but at least he made it clear that he intends on playing again. Regardless, it appears that we haven’t seen the last of Smith’s playing career.
Allen has rarely been seen with the owner in the past few weeks, and some believe it points toward an upcoming exit for the team president.
Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of speculation in Washington that Dan Snyder, the owner of the Redskins, could finally consider moving on from Bruce Allen, the team president and general manager who has overseen roster moves for a decade now.
According to a report from The Washington Post‘s Les Carpenter, that speculation is starting to take shape inside the Redskins’ facilities, as it’s grown more apparent over the last week that Snyder could be preparing for Allen’s exit. Whereas the two were once described to be “connected at the hip,” it seems that some distance has grown between the two.
But in recent weeks, they have not been spotted together nearly as much. Snyder no longer goes onto the field before games, leaving Allen to stand alone on the sideline. The fact that Allen was not in the suite with Snyder and Smith on Sunday only fueled speculation that Allen will soon be out as the team’s president.
“Bruce not being [in the postgame suite] is a big thing,” one person who knows Snyder’s and Allen’s habits said, later adding it’s a sign that “Bruce is in exile.”
The report came out after Snyder left his owner’s suite with injured quarterback Alex Smith hours after the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington’s 11th defeat of the season. The hours-long meeting that Snyder had with Smith is usually the type of contact he would have with Allen, back when they were on better terms.
According to Carpenter’s source, Snyder has not made any decisions about Allen as of yet, but he is planning to take a close look at the personnel at the top of the franchise once the season comes to a close.
The NFC East doesn’t have a team with a winning record, but it’s the most compelling division in Touchdown Wire’s weekly Power Rankings.
The NFC East is the worst division in the NFL. It also is the most entertaining.
Even though no team in the division currently has a winning record, the playoff scenario got more intriguing in Week 15. Plus, there’s all sorts of speculation about which head coaches might be fired, and a New York icon may have played his last game for the Giants.
The Cowboys finally played the way a team with that much talent is supposed to play, improving to 7-7 with a 44-21 shellacking of the Los Angeles Rams. The Eagles also climbed to 7-7 after a 37-27 win over the Redskins. Dallas plays at Philadelphia in Week 16, and the Cowboys can clinch the division title with a victory.
Even though the Cowboys are in the playoff race, coach Jason Garrett’s job doesn’t appear safe. Rumors are swirling that owner Jerry Jones is considering Urban Meyer as a replacement for Garrett.
Things got even more interesting when Meyer showed up at the Redskins game on Sunday. Can you imagine a bidding war for Meyer between Jones and Washington owner Daniel Snyder?
New York Giants coach Pat Shurmur also could be on the hot seat, even though he got a win against Miami. But Shurmur wasn’t the Giants’ most interesting story of Sunday. Instead, that was Eli Manning. The veteran quarterback played what might have been his final game for the Giants, while filling in for injured rookie Daniel Jones.
Here’s where the NFC East teams — and the rest of the league — stand in Touchdown Wire’s Week 16 Power Rankings.
32. Cincinnati Bengals
David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports
(1-13. Last week: 32)
A 34-14 loss to New England was expected, but the Bengals actually kept the game close until the third quarter. But in the end, they lost to one of the league’s best teams. More importantly, the Bengals remained on pace to earn the top pick in next year’s draft. That means it appears as if newly crowned Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow will wear a Cincinnati uniform next season. After briefly benching veteran starter Andy Dalton in favor of rookie Ryan Finley, the Bengals have been sticking with Dalton. That’s somewhat inexplicable, because Dalton threw four interceptions Sunday. Dalton has no future with the Bengals. But he’s doing his part to make sure Cincinnati gets Burrow.
31. Washington Redskins
Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
(3-11. Last week: 30)
The Redskins lost to Philadelphia, 37-27. The game meant nothing to the Redskins aside from impacting their draft position. The real story here is that Urban Meyer was spotted in a luxury box at FedEx Field with injured Washington quarterback Alex Smith, who played for Meyer at the University of Utah. Let the speculation grow that Meyer, who won national championships at Florida and Ohio State will be the next coach of the Redskins. Of course, current Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins also played for Meyer, at Ohio State. Meyer’s sighting could foreshadow an off-field showdown in the NFC East. There is widespread speculation that Dallas owner Jerry Jones covets Meyer. Given the personalities and egos of Jones and Washington owner Daniel Snyder, there could be a bidding war for Meyer.
30. Miami Dolphins
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
(3-11. Last week: 29)
The only real highlight of Sunday’s 36-20 loss to the Giants was that it likely was Eli Manning’s final start for New York. Injured rookie Daniel Jones is expected back in the lineup next week, and Manning probably will retire or play for another franchise next year. But there were a few bright spots for the Dolphins, too. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and receiver DeVante Parker hooked up on two touchdown passes. More significantly, the loss keeps the Dolphins in the race for an early draft pick, where they can seek a long-term answer at quarterback — because there is no long-term future with Fitzpatrick or backup Josh Rosen.
29. Detroit Lions
Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
(3-10-1. Last week: 28)
The Lions lost 37-17 to Tampa Bay on Sunday. That means they now have suffered 10 losses in consecutive years with Matt Patricia as coach. They also ran their losing streak to seven games. Does all that mean Patricia is on the hot seat? There are two ways to look at it. First, Patricia’s record in Detroit (9-20-1) has been unimpressive, and coaches have been fired for less. The fan base probably wouldn’t be too upset if Patricia gets canned. But on the flip side, Patricia still has his team playing hard even though the Lions are down to third-string quarterback David Blough and are dealing with a rash of injuries. For the sake of continuity, I would give Patricia one more season.
28. New York Giants
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
(3-11. Last week: 31)
A 36-20 victory against the Miami Dolphins may not seem like much. But there was a big storyline for the history of New York’s franchise. This almost certainly was the last start of Eli Manning’s tenure with the Giants, as he threw for two touchdowns and Saquon Barkley ran for two more. Daniel Jones is New York’s quarterback of the future. Jones has been out with an ankle injury, and that’s the only reason Manning has been back as the starter. But Jones returned to practice on a limited basis last week and is expected to return as the starter for the final two games of the season. This win was important for Manning, who could decide to retire after the season. It got his career record back to .500. Manning is a borderline Hall of Famer. A .500 record sounds a lot better than a losing record to Hall of Fame voters.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
(5-9. Last week: 27)
The Jaguars went to California and beat the Raiders in their final game in Oakland before moving to Las Vegas next season. But the win doesn’t mean all that much in the grand scheme of things. Prior to the game, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that significant changes will be made in Jacksonville in the offseason. That could mean coach Doug Marrone, executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin and general manager Dave Caldwell are on the hot seat. Any or all of them could be gone after two disappointing seasons since a berth in the AFC Championship Game. The other big question in Jacksonville is who will be the quarterback next season. Rookie Gardner Minshew has outplayed the high-priced Nick Foles. Minshew has earned the right to at least compete with Foles in the preseason.
26. New York Jets
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
(5-9. Last week: 24)
Thursday night’s game against Baltimore went exactly as expected. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, the likely NFL Most Valuable Player, threw for 212 yards and five touchdowns and also ran for 86 yards. That’s no surprise, since Jackson has put up huge numbers all season. What is surprising, and concerning, is that the Jets suddenly seem to be a team in turmoil. During Sunday’s game, coach Adam Gase and quarterback Sam Darnold had a heated exchange on the sideline. They downplayed the incident after the game, but it still wasn’t a good sign. Running back Le’Veon Bell, the source of controversy in Week 14 when he supposedly missed the game with the flu but was seen bowling the previous night, returned and rushed for a season-high 87 yards. Maybe Bell should go bowling more often. The Jets also clinched their fourth straight losing season. That’s their longest such streak in the Super Bowl era.
25. Carolina Panthers
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
(5-9. Last week 23)
On the surface, a 30-24 loss to Seattle isn’t embarrassing. The Seahawks are one of the best teams in the NFL, after all. But this one was embarrassing when you look at it from another perspective. The Panthers now are 2-5 at home this season. That’s embarrassing because the Panthers have good fans, and Bank of America Stadium has given the team a home-field advantage in the past. But the Panthers have lost six games in a row, and their future has more questions than answers. Will Kyle Allen, who threw three interceptions Sunday, be the starter next year? Or will it be longtime franchise quarterback Cam Newton? The bigger question is who will be the coach next year? Don’t be surprised if Urban Meyer’s name surfaces. Carolina owner David Tepper has the funds and the desire to compete with the big boys — Dallas’ Jerry Jones and Washington’s Daniel Snyder — for Meyer’s services.
Meyer was in attendance for the Redskins game on Sunday, which raises some intriguing questions about Washington’s coaching search.
There was confirmed to be a surprising face in attendance at the Washington Redskins game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, as former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer watched on.
Meyer, who has been acting as an analyst for FOX in his year removed from coaching at Ohio State, has been rumored as one of the more coveted candidates for NFL teams looking for a new head coach this upcoming offseason. It just so happens that one of the teams that are in desperate need of making a splash with that hire is the Redskins.
Meyer has some interesting connections with the personnel on the team as well. During his time in college, he oversaw the development of QB Dwayne Haskins, who played alongside WR Terry McLaurin. The duo is now playing together once again in Washington, where they have a bright future ahead of them.
Beyond those two, Meyer also has a history with Redskins’ QB Alex Smith, whom he coached at the University of Utah years back. Meyer and Smith formed a nice bond, and they led the Utes to a perfect 12-0 season and Fiesta Bowl victory in 2004.
It would be a rather shocking development to hear that Meyer is interested in taking over the Redskins’ job, as there are arguably much more attractive positions that are expected to be open this offseason. Meyer has already been connected to the Dallas Cowboys, should they choose to move on from Jason Garrett this year, and it’s assumed that only the best of jobs will bring Meyer out of retirement.
However, the connections to personnel on the team are nothing to look past. Meyer has won in the past with a few of these players, and he surely could do the same in the future. The Redskins may not have thought of Meyer as a potential suitor for the job, but that may have changed with his appearance on Sunday. If they can grab him, Dan Snyder absolutely should try to hire Urban Meyer.
If you took all of Washington’s problems this year and boil them down to one thing, the inability to play up to expectations is the culprit.
While they sit with a 3-10 record and have been officially eliminated from the playoffs, the Washington Redskins are coming in danger of matching their lowest win total in 25 years. Looking back on the last year, where did it all go wrong?
Sure, a coach was fired after Week 5, and a rookie quarterback has been subjected to some bumps and bruises as he starts to gain his footing in the NFL landscape. Still, those two factors can’t be solely responsible for the incompetence that is the 2019 season for the Redskins. However, there is one reason that is currently the leader in the clubhouse for ‘Things That Went Wrong in 2019’ and it’s just so appalling that quite possibly zero NFL teams would be able to overcome it:
The players who are paid top-dollar on the team have looked like anything but top-dollar players.
Of the eight most expensive contracts on the team, six of those players have either been benched due to lack of production (Josh Norman — $75 million); been lost due to injury (Alex Smith — $94 million); or refused to play for the team (Trent Williams — $68 million). Check out this breakdown of the top eight contracts in Washington, and see if you can spot the two players who have arguable played up to their wages.
Alex Smith — $94 Million
Landon Collins — $84 Million
Josh Norman — $75 Million
Trent Williams — $68 Million
Ryan Kerrigan — $57.5 Million
Jordan Reed — $46.75 Million
Paul Richardson — $40 Million
Morgan Moses — $38.5 Million
Of those eight players, you can really only say that Collins has lived up to the billing, and even then it’s tough to say that his play has been worth every penny of that $84 million contract he signed this offseason. Kerrigan has also played decently this season, but it is nowhere near the level of production that Washington expected when making him one of the 15 highest-paid edge rushers in the NFL — he currently ranks as the 74th best edge-rusher in the league, according to PFF, and his recent move to the injured reserve adds injury to insult.
“The guys who you have big money invested in, those guys have got to be key contributors,” former Redskins salary cap analyst J.I. Halsell said, via The Washington Post. “And when they’re not and if there’s a bunch of them, there’s a threshold where it becomes insurmountable and you just can’t navigate it.”
Many Redskins fans are quick to blame the ineptitude in Washington on the front office and coaching, and there is a lot of truth in doing so. Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen put this team together, and they should be held responsible for the roster that takes the field each Sunday during the season. However, any roster decision can look good on paper, but it’s all for not if the player doesn’t pan out on the field.
So what do you get when a historically inept front office puts together a roster, and those players don’t live up to the billing? You get the Washington Redskins, and it’s not a pretty sight.
Both Peterson and Richardson have had Bieniemy as a head coach before, and they know that he has the traits to lead a team to success.
While the Washington Redskins look to begin their coaching search as the season winds to a close, with just three games left on the schedule, a name that keeps coming up is Eric Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Not only has Bieniemy surged to the top of the list of candidates for any open head coaching job in the NFL, but he also has a number of ties to the Redskins and their current personnel. Once upon a time, he acted as the OC for wide receiver Paul Richardson Jr. at the University of Colorado, but he was also the running backs coach for Adrian Peterson with the Minnesota Vikings, and he held the position of OC for Alex Smith with the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s safe to say that if he has questions about the Washington organization, there are a few people he can ask.
On the flip side, these players in Washington can also reach out to him and potentially sway him in the direction of taking over the Redskins job. Both Richardson and Peterson were asked about Bieniemy earlier this week, and while they didn’t publically lobby for him to come to Washington, they did make sure to point out how deserving he is of a top job in the NFL.
“I think he’s a great coach,” said Richardson, via The Athletic.“I think he’s a great leader. He’s really intense. He prides himself on details and execution. He’s old-school, man. He played running back, back in the day. So, of course, he’s one of those guys that is all for the run-first mentality, but he definitely one of those people that wants to get the most out of his players. I felt that a lot when I was in Colorado.”
For Peterson, he recalls the times in Minnesota where Bieniemy would constantly require the RBs to take diligent notes during film sessions, and he often wouldn’t let a detail slip by.
“He was big on taking notes,” Peterson said, via The Athletic.“You have your pen out and writing notes down, and we didn’t have an excuse. He had everything we need for that week written on the board, on both sides, and we used to go over it, and you were able to see it in intensive detail. It’s like, man; he is really like making sure that we are dialed in, and we know exactly what’s going on. So the running back group, and the fullback group we are in sync. We have no excuse to eff up.”
So while they may not have publically endorsed him for the Redskins job, both Richardson and Peterson will be the first people to tell you that Bieniemy is a sure-fire head coach that deserves a chance somewhere in the league. If it happens to be in Washington, you’d surely hear no complaints from them.
The Redskins are narrowing their focus to Eric Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, as their potential next coach
The Washington Redskins are reportedly focusing their attention on one candidate for the vacant head coaching spot they need to fill this offseason, and it actually makes quite a bit of sense for the team.
According to Pro Football Network’s Benjamin Allbright, the Kansas City Chief’s Offensive Coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, is an early front-runner for the head coaching job in Washington. Bieniemy has been the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs for the last two seasons and has seen a significant amount of success alongside his mentor Andy Reid.
According to Allbright, Redskins’ owner Dan Snyder has been vetting applicants to try to find the ideal candidate that could maximize the talent they believe they have in quarterback Dwayne Haskins, and many in Washington believe Bieniemy can do just that.
Alongside Reid, Bieniemy has overseen the growth and management of reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes after he took the league by storm in 2018, and Snyder seems to believe that he could have a similar impact on Haskins if given the job.
Bieniemy also has a connection with Redskins quarterback Alex Smith, as they spent five years together in Kansas City before Smith came to Washington. In that time, the two went to the playoffs four times in five years. While Smith isn’t currently playing, he definitely has gained some sway with the organization as he’s been seen regularly at practice helping to mentor Haskins and other young players.
There is $58 million being paid to five players in Washington, all of whom have had little to no impact on the field this year.
One of the most frustrating aspects of the Washington Redskins’ season this year is the financial misfortune they’ve experienced. Chalk it up to poor management or poor coaching, but some of the highest-paid players in Washington either aren’t playing well or aren’t playing at all.
There is an unsettling amount of wasted salary in Washington this season, as players like Alex Smith, Josh Norman, Trent Williams, Jordan Reed, and Vernon Davis have all been non-factors. Those five players account for $58 million of the Redskins salary cap, with Smith and Williams racking up $30 million on their own.
In a salary cap league, it is impossible to succeed when you’re wasting that type of money.
On top of that, the Redskins still have significant dead money on their cap after cutting the following players before the season:
Zach Brown – $3 million
Josh Doctson – $2.5 million
Stacy McGee – $2.4 million
D.J. Swearinger – $1.3 million
The Redskins are 2-9 this season, and they’ve struggled mightily to stay competitive. When you look at the players who are cashing a check without playing, you’ll understand why.
It’s been some tough sledding for Haskins so far, but Smith assures him that all will be okay if he just focuses on things he can change.
“Don’t listen to what they’re saying. Focus on what you can control, and do the best you can.”
That’s basically what Washington Redskins veteran quarterback Alex Smith told rookie QB Dwayne Haskins, as he offered the time-tested advice to the young play-caller who has seen his NFL career get off to a slow start.
Through his first four chances at live-action, Haskins has two garbage-time touchdowns and five interceptions, with less than 500 yards passing. He’s also yet to see a win yet, which can be extremely frustrating for a young player who has excelled at every level of football in his career. It’s not surprising to hear that wear on a player.
“It’s hard as a rookie quarterback, being a first-round pick with the expectations,” Alex Smith said, via Redskins.com. “You’re inherently thrust into a leadership position. Nobody affects the game more than the quarterback. The entire team, the entire organization is trusting you not only to make great decisions but be accurate with the football, to be on time. These are split-second things.”
So far, Haskins has struggled to uphold his end of the trust-bargain, but a lot of the blame can be spread throughout the rest of the roster and the organization as a whole. So far in his rookie season, he’s seen his head coach get fired, his two top tight ends — which is arguably the most important position for a young QB — miss significant time, and his defense allow over 25 points per game. It would be difficult for even a veteran QB to overcome those obstacles, let alone a rookie who started just one season in college.
“This has always been my message to Dwayne: ‘I think you need to focus on what is really important, and that’s playing well,’” Smith said. “Preparing himself to go play, don’t worry about the rest of the noise. In fact, eliminate it. Try to eliminate as much of the outside noise as possible. Because all your teammates really care about is going out and executing.”
Week by week, we’ve seen Haskins show small improvements, and they finally manifested themselves into some points last Sunday. As time goes on, he’s shown that he can take some steps forward. He just needs to focus on what he can do to get better, and nothing else.
