Tag: Charley Casserly

It’s been 25 years since Commanders had a GM with power

Washington will have a real GM for the first time since Charley Casserly.

The Commanders have not had a legitimate general manager since Charley Casserly.

Casserly was the Assistant General Manager serving under Bobby Beathard in the 1980s as Washington won two Super Bowls. When Beathard departed, Casserly was promoted to General Manager, and two seasons later, Washington won its third Super Bowl with Coach Joe Gibbs.

However, when previous owner Dan Snyder took the reigns in 1999, Casserly shocked us all, suddenly resigning just prior to the 1999 training camp. It should have raised flags for all of us.

Since that time, Snyder and Vinny Cerrato ran the team, making personnel decisions, and they beget Bruce Allen and then Ron Rivera.

These are times for Washington fans to raise their hopes, believing this owner, Josh Harris, is going to hire a new general manager who will rebuild this roster, draft well in the draft, and spend wisely in free agency.

Yes, whoever is chosen will make poor draft choices and sign unproductive free agents. They are human; they will err.

Yet, shouldn’t there be an encouraged fan base, knowing there have been so many years the once proud franchise has been without good leadership at the top of its football operations?

Ron Rivera was a nice guy, a good guy. He is not to be trashed. He is not to be slandered. Yet, he was ineffective, not producing a winning season in his four seasons. The franchise does need a major overhaul on the football side of the building.

Merely thinking this organization may include not only a coach who thinks what is best for “this” season but will also possess a GM who is thinking, “What is best for the next four years?”

Now that is a refreshing thought, to think this franchise will once again have leadership capable of rebuilding this roster.

Hey, the first hire could occur within the week!

Puzzled by Daniel Snyder in 1999; clueless how bad it would become

The Snyder era began badly when Charley Casserly “resigned” as GM.

Daniel Snyder had only been the newfound owner of the then-Washington Redskins a few months when suddenly I was dumbfounded.

The news was breaking, and Washington general manager Charley Casserly was resigning. “What? What is going on?”

Never did I imagine the next 23 seasons would bring loads of frustration and consternation, but yes, I was old enough (age 36) and had followed the team closely enough, I was somewhat puzzled by this new development.

More flags were raised for me when it was announced that day that Casserly would actually still be a consultant for Snyder. “Is this young guy firing Casserly but paying him to be his consultant?”

Of course, I had no idea that for the next 23 seasons, there would be no actual general manager who had ultimate authority in football decisions ranging from who gets drafted, and signed as an unrestricted free agent to hiring and firing the head coach.

Even more mystifying was the fact that his firing/resignation/reassigning of Casserly transpired only a couple of days prior to the 1999 Washington training camp launching.

“Wait, would Charley Casserly actually wait to resign only a couple of days prior to training camp?”

Honestly, I had no clue how bad it would be for the next 23 years. However, looking back, I absolutely did think, “If no health concerns were found in the next months regarding Casserly, then only at age 50, Casserly did not resign but was being moved out of the front office.”

Never did I dream it was because Daniel Snyder was actually going to interfere in the football decisions many times in his tenure as owner. I had no way of recognizing this guy was actually thinking he could be an effective NFL GM.

Of course, I did believe the initial statement Snyder made at the press conference that he realized Turner and Casserly could no longer work together.

But beginning the next offseason, I was immediately uncomfortable when he began to play general manager, signing older veterans to massive contracts and overpaying them. Then I knew we have a serious problem. I do vividly recall in 2000 being disappointed and worried about the future.

But of course, I STILL had no idea how serious the problem would grow to be over the next 23 seasons. But that is another story for another day.

How badly do Rivera and Washington ‘need’ a quarterback?

Head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew haven’t been shy about Washington’s intentions to upgrade the quarterback position.

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This evening I read some guy tweeting that the Washington Commanders had offered the Seattle Seahawks five first-round choices for Russell Wilson, but the offer was turned down by Seattle.

Of course, that offer was both absurd and false. Yes, head coach Ron Rivera has publicly declared (more than a few times) that Washington is looking for a QB. He and GM Martin Mayhew last week both spoke to the media at the NFL Combine and neither was shy to admit they are indeed looking to improve the position for the Commanders.

Are Coach Rivera and Mayhew crossing the line, appearing too needy? In business, one can certainly proclaim what they need. Yet, shouldn’t that person also remain shrewd, to never cross the line of appearing too willing to trade too much for what one desires?

Mike Ditka had won coaching in Chicago. Ditka won 11+ games in six NFL seasons, including a 15-1 Super Bowl Championship for the ’85 Bears.

When Ditka took over New Orleans in 1997 and experienced back-to-back 6-10 seasons, he made it known he wanted Ricky Williams. Charley Casserly and Washington took advantage of Ditka and traded the No. 5 overall pick in the draft to the Saints for all six of the Saints 1999 selections and the Saints’ 2000 selections in the first and third rounds. I was doing cartwheels and backflips when that trade was announced.

Might Rivera have been too quick last week to say no one was concerned with what the Rams gave up for Matthew Stafford? Remember how Washington received only one exciting (10-6) season from Robert Griffin but had already (being too eager) given up first-round choices in 2012, 2013 and 2014 for a guy yet to play a down in an NFL pocket? At least Russell Wilson has already proven himself to be a capable NFL passer and leader.

Sometimes in negotiations, we really must be careful, because if our posture is one of being too needy, the negotiation will actually be nothing more than the other guy taking advantage of us. A fair mediation will involve you being willing to walk away from the table. I am hoping, if need be, Coach Ron and Mayhew are both willing to walk away from the table.

Charley Casserly remembers the 1991 Washington Super Bowl champions

Charley Casserly and Al Galdi look back at Washington’s magical 1991 season.

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Former Washington General Manager Charley Casserly was a guest on “The Al Galdi Podcast” Wednesday, celebrating the 30-Year Anniversary of Washington’s last NFL championship.

Washington fans ages 30 and younger simply have difficulty realizing just how strong this Washington Football Team franchise was in the Joe Gibbs era (1981-1992). They were the Washington Redskins in those days. 10 of those years Washington won at least 10 games. eight of those years Washington was in the playoffs. Washington played in five NFC Championship games.

Is this sinking in for you, yet? There were four NFC Championships and thus four Super Bowl games and three Super Bowl Championships. Yes, I am actually describing the same NFL franchise.

Al Galdi celebrated the 30-year anniversary of the last Washington Super Bowl championship (Super Bowl XXVI)  over the Buffalo Bills.

Galdi and Casserly provided numerous nuggets of fascinating info/data of that dominant Washington team. Space only permits I mention a few. Galdi did a splendid job giving tribute to the 1991 Redskins.

“It was a dominant team. We had three shutouts, said Casserly. “When USA TODAY ranked the 49 Super Bowl champs a few years ago, we were ranked number 1.”

“Mark Rypien threw 421 passes and he was sacked seven times. That is one sack for every 60 passes for a non-mobile quarterback,” emphasized Casserly.

“The last preseason game that year we played Buffalo and we stunk. It was tense on the plane ride home. There was an uncertainty of where we were at that time.”

“There was a famous article in the Washingtonian saying that perhaps we had gotten too soft as a team. Perhaps we had too many Christians on the team. Which was absurd and certainly proven that way.”

Once the season started “it kept getting better and better. It just flowed then through the whole year. You get on a roll, and everything is going right, and that is what happened.”

Galdi interjected, “It was incredible. The 1991 team had a regular-season point differential of +261, which is just absurd.”

Former Washington GM has WFT trading up for Trey Lance in his mock draft

Charley Casserly spent 23 years with the Washington organization and was a part of some of the greatest teams in franchise history.

Charley Casserly spent 23 years with the Washington organization and was a part of some of the greatest teams in franchise history. He spent his final 10 years in Washington as the team’s general manager from 1989-99.

Now, Casserly works for various outlets as an NFL analyst, including with the NFL Network.

Much like other analysts, Casserly recently revealed his latest mock draft. And, he believes his former franchise is going to make a big move.

However, unlike previous mock drafts, Casserly doesn’t feel Washington will have to move up as far to get its franchise quarterback.

The longtime NFL general manager has WFT moving up five spots to No. 14 in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings to select North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance.

“Washington trades up to get its quarterback of the future. With Ryan Fitzpatrick already in place, Lance could be used in Year 1 in packages that take advantage of his running ability,” Casserly said.

If this scenario takes place, Washington would be extremely happy. One, Washington gets the guy it apparently covets, and the cost is not prohibitive. Washington would likely only have to give up its first third-round choice in the upcoming draft, in addition to the No. 19 overall pick. Minnesota could ask for a later pick, too, since the move is for a quarterback.

Coley Cleary, USA TODAY

The Football Team would still have a second-round pick and one third-round pick to address other needs such as offensive tackle and linebacker, all while landing their franchise passer.

 

 

 

Vikings trade down and draft tackle in Casserly’s mock draft

The Vikings boost their line while gaining some future assets.

The Vikings desperately need help on the offensive line as they head into the 2021 NFL Draft.

The team was able to snag some offensive line help and gain some assets while doing so in Charley Casserly’s newest mock draft over at NFL.com.

The Vikings traded from 14 to 19 with the Washington Football Team. Casserly doesn’t go into trade specifics, but considering Washington drafts quarterback Trey Lance with this pick, it’s probably safe to say that it’s at least for a future second-round pick.

With the 19th pick, the Vikings draft Virginia Tech tackle Christian Darrisaw.

Here’s what Casserly wrote about the pick:

Minnesota fills a big need by solidifying the left tackle position after Riley Reiff’s exit.

If a quarterback were to still be available at 14, which seems unlikely, that would be huge for the Vikings being able to leverage their draft position for a possible trade.

Even if the Vikings end up with Darrisaw at 14, most fans would probably be just fine with that.

Former GM speaks on where Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa needs to improve

Former GM speaks on where Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa needs to improve

Former NFL general manager Charley Casserly knows a little something about championship programs. Casserly spent a decade running the NFL’s franchise in Washington — and he has three Super Bowl rings to show for his efforts in team building and management in Washington.

Casserly also knows a thing or two about building a team from the ground up — he was the first general manager for the franchise Houston Texans back in 2002.

The Miami Dolphins are aiming to become a championship caliber team and they’re certainly well on their way in rebuilding their roster from the ground up. And Casserly has some insight as to how the Dolphins’ young rookie quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, can become the starter in Miami and continue the team’s transition from young rebuilders to potential championship contenders. The NFL Network analyst spoke recently about where Tagovailoa will need to improve to beat out veteran QB Ryan Fitzpatrick for the starting job:

“What does Tua do well? Plays fast, quick release. Anticipates the receivers and throws come on time,” said Casserly.

“So all of those things — quick throwing game, spread offense fits in. What does he have to get better at? He’s kind of a risk taker, especially in the middle of the field he’ll take risks. And the other thing is, hey, he’s a six-foot quarterback adapting to pass protecting and pass rushes. That’s what he’s gonna have to do.”

Casserly ultimately goes on to state he believes the Dolphins will stick with veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick early — but also believes that the irregular track record of Fitzpatrick will provide Tagovailoa with a window to claim the starting job before too long. A little extra time to ease Tagovailoa into the finer details of the playbook is probably for the best — but it is definitely worth nothing that this offense will be much simpler in 2020, in part to allow a young roster to pick it up quickly so that they can think and play fast earlier in the season.

WATCH: Charley Casserly breaks down next step for Broncos QB Drew Lock

NFL Network’s Charley Casserly breaks down what Drew Lock needs to improve in 2020.

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In the above video, NFL Network’s Charley Casserly discusses what Broncos quarterback Drew Lock needs to improve for the 2020 season.

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Charley Casserly: ‘Cleveland Browns, you’re a playoff team’

Former NFL GM Charley Casserly declares, ‘Cleveland Browns, you’re a playoff team’

The refrain is one that Browns fans are eminently familiar with in reference to their beloved team.

“Throw the name out. Just write down the team on paper. They’re a playoff team.”

It’s back once again in 2020. This time around that exact quote comes from former NFL GM Charley Casserly. Now with the NFL Network, Casserly uttered the star-crossed praise in a segment this week.

After leading off with picking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be the team from the NFC that missed the playoffs in 2019 but make it in 2020, Casserly lauded the Browns as the AFC designee.

Citing the rebuilt offensive line and the offseason devotion to helping Baker Mayfield become the best quarterback he can be, Casserly again repeated the oft-cursed proclamation,

“Cleveland Browns, you’re a playoff team. You gotta step up and do it now.”

 

Charley Casserly’s latest mock draft has the Bucs filling the ‘bookend hole’ on the O-line

In his latest 2020 NFL mock draft, NFL.com’s Charley Casserly predicts the Buccaneers will select this OT to help protect Tom Brady.

Things might be at a standstill for much of the world right now as we all work to practice social distancing in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. But, one thing we can still rely on to offer us a little respite are mock drafts.

With April’s NFL draft moving ahead sans the festivities (at least for now), teams are going to have to put in a little extra work when creating their draft boards now that travel restrictions are preventing many from attending pro days or conducting in-person interviews with prospects.

Still, with such a deep draft, there’s enough to go around. The only question is, where will each player land?

For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the picture is becoming a little clearer after the signing of quarterback Tom Brady and the re-signing of both Shaq Barrett (franchise tag) and Jason Pierre-Paul (two-year deal). With the defense looking formidable once again, the Bucs can now turn their attention to protecting Brady and shoring up the O-line.

In his latest mock draft, NFL.com’s Charley Casserly has the Bucs going with an offensive tackle with the 14th pick in the form of Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs. “Protecting Tom Brady has to be a high priority. Wirfs fills the bookend hole opposite LT Donovan Smith,” Casserly says.

It really isn’t rocket science here. The Bucs needed O-line help even before Brady boarded the ship. Now that the team has a six-time Super Bowl champion leading their offense, keeping him upright is their most important task, especially when you consider Brady will be 43 years old next season.

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