Tag: Dan Snyder

Is it time for the Redskins to get new uniforms ahead of 2020 NFL season?

Washington has undergone incremental change this offseason, and it might help jersey sales if they were to switch up the uniforms as well.

The Washington Redskins are in the process of a complete culture shift under new head coach Ron Rivera this offseason, and they’ve seen an entirely new coaching staff put into place to help take their roster into the future with success as the No. 1 goal.

With team president Bruce Allen gone and longtime head trainer Larry Hess out the door, it’s a new day in Washington, where players can notice a breath of fresh air and a reemphasized vision on winning. So with the changing of the guard, is it time for a changing of the garb as well?

Should the Redskins consider an update to their uniforms for the 2020 season?

The Burgundy & Gold is a historic color combination that has been recognizable through history as one of the iconic set of team colors in the NFL. We are not suggesting that they throw that away, but maybe offer an updated design to their jersey kits. This offseason alone, teams like the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons have already announced that they will bring new jerseys into the new year, and over the past two years, the Tenessee Titans, New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars all made a switch as well. Could it be time for Washington to follow?

It may be just a jersey to some, but to others, especially young fans, it could offer a breath of fresh air and a reason to buy some new merchandise. If team owner Dan Snyder wishes to increase ticket and jersey sales, it would surely help in that department. The current jerseys worn in Washington have been around for decades, and while they may have once been associated with Super Bowl wins and championship parades, they’re known for anything but right now. Enough else has changed in the franchise this year to help bring in success in the future, maybe a facelift would help as well.

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This Redskins GM candidate makes almost too much sense under Ron Rivera

The Redskins are still searching for a new GM, and if Rivera gets to make the hire, it would make sense to look at his former colleague.

The Washington Redksins organizational staff has undergone a litany of changes since the start of the new year, and many of them are just a handful of days old, with the front office experiencing a major shakeup late last week.

After it was announced that Eric Schaffer — a longtime front office member for the Redskins — would be leaving, and Doug Williams, the VP of Player Personnel and former Super Bowl-winning QB in Washington, would be changing his role, it was clear that head coach Ron Rivera was taking his power to heart. When he was introduced as the man in Washington, team owner Dan Snyder said that it was Rivera’s voice that would be prevalent in the organization, and what he said would go. If that sentiment is to be believed, then we can use that knowledge to project who the next general manager will be for the Redskins.

Based on Rivera’s propensity to team up with old coworkers that he had in Carolina with the Panthers, it seems like the current GM in Carolina, Marty Hurney could be making the trip to Washington.

According to a recent piece from The Athletic, Rivera’s un-rivaled power in the Redskins’ organization could lead him to continue his sack of Carolina, in a sense.

At least one person close to Rivera reminded the new coach that putting the band back together might not be ideal, considering the Panthers missed the postseason in three of the last four seasons.

Then again, Rivera did not have the final say on various personnel matters at Carolina, including the annual draft. Now he does. If the two-time NFL coach of the year winner believes in his teammates, welcome aboard.

Maybe Panthers general manager Marty Hurney joins the masses taking the express train from Charlotte to Ashburn.

Of course, Hurney is currently under contract in Carolina until 2020, and there doesn’t seem to be too much turmoil in the Panthers’ camp between owner and GM. But still, Hurney was rumored to be linked to the Redskins job even before Rivera was hired, and if we are to follow recent trends in coaching hires under the former Carolina man, this would make a great deal of sense.

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Dan Snyder issues statement on Eric Shaffer situation

Dan Snyder put out a statement addressing a recent move.

The Washington Redskins and Senior VP of Football Operations Eric Schaffer agreed to part ways Thursday.

After the announcement, Redskins owner Dan Snyder issued a statement on the topic, per Lake Lewis Jr. of Sports Journey:

“I want to thank Eric Schaffer for his work and contributions over the past 17 years. He was dedicated to the team and the organization and we wish him all the best.”

The split was reportedly already set for May after the 2020 NFL Draft given the groundwork already put into the upcoming event.

That timeline has since been accelerated and Ron Rivera might’ve had some input there as he gets to work on the draft for his new team.

This move was one of a few different moves Monday that reshaped the Redskins front office on multiple fronts.

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Chris Thompson thinks that Trent Williams will come back to Redskins for 2020 season

Thompson thinks that the Redskins did enough changing so far this offseason to warrant a second chance from Trent Williams.

Let’s say that your romantic partner broke up with you, but you were determined to get them back. You got a haircut, refocused your attention on your job, cleaned your apartment and overall bettered yourself in the hopes of their return. Is that enough for them to reconsider a relationship with you?

That’s probably the question that the Washington Redskins are asking themselves now. After left tackle Trent Williams ‘broke up’ with them before the 2019 season, choosing to hold out due to a number of disagreements, Washington has chosen to better themselves. They fired their head coach, fired their team president, and fired their head athletic trainer. On top of that, they brought in a highly-respected new head coach and remade their medical staff with a couple of the top minds in that field.

So is that enough to spark the interest of Williams once again? Have the Redskins changed enough to get him to come back and give this thing one more shot? Running back Chris Thompson thinks so.

“From articles and stuff that I read, [Williams] had problems with two people [Allen and Hess],” Thompson said, via NBC Sports Washington. “Now, that’s out the way, I think he would come back now. He always said for him, Dan [Snyder] wasn’t an issue at all, it was more how he was treated medically and how he felt about Bruce and stuff. That’s out of the question now, out of the way now. I think there’s a big chance he’ll come back.”

It’s quite obvious that the Redskins are doing whatever they can to get Williams back in the building, as they completely cleaned house in the first week of the offseason. Of course, that wasn’t all done just to get the seven-time Pro-Bowler back in the building, but it definitely was part of the reason. Now, coming off of a 3-13 year with the postseason out of grasp yet again, the Redskins are looking towards a future that has a handful of dynamic playmakers on offense, and a stout defensive line that could be scary under the right coaching. One of their major areas of weakness is the left side of the offensive line, a position that Williams could turn into one of their strengths.

So did the Redskins do enough to get Williams agree to move back in?

“I wouldn’t see him holding out now,” Thompson said.

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Redskins officially name Ryan Vermillion head trainer; What does that mean for Trent Williams?

The Redskins have officially announced Vermillion as the head trainer, which could lead to speculation about Trent Williams’ return.

The Washington Redskins have officially announced the hiring of a new head trainer, dubbing Ryan Vermillion to replace Larry Hess, who was the longtime trainer for 17 seasons in Washington.

In a press release on Monday morning, the Redskins announced the hiring, with comments from team owner Dan Snyder, coach Ron Rivera, and team doctor James Andrews. All three had glowing reviews of Vermillion, who is “one of the most respected and seasoned head athletic trainers in the NFL,” according to Snyder.

What makes this move highly intriguing is what it means down the road in Washington. While the team could obviously benefit from a new voice in the training room, seeing as they’ve been one of the most injured teams in the league over the past decade, a fresh staff could also potentially convince some players to come back to the team. Yes, we’re talking about Trent Williams.

We all know the story with Williams at this point. After having a growth on his scalp misdiagnosed by the former medical staff in Washington, he later had a second opinion where it turned out to be cancerous. He had it removed, and subsequently vowed never to play for the Redskins again. After holding out for most of the 2019 season, team president Bruce Allen was fired, along with Hess, who shared the bulk of Williams’ animosity. So does the new leadership in Washington change anything for the seven-time Pro Bowler?

According to The Athletic, it just might. The publication reported last week that a source close to Williams told them that the firings in Washington had prompted him to at least think about returning to the team. According to the source, “there is reason to feel like there might be a chance he comes around.”

What is even more significant than a potential remarriage with Williams is the future outlook that the team now has. Many may think that Allen was the real puppet master in Washington, responsible for the decade of turmoil, and that is true. However, it was not without help from Hess, who was right there pulling some of the strings as well. A ‘new regime’ and ‘fresh culture’ wouldn’t have been possible under Rivera unless Hess was gone.

Now, the Redskins have one of the most respected coaches in the NFL, and their trainer has a strong reputation in the league, as well as an NFL Trainer of the Year award in 2016.

It’s more than Washington could have said three weeks ago.

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Report: Washington almost hired former Texans general manager Rick Smith

Washington almost hired former Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith to be their GM.

Former Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith almost returned to an NFL front office.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Washington came close to hiring the former Texans front office boss with owner Dan Snyder and Smith having frequent meetings in the Bahamas.

Before they hired Ron Rivera as their new head coach this past week, the Washington Redskins came close to hiring former Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith as their president to run the team, league sources told ESPN.

Smith and Redskins owner Daniel Snyder had multiple meetings in the Bahamas, formulating a vision for the struggling franchise, according to sources.

Sources familiar with the situation expected a deal to get done and Smith to be in charge of the Redskins.

But Snyder ultimately opted to run his franchise through his head coach instead of a president, bestowing the power to Rivera, who was officially hired Wednesday.

What Smith’s frequent meetings with Snyder indicate is that the former Texans general manager is ready to get back into the front office of an NFL team.

The second general manager in Texans history has not been involved in football since his wife, Tiffany, died of cancer in late January of 2019.

Smith’s successor, Brian Gaine, was fired on June 7. Since then, executive vice president of football administration Chris Olsen has been the interim general manager, but the Texans actually have a five-man general managing council with coach Bill O’Brien making significant decisions regarding personnel.

The Cleveland Browns currently have a vacancy at general manager after firing John Dorsey. Interestingly, the Browns were the team Smith made a trade with to move up to take quarterback Deshaun Watson in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. Smith may not have overseen greatness while with Houston, but he may have made one of the draft day trades that does give the Texans a shot at greatness.

Report: Redskins almost hired former Texans GM Rick Smith

The Redskins were close to a deal with Smith, the former Texans GM, before Snyder decided to take a coach-centric approach in Washington.

Before Dan Snyder chose to implement a coach-centered philosophy into the Washington Redskins, he reportedly was close to hiring Rick Smith, the former general manager for the Houston Texans.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Redskins were eyeing Smith as a GM hire before they inked the paper with new head coach Ron Rivera.

Smith and Redskins owner Daniel Snyder had multiple meetings in the Bahamas, formulating a vision for the struggling franchise, according to sources.

Sources familiar with the situation expected a deal to get done and Smith to be in charge of the Redskins.

The fact that Snyder met with Smith in the Bahamas shows truly how long team president Bruce Allen’s job was in jeopardy before he finally got the word that he was fired. Schefter goes on to detail that Snyder chose to go with a coach-centric plan in Washington, which ended a deal that many thought was likely to get done.

Now it’s being reported that the Redskins will wait until after the NFL Draft and free agency period to hire a new general manager and remake their front office. We’ll see what happens between now and then.

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Redskins to wait until after NFL Draft to hire general manager

The Redskins are planning to carry out their pre-draft and pre-free agency strategies, and then make changes to the front office afterwards.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Washington Redskins are waiting to hire a new general manager until after the NFL Draft.

The reason for this is that the team is reportedly aiming to keep the front office intact for now in order to continue the predraft and pre-free agency process that has been taking place for the last several months within the organization. Many scouts and cap analysts have been working on a plan for the team, and it wouldn’t make sense for the team to start from square one so soon before both of those periods start.

However, once the draft and free agency is over, there will reportedly be more changes in the building.

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Redskins experienced larger increase in attendance than any NFL team in 2019

The Redskins finished 2019 with a 3-13 record, but they saw a large bump in attendance numbers. We think we know why.

A new report on NFL attendance is sure to cause some confusion for many people, especially when it comes to the Washington Redskins.

According to the Sports Business Daily, the NFL has seen a drop in attendance this past season so drastic that it’s hit its lowest point since 2004. The report details an increase in the television audience, and a significant decrease in ticket sales.

However, the report does point out that two NFL franchises saw a big leap in ticket sales, both jumping up over five percent from the prior year. Can you guess who those two teams are?

  1. Buffalo Bills — Up 6.0 percent
  2. Washington Redskins — Up 7.3 percent

The Bills are easily explainable, based on their significant boost in production. But the Redskins? How in the world did they see an increase in ticket sales? The fans were literally so fed up with the team this year that it culminated in the firing of team president Bruce Allen, and the hiring of a new head coach.

We think we have an explanation. Remember, this report doesn’t differentiate between which team said fan is rooting for, just the overall number of tickets sold. Remember all those games where Eagles fans, or Patriots fans, or Giants fans vastly outnumbered Redskins fans in FedEx Field? That explains it, right?

The Redskins fans were so eager to do anything but attend games in Landover, MD this season that they were willing to basically give their tickets away for free on the secondary market. It was not uncommon for opposing fanbases to be able to find tickets to games for less than $15 and at a solid vantage point at that.

While the raw numbers paint an increase in revenue for the Redskins, fans of the team know that it’s anything but.

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Dan Snyder preaches need for ‘one voice’ in Washington, and it’s not his own

Snyder, who’s long had his say in football decisions, is now saying that there needs to be one voice for the Redskins, and it’s not his own.

The down-trodden history of the Washington Redskins head coaching job was no secret to Ron Rivera when he was considering the position. He was aware that of the last six full-time coaches that were hired under team owner Dan Snyder, all six of them left the position with a losing record.

That didn’t stop him from taking the job though, and it could be because one of those coaches, longtime Washington favorite Joe Gibbs, encouraged him to take the job.

According to ESPN’s John Keim, Gibbs was one of the first people to tell Snyder to try and hire Rivera after the season came to a close, which is subtly ironic seeing as it was Washington’s late-November victory over the Carolina Panthers that ended Rivera’s tenure in Charlotte. Rivera reportedly met with Gibbs soon after being contacted by Snyder, and the Super Bowl-winning coach was said to be a “tremendous influence” on the hire.

Six days after he was fired, Rivera spoke with Snyder for 40 minutes on the phone, and then the next day for 20 more minutes. They met in person shortly thereafter. After that meeting, Rivera met with Gibbs. Bauer said the Hall of Fame coach gave Rivera this message: Snyder is passionate and will do what you ask, but you must be upfront with him and keep him in the loop.

This resulted in a rather encouraging message that Snyder stated during his opening remarks of Rivera’s introductory press conference on Thursday. After wishing the crowd a Happy Thanksgiving, oddly, Snyder stated that in order for the Redskins to move forward and be successful, they’re “going to have one voice and one voice alone and that’s the coach’s.”

It has not been that way in the past, obviously. Snyder, who is not a “football-guy” but owns the team, has had his say in many personnel decisions, and he is reportedly the reason why the team drafted rookie QB Dwayne Haskins in the first round the 2019 NFL Draft. Going forward, however, it appears that Snyder is willing to take a step back and let Rivera run the show.

We’re going to choose to believe it when we see it.

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