Tag: Kyle Smith

Report: 4 candidates emerge for Washington’s GM position, to be hired this offseason

Washington is expected to hire a General Manager this offseason, and a few names have risen to the top as far as candidates go.

With all of the different storylines swirling around in Washington, one of the more impactful things of note is who the team will end up hiring to fill the vacant General Manager position in the front office, working alongside head coach Ron Rivera.

For much of the past year, the fan-favorite has been Vice President of Player Personnel, Kyle Smith, who has had his thumbprint on the past handful of NFL Drafts with the team and has done a great job evaluating talent and helping to build a young and budding roster. However, over recent weeks there has been a feeling that Rivera would choose ‘a more experienced’ voice, which leads us to believe that Smith won’t get the title change, and could eventually head for greener grass.

So with Smith still a fringe candidate, there are reportedly a few other names that have come up as well, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport: former Texans GM Rick Smith, 49ers VP of player personnel Martin Mayhew, and former Panthers GM Marty Hurney.

Hurney is likely the leader in the clubhouse, considering his longstanding relationship with Rivera from their days together with the Carolina Panthers, but it’s smart to keep an eye on any of those names hoping forward.

[listicle id=45419]

Washington’s next potential GM just became available, but Kyle Smith still makes too much sense

Former Carolina Panthers GM Marty Hurney became available for Washington to poach on Monday, but there are reasons to still want to go with Kyle Smith instead.

Early on Monday morning, the Carolina Panthers made the expected move of firing general manager Marty Hurney, who has been with the team for a total of 13 years in two stints over the past two decades. With a new coach now in Carolina and goals for a new stint of success, it became clear that they needed some new blood at the top following three consecutive losing seasons.

So what does this matter for Washington fans? Well, Washington has a vacancy at the GM position, and Hurney is a guy who’s named may people have floated to take that position, with him having worked closely with Ron Rivera for several years.

Good news, right? Well, that depends on your outlook on the situation, and what you think of the potential promotion of Kyle Smith, who is the VP of Player Personnel in Washington. Smith has been outstanding over the past few years building a young and talented roster through the draft, and a lot of people are penciling him in as the de facto GM. The Athletic’s Mark Bullock noted on Monday morning that Smith might still make more sense than Hurley, based on what he’s built so far in Washington.

There is also a fear in Washington that if you make somebody other than Smith the GM, he will go elsewhere in the NFL and build a Super Bowl-caliber roster, which we’ve seen before when it comes to coaches like Sean McVay or Kyle Shanahan.

Rivera briefly touched on the firing of Hurney in his media session on Monday but said for the most part that he won’t talk about the GM position until after the season. In the end, it really is his decision to make, and we’ll see what he wants to do. We know that he has an affinity for Hurney, and I’d say that the former Panthers’ guy is the odds-on favorite to be the next GM in Washington, but if you’re a fan of the team, you might think twice about passing on Smith. Losing him could have huge ramifications.

[listicle id=45315]

 

About that GM position in Washington? A few candidates are rising to the top

Washington’s recent success has brought some attention to the vacant General Manager position, and several candidate names are starting to rise.

Lost in all of the excitement and noise coming from the football field in Washington is the fact that this team is still operating without a general manager, which has been the case since Ron Rivera was hired and Bruce Allen was shown the door. This isn’t a shock, or a problem, with Rivera assuming the defacto GM role that was heavily emphasized in his ‘coach-centric’ approach that was sold during his hiring by team owner Dan Snyder. But as the team keeps winning, it may be time to start looking at that top vacancy and wonder what might happen.

[lawrence-related id=45060]

The first name that comes to mind is obviously Kyle Smith, the Vice President of Player Personnel — a man whose fingerprints are all over this team and the young talent that is currently buoying them into playoff position. Smith is in charge of the scouting department, and he has been the lead man when it comes to the NFL Draft over the past couple of years, all of which have been deemed major successes. This past year working alongside Rivera, the two are said to have gotten along well, and many believe that they almost split the GM role at the time being, with Rivera having final say. So it makes sense for Washington to simply elevate Smith to the top spot and change his job title, no?

That’s a question that The Athletic‘s Ben Standig asked last week, and his conclusion was that it isn’t quite that simple.

There’s plenty of work remaining and holes to fill this offseason, but barring a collapse over the final four games, Washington looks like its ticking up. That success might make Rivera want to keep the current structure – collaborative, but with him making the final decision.

There’s no logic in thinking that chain of command changes. Therefore, what differentiates the GM title from Smith’s current duties?

A GM with authority would likely get to hire his own staff. Maybe, but after Washington fired two members of the pro personnel department this summer, the replacements included pro scouting director Eric Stokes, who worked with Rivera in Carolina. The steady flow of ex-Panthers to Washington is why keeping tabs on Carolina GM Marty Hurney’s future is warranted.

Again, this isn’t about in-fighting. Smith and Stokes work well together to offer in-season personnel options for Rivera when asked. But it’s fair to ask if this is the best place for Smith to continue to grow and develop.

So if Smith isn’t ultimately the ‘guy’ in Washington, and they choose to bring someone else in to be the GM, who might they look at? MMQB’s Albert Breer had a few names in mind on Monday morning.

There’s always a worry that should Washington continue to trend upwards for the next few years, and Smith isn’t given the GM job, he will likely be poached by another organization to run their football operations. If that happens, so be it. That’s how the business is run, and we’ve seen it happen time and again with coaches in Washington. That’s a risk that this front office has to be willing to take, assuming that they don’t feel 100 percent confident giving Smith the top title this early on. He still has a future in Washington, and what he brings to the table is beyond valuable for many people, but whether or not he gets the increased pay and job title of General Manager is still unclear at the moment.

[listicle id=45054]

NFL Scout says Redskins reached and drafted Antonio Gibson too early

Many fans in Washington were happy about the Antonio Gibson selection, but an anonymous NFL Scout says it was “too rich.”

While the Washington Redskins’ fanbase was elated by the selection of Chase Young with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, many were also extremely excited to add RB Antonio Gibson in the third round at No. 66. As a young and versatile back who can play both RB and WR, a comparison to Carolina’s Christian McCaffery has been prolific in these past few weeks.

One anonymous NFL Scout, though, wasn’t a huge fan of the pick. When talking to The Athletic‘s Ben Standig, he admits that his team had a later grade on him, and he was a bit surprised with the Day 2 selection.

I was not impressed with him as a wide receiver. He played tailback mostly late in the year. I know he ran below a 4.4 40-time at the combine (4.39), but I didn’t ever think that speed showed up on tape. For us, we were talking about him in the back-half of the fourth. For me, it was very rich in the third round for what we viewed as a franchise. He’ll be a tailback. That’s going to be obviously where his future is. And if he’s a second or third tailback, change-of-pace guy that can return kicks for you, he’s going to have some value there. He’ll be a coverage player on special teams unit, but I don’t ever see him being a No. 1 tailback and maybe a player with no position. Hopefully, Derrius (Guice) can be healthy because (Gibson) would be a good complement to him, but the third round was pretty rich for me.

The pick may have been surprising to a lot of fans when it was announced as well, due to the Redskins need for a TE, CB or WR. However, as the draft went on, it became clear that Ron Rivera and Kyle Smith had a plan to draft who they thought was the best player on the board at the time, and think about need later down the road. If you have trust in those two guys, then you can find a lot of trust and confidence in this selection of Gibson. Not everyone may like it, but what matters is that the people who made the call to grab him in the third round are happy that they did so.

[vertical-gallery id=35486]

Mel Kiper gives Redskins C+ grade for 2020 NFL Draft

Washington should feel confident that the talent they got in the first half of the draft is solid, but the last four picks raise questions.

The 2020 NFL Draft was one of highs and lows for the Washington Redskins. At the peak of excitement, the team drafted future stars like DE Chase Young and potential difference-makers like RB Antonio Gibson and WR Antonio Gandy-Golden. However, some of the lulls of the draft came in the later rounds for the Redskins, when they made some questionable selections like C Keith Ismael in the fifth round, or S Kamren Curl and DE James Smith Williams in the seventh round.

How you feel about the draft as a whole likely depends on your trust level in both Ron Rivera and Kyle Smith, the two masterminds behind the selections. While they didn’t allow themselves to be handicapped by roster needs, and rather let themselves pick who they thought was the best available player on the board, there are still some questions that have arisen afterward.

In our post-draft recap, we gave the Redskins a B+ overall for the 2020 draft, noting that the first four picks, (Chase Young, Antonio Gibson, Antonio Gandy-Golden, and Saahdiq Charles) were so solid that they could make any draft class look good. If you were to look at ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s grade of the Redskins class, some of the negatives are more apparent.

The Redskins got an interesting running back/wide receiver prospect with Antonio Gibson (66), who caught 44 passes and also averaged 11.2 yards per carry on 33 rushes last season. A smart playcaller will get him 10 touches a game. Antonio Gandy-Golden (142) is a 6-foot-4 raw wideout with a a massive 77-inch wingspan. He attacks the ball in the air, though he’ll need some time to develop. Saahdiq Charles (108) looks like a starting-caliber NFL offensive tackle, but the tape didn’t match his talent.

Young was a bit of a gimme pick at No. 2, and without a second-rounder I’ll stick with a C+ for Washington.

Kiper seems to almost knock the Redskins for drafting Chase Young with the second pick, saying several times that he “fell into their laps” at No. 2, though he also noted that he was “one of the most NFL-ready pass-rushers to come out of college in the last decade.”

Regardless, a C+ grade seems to be a bit low for the Redskins’ haul this year, but his reasoning isn’t far off. It wasn’t a perfect draft in every round, but it was good enough at the top to make a difference going forward. We are still excited to see what’s to come from Washington’s newest players.

[vertical-gallery id=34166]

It’s time to name Kyle Smith as GM of the Washington Redskins

With yet another successful NFL Draft under his belt, Kyle Smith is incredibly deserving of the GM title in Washington.

The Washington Redskins don’t technically have a General Manager at the moment, but…they do…ya know?

Even though the title of GM remains vacant in Washington, Kyle Smith — the current VP of Player Personnel — proved this past weekend that he is fully deserving of the GM spot for the Redskins. By successfully navigating another draft, one that was made much more difficult due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Redskins should now feel comfortable that they are in good hands with Smith at the helm.

It wasn’t just the way that Smith helped oversee the Redskins draft — one in which they added a number of dynamic and versatile players that have a legitimate chance to grab some playing time this Fall — but also the ease of which he worked with head coach Ron Rivera through their first draft together, remaining in-step through everything moment of the process.

The Redskins proved this weekend that it isn’t a complete necessity to have someone occupy the GM role as long as you know who is calling the shots. However, if you plan on giving the title of General Manager to anyone, it has to be Kyle Smith. He’s passed every test thrown at him with flying colors and earned the top spot alongside Rivera.

[vertical-gallery id=34166]

Top quotes from Ron Rivera and Kyle Smith post-draft press conference

Both Ron Rivera and Kyle Smith hopped on a video call with local media members after the draft to chat about the Redskins’ biggest takeaways.

Just minutes after completing their first major event as coworkers, Washington Redskins coach Ron Rivera, and Kyle Smith, the VP of Player Personnel, hopped on a video call with local reporters in Washington to discuss how the 2020 NFL Draft went, in their eyes.

While the conversation obviously touched on the trade that sent former Redskins LT Trent Williams to the San Francisco 49ers, both Rivera and Smith were quick to get back to the topic they are most proud of, — the 2020 draft class, and the players that they were able to take away from it.

Here are some of the best quotes from the conference.

COVID-19 is going to alter the NFL Draft, but Kyle Smith and the Redskins can handle it

The NFL Draft is going to be anything but normal this year, but the Redskins have a solid guy in Kyle Smith who can keep the ship steady.

A lot has changed in the sporting world, and our world at large, over the past month, as much of the globe has come to a screeching halt due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

While it took an NBA player testing positive for COVID-19 to knock the first domino of cancelations in America, the rest of the sporting world quickly followed suit. All but the NFL — they’re in a position where, in their offseason, things can for the large part stay on schedule, with a few minor tweaks here and there.

We’ve seen free agency feel the effect, as teams are being forced to strike deals with players without the benefit of a physical being given. This hasn’t shut down the process at all together, but there are maybe a couple of deals that were delayed or are still up in the air because of health questions.

Next on the schedule is the NFL Draft, which is set to start on April 23rd. There were many questions about whether or not NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, would postpone the event, or alter the structure. He said on Thursday that the league has no such plans. 

So the date won’t change, but some things will be changed, and teams will have to adjust their strategies. Reports surfaced that the NFL was considering holding the draft in a studio-type setting, with cameras at each team’s headquarters, and teams have been given a limit as to how many personal visits they can have with players ahead of draft day. This means no Pro Days, no team doctor physicals, and minimal interviews. In essence, 32 teams are being asked to draft with one arm tied behind their back.

For the Washington Redskins, there might be some confidence that they can perform better than other teams despite this handicap.

“If you have good area scouts, they’re going to know the history of these players,” former NFL GM Charley Casserly said, via NBC Sports Washington. “They’ll know that guys that haven’t had any injuries, the guys that didn’t go to the Combine, and those who should be healthy. You might make some mistakes. But you won’t make as many as you think if you got good area scouts.”

It seems simple, but it’s worth repeating: if you have a solid scouting department, you’ll likely be able to adjust on the fly and evaluate the best talent, finding a way to get them onto your roster. Luckily for the Redskins, they have a great scouting department, headed up by Kyle Smith, the VP of Player Personnel. Washington’s draft success over the last 3-4 years have been noted, and they’re coming off a season where they had the most productive rookie-class in the NFL, finding steals like Terry McLaurin in the third round, and Cole Holcomb in the fifth round. Just two weeks ago, an NFL scout declared that the Redskins have one of the top 5-10 scouting departments in the league.

By no means will this be a “normal” draft, as war rooms will be gutted, and decision-makers will be forced to teleconference with one another when the clock is ticking, and the pressure is on. Trades with other teams will also take a hit as well, with so many balls in the air that one more offer could easily cause a team’s operation to tumble.

But nonetheless, it’s easy to trust in the Redskins core group here — a sentence I can’t believe I just wrote. Ron Rivera is steady as a rock, and Smith is as capable as they come. Some teams might flounder, making a risky pick or letting a player fall, but we feel confident that Washington can navigate this new challenge.

[vertical-gallery id=32660]

Redskins stay patient in free agency, looking for ‘tough and hungry’ players

Washington hasn’t made a major signing in free agency, but it’s all part of the plan to find hungry guys who’ll work above their contract.

If you were to look at the numerous players that the Washington Redskins have reached an agreement with in free agency so far this week, you can start to notice a trend.

  • CB Kendall Fuller
  • G Wes Schweitzer
  • DE Thomas Davis
  • LB Kevin Pierre-Lous
  • LB Jon Bostic
  • RB J.D. McKissic
  • TE Logan Thomas
  • FS Sean Davis
  • LB Nate Orchard

Not a single one of them will make the news scroll at the bottom of SportsCenter, but that doesn’t mean that they should be overlooked. While they may not break the bank or stir up a ton of excitement in the fanbase, they are all hungry, and they undoubtedly have Ron Rivera and Kyle Smith’s confidence behind them.

This is a trend that has been underway for a few months in Washington, ever since Rivera took over as the top dog. Early in his tenure, he made a point to target these types of players, according to Redskins.com.

Rivera already laid out the type of players he wants on his new roster during his introductory press conference in January. He said he wants players who are “tough, hungry, who will do whatever it takes to win.” Those players must be willing to play that way into the postseason and hopefully into the Super Bowl.

“It’s going to be made of good, quality young football players and solid veteran leadership to help us take this football team to the next level,” Rivera said of the roster.

This is not to say that the Redskins aren’t willing to make a major move for the right player. There are reports out that Washington offered a huge sum of money to Dallas Cowboys WR Amari Cooper, though he turned it down to stay put. There are still some big-time players on the market that the Redskins could take a look at, like Emmanuel Sanders, Robby Anderson, and Breshaud Breeland. A big signing is still out there, but it’s important to be patient.

We are no longer in the days where it must be assumed that the Redskins front office is scrambling with no idea what they’re doing. Ron Rivera and Kyle Smith have this under control, and they know what they’re doing. It’s all part of the plan.

[vertical-gallery id=31689]

NFL scout says Redskins have ‘Top 5-10’ scouting staff in the league

The Redskins have had major success in the NFL draft lately, and one NFL scout thinks it will only get better with Rivera in the building.

As the coming weeks roll on, we will start to get a better feel for what the Washington Redskins’ plans are when it comes to attacking the free agency market and the NFL Draft.

As of now, we know that they have approximately $60 million to spend, seven draft picks, and a list of needs to fill, including tight end, left tackle, cornerback, wide receiver, linebacker, and backup-quarterback. Beyond that, who knows what’s going to happen?

While we may be unsure, one longtime NFL scout feels confident that the Redskins are well-equipped to do the right thing going forward and better their team, according to The Athletic.

“The continuity they’ve had in their scouting staff is phenomenal. That’s a good group of guys,” the scout said, who sees Rivera only enhancing the situation.

“Rivera is going to do his homework on the players. He’s going to be a big influence. He’s going to be happy about that staff. You have a strong group of people picking players. I would say top 5-10 for sure if you were to rate a scouting staff as far as experience and success.”

Add to the mix the promotion of Kyle Smith from the college side to VP of Player Personnel.

Scout: “I’ve never heard anything bad said about Kyle. In my business, when you don’t hear anything bad said about a guy, that’s rare.”

So, will the Redskins have yet another successful free agency period and NFL Draft? We can’t say for certain, but the feeling around the league is that they’re in good hands going forward.

[vertical-gallery id=31689]