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Gruden said today he'd meet with Bruce Allen mid-week, then with Snyder himself next weekend. How eye-opening would it be to sit in on those meetings? I have so many questions...
1. Do Allen and Snyder respect Gruden's wishes or is this going to be nothing more than direction from above?
2. Does Gruden really want Jim Haslett back, or will he tell Allen and Snyder 'I can't win without a real DC at my side'
3. Is Gruden going to campaign to move on from RG3? And if so, how will that be received?
4. Is the message to Gruden 'you've got plenty of time and we're here to support you and build this thing from the ground up' or is it implied threats, pressure, criticism, and second-guessing?
5. Who are the 'great team guys' Gruden wants to stay, and who are the guys he wants to ditch?
I can't answer #1. Allen and Snyder have said the right things the past couple of years, but who knows what the real dynamics are when it comes to decision-making, particularly when dealing with a 1 year first time head coach who has almost no 'juice'?
On question #2, I can't imagine, past friendship and loyalties or not, that Gruden wants to hitch his head coaching success to Jim Haslett's star. The 'worst defensive half of football' you ever saw Gruden, that was vintage Haslett. I think Gruden is a smart guy and has already figured out Haslett has to go. He just doesn't want to be in the room when the axe falls.
I'm uncertain on #3 as well. Gruden's words don't match his demeanor when discussing Griffin. And even the words aren't that complimentary. His comments today that no one has earned the job don't bode well for Griffin - even if they are undeniably accurate. My sense is Gruden doesn't believe in Griffin at the core of it all. But if not Griffin, then who? And therein lies the dilemma. The biggest question on the table is whether sticking with Griffin, or jettisoning him, is even Gruden's call?
#4 - I'm betting there's plenty of implied pressure and threat already going on in the background. If Mike effing Shanahan can't survive a 3 win season, Gruden knows already that another season like this one will have his head on a stake outside Redskins Park. Gruden is not Jim Zorn or Steve Spurrier though - and that's good news. He's got some backbone and an aggressive personality. I suspect under pressure, his instinct will be to politely tell his superiors to worry about contracts and marketing and let him handle the football stuff, rather than wilt under the pressure.
#5 is just a wild guess. But if you held a gun to my head, I think the guys most likely to have worn out their head coach's good will include Griffin, Garcon, Paul, Biggers, Hankerson, Lauvao, Moss, Paulsen, Polumbus, Roberts, Thomas, maybe even Amerson...
So, what do think the conversations will be focused on and what will be the tone?
1. Do Allen and Snyder respect Gruden's wishes or is this going to be nothing more than direction from above?
2. Does Gruden really want Jim Haslett back, or will he tell Allen and Snyder 'I can't win without a real DC at my side'
3. Is Gruden going to campaign to move on from RG3? And if so, how will that be received?
4. Is the message to Gruden 'you've got plenty of time and we're here to support you and build this thing from the ground up' or is it implied threats, pressure, criticism, and second-guessing?
5. Who are the 'great team guys' Gruden wants to stay, and who are the guys he wants to ditch?
I can't answer #1. Allen and Snyder have said the right things the past couple of years, but who knows what the real dynamics are when it comes to decision-making, particularly when dealing with a 1 year first time head coach who has almost no 'juice'?
On question #2, I can't imagine, past friendship and loyalties or not, that Gruden wants to hitch his head coaching success to Jim Haslett's star. The 'worst defensive half of football' you ever saw Gruden, that was vintage Haslett. I think Gruden is a smart guy and has already figured out Haslett has to go. He just doesn't want to be in the room when the axe falls.
I'm uncertain on #3 as well. Gruden's words don't match his demeanor when discussing Griffin. And even the words aren't that complimentary. His comments today that no one has earned the job don't bode well for Griffin - even if they are undeniably accurate. My sense is Gruden doesn't believe in Griffin at the core of it all. But if not Griffin, then who? And therein lies the dilemma. The biggest question on the table is whether sticking with Griffin, or jettisoning him, is even Gruden's call?
#4 - I'm betting there's plenty of implied pressure and threat already going on in the background. If Mike effing Shanahan can't survive a 3 win season, Gruden knows already that another season like this one will have his head on a stake outside Redskins Park. Gruden is not Jim Zorn or Steve Spurrier though - and that's good news. He's got some backbone and an aggressive personality. I suspect under pressure, his instinct will be to politely tell his superiors to worry about contracts and marketing and let him handle the football stuff, rather than wilt under the pressure.
#5 is just a wild guess. But if you held a gun to my head, I think the guys most likely to have worn out their head coach's good will include Griffin, Garcon, Paul, Biggers, Hankerson, Lauvao, Moss, Paulsen, Polumbus, Roberts, Thomas, maybe even Amerson...
So, what do think the conversations will be focused on and what will be the tone?