AUDIO: Cerrato on Sherman Lewis Hire...

[Boone]

Listen to Larry Michael interview Vinny Cerrato regarding today's announcement that former Mike Holmgren assistant Sherman Lewis had been hired as an offensive consultant.

[media]http://www.bgobsession.com/audio/cerrato.mp3[/media]

First of all, this clearly isn't a vote of confidence for Jim Zorn's capability to turn this ship around on his own merits, and certainly reeks of desperation.

Two odd things here, the assertion that Dan Snyder was informed about this after Cerrato and Zorn discussed it (you must really think we're stupid Vinny?), and the fact that Larry Michael asked what (for him anyway) could be described as fairly tough questions.

It just keeps getting interestinger and interestinger...

 

[Elephant]

One thing that can be difficult to read on an online message board is straight up . But when you here it it is a totally different story. That the biggest load of **** I have ever heard, well that and Clinton telling us he did not have sex with Monica.

All the clamoring for Vinny's head will go unheard in the off-season. This is just proof in the pudding that Snyder will keep him!

 

[Boone]

I will say, from a pure football standpoint, it can't hurt anything. I just wish they'd be a little more forthcoming and respect the fan's intelligence just a little. Essentially, this is the owner's acknowledgement that Zorn needs major help - now.

The big fat smelly pink elephant in the room (no offense to present Elephants ) is why you bring in an utter newb coach with no experience either designing an offense or running one and don't plan for him needing lots and lots of help?

This move (setting aside whether this is really a move to help Zorn, or pave the way for Holmgren) isn't dumb - it's just a year late.

 

[DieselPwr44]

Zorn is Old Yeller.

He's locked up in the smokehouse, stricken with hydrophobia.

Question is....who's gonna shoot him and when?

 

[The Burgundy Ghost]

You look can look at it one of two ways:

1. The Redskins are still struggling and to help an inexperienced HC/OC they went pretty close to the source by bringing in a guy who knows every element of a WCO and may be able to find some things to help run it better. Thus ownership is trying its best and using its resources to better a team. (of course it was ownership that put the team/franchise in the first place with a piecemeal team, a inexperienced coach who couldn't bring in most of his own staff and had to work with a run scheme that I'd argue is not what he wants to run).

2. By bringing in Lewis, it's a complete and other sign of no confidence in the coach and a bridging of the Zorn WCO to the eventual reign of Mike Holmgren. Of course, the players will realize that they're playing for a lame duck coach and call it a season as they start to look for a new place to play.

I'm leaning towards the 2nd scenario.
I don't believe a word that Vinny says anymore when it comes to coaching moves or player moves. It's one thing to be aloof or not want to reveal a scheme or something for a opposing team to take advantage, but Vinny just gives answers that allows him to avoid some media and fan scrutiny.

If it gets as ugly as some have suggested.....I'd highly expect Vinny's inside the Red Zone show to either be postponed, or he won't take phone calls.

 

[Boone]

Everybody!!!

Sing Along!!!


[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBc2fzLOWPI[/media]

 

[The Burgundy Ghost]

Ol' Zorn.....

Best doggone coach in the (NFC) West!!!!

 

[Boone]

By the way - note I went with the upbeat and optimistic Ol' Yeller clip. Not the doom and gloom 'gotta shoot rabid Ol' Yeller' version.

Who says I'm not glass half-full!

 

[Bulldog]

let's speak plainly here - the Redskins finally have an offensive coordinator

Lewis has legitimate NFL experience as a playcaller.

Sherman Smith does not. This is his first year 'assisting' Zorn in putting a gameplan together and calling 'some' plays.

This is the kind of hire that needed to happen 12 months ago.

The fact Zorn promoted old cronies from his Seattle days (Smith and Mitchell) instead of hiring qualified and experienced coaches is a sign of his own immaturity in the role.

 

[Boone]

Btw - for the record, I don't think this move has anything to do with Holmgren's future.

I think Zorn will be lucky to last out the year, and that Shanahan already has a winkandanod agreement to be the next head coach of the Washington Redskins.

Just my gut feeling.

 

[Bulldog]

Boone, correct as usual

As Daly indicated in the WT, Snyder is going to play the 'good owner' by allowing Zorn to hang himself by his own petard during the season to convince Shanahan that he won't meddle the way he did several years ago before Joe Gibbs came back.

At the same time the Redskins #1 pick in 2010 is going to become more and more valuable in a year in which there are several potential franchise quarterbacks out there that can erase memories of Brunell and Campbell.

 

[Sarge]

Is this the same Vinny that SWORE up and down he wasn't talking to anyone in Miami about Jason Taylor? Didn't he say that right before the trade?

I'm sorry Vinny, but you're full of ****

 

[PennSkinsfan]

Were you really startled by the hiring of Sherman Lewis as 'offensive consultant'? I know I wasn't. In 1999, the Daniel Snyder did the same thing, bringing in Bill Arnsparger to be 'offensive consultant'. It is usually a sign of complete lack of confidence in your head coach and a preview of a coaching change.

http://dcprosportsreport.com/2009/10/does-sherman-lewis-hiring-signal-zorns-ouster-signal-holmgren-in-dc.html

 

[China]

As Daly indicated in the WT, Snyder is going to play the 'good owner' by allowing Zorn to hang himself by his own petard during the season to convince Shanahan that he won't meddle the way he did several years ago before Joe Gibbs came back.

So adding Lewis isn't meddling, the same as when they brought Arnsparger in?

If I were Shanny, I'd be very leery.

 

[Aston Gambino]

First off, thanks for the clip, Boone! Very interesting stuff indeed.

Three things about that clip that strike me as odd:

1. Dan Synder had no idea who Sherman Lewis was.
2. That Zorn would continue to call plays, and not Sherman Lewis.
3. Vinny's incredibly awkward response to Larry's 'why now' question

Well, I .. I think, I think it's a good time now .. to ... bring in, this, new fresh set of eyes to, kind of ... look. Because we have struggled, ya know, in the past few weeks, and what we'd like to do is play every game like we played the 3rd quarter against Tampa Bay. So, just to get the consistency and, ya know, maybe he sees something that, uh ... ya know, we're not doing yet, or ... he can add, because if you bring in somebody totally from the outside, ya know .. ya know we're so involved in it day to day and everything and maybe a guy from the outside ... fresh can see something that maybe we haven't been doing yet, or ... or ... ya know. Just a new set of eyes to help.

Normally, too many cooks in the kitchen is a bad thing, but I guess when Vinny's buying the groceries, we can use all the help we can get!

 

[The Burgundy Ghost]

Btw - for the record, I don't think this move has anything to do with Holmgren's future.

I think Zorn will be lucky to last out the year, and that Shanahan already has a winkandanod agreement to be the next head coach of the Washington Redskins.

Just my gut feeling.

If that the case I hope that agreement includes Cerrato being fired and somebody hiring a real GM.....not likely though.

 

[Elephant]

I was listening to the radio on my drive home from work tonight. I heard someone on WTOP suggest that Snyder and Cerrato were the ones who brought in Lewis and that Zorn was not necessarily too pleased with the new addition. I am not sure who the reporter was, but he stated emphatically that he believed Zorn is seeing the writing on the wall, that this is an indicator of the demise of our inexperienced coach.

If this is true, that would contradict Vinny's statement that he and Zorn brought the idea to Snyder. This is exactly why the organization is failing!!!

I am so utterly fed up with this BS!!!! I was so excited to move back to the DC area after 12 years away to watch Skins games live more than once a year and now I don't want to spend a dime to line Snyder's greedy pockets! I am not sure who is worse, Snyder or Angelos!

 

[Bulldog]

let's cut through the 'who said what to whom when'..................

the simple fact is Zorn is in way over his head and his offense is even worse now than it was in the last 8 games of the season last year when the record was 2-6.

That's 12 games this team has failed to show up on offense and acquit themselves at a level where a winner can be sustained.

I am sick and tired of seeing players circle the wagons and say the coaches are fine, the schemes are fine and its ONLY the execution that is poor.

If that's the case then the players on the offensive side of the ball just made an excuse for them all to be let go after the season ends.

Don't like Sherman Lewis? Don't like all the media scrutiny and fan discontent?

THEN START SCORING POINTS AND STOP MAKING EXCUSES