The Redskins continue to traffic in chaos with moves like firing the GM on the first day of free agency and reportedly considering NFL Network’s Mike Mayock to replace him. Despite the obvious dysfunction in the franchise, president Bruce Allen claims that everything is going just fine.
Allen, speaking to Washington-area reporters at the owners’ meetings in Phoenix on Sunday night, explained why he decided to fire ex-GM Scot McCloughan.
“At the beginning of the league year, we needed some clarity,” Allen said via John Keim of ESPN.
Every account of the Redskins situation depicts a classic D.C. power struggle, with McCloughan coming in, helping the Redskins find success and Allen unwilling to stand by while he received credit. No one can agree how to handle Kirk Cousins’ contract and the result was a boondoggle of successive franchise tags.
Allen denied the power struggle saying he and McCloughan on are “on the same page.”
“I’ve heard all this different speculation,” Allen said. “That’s ridiculous. Scot and I have had conversations [before the firing]. We’re on the same page.
“There’s a personal side in that I brought him to the Redskins and hoped for, obviously, not just a different outcome but a better situation for him and for the Redskins. Yeah, that hurts. I do wish him the best. I like Scot. It feels like our friendship obviously will be strained.”
You think?
It’s possible McCloughan agrees with Allen that he needed to part ways with the franchise (while also understanding if he leaves he might not get another chance at a job). But to say that their friendship might be “strained” might be the understatement of the century.
Speaking to Liz Clarke of the Washington Post, Allen again used the word “clarity,” which means it’s probably the key talking point the Redskins PR staff wants you to hear, since it was used twice in different individual sitdowns.
“I thought it was the right thing to do for where we were at the time,” Allen said. “We wanted to give clarity to our free agents and to our staff of where we were going. For Scot, it was good timing because it allows him to be hired by anyone right now before this draft.”
As for the other big piece of the puzzle, Cousins, Allen denied that there’s any major rift between the franchise and the quarterback -- it was reported that Cousins wouldn’t sign a long-term deal in Washington as long as Allen was there -- and that any rumors about trading Cousins are just that, rumors.
“I can’t keep up with the rumors,” Allen said, via Rich Tandler of CSN Washington. “Kirk and I have talked almost a dozen times this offseason, and we get to laugh when we hear these different rumors. We haven’t talked to anyone.”
Allen also emphasized that the Redskins are still trying to hammer out a deal with Cousins before the July 15 deadline to sign players who were given the franchise tag.
“Our goal from the beginning has been long-term,” Allen said. “I’m still hopeful and confident we’ll do it.”
So this is Allen’s team now, with him having taking over the GM responsibilities as well, while acknowledging there might be a “couple” people brought in as well “after the draft.”
Washington is going to “cast a wide net” in the search for the next GM according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, but it’s pretty clear that whoever comes in will be working directly under Allen while utilizing the players Allen selected in this upcoming draft.
Things feel a little calmer right now, mainly because someone is talking and we’re a little removed from the insanity of that initial free agency stretch, but maybe it’s all relative. There’s still a lot up in the air with the Redskins.
