Burgundy & Gold Reaction: Leave The Past Behind

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January 3, 2024

by David Earl

The Offseason Primer

The comment from Trent Williams should remind everyone of the poor management by the previous ownership group led by Dan Snyder. From the Collective Sins of Bruce Allen to fans Disfavor of Dan Snyder, the one aspect of this coming offseason is that it is finally over. While there is no certainty of anything in the months ahead, it’s fair to adjust the doom-and-gloom mentality with which this fan base has been ingrained over the recent years heading into the offseason. As there seems to be a level of PTSD in the belief of some that this coming 2024 season will be more of the same based on past years, all we can hope for is Josh Harris makes the right football decision. Even with Harris, some will offer little hope using his overall winning percentage of .468 (444-505) with the Philadelphia 76ers but that offers little context. So here is a little more context:

  • In the previous six seasons, the 76ers winning percentage was .634, averaging 50 wins per season
  • “Trust the Process” under Sam Hinkie was successful in acquiring draft assets but execution of these picks yielded mostly mediocre results
  • They were eliminated in the semifinals in 5 of the 6 playoff appearances

The only players left standing on that team from the draft pick assets are Joel Embiid and Furkan Korkmaz. The one that hurts the most was the trade of Mikal Bridges out of Villanova. Before I turn this into a basketball column, the main theme here is that Harris hired people to run the team, keeping faith in their vision without meddling. Yes, there were questionable decisions in the last few seasons, such as allowing Jimmy Butler to walk because of the luxury tax rule in the NBA, but Harris has still allowed all personnel decisions to be made by those he put in charge.

As far as the New Jersey Devils go, the turnover has taken a bit longer, but they now have one of the better young teams in the NHL and scored 112 points last season. There can be criticisms made in his ownership time, but, as an owner, he is a complete 180 from Dan Snyder. His record thus far as an owner is hiring a front office general manager and getting out of his way. Thusfar, Harris has continued to maintain faith in the vision of his hires, without any pressure in player or personnel moves. Going forward what could this offseason look like for Washington?

General Manager Above All

The first order of business will go a long way to change the embedded negative mindset of this fan base. Under Dan Snyder, it had become obvious that the football decisions were always going to run through him first. For far too long, the front office structure lacked cohesion and any sensible philosophical plan for building a contending team. As that was a staple of past leadership, Harris’ past history suggests an encouraging future in terms of team structure. Like his other professional teams, it is a near certainty that he will hire a general manager to be the only voice making all final football decisions. While some will look at his professional teams with a particular negative bias, his story as an owner paints a much different narrative, which you can read more about here. Considering that history and his apparent admiration for how the Baltimore Ravens are run organizationally, the general manager options may very well be narrowed down. The following options should make Washington fans rather excited.

Ian Cunningham, Asst. GM, Chicago Bears: One would think Cunningham vaults to the top of this list by virtue of being part of the Ravens organization from 2008 to 2016, plus a 3-year run with an organization with which  Harris is surely familiar with in the Philadelphia Eagles. As a member of two Super Bowl champions (Ravens and Eagles), he has become one of the fastest-rising front-office stars in the NFL. As mentioned in a previous column, he was integral in constructing a perennial contending roster for the Eagles in acquiring players like TE Dallas Goedert, DE Josh Sweat, and a 7th round steal in T Jordan Mailata. His roots as an area and national scout plus his time making player personnel decisions have not only yielded strong results but have given him a great foundational understanding of how the organization for football operations should be constructed.

Joe Hortiz, Director of Player Personnel, Baltimore Ravens: Hortiz has spent his entire time in the NFL in the Ravens organization, so he clearly should be on Harris’ radar. Regarded as one of the league’s most accurate talent evaluators, Hortiz has helped engineer two Super Bowl titles and a total of 13 playoff appearances for the Ravens. The one advantage he could have over a popular name like Ian Cunningham is the fact Hortiz has been with general manager Eric DeCosta since the beginning of this current Ravens regime. He represents a strong continuity that Washington has lacked since the Bobby Beathard days and understands the importance strong cohesive football operations structure. He lacks the flash appeal and rising status of Cunningham but his methodical approach accompanied by serving in an organization as cohesive and balanced as the Ravens could be ideal for Washington.

Adam Peters, Asst. GM, San Francisco 49ers: Here is a name that has been often tagged with Washington, and the linked comments from Trent Williams surely caught Harris’ ear. If there is a candidate that would interest Harris that didn’t come from the Ravens’ front office tree, Adam may surely top that list. The only thing preventing Peters from being hired is an official promotion to general manager after San Francisco promoted John Lynch to President of Football Operations this past September. Adam has been with the 49ers since 2017 and has been well-documented as Lynch’s right-hand man. Seeing how well constructed the 49ers roster is with not only talent and depth but the flexibility of interchangeable parts that make philosophical sense, it is no wonder why he is a hot name for many teams. If Harris seriously wants to hire Peters, then he may have to not only overpay but bring in as President of Football Operations just to pry him away from San Fransico.

There are other options, such as the Philadelphia Eagles Assistant General Manager Alec Halaby and Kansas City Chiefs assistant general manager Mike Borgonzi, who are certainly worthy hires. Looking at the apparent model Harris wants and the control he most likely will give the new general manager, the three mentioned above are experienced enough to handle this responsibility without any question. Regardless of who is hired to navigate this team in the coming seasons, the roster overhaul that needs to be made will require someone of experience, and molded through a structured winning organization.

Conclusion

As Washington enters the final week of a dreadful and disappointing yet expected season, the future of this team should be bright. Of course, it all depends on Josh Harris’ next steps and who he hires but it certainly cannot be worse. As the detailed roster breakdown and draft reviews come in future columns, the new general manager will have his work cut out for him to reshape this roster. From the neglect of the offensive line and linebacker groups to the overall lack of a cohesive vision from this current regime, the decisions coming may not go over well with the fans. As the new direction takes shape, players like Jonathan Allen or Terry McLaurin could very well find themselves in a new home as a result of a reshaping of this current roster. So my advice heading into the offseason is as follows:

  1. Separate any attachments you have with current players
  2. Don’t get too hyped over a potential rookie, especially a quarterback
  3. Allow the new vision to begin to unfold without the snap judgments
  4. Stop allowing the sins of past ownership to dictate your feelings about the future

This new regime will evaluate the roster based on their philosophy and not by who the fans love the most. While that should go without saying we all know there will be that group who believe their answers are correct. It is not their fault either because 9 times out of 10 they probably were more correct the incompetent group that ran this team for two decades. It will be a habit hard to break, but this is an aspect of not allowing the sins of the past to dictate your views. There is a very good chance Harris will bring in competent football minds, but when they build to their philosophy, allow that plan to work itself out, even if it means McLaurin is traded away or the team passes on a beloved hometown draft prospect, USC quarterback Caleb Williams, for a different quarterback altogether. The philosophy is what matters.  We’ve seen enough of trying to force fit players who will not work within the framework of that plan. Patience has been an overused statement for the last 15-plus years – let’s give this new ownership group enough slack to turn around this hideously constructed roster.

One last personal request to Harris: maybe we can get a proper rebrand without the sideshow circus that led to a name no fan wanted nor saw coming. Open a new league year revealing the new name that makes far more sense (Red Hogs, Wolves, Redwolves, etc) and take no questions; just move forward. To those defending the name and telling other fans to get over it, no. This is simply an awful name. Nothing will ever come close to the Redskins, but Commanders is a polarly opposite name settled on by guys who had ZERO emotional ties with this team. MAKE IT RIGHT!!!