Eric Schaffer

Redskins Rearrange Front Office

Ron Rivera continues to make changes in Washington. In addition to the Redskins parting ways with football operations vice president Eric Schaffer, they will reassign another key front office executive.

Previously working as the Redskins’ senior VP of player personnel, Doug Williams will move out of a personnel role but stay with the team. Williams will now work as the Redskins’ senior vice president of player development, reporting to Rivera.

The former Super Bowl MVP played a key role in shaping recent Redskins rosters, doing so under Bruce Allen as the franchise separated from GM Scot McCloughan. But Rivera and a to-be-determined GM (who will likely be hired after the draft) will now be atop the team’s decision-making structure. Former Panthers exec Rob Rogers will be in that picture as well.

Rogers will join the Redskins as their senior VP of football administration. Rogers handled negotiations for the Panthers and managed the cap; he was with the franchise for all 25 years of its existence. Also heading up the Panthers’ analytics department, Rogers marks an interesting addition to the Redskins given his lengthy tenure in Charlotte.

Washington’s plan did not initially include parting ways with Schaffer, whom Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports was being tabbed to remain a key front office presence (Twitter link). However, that was contingent on Rivera being comfortable working with the 17-year Redskins exec. Schaffer will likely be with another team soon.

The Redskins are also promoting Malcolm Blacken to senior director of player development, where he’ll work with Williams, per ESPN.com’s John Keim (on Twitter). Blacken served as the Redskins’ director of player development for six years; Rivera will keep him in a familiar capacity.

Redskins, Eric Schaffer Part Ways

The Redskins and Senior VP of Football Operations Eric Schaffer have agreed to mutually part ways, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Schaffer spent nearly two decades with the club and was initially expected to stay, even after the hiring of Ron Rivera and the departure of Bruce Allen

Schaffer is well-respected around the league and Rapoport hears that he has already garnered interest from several other teams. Known to be an ace negotiator and a salary cap guru, he probably won’t be out of work for long.

Even Mike McCartney, the agent for Kirk Cousins, was quick to lavish Schaffer with praise after word broke:

Schaffer will be a terrific asset to whichever NFL team hires him,” McCartney tweeted.

In other Redskins news, Rivera hired old friend Scott Turner to be his offensive coordinator earlier this week.

Redskins Fire Bruce Allen, Expected To Hire Ron Rivera

The Redskins have fired team president Bruce Allen, the team announced in a statement. Although some recent reports indicated that Allen would remain in the organization in some capacity, perhaps as part of the club’s stadium detail, that is not the case. The Redskins have completely cut ties with him.

Washington is also expected to hire Ron Rivera as its next head coach, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Rivera is meeting with the team today, and as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, today’s “interview” is expected to be more of a coronation than anything else. Owner Dan Snyder has acted quickly to get the coach he wants before any other interested clubs could get a crack at him, and it looks like he has his man.

Rivera was fired by the Panthers earlier this month, but his strong track record in Carolina immediately catapulted him to the top of the list of head coaching candidates in this year’s cycle. He amassed a 76-63-1 regular season record, a 3-4 playoff record, and, most notably, a Super Bowl appearance. The Panthers did not win it all under Rivera’s watch, but he is highly-regarded and commands respect.

The same cannot be said for Allen. The Redskins went 62-97-1 during his 10-year tenure and qualified for the playoffs just twice in that time. He also became a divisive figure for Washington fans, most of whom are likely glad to see him out of the organization.

With Allen gone, senior VP Eric Schaffer will see his role increase, as Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets. One of the purposes of today’s meeting between Rivera and the team is to ensure that Rivera — who is also expected to have significant say in personnel matters — is comfortable with Schaffer.

Snyder’s statement regarding Allen’s dismissal reads, in part, as follows:

“Like our passionate fan base, I recognize we have not lived up to the high standards set by great Redskins teams, coaches and players who have come before us. As we reevaluate our team leadership, culture and process of winning football games, I am excited for the opportunities that lie ahead to renew our singular focus and purpose of bringing championship football back to Washington D.C.”

Redskins To Fire Bruce Allen

Bruce Allen may not have the chance to continue into a second decade with the Redskins. The franchise plans to fire its 10th-year football operations boss, J.P. Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports. This move has been in the works for a bit now, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Ben Standig of The Athletic writes that Allen may remain with the club as part of its stadium detail.

Dan Snyder has operated independently from his football staff during part of the Redskins’ coaching search, and the longtime owner has done work on GM candidates as well. Allen’s tenure as team president has not brought Washington much success, with this season producing a 3-12 record.

Allen has overseen a somewhat chaotic Redskins decade. From the Robert Griffin III chapter to an ugly divorce with GM Scot McCloughan to Kirk Cousins‘ departure to the Trent Williams fiasco, the franchise has seen its stock plummet during the 2010s. The Redskins are 62-96-1 during Allen’s 10-year tenure — one that has produced two playoff berths and one 10-win season (2012).

The son of former Redskins NFC champion coach George Allen, Bruce came over after a five-year stay with the Buccaneers. Prior to that, he spent nine years in the Raiders’ front office. The Redskins have only employed two full-time coaches under Allen — Mike Shanahan and Jay Gruden — but they have gone through several quarterbacks and have only completed back-to-back winning seasons once.

While the Redskins have not been particularly successful throughout Snyder’s 21-year tenure, the owner looks set to commence a full-scale overhaul. Coaches Bill Callahan and Kevin O’Connell have a chance to stay on, potentially with a defensive-minded HC, but it certainly looks like the Redskins will have a new front office structure soon. Former Texans GM Rick Smith and ex-Redskins exec-turned-ESPN analyst Louis Riddick have been mentioned as potential candidates to oversee Washington’s football operations. Current Panthers GM Marty Hurney may also be in play, as Joe Person of The Athletic tweets.

Meanwhile, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network says Redskins senior VP Eric Schaffer, who handles contract negotiations for the team, could see his role increase following Allen’s ouster (Twitter link).

Redskins Announce Front Office Changes

The Redskins are reshuffling things in the front office. On Tuesday morning, the team announced a number of moves, including the promotion of Doug Williams to the title of senior vice president of player personnel. Doug Williams

In related news, Eric Schaffer has been named vice president of football operations and Scott Campbell will become senior personnel executive. The most notable element here, however, is perhaps the move that wasn’t made by Washington. The team did not announce a new general manager, giving the impression that team president Bruce Allen will once again call the shots and have final say over the roster.

Williams, of course, is a Redskins legend for his Super Bowl XXII MVP performance following the 1987 season. In that game, the former first round pick helped the Redskins put up 42 points as they downed John Elway and the Broncos. Williams, who has spent eleven years in various scouting and personnel roles with the Buccaneers and Redskins, says that he is excited for the new challenge.

You want this day to come. You hope it comes. It’s here today,” Williams said at a presser on Tuesday morning. “I’m blessed and I’m going to embrace it.”

At least for this year, the expectation is that Williams & Co. will report to Allen, Tom Pelissero of USA Today tweets. More tweaks could be on the way, however. Redskins’ Director of Pro Personnel director Alex Santos is one of the execs that could be primed for a bigger role, per Pelissero.

Eric Schaffer In Lead For Redskins GM?

Redskins vice president of football administration Eric Schaffer is considered the “clubhouse leader” for Washington’s general manager vacancy, league sources tell Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.Eric Schaffer (Vertical)

An internal hire has always been on the table for the Redskins, although another incumbent executive — senior personnel man Doug Williams — had been viewed as the favorite to earn a promotion. Meanwhile, other reports have indicated Washington may not even add a formal general manager, and may instead opt to re-apportion duties inside the front office, with Schaffer among those taking on larger responsibilities. Whichever course the Redskins choose, team president Bruce Allen is expected to retain a great degree of control.

Schaffer, Washington’s lead contract negotiator, has worked for the Redskins for 14 years, with a decade spent in his current role. Additionally, he’s the Redskins’ general counsel, advising the club on all legal issues. Prior to his Redskins employment, Schaffer worked as a lawyer for the IMG agency.

Redskins Likely To Hire GM From Within?

The Redskins have now tackled both free agency and the draft without a formal general manager in place, as Scot McCloughan‘s departure left a vacancy atop Washington’s decision-making structure. Having maneuvered the two primary avenues of player acquisition sans GM, the “most likely course” for the Redskins is to promote incumbent executive Doug Williams into a more critical position that supervises football operations, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.Doug Williams

Williams, who has worked for the Redskins since 2014 and also has experience with the Buccaneers and Jaguars, has been linked to a possible ascension in the nation’s capital previously, as Mike Jones of the Washington Post indicated earlier in March that Williams could be a candidate to take over as general manager. Other known quantities such as former Tampa Bay GM Mark Dominik, ex-Chargers GM A.J. Smith, and NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock have also been linked to the job, but La Canfora reports Washington “never really wanted” to make an external hire.

Even if Williams is promoted to general manager, team president Bruce Allen would effectively remain in charge, per La Canfora. But new roles could also be in store for employees such as scout Alex Santos and or contract negotiator Eric Schaffer, according to the CBS scribe.

Latest On Redskins’ GM Search

The Redskins are casting a wide net in their search for a general manager, but they’re already finding that several top executives are not interested in working for them. Redskins officials are looking at some of the more successful teams in the league to find a highly qualified candidates, but several targets have already removed themselves from consideration, according to CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora. Redskins Cheerleader (vertical)

La Canfora doesn’t list specific names of execs who have been considered, but he hears that the search has included front office people with the Steelers, Seahawks, and Packers. I would speculate that the list of candidates could include Packers Director of Football Operations Eliot Wolf, Packers Director of Player Personnel Brian Gutekunst, and Seahawks co-Directors of Player Personnel Scott Fitterer and Trent Kirchner. However, based on what JLC is hearing, they might not have any interest in the job.

Front office guys from around the league have multiple concerns about the gig. It’s not clear who would really have the power in D.C. given the history of meddling from team president Bruce Allen and owner Dan Snyder. Furthermore, the team’s proposed GM salary is in the $1.5MM range, and that might not be enough money to make a top candidate overlook all of the red flags in Washington. There’s also concern about whether Snyder will be willing to pump the necessary resources into scouts and talent evaluators.

So far, former Bucs GM Mark Dominik and ex-Chargers GM A.J. Smith have been among the names linked to the opening, but JLC hears that neither guy is expected to land the job. Former Redskins quarterback Doug Williams and NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock have also been mentioned as possibilities. In the past, La Canfora has opined that Redskins executive Alex Santos would make a good internal candidate for the job and today he also put forth the name of Washington cap guru Eric Schaffer.

As we’ve heard previously, no hire will be made before the draft in late April, but JLC gets the sense that the Redskins also don’t want to let the process linger too far beyond the draft either.