Allen replaces Cerrato as Snyder’s No. 1 man
ASHBURN – He once stood on the sidelines during a game, yelling at the officials. When the official questioned his father about this kid shouting at him, George Allen replied:
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“I don’t know who he is.”
But now everyone knows who Bruce Allen is: The man responsible for rebuilding the Redskins the way his father once did. In a stunning development, Allen, who had been courted for a couple weeks, was hired to replace Vinny Cerrato as executive vice president. Cerrato resigned rather than accept a lesser role.
Allen, 53, also will have the title of general manager, making him the first GM in owner Dan Snyder’s 11 years. But Snyder did not seem to be ready to relinquish his own role, saying decisions that are made will be “Redskins decisions.”
“He’s a proven winner,” Snyder said. “He has a great passion for the game. He’s a man who has a tireless work ethic. … It’s an added bonus that he understands the tradition of the Redskins.”
His father coached the Redskins from 1971-77, leading the franchise to its first Super Bowl appearance.
“This is an exciting day for me and my family,” said Allen, the NFL Executive of the Year in 2002. “If you told me 35 years ago that I’d be standing here, I don’t think I would have bet on that. It’s exciting because of the history, the tradition, the comfort of coming home.”
More importantly, he also helped build Oakland into a Super Bowl participant before heading to Tampa Bay, where the Buccaneers won division championships in 2005 and ’07. He was fired after last season when the Bucs also fired coach Jon Gruden.
His trick in Washington is to work with an owner who loves to be involved. In Oakland, Al Davis made the personnel decisions. According to multiple sources, Allen’s value is more as an administrator, dealing with the salary cap and handling the owner.
“Bruce is a great guy to deal with personalities,” one NFL source said. “He’ll be great with Snyder as far as dealing with him. But they haven’t solved the personnel part. Nobody could control Snyder in the process and that’s what you have to do. Maybe Bruce can do that.”
“It’s hard not to like Bruce,” said former Redskins quarterback and current Tampa Bay pro personnel executive Doug Williams, who was hired in Tampa by Allen. “He’s one of the most informed guys in the league. And he’ll be straight up; he’ll tell you what he feels.”
One GM said, “Bruce knows everybody and he doesn’t make enemies as a rule. He’s really a politician. He’s connected. He knows the cap. He can deal with head coaches. He’s been in the league a long time, but it’s not like he’s a personnel guy. But he knows who to listen to and he defers. He doesn’t try to make decisions out of his box.”
