Before more news broke Saturday afternoon, one Redskin described player morale as sinking. Fast. At that point, it appeared major changes would be made on the coaching staff. That’s not the case anymore. Suddenly, the mood started to shift, albeit not seismically after Greg Blache was promoted to the duties of a defensive coordinator (he already had the title). Also, Jim Zorn’s hiring as the offensive coordinator, while creating change, was greeted with optimism.
“There’s no need for panic,” Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels. “This gives us an idea of where they’re going.”
What the hirings mean for:
The next head coach » Jim Fassel might seem like the obvious front-runner now — he and Zorn get along and they both have roots in the West Coast offense; he also endorsed Blache in his interview — but one team source said that’s not the case. The hang-up for potential candidate Steve Spagnuolo could be that he wasn’t able to choose his coordinators. Typically, a coach such as Fassel or Ron Meeks, who might view this as a final shot, would agree to such an arrangement. But, as one team source said, both coordinators would be high on most coaching lists so Spagnuolo might be OK with them. If he expresses reservation about this in his expected interview after the Super Bowl, then they’ll look elsewhere. Meeks will interview again Tuesday.
The assistant coaches » Continuity will comefrom the coaching staff, where the bulk of the assistants will return. That means Joe Bugel will stay as the line coach, a welcome development for the linemen. Earnest Byner, whose contract expires Thursday, is exploring his options — Tampa Bay reportedly has an interest in him — but is welcome to return. Special teams coach Danny Smith also will return.
As for the former top assistants, offensive chief Al Saunders and defensive guru Gregg Williams, both could end up in St. Louis. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Rams’ offensive coordinator job is Saunders’ if he wants it. Williams also will draw attention from Tennessee and possibly Jacksonville. Of course, if Spagnuolo leaves the Giants as their defensive coordinator …
The players » The offensive players will have a steeper learning curve as the West Coast offense, should the Redskins go that way, is dramatically different than what they’ve been running. And it runs counter to quarterback Jason Campbell’s strengths. However, Zorn does not sound wedded to a particular scheme.
Daniels said 60 percent of what the defense ran this year stemmed from Blache and not Williams. The line sets the tone for the defense and they enthusiastically back Blache. One former Redskin defender, not a lineman, said he loved that Blache was taking over.
