[Schneed10]

It's a high pressure business. When you're first hired you get a grace period in the first year or two. But after that it's time to show results.

Definitely an important offseason. I would manage the situation a little differently if I were Allen. But if McC, or Allen, or anybody thinks there wouldn't be pressure going into year 3, they're kidding themselves.

As Allen I would have football operations reporting directly to me, with Gruden and McC as peers on the org chart, not responsible for each other.

The reason Gruden and McC should be peers is their jobs necessitate a dichotomy - a push-pull between the go-for-it-now mindset (Gruden) and the build for the long haul (McCloughan). Allen should not get involved in player selection, but he should tell Scot when to get more aggressive in FA and when not to. He should have Schaeffer reporting into him, also a peer with McC and Gruden, and he should listen to Schaeffer's guidance as to when the cap situation calls for aggressiveness and when it calls for restraint.

But Allen should absolutely not be picking players. The directive to McC should be get me a solution to the D line and safety this offseason, and we can afford to spend $__ (Schaeffer's number) in guaranteed money. Do it. And that's it - walk away and let McCloughan pick the players.