BREAKING NEWS: Cerrato resigns (Bruce Allen hired as VP/GM) - merged

[BigHairedAristocrat]

Perhaps I was wrong...

NFL.com Blogs Jason La Canfora «

Redskins hiring Allen first move towards Shanahan?
I continue to hear from multiple league sources that Mike Shanahan remains the most likely choice to take over as the Washington Redskins’ head coach in 2010, and the hiring of Bruce Allen is but one move in an organizational overhaul...

...The Redskins will explore candidates to round out the front office in player-personnel roles, according to sources, with current personnel executives such as Eric DeCosta (Baltimore), Bobby DePaul (Chicago) and Doug Williams (Tampa Bay) among possibilities. The Redskins came close to hiring DePaul to replace Cerrato twice during the Gibbs regime, according to sources, and DeCosta, a rising star as Ozzie Newsome’s top lieutenant with the Ravens, began his career with the Redskins. Williams won a Super Bowl as the Redskins’ quarterback and worked under Allen for the Buccaneers in personnel.

Snyder also has been impressed with the work of Morocco Brown, in his first season as Washington’s director of pro personnel, and he could be someone to remain in a revamped front office...

...Many will look at Allen’s hiring as a sign that Gruden could reunite with him in Washington, but multiple sources continue to tell me that Gruden will not coach until at least the 2011 season and is loving his job as an analyst on Monday Night Football. He signed an extension with ESPN, which I am told is ironclad for 2010 in terms of leaving, even for a coaching or “dream job” gig.

“There is a zero percent chance that Jon coaches anywhere next year,” said a source close to the coach...

...Snyder thinks highly of several member of the staff, including defensive coordinator Greg Blache, who has seriously considered retirement in recent years, and secondary coach Jerry Gray, who was viewed as a possible successor to Blache (Snyder blocked Gray from interviewing to be the Houston Texans’ defensive coordinator during the offseason)...

...Allen’s hiring is a strong first step, but there is much more to come as the Redskins try once again to reclaim their glory and emerge from a long malaise.

My main gripe with the hiring of Allen has been his complete lack of accumen in the personnel department and history as being nothing more than a yes-man in personnel-issues. In light of this report, Allen may not be too involved in those issues after all. This would seem to make sense, in light of his and Snyders cryptic comments on the issue during the press conference today.

If JLC's sources are correct and hiring Allen is just the first step, and we bring in DeCosta to handle personnel matters, hire Shanahan to coach the team and run the offense, and retain Jerry Gray as DC, I will do a backflip. There's not much more Snyder could to make me happy.