Redskins Fire Cerrato, So Cowboys Could Lose Out
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Vinny Cerrato poses for his 2005 NFL headshot at photo day in Landover, Md.
Those joyous cries of ecstasy you heard this morning were coming from the general populations of Washington DC, Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland as Redskins fans woke up to news that the team has finally, at long last, managed to get rid of universally loathed GM Vinny Cerrato, who turned in his resignation.
Since rejoining the team in 2002, Cerrato has helped the Skins to a combined record of 52-65. Cerrato was famous in DC for being the only GM with time on his hands to host his own morning radio show. Also, I’m told Cerrato was prized by owner Dan Snyder for his expediency in picking up Chipotle for lunch.
Now, it’s unclear right now what the Redskins next move will be after Cerrato’s ouster. But one thing IS obvious: any move the Skins make will have a direct effect on the Cowboys’ hiring process if they decide to fire Wade Phillips at year’s end (and they will). Both teams will be competing from the same pool of big name fish: Cowher, Shanahan, etc.
My first thought upon the end of Cerrato was that Shanahan was a lock to go to Washington. But I had a discussion with a friend who is a lifelong Skins fan and we came to a couple of almost certainly false conclusions:
- The timing of Cerrato’s announcement is interesting given that Mike Holmgren currently has an offer from the Browns to become their next “czar” of football. So the Skins may have moved quickly to get rid of Cerrato to make an offer to Holmgren.
- If Holmgren comes on board, that means coach Jim Zorn stays, because Zorn was obviously one of Holmgren’s coaching pupils.
- Cerrato and Shanahan have known each other since their days back in San Francisco, so it’s not cleat that Shanahan would have wanted Cerrato gone if he were to join the Skins. That’s my friend’s argument. I say Shanny would happily tell the Skins to ditch his old friend so he could consolidate power of the team.
- If Holmgren is looking for a GM/czar job and nothing more, that immediately rules him out as a candidate in Dallas, since we all know who’s in charge here from now until eternity. YEEEEHAWWWWWW
- FOX’s Jay Glazer is reporting that the Skins will hire former Bucs GM Bruce Allen as their new GM, which would mean the Skins could go with Jon THIS GUY Gruden. I know Gruden is supposedly married to his Monday Night Football contract, but I suspect that will be rather easy for him to slip out of.
No matter where this merry-go-round ends, the Skins are clearly in a position to strike first at this little coaching buffet, since the Cowboys are in the midst of a playoff struggle. That means the Double J may have one less dancing partner to choose from come the New Year.
