How Long Should the Leash Be for the Current Redskins Regime?

Because they've been making significant, but not wholesale changes, in recent offseasons, the Washington Redskins are in a weird spot.

They have a president who's been with the team five years, a supposed franchise quarterback who's been on the roster three years, a head coach entering his second year and a brand new general manager. Their offensive coordinator is a leftover from the Mike Shanahan regime, but their defensive coordinator is completely fresh. 

Four of those six men—president Bruce Allen, head coach Jay Gruden and coordinators Sean McVay and Joe Barry—share roots from their time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they were all hired in different offseasons. 

Character	Role	Joined
Dan Snyder	Owner	1999
Bruce Allen	President	2009
Scot McCloughan	General manager	2015
Jay Gruden	Head coach	2014
Sean McVay	Offensive coordinator	2010
Joe Barry	Defensive coordinator	2015
Robert Griffin III	Quarterback	2012

The whole thing sort of flies in the face of conventional wisdom, which suggests an owner should hire a president, who hires a general manager, who hires a head coach, who hires his assistants. That way, when the feces hit the fan, the obvious solution is to start chopping from the bottom or clean house entirely. 

As per usual, things are a little more complicated in D.C., where the jury's still out on Gruden, as well as his inherited quarterback, Robert Griffin III. New GM Scot McCloughan has no history with either of those guys but will likely be forced to employ them in 2015. 

But what happens if Gruden and Griffin again fail on game days next year? What if the 'Skins finish in last place for a third consecutive season? At that point, a lot of folks will be ready to throw both Jay and Bob under the bus, maybe McVay as well.

But would it be fair to quit on Barry, who isn't exactly being dealt a quality hand with that defense? Considering the shape of the roster, he and McCloughan probably deserve more time, but does that mean Allen gets to remain a Redskin despite continually poor results? 

The good news is that Griffin is at the bottom of the hierarchy. If he doesn't deliver in 2015, the Redskins can move on without disrupting the coaching staff or the front office. Now that the Shanahans are gone, nobody is tied to this quarterback. 

Things would become a lot more interesting, of course, if this new potpourri of a regime were to acquire another potential long-term quarterback option this spring. Maybe they draft Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota or use a premium pick on Jameis Winston or Brett Hundley. Maybe they get Jay Cutler or Mark Sanchez, both of whom have the talent but have failed elsewhere. 

That approach would probably buy the entire regime some extra time. They should look to at least bring in someone to compete with Griffin, and the five guys listed above are the best realistic candidates.

If in a year from now they're grooming Mariota or another sophomore to become the starter, McCloughan and Gruden will deserve one more year to make that happen. But if Griffin seals his own fate with another poor season and they have just him and/or Cutler or Sanchez—and if neither of those guys has shown any promise—could you blame owner Daniel Snyder for firing every single member of this regime?

As frustrating as it would be for the many fans who are already growing impatient with Allen, Gruden and Griffin, the most prudent approach might indeed be to give this entire cast of characters a two-year window to deliver, regardless of what happens at the quarterback position. 

Gruden deserves a shot to make it work with at least an iota of defensive support and a quarterback whom he has been able to play a role in acquiring, and McCloughan can't possibly be expected to rejuvenate the roster in one offseason. 

Maybe that means Allen survives another poor season as the 'Skins attempt what appears to be a miniature rebuild, but frustrated 'Skins fans can at least take solace in the fact he's no longer overseeing personnel. 

One thing I'm sure of is that if this franchise hasn't rebounded fully by the time the ball drops on the 2016 calendar year, Allen, McCloughan, Gruden, McVay, Barry and Griffin should be goners, and some new batters should be asked to step up to the plate. 

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFC East for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon