Jay Gruden Is a Lame-Duck Coach Headed into Washington Redskins Training Camp

Jay Gruden's only been in the job for just over a year. But whether he knows it or not, he's already a lame duck headed into his second training camp with the Washington Redskins.

Gruden was put in a no-win situation the moment the Redskins hired Scot McCloughan as general manager. One of football's most respected talent evaluators and roster builders, McCloughan has already earned widespread praise for his work this offseason.

He's being portrayed, not entirely without justification, as the man who is finally putting a professional stamp on the franchise from the nation's capital. Here are just some examples of the pep rally being thrown for McCloughan's efforts this offseason.

B/R's Adam Lefkoe and Chris Simms praised McCloughan's attention to the trenches:

Former NFL fullback Michael Robinson talked about culture change during free agency:

Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated's Doug Farrar graded this offseason at B+ for the changes made on both sides of the ball. It's been a while since a Redskins offseason graded so high.

This context of praise from pundits and writers, along with almost blind faith from fans, for the McCloughan plan should make Gruden nervous. It should make the former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator very nervous.

Essentially, Gruden is entering his second season in charge (yeah, right) in a damned if he does, damned if he doesn't situation. If he wins in Year 2, it will be because of McCloughan's plan, specifically, because of the players he's signed and drafted since coming on board.

If Gruden falters again in his second season the way he did during his rookie campaign, it will be the final indictment of his credibility as a head coach. He'll simply look like a man out of his depth, sinking without trace. "See, he can't even win with a top-notch GM backing his play."

Ironically, the idea Gruden lacks credibility is one he helped snowball last season. To describe his first year as Washington's sideline general as a damp squib would be an understatement.

In fact, his 4-12 finish was one of the dampest, squibiest (clearly not a word) debut seasons in Redskins history. Even Steve Spurrier and Jim Zorn did better with their first shots at the job. How's that for a depressing career byline?

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As if yet another last-placed finish in the basement of the NFC East wasn't enough, it was the way Gruden conducted himself that really set alarm bells ringing. In particular, the way he handled working with supposed franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III. Admit it, you knew that's where this was going eventually.

Gruden was hired to fix Griffin, a quarterback who desperately needs fixing. But he never really seemed keen on the most important aspect of his job.

Gruden wanted to make a pocket-based quarterback out of a dual-threat signal-caller only ever effective outside of those confines. This disparity between theory and reality led to disastrous play on the field and a deeply fractured relationship between the two most important figures on the team off it.

The nadir was reached after Week 11's miserable 27-7 home loss to the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gruden snapped during an astonishing public slap down of his quarterback. Frank Schwab of Yahoo Sports relayed some of the lowlights:

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Robert had some fundamental flaws. His footwork was below average. He took three-step drops when he should have taken five, he took one-step drops when he should have taken three – on a couple of occasions. That can’t happen. He stepped up when he didn’t have to step up, and stepped into pressure. He read the wrong side of the field a couple of times. From his basic performance, just critiquing Robert, it was not even close to being good enough for what we expect from that quarterback position.

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This was way more than just a strong critique or a reality check. This was a coach saying in no uncertain terms that his team was let down by the player at its most important position.

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In one verbal tirade Gruden had pulled off a stunning trick. He'd actually unified fans on both sides of the Griffin debate.

No matter what you thought about perhaps the most divisive player in the league, certainly at Redskins Park, staunch supporters and harsh critics could both agree the coach had overstepped the mark.

By openly picking apart the face of the franchise, Gruden broke what should be one of the sacred oaths of coaching: Don't hang your players out to dry in public.

No matter how much truth there was in Gruden's assessment of Griffin, his rant only made him look overly emotional, amateurish and naive. That's not exactly a checklist for the ideal head coach.

But it also spoke to the fundamental flaw that will soon, as early as this season, in fact, prove fatal for Gruden's tenure in D.C. He can't, or maybe more precisely won't, adapt to his quarterback.

That's a ticket for a train ride to the unemployment line. But Gruden hasn't just bought his ticket, he's asked for an upgrade to first class.

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Even after last year's debacle, Gruden still seems to think Griffin will have to adapt to his offense, not the other way around. Liz Clarke of the Washington Post recently spelled out this insanely shortsighted thinking:

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Based on Gruden’s remarks during training camp, the second-year head coach is banking on the belief that Griffin will improve simply by being in the same offense, surrounded by familiar receivers, for two consecutive years.

That may not be enough.

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Let's save the suspense. Gruden crossing his fingers and hoping Father Time has healed all wounds with Griffin certainly won't be enough.

Gruden should also be smart enough to realize that when pushed comes to shove, he, not Griffin, will be left confusing a kick in the rear for a pat on the back.

Gruden will be first through the door because Griffin isn't going anywhere. Team president Bruce Allen made that clear when he picked up the quarterback's fifth-year option, per Clarke:

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We think Robert is a starting quarterback: We’ve seen him win; we’ve seen him win big games. We know his talent. It really was a no-brainer. I think if you asked us six months before it would have been the same decision.

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Who exactly is the "we" in this situation? Likely it's Allen, owner Dan Snyder and McCloughan. It certainly isn't Gruden.

The Redskins have taken the most important decision on the team out of the coach's hands. That's the clearest indication Gruden's time in Washington has a very short shelf life.

Team brass is telling the man they hired in 2014, "We don't care what you've seen or think, we still believe in Griffin. It's your job to make it work." The phrase "or we'll find someone who can" is just left hanging in the air.

What should also trouble Gruden is wondering what the Redskins will take away from him next. Perhaps his play-calling duties?

It's significant that a coaching staff that was a little green last season has been rounded out with some experienced names. More significant though is how those names have landed on offense, Gruden's side of the ball.

New quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh and noted O-lineman whisperer Bill Callahan are ostensibly meant to ease Gruden's burden. But they are also taking away key parts of what he does, including even his play-calling gig.

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Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch described how a potentially convoluted process will evolve on the sidelines this season:

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Gruden, the head coach, will remain in charge of which plays are run when the Redskins are on offense. But he said he will defer to new offensive line coach Bill Callahan when a running play is needed. Likewise, Gruden and offensive coordinator Sean McVay collaborate on the passing game — Gruden said either could call a play at any time.

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Phillips also referenced how Callahan was once given play-calling duties with the Dallas Cowboys when head coach Jason Garrett was stripped of them. That should concern Gruden, especially since Snyder has form for the same thing. Sherman Lewis, a bingo hall and Zorn know what I'm talking about.

Steadily, Gruden is being reduced to a mere figurehead for game days. The Redskins have put in a framework to help him succeed, but also one that can win without him.

How long before McCloughan and company decide they don't need the figurehead, or simply want a different one? It might not be very long at all even after an offseason during which Gruden has actually been given a lot of what he wants.

He got the defensive coordinator he wanted, Joe Barry, even though the Redskins should have pulled out all the stops for Wade Phillips. Gruden has even been given bigger blockers for the power-based ground attack he favors and tried to implement last season, per Zac Boyer of the Washington Times.

But getting those things doesn't strengthen Gruden's position, far from it. Do you think he's the only coach who shares McCloughan's fondness for size in the trenches and power running?

If Gruden flops again, count on McCloughan having more than a few potential replacements, all familiar with his methods, already lined up. Maybe Mike Nolan or Mike Singletary, the men McCloughan hired when he was running the show for the San Francisco 49ers. That sound you can hear is skin crawling, and the feeling you're experiencing is bones chilling.

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The point is getting everything you want is usually a concession made for a coach as he enters the last-chance saloon. Gruden's there already, despite his bravado. He'll always have plenty of that.

Yet as he saunters forward for one last roll of the dice, Gruden should know the game is rigged. McCloughan is spinning the wheel, and he's put everything in place for life without Gruden.

The presence of the quarterback he doesn't want is already undercutting the second-year head coach even as training camp begins. It's hard to see the Redskins winning until at least one of these men leaves town.

It will be a shock if Gruden even survives the season. It will be a miracle if he's still in Washington in 2016.