Ron Rivera’s Positive Effect on the Washington Commanders
June 9, 2022
by David Earl
Jack Del Rio‘s Polarizing Comments
The recent comments by and apology from Jack Del Rio have certainly made the headlines. Plus, Brian Mitchell called out Ron Rivera for not handling the situation properly. First, did it appear he made light of January 6th with his “We have a dust-up at the Capitol” tweet. I understand the sentiment. What’s being lost, though, is his frustration over the lack of coverage and investigation after the riots of 2020. These riots unnecessarily took lives and destroyed minority-owned businesses. The devastating effects of these riots included not only some permanently shut down businesses down, but the lasting trauma has been unbearable. Yet, the aftermath coverage was sadly minimized while the mainstream media had the actual protest and riots on round the clock. There never seemed to be the level of attention from the media nor any investigation near the level we see the January 6th insurrection get. The media, who tell you day after day just how much they supposedly care about these communities, just seemed to bury those stories – unlike today’s coverage of January 6th well after a year later. I am not going to attempt to rationalize comparing the 2 incidents nor defend any aspect of that statement but acknowledging the disaster and suffering of these minority-owned businesses should not be vilified like the media and public appear to be doing. It is ok, on one hand, to find his January 6th statement to be out of touch in comparing that to the aftermath of the riots but it’s also ok to acknowledge Jack made a valid point about the aftermath coverage and handling of the riot, because he is not wrong. I will be perfectly honest here as I get what Jack was attempting to say: although it may have been poorly stated, he is not wrong. Set aside any animosity or contempt you have for Jack and separate the statements by looking at the aftermath of the riots individually. Do you honestly feel these communities and businesses were given the proper attention afterward and the required assistance to bring any perpetrators to justice? That is my quick assessment of the recent events. Let’s move on to some more positive notes.
The Tough Part: Separating from the Scandals
Before I start off with anything positive let’s quickly mention the hurdles in getting there for this team and its fans. I won’t dive into the timeline of Dan Snyder’s ownership (read that here) nor the continued coverage of his scandals lingering today, but just the struggles to move forward. As an organization, the continuous 1-step forward and 3-steps back nature of this offseason is both frustrating and taxing, as we heard in an earlier Ron Rivera‘s press conference wanting the team to move forward. To be honest, this perception and the fact that this organization has been constantly dragged through the mud is deserved, as Dan is solely responsible for that culture. Whether or not you are appreciative of Jason Wright‘s direction, the one common point we all can agree on is this rebrand direction was always going to be highly polarizing. Jason having to get this organization moving forward from the iconic history of the Redskins was hard enough, but when adding these constant hurdles to the process, this rebrand never had a formula for immediate success. There’s no doubt that this organization has definitely had many recent hurdles, so let’s actually speak on some of the positives. I will focus on Ron Rivera and the football operations side of the house.
Character Foundation
From day one, Ron Rivera was tasked with a monumental culture shift away from the Bruce Allen era of unethical behavior and terrible roster neglect. Character was Rivera’s main focus, which the team seems to have in budding stars in Jonathan Allen and Terry McLaurin. From work ethic and attitude setting a tone for these younger players to the on-field results the players will look to emulate, this team has definitely shifted its mentality. What may be more important is how the players receive Ron’s message and not only speak it but show it through their actions as well. There is nothing disingenuous about Allen and McLaurin, and it has certainly become infectious within the locker room. This was never the case under Bruce Allen, as the locker room was filled with unchecked egos, with statements of “we will get it done” only to become unfulfilled promises by season’s end. This team has developed an “actions over words” and “team before individuality” mentality. That can only have a positive effect on team culture.
Roster Construction
Before you talk about how crazy I am because of the over-drafting of Jamin Davis into a position (middle linebacker) for which he wasn’t suited, the collection of former Carolina Panthers (which isn’t unique in the NFL), and so on, so just hear me out. How many times under Bruce Allen’s leadership did the fans scratch their heads, as it looked as though they were blindly throwing darts half the time. Signing a high-profile free agent like Josh Norman by the past regime, only to never scheme to his true talents is the pinnacle of poor football decisions. The mishandling of Kirk Cousins‘ contract negotiations is another example – not necessarily the extension side of the contract, as Kirk clearly wanted out – but the public handling of the situation that had the appearance of being an attempt to make Kirk look bad. The previous 10 years did nothing more than set this team back year after year. Compared to now, whether you agree or disagree on the direction, the intent and purpose of the current roster construction philosophy is very clear. Ron wants high character, mature players around whom to build a strong culture. He is not necessarily looking for the most talented college player to draft but one who will adhere to the team’s philosophy. There are no Albert Haynesworth-type signings walking through the door. The drive and desire to play football in any highly drafted players is not overlooked. Although flaws are evident in any Ron Rivera team, he has clearly made a decision and charted out a path that he will live or die with. This is why a player like Deshaun Watson was never truly an option here. It’s not even arguable that today Washington is run in accordance with a plan that is well laid-out, with specific areas of focus, whereas the previous group failed miserably. Time will tell whether this roster construction works out, but we at least see a plan of action for a change.
Front Office Leadership
The days of this owner empowering a player over his coaching staff or facilitating a toxic work culture seem to be over as the current structure in place is diverse and built to adhere to a specific chain of command. The current direction of this franchise is moving away from the dystopian past. That’s evident with the winning-focused structure of the front office. Leaks of dysfunction do not exist and Ron remains very calculating in addressing issues to the media. During the Bruce Allen era, Dan Snyder seemed to have a circle of trust that would alienate those not only within the front office, but even some of the players and media. The prior leadership chain was confusing. Very vindictive people had far too much influence on Dan himself, but Ron deconstructed that dysfunction. There is a very clear hierarchy of power now and Dan no longer has the wrong influences in his ear every day. Ron came in with a military-style concept of leadership and chain of command, which is firmly in place. Once again, this is not about whether you personally like the direction Ron has this team going on the football field but more so how he’s laid out a structure of competent leaders who know what roles they play as well as their boundaries.
Closing: Eventually Need to Move On
I won’t overload you with information on the team’s skill-position talent, young defensive ends entering a pivotal year, or the interior of the offensive line in this column, but the football operations side needs some deserved attention. Yes, Jack Del Rio‘s recent comments and the polarizing attention it received are not ideal but what’s a Washington offseason without some locker room tension? Since Rivera’s arrival in DC, this organization went from a dysfunctional mess and terrible leaders in place making horrendous decisions to having a well laid-out plan going forward. Regardless of whether you love or hate the path Ron has set, we finally know the fundamental foundation of this organization and see a clear direction into the future. Talent is of course important, but it is not Ron’s top priority of focus. Look at the quarterback position, where he made no significant effort for Deshaun Watson yet aggressively moved on Carson Wentz after the Russell Wilson deal fell through event though Watson is clearly the better pure quarterback talent. Although Wentz does bring some concerns about his leadership ability, he is not a cancer nor a distraction in a locker room. So despite the fact that the Dan Snyder turmoil continues and the media continues to remind us all of his toxicity, Ron Rivera has returned some dignity back to the football operations side of the house. As far as Jason Wright and the business side, that is for another column: even though he’s garnered some mixed feelings, at the very least he’s done a respectable job.