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Riggo’s Rag Roundtable: Top picks to replace Jay Gruden as Redskins head coach

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 14: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins looks on from the sidelines during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at FedExField on October 14, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 14: Head coach Jay Gruden of the Washington Redskins looks on from the sidelines during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at FedExField on October 14, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 29: Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell looks on before a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at FedEx Field on August 29, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 29: Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell looks on before a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at FedEx Field on August 29, 2019 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Ian Cummings’ Pick: Redskins OC Kevin O’Connell

I know this is hypothetical, and we can have some fun with it, but I can’t bring myself to write down an unrealistic option for the Redskins. And unfortunately, there aren’t very many compelling realistic options outside of the organization.

Some flashy names have been circulating in recent days, but none of them are without flaws. Mike  Tomlin? Yes, he has a great record and a Super Bowl ring, but he’s been prone to critical mid-game mistakes in recent years. Todd Bowles? Probably best as a defensive coordinator. Todd Monken is a guy I could get behind, but again, convincing anyone to come to Washington is a tough sell.

If I’m picking the head coach, I’m staying in-house. I’m promoting Kevin O’Connell. He’s a serious wild card. We haven’t seen him call plays consistently yet, and we haven’t seen him lead a football team; the Redskins withheld that opportunity from him by promoting Bill Callahan instead.

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But now that O’Connell is set to call plays, we’ll get a sense of where he’s at, in a trial run similar to Freddie Kitchens‘ last season for the Browns. O’Connell is a young up-and-coming coach who’s clearly bright and personable. He has pre-existing experience with Dwayne Haskins and would likely move forward with Haskins’ development, while an outside hire might want his own quarterback.

Perhaps most importantly, some within the organization have compared O’Connell to Sean McVay, back when he was a budding star. There’s no guarantee O’Connell amounts to that promise, but the best thing the Redskins can do as an organization is enable him to do so, and do it soon. That way, they can decide if he’s the right guy, and they can lock him down early in his career.

A new-era offensive coach who will work with Dwayne Haskins, give him the developmental reps and accommodations he needs to reach his potential, and bring the Redskins out of the stone age? That’s exactly what Washington could use right now.

Follow Ian on Twitter @ian_cummings_9 for more of his work and Redskins analysis.

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