10 potential GM candidates for the Redskins if they part with Bruce Allen
Assistant GM. New Orleans Saints. Jeff Ireland. 8. player. 15.
Ireland is one of the most tempting names on this list. His work with the New Orleans Saints over the course of the past five years has been fantastic and he has played a big role in their ability to supplement their roster and add talent on both sides of the ball.
That said, Ireland does come with some concerns. His tenure as the GM of the Miami Dolphins was far from smooth. From 2008 to 2013, Ireland was in charge in Miami and while he helped lead the team to some success, there were issues, at times.
Most notably, Ireland asked Dez Bryant at the 2010 NFL Combine if his mother was a prostitute during a formal interview. He later had to apologize to Bryant for the remark.
Washington Commanders
Additionally, Ireland was in charge when the Bullygate scandal went down in Miami. And when Ireland was made aware of how Richie Incognito was treating Jonathan Martin, he reportedly said that Martin should “punch” him, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
Both of these incidents happened 7+ years ago, so it’s fair to say Ireland deserves a second chance after five incident-free years with the Saints. That said, having him come to change the culture of a dysfunctional Washington organization would be a risk, as there would be no guarantee that if things start to go downhill another issue wouldn’t crop up.
Still, Ireland should be on the shortlist of potential options for the Redskins. He has helped Mickey Loomis to add plenty of talent to the Saints in recent years. This includes, through the draft, Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas, Ryan Ramczyk, Erik McCoy, Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Davenport, Marcus Williams, Vonn Bell, and more. And in free agency, he helped the team to identify Demario Davis as a potential game-changer for the defense, and that has panned out.
Ireland’s candidacy is a risk-reward proposition and that’s why he’s not higher on the list. But at 51, he deserves another shot to run a team. It’s just a question of whether or not that should come with the Redskins.