Redskins moves signify that Ron Rivera is calling the shots

Ron Rivera has hired a lot of former Panthers staff for his Redskins team. And that’s making the team’s new message clear.

With Ron Rivera at the controls, the Redskins have added to the team several former Panthers coaches. Offensive coordinator Scott Turner, receivers coach Jim Hostler, and offensive line coach John Matsko. While they seem to be morphing into the Carolina Panthers, the Washington Redskins and Dan Snyder have made it quite clear; they want one voice and one mission for the foreseeable future.

Sure, the Panthers ended the season at 5-11. Who wants to re-live that? But there is a more important message that the Redskins wish to send as Ron Rivera continues to fill out his staff. That message is that everyone works together to pull the rope in the same direction.

As a result of the hiring of Scott Turner, the Redskins are expected to part ways with Kevin O’Connell, a widely respected up and coming offensive mind. Obviously, this is news that won’t sit well with Redskins fans.

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But what Ron Rivera is doing now is something that Washington has failed to do for many years; assemble a unified staff that all work in conjunction with the same system and same process.

Kevin O’Connell and Bill Callahan, or even at times Jay Gruden and Sean McVay, highlighted the problems that arise when coaches with mixing philosophies meet a crossroad. What made Kyle and Mike Shanahan so successful during the height of their time in Washington was, in part, that they both shared a paralleled vision for what the direction they wished to take the franchise.

That is precisely what Ron Rivera hopes to do with Scott Turner.

Debates always seemed to arise over the years of who was making the calls. Was Jay Gruden overriding Sean McVay? Was Kevin O’Connell really getting a chance to run the offense the way he wanted to? Was the front office letting anyone genuinely do their jobs?

The first few weeks of the offseason have come and gone, and it’s clear that Ron Rivera is putting an end to that. He’s the captain who is calling the shots. His latest shot was bringing with him a familiar face from Carolina.

Turner’s ties to the Redskins go back to his father, Norv Turner, and his time as a coach. But in recent years, Scott Turner has found some success in his own rights. As quarterback’s coach for the Minnesota Vikings, he was an instrumental part of the growth and formation of Teddy Bridgewater, as well as Sam Bradford, when he finished with a 71 percent completion rate in 2016.

The downside to Scott Turner is the same downside that any new offensive coordinator brings. A brand new system. The big question will be, how does this affect Dwayne Haskins? It’s widely understood that the second year of a quarterbacking career is crucial in a young passer’s formation, and change can’t be a good thing, right?

One thing to keep in mind about O’Connell is that the Redskins would have only had him in the building for one more year, if that. It has been reported that numerous teams have sought his services, and his connection to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is one that could land him a gig outside of the nation’s capital. The change in the guard at the offensive coordinator role was coming regardless, and while a second-year change seems like a risk, it can also be viewed as an opportunity.

Turner’s goal in D.C. is to do what he did with former NFL MVP Cam Newton, create a system that makes his quarterback comfortable, and allows him to grow.

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But, like the new coaches that come with Rivera, giving Turner a chance to prove that is the first step in building a winning offense, and eventually, a winning team.

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