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Washington Football Team promotes Eric Stokes to Senior Director of Player Personnel

By Jacob Camenker

Aug 19, 2020; Ashburn, Virginia, USA; Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera (L) walks onto the field while talking with director of pro personnel Eric Stokes (R) on day twenty-two of training camp at Inova Sports Performance Center in Ashburn, Virginia. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 19, 2020; Ashburn, Virginia, USA; Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera (L) walks onto the field while talking with director of pro personnel Eric Stokes (R) on day twenty-two of training camp at Inova Sports Performance Center in Ashburn, Virginia. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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One of the major goals of coach Ron Rivera this offseason was to reshape the Washington Football Team’s front office. Well, mission accomplished.

After hiring Martin Mayhew to serve as GM, bringing in Marty Hurney in a senior front-office role, and parting ways with VP of Player Personnel Kyle Smith, Rivera made his next move. He gave a promotion to Eric Stokes.

Stokes, who joined the team’s front office last summer after spending time with the Carolina Panthers, served as the director of pro scouting for Washington last season. Now, he is going to serve as the team’s Senior Director of Player Personnel.

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The promotion isn’t much of a surprise. Stokes was given an interview for the GM spot despite his short time in Washington and has evidently impressed Rivera. It’s easy to see why.

Why Eric Stokes has impressed the Washington Football Team

Stokes came to Washington amid the turmoil of a sexual harassment scandal that cleaned out a chunk of Washington’s front office. The team needed someone to step in and run the pro scouting department, and Stokes was brought in to do that. Considering the short time he had to get acclimated, he did a great job of helping Washington acquire talent in season, as I outlined in a recent piece.

"Since July, Washington has added several players to the roster to add depth to the squad and play key roles for the team. David Sharpe was acquired via trade to serve as the team’s No. 4 offensive tackle. Casey Toohill was claimed off waivers to serve as edge rush depth for the team. And most notably, Taylor Heinicke was brought aboard to serve as a quarantine quarterback before establishing himself as a fan favorite with a great performance in the playoffs.These moves weren’t massive ones, but they added quality depth, and that’s hard to do during the season. Stokes surely had a hand in them, so he deserves some credit for those moves."

Beyond that, Stokes had a solid draft record during his time with the Panthers, so he will be an asset in that area as well.

Keeping Stokes and giving him a chance to prove himself in a bigger role seems like a solid move. He’s just 47 and has a bright future, so keeping him around makes sense. Perhaps he could be a successor for Hurney, 65, if all goes well and Hurney eventually decides to retire.

Next. Five Senior Bowl WRs for WFT to target. dark

No matter how you look at it, this move should benefit Washington. And if they continue to find hidden gems on the waiver wire, via trades, or on the free-agent market, Stokes will be one of the people to thank for that success.

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