4 primary catalysts behind former Commanders HC Ron Rivera's demise
By Dean Jones
What were the primary catalysts behind Ron Rivera's demise after the Washington Commanders finally fired the head coach on Black Monday?
After months of speculation, the Washington Commanders relieved Ron Rivera of his head coaching responsibilities on Black Monday. Couple this with enlisting the help of Bob Myers and Rick Spielman to assist during the upcoming hiring cycle, it represents a significant statement of intent from Josh Harris' ownership group.
This has been a long time coming for Rivera. He's been on the NFL's hottest seat from the moment Harris and his wealthy team bought the Commanders from Dan Snyder. After his fourth-straight losing season, it became glaringly obvious change was an absolute necessity.
Rivera can have no complaints. He was willing to take on such a toxic job and has dealt with significant adversity over the last four years. Now, he'll get the chance to take a breather and assess whether or not this is the end of his NFL coaching career.
With that being said, here are four primary catalysts behind Rivera's demise in Washington.
Commanders roster building under Ron Rivera
Ron Rivera was the primary roster builder as well as the team's head coach. He was given this responsibility by Dan Snyder, who claimed willingness to shift the culture and let a true football man take over the crumbling remains of a storied franchise.
This has been a big part of Rivera's undoing. The roster was devoid of any real depth. Almost every position group needs an overhaul. The Washington Commanders lacked the necessary qualities to keep up with the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys within the NFC East.
That became a damning indictment of Rivera's assessment of personnel. The Commanders are in a good place moving forward with a healthy salary-cap situation and an abundance of high-end draft picks. Even if that won't be the recently fired coach's concern.