How Josh Harris' group will initially approach matters once their purchase of the Washington Commanders becomes official is becoming clear.
This is finally the month when Josh Harris and his team of investors officially become new owners of the Washington Commanders. It's been a long, arduous process full of twists and turns, but the official vote of approval on July 20 represents the dawning of a new age for a franchise that's been dragged through the mud on countless occasions.
Dan Snyder's reign of terror that spanned 24 years is almost at an end. While this is welcome news, it fails to detract from how much hard work is ahead for Harris once everything gets rubber-stamped.
One thing Harris and a few others within the consortium have is experience running sports franchises. They have seen and done it all in the business world, but this added knowledge should smooth the transition in the coming weeks.
Big changes not expected across the Commanders after sale gets approved
Many expect wholesale changes to influential staff at some stage. Perhaps not immediately, but when the new owners fully analyze the Commanders' infrastructure and how it potentially fits into their way of thinking.
With the vote looming large, reports are starting to surface about what Harris' approach might be when he gets into the building. According to Ben Standig of The Athletic citing an unnamed source, the boat is unlikely to get rocked too much given the short timeframe before Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals gets here.
"Soon-to-be Commanders owner Josh Harris is not expected to make major staff changes soon after taking over the franchise, a source familiar with ownership’s thinking who was not authorized to speak publicly told The Athletic on Friday. Harris is expected to be approved when owners meet to vote on the matter July 20. Given the proximity to training camp, the status of Ron Rivera and other football staff never appeared to be in question for the 2023 season, but uncertainty remained about the business side."Ben Standig, The Athletic
This is in keeping with how Harris has handled things with both the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils in past years. It also lends support to the revelations from Mark Maske and Nicki Jhabvala from The Washington Post, who said team president Jason Wright would be kept on pending further assessments.
Going in all guns blazing at this juncture would do more harm than good. Keeping continuity gives Harris and his team proper time for evaluation and full examination of everything associated with the franchise before taking the next steps.
However, according to Standig, the new owners are likely to have a list of replacements if those currently around cannot live up to increased expectations.
"The initial wonder regarding possible Harris decisions upon taking over focused on the business side, considering the NFL calendar makes any sizable football changes remote. [Jason] Wright and his staff will aid the transition period. At the moment, that is all to infer. Perhaps a longer relationship with the new ownership group happens, but Harris knows how sports ownership works and likely has a list of potential executives to join him in Washington."Ben Standig, The Athletic
It's an exciting time for fans and a nervous one for many within the organization. Sentiment won't come into play as Harris' group looks to get the Commanders out of irrelevancy and back into the spotlight, even if it might take some time to become an industry leader thanks to Snyder's prolonged incompetence.
Just how long it'll take before changes arrive is the big question.