Oakland Raiders Should Just Say No to Mike Shanahan
Dec 8, 2013; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan gestures from the sidelines during the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at FedEx Field. The Chiefs won 45-10. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Shanahan Wrong for Raiders
Shanahan is the opposite of a players coach, and has gained a reputation as an egotist after his time in the nations’ capital. Whether justified or not, he is also blamed for the injury and subsequent regression of Robert Griffin III, and is also blamed for the deep hole the franchise now finds itself in, having given up three first-round picks and a second-round pick in the previous three drafts to acquire him.
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Shanahan has also been accused of nepotism, in having stuck with his son as offensive coordinator despite offensive struggles in Washington. The latter charge may be unfair: Kyle Shanahan’s offense was actually quite productive in 2012 and even in 2013, and was very productive in Houston in 2008 and 2009. But where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and there has been plenty of negative smoke about the type of person and coach Mike Shanahan is.
A team looking to build around a promising rookie passer may want to consider Shanahan’s track record with young quarterbacks: RG3 may never be the same as he was as a rookie, Jay Cutler is one of the most disgruntled and disappointing quarterbacks in the league, and Brian Griese is essentially a footnote. Shanahan won his rings nearly two decades ago, and he did it with a Hall of Fame signal-caller who was near retirement. He led one of the greatest offenses the league had ever seen in San Francisco, but that offense was one of the most talented groups ever assembled. He led his most recent employer to make one of the most uneven trades in modern draft history. He has burned bridges, alienated players, coaches and front office staff, and generally spread discontent everywhere he has gone, and he now has Dan Snyder willing to pay him $7 million to stay away.
Al Davis may have been wrong about many things, but Al Davis knew a bad apple when he met one, even late in life, he knew about Lane Kiffin years before Tennessee and USC figured it out. Shanahan had some great years with the Broncos, but the man is toxic. The man also delighted in tormenting and hurting the Raiders for years, and just because Al has passed away doesn’t mean that hate and pettiness isn’t still festering in Shanahan’s heart. The man wants nothing good to happen to this franchise, and he should by no means ever be trusted to lead this team.