Round Table Discussion: Is This Jay Gruden’s Last Year

There’s been a lot of fans asking questions about Jay Gruden’s future with the Washington Redskins in 2018 if the Skins’ don’t finish above .500 or make the playoffs. Some say give Gruden one more year, others are calling for his head if the team doesn’t win.

The Full Press Coverage (Redskins) staff came up with their answers on this question and surprisingly, not everyone agrees.

Ian Cummings:

2018 might be an up and down year, but it won’t be Jay Gruden’s last. Alex Smith is locked down for four years. Derrius Guice won’t be available until 2019. The team has a promising young core, and with a strong draft next year, they can continue to build on it. On the uptrend, it would be premature to make a change at head coach, especially when Gruden has seemingly righted the ship and put himself in good standing with players. This year, the Redskins can compete. Next year, they can do even more. Gruden’s window, for this reason, is two years. If he fails in 2018? The Redskins will give him one more shot. He won’t be gone in 2018 unless a catastrophe not dissimilar to 2017 occurs.

Lets Talk Redskins (Steve):

I believe that it is possible but not from a “if he is good or bad standpoint”. You can’t really judge his past performances solely on wins and losses. He dealt with the RG3 headache and QB controversy for his 1st 2 years and went 9-7 in his second year and made the playoffs. The next two years he dealt with a QB that didn’t want to commit and when you have that it is hard to keep the same system without knowing if your franchise QB will be there the following season. With all this happening our defense was subpar. He was playing with the cards he was dealt at some points. I think this year is his “make or break year” with the roster that we have. I believe he will be around next season.

Nathan Coleman: 

This might surprise some on here who hear some of my negative takes but I’d prefer to keep Gruden if he can maximize his talent and make optimal decisions. That being said the league now of days adheres to the innovate or die philosophy. I prefer a coach who is on the cutting edge eg Shanahan, McVay, or Peterson. To me one of the most underrated and powerful weapons to a head coaches success is job security. Coaches like Reid and B.B. have that and don’t have to worry about playing for a job. Coaches on the hot seat tend to play conservative, doing just enough to not get fired. Playing scared or conservative has no place in the NFL…but somehow coaches like Jeff Fisher, Marvin Lewis, and John Fox find work. I believe the team will win 7 games and Snyder will abstain from using his trigger finger reluctantly . Gruden will keep his job and continue to be a players coach who probably won’t innovate or optimize his decision making.

Carm:

Jay Gruden walked into a broken home after the divorce of Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins. He inherited a disgruntled quarterback room, barren roster, and a disorganized front office. How did he respond? By creating a sense of stability and a level of consistency within program. And it only took him a year of transition. The front office is aware, and it increasingly clear that they like Jay. The most telling motion would be him outlasting former General Manager Scot McCloughan and receiving a contract extension. Since McCloughan’s departure, Gruden has had an increased role in player selection. Many around Redskins park have shared that Jay has an innate eye for talent and they enjoy working with him. Considering our current youth movement, and his fully guaranteed contract, it would take a complete bottoming out of the season for Gruden to be fired. And I don’t see that happening. However, next season may be another story.

Jack Brizendine:

Jay should be here. As Steve said, Gruden has had a ton of setbacks throughout his tenure and this is his first year without distractions. Even though he has no distractions, he can’t be judged solely off of one year. Give him the next two years to prove himself and then make your decision. He finally has a veteran QB to operate his offense and a solid team all around. I’m looking Washington to make the Wildcard spot this year so Gruden can finally be seen as our coach of the future.

Alan Lepore:

For now, Jay Gruden’s job is secure unless the Washington Redskins bottom out with a 4-12 record this year. Gruden was extended an additional 2 years in the 2017 offseason signaling a commitment to continuity. There are areas that Jay still needs to work on. Specifically game and clock management. However, even with these flaws, he was able to put together a near .500 record with near record injuries. With the injury bug not expecting to be as crippling this year, and greater depth on both the offensive and defensive lines, Gruden is finally starting to get the tools needed to be a successful head coach. Despite one of the toughest schedules from Week 3 on, Redskins fans should expect a team that will compete for a playoff spot come December. That alone will keep Gruden employed as the head coach. If not, Gruden will have another year to prove his worth against an easier slate of opponents when Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen need to decide whether or not to extend him again.

Wesley Tate:

Gruden needs to show progression. The team, in all aspects, needs to progress. Bottom 5 in the League, in any category, won’t cut it. Especially not in the NFC East. I don’t buy the excuses that people tend to use regarding the obstacles he’s had to deal with in his tenure. Successful coaches preserve and still succeed through injuries, front office issues, etc. If he can get to 9 wins, and show some semblance of development with the team, he should keep his job. If this season is a disaster, and we find ourselves in the bottom of more statistical categories this year, things have to change, starting with him. I don’t see Gruden as a strategic mastermind, or a very strong motivator, so potentially, if this season goes in the toilet, a culture change is necessary.

JW Gravley:

To be honest, it all comes down to his 2018 campaign. He has a new quarterback in Alex Smith. Yes, he lost his potential starting running back for the season. Yes, he’s had to deal with the turnover from prior coaches. However, all these thus far have been excuses and quite frankly, like any fan, I am tired of hearing excuses. Jay Gruden has the players to be a 10-win team and to be honest if this team doesn’t finish with a record above .500 then Gruden’s tenure with the Redskins should be over. However, if Gruden finishes with a 9 or 10 win season, his job will be secure through 2019.