Best known for his late-1980s run as Washington’s starting quarterback, Doug Williams remains with the organization. Though, the former Super Bowl XXII MVP’s role has changed a few times in recent years. Another adjustment will take place moving forward.
Moved out of the personnel picture early in Ron Rivera‘s tenure with the franchise, Williams is now back in the front office mix. The Commanders announced Tuesday the veteran exec will work as a senior advisor to GM Adam Peters. This will not be a foreign role for Williams, who was receiving Fritz Pollard Alliance recommendations for GM gigs in the late 2010s.
The first Black quarterback to start a Super Bowl — a Washington romp over Denver that ended with the QB throwing four touchdown passes — Williams previously worked as Washington’s senior VP of player personnel during a three-year stretch from 2017-19. Days into his tenure atop the club’s personnel hierarchy, Rivera shifted Williams to the title of senior VP of player development. The Bruce Allen-era staple, despite multiple GM changes since the team president’s exit, remains and will join Rivera-era hires Martin Mayhew and Marty Hurney as Peters lieutenants moving forward.
The Commanders also hired Texans director of player development Dylan Thompson, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Thompson, a former Lions character coach who spent three-plus years with Nick Caserio in Houston, to work as their senior director of team support and advancement. A former 49ers UDFA quarterback, Thompson did not overlap with Peters in San Francisco. But he will be part of the new Washington GM’s staff.
Washington is also moving on from senior VP of football strategy Eugene Shen, ESPN.com’s Seth Walder and John Keim report. Shen’s tenure lasted less than eight months, with Josh Harris having hired him in November. Coming to Washington after stints in Jacksonville, Baltimore and Miami, Shen was in place to provide more of an assessment rather than serve in a long-term capacity, per NBC Sports Bay Area’s JP Finlay.
Hurney remains in place after following Rivera to Washington, and fellow Rivera hire Rob Rogers will as well. Reported to be staying on at least through the draft, the ex-Panthers exec — hired in 2020 — is still with the club as VP of football administration. Carrying extensive negotiating experience, Rogers held this title for 11 years with the Panthers as well.
Additionally, the Commanders hired Doug Drewry as their manager of football research and development. Connor Nickel and Travis Ho are coming aboard as coaching analysts, while Matt Peterson is on the staff roster as the team’s football operations coordinator. Cyrus Daniels is in place as a football ops assistant. Dustin Regan is also now with the team as a college scout, being among the new scouting hires the now-Peters-led team has made this offseason. Charles Brensinger, Alberto de la Guardia, Mitch Sterner and Miles Turner are now scouting assistants with the NFC East team.
Bureaucracy, a bit of cronyism, and a ton of personnel/intern hiring for a 5-12 finish it seems…
A house cleaning almost always occurs when an organization comes under new management. It will probably take a couple of years to get everyone on the same page and develop some cohesion so fans will just have to accept some 5 win seasons for now.
One of my all time Tampa Bay QB’s. I used to laugh about the receivers crying about how fast the football got to them, and how their hands were numb for days.
They should also hire John Riggins for community relations.
I wonder if Joe Gibbs is being brought back into the Commanders/Redskins fold. Bruce Allen removing Gibbs influence from the past regime was very public and Doug Williams took a brunt of the public embarrassment.
Doug Williams took a lot of heat that was not deserved, and unfortunately that seems to describe too much of his life.
Joe Gibbs has had plenty of success with his auto racing ventures so I doubt he would have any interest in a reunion with the Commanders.
Rivera consulted with Gibbs on a few occasions over his tenure, Gibbs sat in the owners box with Josh Harris for some games last season and Josh Harris is an investor in Joe Gibbs Racing, so he continues to have close ties to the organization.
Doug Williams is a good guy, don’t know what his role will be, but Rivera wanted his guys around him, hence the change of Doug’s title and the firing of Kyle Smith who was pretty good talent evaluator, now in Atlanta.
Eugene Shen must have not been a good fit with Dan Quinn as he flew out of DC as shot out of a canon.
Shen has become a journeyman executive with four teams in five years.