Rumor: Redskins Hire Jets Special Teams Coordinator

[Chris Luva Luva Profile Website]

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/01/15/report-redskins-interview-jets-special-teams-coordinator/

New York Jets special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica is the latest person to interview with the Washington Redskins as Jay Gruden continues to assemble his new-look coaching staff.

For a team lacking discipline, I like that he served in the military.

[Deadskins Profile]

I like the picture in the article. It looks like he doesn't take any ... um ... guff.

[fredp45 Profile]

Our Special Teams will only get better if we spend some of our cap and draft on improving our players...The $36 mil cap hit really hurt our Special Teams...don't get me wrong, I was not a Burns fan, but I do think we had less than marginal players on our Teams.

I'm really good with a passionate and tough coach...

Certainly Snyder can outspend the Jets for this guy if Jay wants him.

[Chris Luva Luva Profile Website]

Our Special Teams will only get better if we spend some of our cap and draft on improving our players...The $36 mil cap hit really hurt our Special Teams...don't get me wrong, I was not a Burns fan, but I do think we had less than marginal players on our Teams.

I'm really good with a passionate and tough coach...

Certainly Snyder can outspend the Jets for this guy if Jay wants him.

That AND the fact that Mike was interring across the board.

[riggofan Profile]

Our Special Teams will only get better if we spend some of our cap and draft on improving our players...The $36 mil cap hit really hurt our Special Teams...don't get me wrong, I was not a Burns fan, but I do think we had less than marginal players on our Teams.

I'm really good with a passionate and tough coach...

Certainly Snyder can outspend the Jets for this guy if Jay wants him.

That AND the fact that Mike was interring across the board.

Yeah did I read something about Mike not allowing certain players to play on ST?

[fredp45 Profile]

While I never liked Mike, for many reasons, I don't believe his interfering had that much impact on how horrible our Special Teams played. I know it's easy to pile on Mike now that he's gone, but....

We missed blocks on Fgs & PAT's, we didn't stay in our lanes on coverage, we had nobody to return punts or KOs -- We had guys on our Special Teams that shouldn't be in the league...and Mike did say when the cap hit happened -- Special Teams will suffer the most with the $36 mil cap hit. We had to let Lorenzo go is a great example.

Ive moved on from Mike and all those issues, now's the time for us to fix the problems. I think the problems we had on STs was (1) quality of players (90%); and (2) coaching (10%).

[skinsfan#33 Profile]

  I think the problems we had on STs was (1) quality of players (90%); and (2) coaching (10%).

I disagree, I would say it was just the opposite; 90% coaching, 10% players. Other than Lorenzo we had essentially the same players this year as the year before. Now I do have a caveat on personnel. Mike would not allow or require players that could have helped to play ST. So to me that is a coaching issue not a personnel issue.

Niles Paul questioned the coaching and that not everyone has to play ST. BMitch, Trevor Mattich and Chris ey all said the same thing.

Sure the cap hit hurt but the #1 person responsible for the problems was Burns, followed closely by Shanny, and a distant third was the talent pool.

[Chris Luva Luva Profile Website]

  I think the problems we had on STs was (1) quality of players (90%); and (2) coaching (10%).

I disagree, I would say it was just the opposite; 90% coaching, 10% players. Other than Lorenzo we had essentially the same players this year as the year before. Now I do have a caveat on personnel. Mike would not allow or require players that could have helped to play ST. So to me that is a coaching issue not a personnel issue.

Niles Paul questioned the coaching and that not everyone has to play ST. BMitch, Trevor Matting and Chris ey all said the same thing.

Sure the cap hit hurt but the #1 person responsible for the problems was Burns, followed closely by Shanny, and a distant third was the talent pool.

ey stated on 980 that Danny left because of Mike interring with who he wanted on teams. Danny had input in the draft process, and which players on defense/offense he could place on his unit. Mike took that control, Danny left because he is one of the best ST's coaches in the league. Quite honestly, I dont give a **** what Skins fans think of him because the entire league thinks highly of him. ey thinks the world of him and so do the players. The rest of the world cannot be that wrong.

That being said, Mike... Again being too heavy handed in his control brings in a rookie coach into a horrible situation. A team that has zero money to acquire talent, mediocre picks and a need to rely on those picks to START because of no cap money. Your rookie FS should be on special teams but he couldn't tackle a heavy bag in a phonebooth. Your rookie SS is lost for the year.

All in all, it was a failure across the board. It's a coaching issue cus Burns was a rookie in a bad position. It was a coaching issue because the HC hired a rookie ST coach to run a horrible unit. It's a coaching issue because of a lack of adjustments throughout the year. Josh Morgan at returner? Why wait so long to promote Nick? It was very much a coaching issue and every other issue. LOL

[Neo Profile]

What's the overall opinion of this guy? Sorry I'm not familiar with him so I don't know if this is great or just OK.

[fredp45 Profile]

Skinsfan 33 -- I believe that players win games...coaches are important but if you have less talent, you're not gonna win... IMO, the final 4 teams in the playoffs have the best talent...would I take Pete Carroll over all other NFL coaches? No way!


Our Special Teams were the worst I've seen in a long time, maybe the worst Skins ST I've seen, and I've been watching for more than 35 years.

While I'm not a Burns fan or supporter, he did coach ST for the Broncos and did well. I'm sure all ST coaches, Danny included, want the 11 best guys they can get for Teams ...however, it's the Head Coaches job to make decisions on who he plays and who he doesn't play on Teams. Could we really afford to lose a Hall or another defensive guy off that defense? If Mike was holding back guys that play positions that were NOT a position of strength, then smart move.

To give Burns (and Shanahan) a little credit -- they did lose quite a few quality ST guys from last year to this year. In addition to Lorenzo, Kehl, Sundburg, and Crawford are three that come to mind...Did Robinson also play STs?

The good news, we'll have a new coach and we'll have more cap room to get better players.

[riggofan Profile]

Sounds like we got our guy!

Redskins lure Jets special teams coach away
Posted by Darin Gantt on January 15, 2014, 2:23 PM EST

Since he didn’t have a contract with the Jets, special teams coach Ben Kotwica was effectively a free agent.

And as the Redskins have done so many times, they bought a free agent to address a glaring need.

According to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports, the Redskins are hiring Ben Kotwica as their new special teams coach.

The Redskins were the worst kind of tire-fire on special teams last season, with what seemed like weekly breakdowns and big plays for opponents.

Kotwica had been offered a contract by the Jets, but his willingness to leave speaks to the relative lack of security there under coach Rex Ryan, who has yet to get a contract extension despite the team’s announcement that he’s returning next year.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... oach-away/

[fredp45 Profile]

I forgot -- "distant third was the talent pool" -- I absolutely do NOT agree with this... our talent on ST was horrible, the worst in the league.

By the way, Niles didn't have a great year himself.

[SkinsJock Profile]

it's a team game and people want to blame the coach or the players and even the refs - what about asking "are they playing well together?

fact is if you don't have 11 guys on the field doing what they have to do TOGETHER you're going to have FAILURE

- the salary cap hurt our depth but if Danny Smith left because he felt like Mike was making it difficult for him to do his job, then that tells us a lot

there's a lot of excuses for this franchise not playing well together for over 15 years - it's got to come down to 1 of 2 things - the owner or the HC or both

[Kilmer72 Profile]

it's a team game and people want to blame the coach or the players and even the refs - what about asking "are they playing well together?

fact is if you don't have 11 guys on the field doing what they have to do TOGETHER you're going to have FAILURE

- the salary cap hurt our depth but if Danny Smith left because he felt like Mike was making it difficult for him to do his job, then that tells us a lot

there's a lot of excuses for this franchise not playing well together for over 15 years - it's got to come down to 1 of 2 things - the owner or the HC or both

Well if we ask "are they playing well together?" and it isn't the coaches or players or refs, then what else would you figure to be the problem?

[DarthMonk Profile]

I see other teams' stars playing specials - Navarro Bowman of the 49Rs, for instance. I know he missed an onside kick a few weeks back but he had an 89 yard pick six in the same game and seems to be in on every tackle on coverage.