There appears to be some changes brewing in Washington, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Tuesday it was revealed the Redskins had fired defensive backs coach Torrian Gray in what was reported to be part of a bigger house cleaning. What that means remains to be seen, but the team recently met with recently-fired former New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
No specific role was discussed and the meeting was described as “More about touching base and seeing where things stood for both sides.”
Bowles appears to be a possible candidate to join Bruce Arians in Tampa Bay. It would be hard to believe Bowles would be meeting with the Redskins or any team for that matter to coach a position.
Washington’s current defensive coordinator Greg Manusky has been under fire to criticism the past two seasons. Those criticizing were highlighted by former Redskins safety DJ Swearinger, who bashed Manusky’s play-calling indirectly for much of the season before directly targeting him in his post-game comments following a Week 16 loss to Tennessee. Those comments got Swearinger released, but his words were met with understanding from many Redskins fans.
Manusky has been with the Redskins for three seasons. In 2017, he was promoted to defensive coordinator from outside linebackers coach. In the two seasons under Manusky, the Redskins defense ranked 21st and 17th. However, at one point this season they were ranked first before they were subjected to a late-season collapse. The defense allowed 400 yards of total offense in five of six games from Week 9 through Week 14.
Bowles would be considered an upgrade over Manusky, if there was any chance of him becoming Washington’s defensive coordinator. While he may not have been successful as a head coach, his work as a defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach is well respected.
It’s no telling what the conversation was about between Bowles and the Redskins, so it’s hard to jump to conclusion, especially considering the way the team has operated recently. But, the news of their meeting is sure to stir the anticipation of Redskins’ faithful.
