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Redskins' dysfunction has trickled down from ownership

The Washington Post / Getty

The model of dysfunction.

That joke has been following the Washington Redskins since not long after Dan Snyder took ownership of the franchise.

He took over in 1999, sold the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium naming rights to the highest bidder, hired legendary coach Marty Schottenheimer for one season before firing him over a power struggle, and let everyone know he wasn't going to be a hands-off owner.

As the seasons went on, Snyder struggled to find continuity or cooperation with the personnel he hired and failed to sign a head coach to a second contract prior to giving Jay Gruden a new deal this month.

Snyder's name has become synonymous with controversy due to his stubborn stance against changing his team's name, despite it being the most offensive club name in pro sports.

Eighteen years after beginning his reign, Snyder's aura of dysfunction has been passed down through the entire organization.

Right below Snyder in Washington's hierarchy is team president Bruce Allen, the son of Hall of Fame head coach George Allen, who coached the team from 1971-1977. Allen joined the team in December 2009, splitting general manager duties with Super Bowl-winning head coach Mike Shanahan.

Despite orchestrating a desperate trade for Robert Griffin III in 2012, which the team came to regret, Allen not only hung onto his job after Shanahan was fired in 2013, but absorbed the coach's second role as executive vice president of football operations. In May 2014, following a 3-13 season, Snyder officially named Allen team president.

About a year later, Allen filled the general manager role with Scot McCloughan, who was unceremoniously fired on the first day of 2017 free agency.

The McCloughan-Allen saga has been one of the most damning relationships Washington has seen since Shanahan was in town, and it's getting uglier by the week.

Despite helping the team to its first consecutive winning seasons since 1991-1992 in his first two campaigns, McCloughan was dismissed less than a month ago. A "source with knowledge of the situation" said the move was due to a drinking problem, but with a bit of critical thinking, you can connect the dots and see that was just an excuse for the team to use.

McCloughan denied he'd been drinking Thursday, through friend and former player Michael Robinson. Anyone from McCloughan's side would have no reason to leak to the media that he was let go due to drinking, leaving only one option for who passed along the information.

Allen also conveyed the message that he and McCloughan are "on the same page" about his dismissal, calling any speculation that the reason was anything more than over results on the field "ridiculous."

McCloughan had a very different response, though, through Robinson.

"Bruce called him up to his office and was just like, 'Nobody likes you in this building. Nobody wants you here,'" Robinson said Thursday. "And Scot was like, 'Well, I guess I'm out of here.'"

Unsurprisingly, Allen has yet to find a replacement for McCloughan which has contributed to a dismal free-agency period.

Washington failed to re-sign any of their top three free agents - DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, and Chris Baker - and was forced to use a second consecutive franchise tag on quarterback Kirk Cousins after failing to negotiate a long-term deal.

There has been a never-ending storm of rumors and reports surrounding Cousins' status with the team, including a desire to be traded and not wanting to be with the team altogether. Those types of rumors don't exist around well-run teams.

Allen's only notable free-agent acquisition has been quarterback-turned-receiver Terrelle Pryor, but even he has question marks. Pryor had a notoriously bad work ethic in college that may or may not have improved. He was expected to be a high-priority free agent throughout the league, however he went unsigned for several days and accepted a one-year, $6-million deal loaded with incentives to make him earn his dough.

Despite joining the team just weeks ago, Pryor has already been involved in some sketchy offseason business with his new team.

Washington found a way to circumvent the collective bargaining agreement this week by having Jon Gruden, brother of head coach Jay Gruden, run workouts with the offense. Head coaches aren't allowed to have contact with players at this point in the offseason, but this is as close as it gets, especially considering how much time the Grudens have spent coaching together.

By this point, Snyder's stance on his team's name seems like the least of Washington's worries. The example he has set for his team president, (lack of) general manager, head coach, and players has truly defined the model of dysfunction.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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