NFL Insider

The Post's Mark Maske was online Tuesday, Jan. 8 at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the resignation of Joe Gibbs from the Redskins and the latest news from around the NFL.

A transcript follows.

Mark writes the NFL Insider blog, and is the author of the new book War Without Death: A Year of Extreme Competition in Pro Football's NFC East.

____________________

Mark Maske: Hello, everyone. Obviously there's something to talk about today so let's get right to it.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: So Joe is gone, I for one will not miss him. He lost control of the team and is not the old tough coach Joe. The Redskins are one of the few teams that would celebrate after stopping the opposing player that just moved the chains. If the other team gets a first down, you don't do a dance like you accomplished something. The successful teams don't have players more interested in themselves then the team.

Mark Maske: I couldn't disagree with you more. I thought he did a tremendous job this season to keep that team together and had things headed in a positive direction.

_______________________

Salt Lake City: Re: Gibbs resigning: I say it's about time. I don't think his heart or head was completely in the game -- he tried to delegate too much (hiring Al Saunders and his giganto playbook the year after they went to the playoffs), and still tried to manage his NASCAR business. Gregg Williams as coach would be the best transition with the least break in continuity. Hopefully he'll get the job. Do you think they'll hire him or go for some carpetbagger?

Mark Maske: Gregg Williams is a logical choice, given that the team is coming off a winning season and the defense played well. But you can't rule out Dan Snyder going after someone big, like Bill Cowher. And there has to be a search process here to comply with the Rooney Rule, which requires that at least one minority candidate be interviewed.

_______________________

Bowie, Md.: Why do assistants agree to sham interviews (particularly minorities) in cases like the Dolphins job, when Parcells obviously has decided that he's going to hire Sparano? Don't they have any pride?

Mark Maske: Just because everyone thinks it's a sham interview doesn't mean that it is. Last year, everyone thought that Russ Grimm or Ken Whisenhunt was going to get the Steelers' job and Mike Tomlin went in for what you might have called a "sham" interview. Look who got the job. Plus, it never hurts to be in that loop of people who interview for head coaching jobs. It might help you with the next job that becomes available.

_______________________

Baltimore: The Ravens coaching question: Well, I stated my opinion here about 2/3rds through the season that Brian Billick was done and so it came to pass. (Which is more than the Ravens did...bah da boom!)

Anyway, what do you hear about possible Billick successors? The Baltimore press seems to be playing up Marty Schottenheimer, on the theory that the team needs a proven outsider and disciplinarian who can restore order for a couple seasons.

And is Billick's name mentioned for any coaching openings? Or is he going straight to a TV studio, cushioned by a payout of $5 million a year for three years from the Ravens.

Mark Maske: When the process started, I thought it would be either Jason Garrett or Mike Singletary. I still think they'll be right there. You would have to give Jim Caldwell, the assistant head coach of the Colts, a shot as well. If Marty Schottenheimer would do it, his connection to Ozzie Newsome and his history put him right in the mix as well. On Billick, I would think he'd jump to TV but his name has come up as an offensive coordinator candidate in San Francisco.

_______________________

Bethesda, Md.: Mark,

Gibbs was team president in addition to being head coach. The 'Skins now need to fill two positions. Dan Snyder will need to conduct a re-organization of the front office. Who do you see are candidates for team president? Will Snyder allow that person to hire a real GM and fire Vinny Cerrato, who is the worst talent evaluator in the NFL.

Mark Maske: It all depends on the coach. If it's a biggie like Bill Cowher, you would guess he'd have a say over how the front office is structured around him.

_______________________

Rockville, Md.: If Gibbs was planning on stepping down (something had had to have pretty much known yesterday) why even bring up a potential QB controversy? Why mess with Jason's confidence? Why even think to bench your franchise quarterback?

Mark Maske: It's a good question. That is a bit odd. Maybe he didn't know for sure yesterday what he was going to do, answered the quarterback question honestly and then made up his mind about his own situation overnight. That's only a guess. We'll see what Gibbs says later about the timeline.

_______________________

Salisbury, Md.: I think it's been mentioned that if you promote from within, you can bypass having to interview a minority candidate.

Mark Maske: I don't believe that's true. If you have a head coaching opening, you must interview a minority candidate. No exceptions, as far as I know.

_______________________

Huntsville, Al: Do people not realize how bad Cowher tanked the last season at Pittsburgh? The last thing the Redskins need is someone only half willing to come out of retirement.

Mark Maske: I wouldn't say he tanked it. The Steelers just had a lot of issues that season, beginning with everything that happened with Ben Roethlisberger. The feeling that Cowher was on his way out affected the team, I think, but I wouldn't say that it affected Cowher's effort or performance. The guy is a proven winner and a Super Bowl-winning coach and it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see him be the next coach of the Redskins.

_______________________

D.C.: What are the odds that Saunders stays next year? If Williams gets the job, does that increase or decrease the likelihood of Saunders sticking around?

Mark Maske: I would think if Williams gets the job, it would make sense for Saunders to stay and run the offense while Williams runs the defense. If someone comes in from the outside as head coach, all bets are off.

_______________________

South Bend, Ind.: Mr. Snyder -- please save me from these Notre Dame boosters! Sincerely, Charlie Weis

Mark Maske: There will be no shortage of people who want the Redskins' job, given what it traditionally has paid.

_______________________

Beacon, N.Y.: Not to sound like a detached person from this situation, but why are Redskin fans acting like Gibbs leaving is the end of the world? The fact is that he was a .500 coach for the last 4 years and didn't win a playoff game. I know that he has won Super Bowls, but reality is, in his last run, he is Tom Coughlin...

Mark Maske: He did win one playoff game, actually, but that doesn't really change your point. Part of it is history, what Joe Gibbs has meant to this team and this town. And part of it is what just happened at the end of this season, the job that he did holding everything together under very trying circumstances.

_______________________

Columbia, S.C.: Don't you think it would be best for the Redskins to grab a younger coach? I think I read that no coach over the age of 50 or 55 has won a Super Bowl. Yeah, it's flashy to hire the big free agent or big coach, but success typically comes from consistency and building from the ground (draft) up. I think if you get Cowher, you get someone looking at a quick Super Bowl and then an exit. The problem with the Redskins in my mind is that they always think they are a year away and they aren't. When you get older coaches, it seems like you forgo the longer term for a short term success.

I am a Broncos fan and see the same thing happening with my team.

Mark Maske: You make a pretty good point, although I think that Gibbs actually did a good job of building for the future. He drafted Jason Campbell at a time when it didn't seem like the Redskins needed a quarterback, and suddenly this season there were a bunch of young players making contributions. So I think it's possible for an older coach to take that approach. It just depends on the individual.

_______________________

Miami, Fla.: Cam Cameron to the 'Skins? I heard he's available.

Mark Maske: Yes, but the reason he's available is that he just went 1-15.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: Please don't laugh me out of the chat room, but I have to ask: What are the chances we'll see Snyder hire a real GM in conjunction with the coaching change?

Mark Maske: It all depends on the coach, I would think. I don't think you'll see an approach where the Redskins decide to hire a general manager first and then have that GM go hire the coach. If it's a coach who wants or needs a GM, then you might see a GM. When Snyder hired Steve Spurrier, he tried to hire Bobby Beathard as the GM at the same time but the negotiations with Beathard fell apart at the last minute.

_______________________

Columbia, Md.: While Coach Gibbs lead the Redskins organization with class and brought some stability, I think the second era of Gibbs served to show how good Bobby Beathard, and later, Charlie Casserly were. This time there were a number of horrendous personnel moves, starting with paying way too high a price for Mark Brunell. I also think they suffer from "too many cooks" syndrome on the coaching side.

It would be music to my ears to hear the Redskins announce they will immediately start the search for a GM, but I know that's not going to happen. I can't help but wonder where we would be if we had just kept Marty.

Mark Maske: Why not bring back Marty Schottenheimer? He certainly had success in San Diego, and he and Dan Snyder have been on good terms since he left.

_______________________

San Antonio: Mr. Maske, I'm currently at the end of your book, and find it a better read than "The GM" by Tom Callahan, because he goes too in-depth with Ernie Arcorsi's background as did Halberstam did with Belichick. If you were building a team, how would you align your front office, i.e. a strong president overseeing all operations, or a strong GM overseeing the coach, etc.

Mark Maske: It's an interesting question. If I could get a very, very good general manager, I'd get one and let him run everything. But if I couldn't get a top guy, I wouldn't get a GM just to say I have one. In that case, I'd let my coach run things and try to surround him with a very good scouting staff. I'm not one of those who thinks there's only one way that works. Either way can work, I think. It just depends on the people that you put in the jobs.

_______________________

Old Coaches: To earlier poster:

Belichick is 55, Dungy is 52, Wade Phillips is 60. They all seem to be doing pretty good jobs, don't you think?

Mark Maske: I know Bill Parcells said that coaching is a young man's game now, but I don't know that it's necessarily true. Age isn't the determining factor. Ability is.

_______________________

New York, N.Y.: Enough about Gibbs, who are your picks to win this coming weekend?

Mark Maske: At this point, I like all the favorites, to tell you the truth. I don't see the Jaguars winning in Foxborough unless it's bad weather. I think the Chargers have a chance in Indy but Antonio Gates's injury hurts them. I only like the Giants' chances in Dallas if T.O. is out of the Cowboys' lineup or isn't healthy enough to really contribute. The Seahawks are talented enough to win in Green Bay, but they're not a very good road team. That's boring. I'll have to figure out at least one underdog to pick. But I don't see multiple upsets this weekend.

_______________________

Haymarket, Va.: Thanks Mark for taking our questions.

What do your sources say about the possibility that Gregg Williams actually leaves for a head coaching position elsewhere?

Mark Maske: I don't know that he's a strong candidate for any other head coaching jobs at this point. His name has come up in Miami but most people around the league assume that job is going to Tony Sparano.

_______________________

Bad weather: Any chance the weather will be horrible in New England this Saturday? Can Jacksonville win on a pleasant night?

Mark Maske: That, to me, is the one and only chance the Jaguars have to win. I don't see them winning a good-weather game.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Gibbs' second run: Do you think that Gibbs had difficulty adjusting to the changes in the game that had taken place since his first stint? (Not being able to stash talent on the practice squad, cap concerns, evolving free agency, etc.)

Mark Maske: Yes, he definitely had trouble with that. But he could still manage people, as we saw down the stretch this season.

_______________________

D.C.: If you're the Bills or Browns, do you shop Derek Anderson and JP Losman and pin your future on Brady Quinn and Trent Edwards? If the Browns believe Derek Anderson is the real deal, do they try to move Brady Quinn?

Mark Maske: If I'm the Browns, I keep Anderson. I keep both, in fact. When one guy truly establishes himself, and I'm not ready to say that yet about Anderson, I let the other go. If I'm the Bills, I let Losman go. There didn't seem to be any drop off this season with Edwards playing, and now Losman looks like he might be a problem if he stays.

_______________________

Oakton, Va.: Since this is Washington, let's have a quarterback controversy. I saw some Post pundit earlier this week saying Al Saunders would have to adjust his offense to suit Jason Campbell. I think it's the other way around. Todd Collins and 10 other guys just showed us that Saunders' offense works if you know how to run it. If Saunders is convinced Campbell can't do it, the 'Skins should unload Campbell, draft Joe Flacco, and let Collins start for a year or two.

Mark Maske: To me, the very promising young quarterback is the starter, and you do everything you can to keep Collins around as the backup.

_______________________

Mark Maske: I'm going to run, folks. Thanks for the questions and see you here next week.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.