MVN: Most Valuable Network

The Baltimore Ravens set the foundation for Saturday's AFC Playoff "upset" of the Tennessee Titans long ago when they named Ozzie Newsome as general manager.

That Baltimore won the close, hard fought game isn't all that surprising. Going into week 15 of the regular season, the betting community offered 5:1 odds that the Ravens would win the AFC Conference. Those were the same odds offered for the Indianapolis Colts. The Tennessee Titans were 2:1 odds at that point.

Compare those odds to the shocking Arizona Cardinals (12:1) and Philadelphia Eagles (14:1) to win the NFC Conference.

(Odds reported via a Dec. 11, 2008, email received from Jimmy Shapiro citing www.BodogLife.com.)

(The Redskins are 3-0 against the Cardinals and Eagles this season. That makes you feel good and bad all at once.)

The Ravens way 

In stark contrast to the Redskins, the Ravens are steadfast in building talent primarily through the draft, favoring big rugged hitters over skill players, and stability in the front office and ownership. (Art Modell is still a minority owner of the Baltimore Ravens.)

Of the remarkable Mr. Newsome's first 11 drafts since 1996 when he was named Director of Player Personnel, his No. 1 picks have been named to 33 Pro Bowls. His first ever picks were OT Jonathan Ogden and LB Ray Lewis, those "big uglies" who actually manage to win games.

Newsome's pick of quarterback Joe Flacco from small school Delaware is the big to-do this season, but he made OG Ben Grubbs his top pick in the 2007 draft. Grubbs was a 16 game starter this season. In 2006, Newsome invested his first round pick in defensive nose tackle Haloti Ngata, who has started every game since.

That's two up front guys to the one skill player. All of them starters withing a year of their draft. Ozzie Newsome, the Hall of Fame tight end for the franchise (Cleveland) knows where football games are won.

We don't need no stinkin' ex-coaches

Study Newsome's bio, along with other top drawer GMs, Bill Polian (Colts), Scott Pioli (Patriots), Tom Dimitroff (Atlanta), and two things jump out at you:

1. They follow the NFL scouting career path. Coaching does not, not, NOT prepare anyone to be a successful GM.
2. They rise through the ranks to the top of their organization, mostly, where the team owners stick with them.

Joe Gibbs was welcomed back in Washington in 2004 after Steve Spurrier. Who wouldn't have been after the "Fun 'n' Gun" devolved to "Pass 'n' Gas?" But the legendary coach was not the best hire that Daniel Snyder could have made. He was just the only hire Snyder would listen to.

Gibbs' 2004-07 record was tolerable, even with the playoff appearances, only because he was Joe Gibbs. As a fan, I hoped that Gibbs would fire himself from either his head coach or GM role for his own sake and that of the team.

The Buffalo Bills, perhaps taking a cue from the Redskins, hired their legendary Hall of Fame head coach, 80 year old Marv Levy, to be general manager in 2006. Levy wasn't as successful as the GM he worked for, Bill Polian.

Bills fans weren't impressed with the Polian hire in 1986. His roster moves would get the franchise to four straight Super Bowls.

Well, maybe Parcells

There is one big, tuna-sized exception to the coach to GM rule--Bill Parcells. The Giants, Jets, Patriots, Cowboys and Dolphins all morphed into playoff teams under Parcells.

Scott Pioli, Parcells' son-in-law, worked closely with Bill Belichick, a Parcells clone, on the Patriots. Tom Dimitroff worked under Pioli at the Patriots and was conspicuously Atlanta's first personnel move after the disastrous 2007 season.

That's something for disgruntled football fans of failed teams to keep in mind. Bill Cowher is not your best GM candidate. So, give it a rest.

The best move is for Vinny Cerrato to stay, for now

Here's the deal. Most Washington fans distrust Daniel Snyder's football instincts. We like the passion. We like the willingness to spend. We are aghast when he goes agog for style over substance. The Redskins' tend to pick the glamor guys over the grunts.

Vinny Cerrato is viewed as Snyder's sycophant, a willing enabler of bad choices. I'm seeing that was a necessary career tactic for Cerrato, given who he worked for. I can't honestly say I would have done differently to keep a dream job. Neither would you, brother. Neither would you.

Cerrato did not have the stature of Marty Schottenheimer. If Snyder could fire Marty Schottenheimer, what chance did little ol' Vinny have?

Cerrato has the necessary personnel background and time with the team that is advantageous in other places. He has a mixed bag as a talent picker. He selected Terrell Owens for the 49ers. He selected J.J. Stokes, too. Give Cerrato credit for making decent selections with Washington's low 2006 and 2007 draft picks. 

And he has the one commodity that Scott Pioli and maybe Bill Cowher would not have initially--the owner's trust. That trust factor gives Cerrato a fair chance to make something of the roster without too much interference from Snyder.

That's the lesson from Baltimore. Don't underestimate front office stability. The Redskins will go further over the next two seasons with Cerrato than with anyone not related to Bill Parcells.

Let's see how this turns out.