For Commanders’ new ownership, five key steps to restore once-proud franchise

The news that Josh Harris and his group had reached an agreement to finally buy the Washington Commanders last week might have been the most unifying event in the nation’s capital in decades. It marked the beginning of the end of Dan Synder’s Reign of Terrible and brought hope that the troubled football franchise is headed toward better days.

Not immediately, of course. The league still has to complete its review of the record $6.05 billion sale to Harris and his group that includes heavyweight investors such as Mitch Rales, David Blitzer and Magic Johnson, and NFL owners still have to vote on it. They may also need to delicately negotiate their way out of several investigations still digging into Snyder and the toxic workplace he built.

When that’s all done — and it will be, probably by the start of the 2023 NFL season — fans can really start looking ahead to a brighter future for a franchise that went 164-220-2 and went to the playoffs only six times in Snyder’s 24 years at the helm. It won’t be easy for the new bosses to restore the luster to this once-proud franchise, and it probably won’t happen quickly.

But there is a path back to glory if they do it the right way. So here’s a look at a few of the items that should be at the top of new ownership’s lengthy to-do list:

Decide who is in charge of the football operation

If the ultimate goal is to build a winning franchise again, this will be the most important decision the new owners make.

Right now, Ron Rivera is in charge, as he has been since 2020. Martin Mayhew was brought in a year later, but the head coach calls the football shots. Is that the structure Harris wants? And are those the people he wants in charge? He almost certainly won’t make any changes now. But by the end of the season he needs to make a decision and a commitment.

The 61-year-old Rivera has been a respected, steady hand on a sinking ship in a sea of turmoil. But his three-year record — 22-27-1 without a winning season and just one playoff berth in a 7-9 season — doesn’t inspire confidence. Of course, it could be argued the record is a miracle given Snyder’s impact and the long-running quarterback issues. But it’s still not good.

The situations are different, but for what it’s worth: When Harris bought the Philadelphia 76ers, he fired GM Ed Stefanski on the same day the sale closed. But when he bought the New Jersey Devils in 2013, he kept GM Lou Lamoriello on for another two years.

By the end of the 2023 season, Harris needs to decide who he wants to lead the Commanders for the next five or so years.

Once those people are in place, don’t meddle; focus on the business instead

The absolute worst thing a team owner can do is get in the way of the people who run the sports side of his business. That almost always leads to terrible decisions. Just ask anyone who worked for Snyder over the past 24 years.

The good news is that Harris doesn’t have a reputation for being a meddler. Also, as the owner of three professional sports teams, he probably doesn’t have time to be intricately involved in the day-to-day decisions.

And in the past, he has sounded like an owner who knows his appropriate place.

“I’d like to keep the visibility on [the general manager and CEO], but not be invisible,” he told NJ.com after his first year as the Devils’ owner. “The most important job I have as an owner is to pick the two guys next to me and then provide the resources and hold them accountable.”

That’s the right approach. But he certainly can be more hands-on on the business side of the operation, whether that’s with team president Jason Wright running things or someone else. There have been a lot of unhappy, paranoid employees working there, including long-time survivors of what many have described as a toxic culture during Snyder’s reign.

Harris needs to rebuild the trust of those employees, make their workplace more pleasant and more efficient. There will surely be major changes to personnel and structure. But that’s much more Harris’ area than choosing who the next quarterback should be.

Get working on a new stadium

FedEx Field has long been an embarrassment and probably the least fan-friendly stadium in the NFL. From Snyder’s constant tinkering with the capacity and structure, to the maintenance failures, to the bad location. It’s only 26 years old, but it feels much older.

The Commanders obviously and desperately need a new building (and a new practice facility, too) and seem to have plenty of options in Maryland, Virginia or even possibly in D.C. on the site of the old RFK Stadium. There’s been little movement on that front because, according to a team source, several local politicians didn’t want to deal with Snyder, and some felt they couldn’t because of the uncertainty of whether he was selling the team or if the league would force him out.

Some of them, though, are eager to deal with new ownership. Harris should — and surely will — look to capitalize quickly on that. He surely has already started to lay the groundwork.

Invest in the team (and not just by paying players)

The NFLPA players survey released in the fall that showed the Commanders ranked dead last in the league in terms of facilities, treatment of players, their families and more should have been alarming — if only the bosses cared. They got horrible marks for everything from their tiny hot tubs, to small lockers, to the poor drainage and lack of hot water in the showers, bad food, lack of space on team flights, being forced to have roommates on the road and the way their families are treated.

Harris has shown a willingness to spend what’s necessary with his other two teams and to do what’s necessary to make the organizations attractive destinations for other players. He has a lot of work to get to that point in Washington, but he has to upgrade the facilities and hire the right people to make life more comfortable for his players.

It’s the only way to convince good players who have other options to come.

Reconnect with the franchise’s history

First of all, the new owners are unlikely to rebrand the franchise. The name “Commanders” is probably here to stay. And they’re certainly never going back to the previous name given its racist connotations. But that doesn’t mean the franchise can’t embrace its history far more than it has.

There are plenty of former players who wanted no part of their old franchise while it was being ruled by Snyder, and many didn’t feel welcome anymore. Snyder was even being sued by a group of former “Hogs” — the legendary offensive line that’s as much a part of Washington football history as any group ever.

Fans love winning more than anything, but history and tradition are a close second. Harris needs to welcome all the old players back. Honor them at games, invite them to practices, have them speak more frequently to the team so they can connect with the current players. Too few of them are presences around the franchise and its media operations.

That needs to change. Because as the Commanders move forward into what they hope is a better future, they will make everyone happy by staying connected to their glorious past.

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.

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