Commanders coach Ron Rivera opens up on ‘reduction’ of sale

Because the information broke on Thursday afternoon that a record-breaking deal to promote the Washington Commanders had been reached (however not but signed), the feelings contained in the staff’s headquarters couldn’t be denied.

“Type of reduction,” Commanders coach Ron Rivera advised USA TODAY Sports activities on Friday.

A bunch led by Philadelphia 76ers proprietor Josh Harris and together with Mitchell Rales and Earvin “Magic” Johnson reached an settlement in precept to buy the Commanders from Dan and Tanya Snyder for $6.05 billion – the best worth ever for a U.S. sports activities franchise – and certain finish the tenure of the NFL’s most despised proprietor.

There’s nonetheless a window of alternative over the following couple of days for an additional bidder, maybe Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos, to high the file bid. However after weeks of drama that included the query of whether or not the embattled Snyder would really promote the staff, the transition seems to be imminent.

“It actually appeared like a load was lifted, as a result of everyone was on pins and needles for the final couple of months,” Rivera mentioned, reflecting on the response. “You type of puzzled what was going to occur.”

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After a brief break to course of the event on Thursday, what occurred subsequent?

“Then we bought proper again to the draft conferences,” Rivera mentioned. “We’ll nonetheless be enterprise as regular.”

Rivera and different key members of the Commanders mind belief, together with GM Martin Mayhew and president Jason Wright, have been pressed to hold on as if they’re in place for the lengthy haul, despite the fact that uncertainty is at all times a part of the bundle when a brand new proprietor arrives.

Then once more, as Rivera acknowledged, teaching within the NFL at all times comes with the urgency of making an attempt to win now…whereas making an attempt to set the desk to win later, too.

“On the finish of the day,” Rivera mentioned, “it’s a must to make one of the best of it proper now.”

In the course of the latest NFL league conferences in Phoenix, Mayhew insisted that the prospects of a sale had “zero influence” on the staff’s offseason strikes. He indicated that he wasn’t aware about particulars surrounding the bidding course of and that he really most popular that in order to focus purely on soccer issues.

“It’s all about placing collectively an excellent soccer staff for 2023,” Mayhew advised reporters in late March. “That’s the place our focus is.”

After beating the Dallas Cowboys of their finale to shut out the 2022 season at 8-8-1, the Commanders made some key strikes in free company to fortify the trenches. After initially inserting the franchise tag on defensive deal with Daron Payne, they signed him to a four-year, $90 million extension. They added offensive deal with Andrew Wyllie from the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and middle Nick Gates from the New York Giants. Jacoby Brissett, a journeyman who spent final season in Cleveland, is the veteran presence at quarterback to compete with Sam Howell, the front-runner for the beginning function who stays unproven as he heads into his second season.

There’s nonetheless a call to make concerning the fifth-year possibility on defensive finish Chase Younger, however after signing defensive deal with Jonathan Allen to a four-year, $72 million extension final yr, the Commanders are positioned to maintain their gifted defensive position collectively for a number of extra years.

Additionally, the rent of Eric Bieniemy to run the offense additionally underscores urgency – for the staff and for the coordinator bypassed for a number of head teaching jobs regardless of his key function on Andy Reid’s staffs with the Chiefs.

“Ending robust in opposition to Dallas was an excellent tone-setter for the offseason,” mentioned Rivera, heading into his fourth season in Washington. “We’ve tried to construct off that. Free company helped us quite a bit. So it’s enterprise as regular. Hiring Eric Bieniemy mirrored that. Now the draft.”

Barring a commerce, Washington will decide sixteenth within the first spherical of the draft on April 27. Rivera maintains that the Commanders have the luxurious of drafting one of the best out there participant.

“We don’t must take a place,” he mentioned. “We will take no matter gamers is accessible in our slot that may finest assist us. We will solely management what we will management. We’ll react to what the folks in entrance of us do within the draft.”

At the very least one huge thriller appears to be on the verge of being resolved. After When each side finalize phrases of the sale, the deal will then be vetted by the NFL’s finance committee earlier than being introduced to the complete physique of homeowners, with 24 votes wanted for approval. Presumably, the house owners might be introduced a deal to evaluate at their subsequent spherical of league conferences in Eagan, Minnesota, in late Might.

For Rivera and Co., it’s a distinct sort of enterprise as regular.

Because the coach put it, “Now that they’ve give you a deal, we will proceed to do what we’ve been doing.”

Comply with USA TODAY Sports activities’ Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.

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