Redskins Christmas Wishes

Wednesday is Christmas day. A time to unwrap the gifts and not stare out at our credit card bill. A time to wish each other well and make Christmas wishes in our minds.

Here's my Christmas wishes for the Redskins organization:

1. Get rid of Bruce Allen by any means necessary: I think we know the reasons why and the methods that it can be done. Allen is Dan Snyder's "Linus" from the famed Peanuts.

His personal security blanket. His drinking buddy. His golfing pal. His confidant.

It doesn't matter. Your friend has ruined your business. In every way. The only reason Allen still has a job is because he is your amigo. That's it. Cut the cord. Snyder and Vinny Cerrato were close friends at one point and they haven't talked more than a couple of times over the last ten years. I don't believe that helps the cause.

2. Promote Kyle Smith: The Redskins college scouting director has done a more than fine job over the last two years running the draft and long before that as the Redskins top college scout, working the most important region, the Southeast.

General Manager? Fine. Vice President of Player Personnel? Fine. If Bruce Allen is still the president -- less than fine but maybe you avoid losing Smith to another organization.

He's still under contract until June of 2021, finally signing his rollover contract months after Doug Williams and Alex Santos did. Why? He has to know that his future is bright elsewhere and restricted here.

He could have the No. 2 pick to work with.

3. Do not hire a crony of Allen's: Anybody that has any kind of philosophical allegiance to Allen should never be hired or promoted. Period.

4. Cut Josh Norman next week: Don't wait. No reason too. He's not good. He hasn't been good, long before this year. You have to take on a $3 million cap hit. It doesn't matter. It's worth it. He offers nothing.

5. Trade or release Montae Nicholson: A problem to deal with off the field and far from good enough on the field. He shows flashes but that's about it. No more TMZ headlines with the Redskins, please.

6. Extend Jonathan Allen: He's three years into his NFL career, meaning for the first time he's eligible for an extension. He's not coming off the best year, one that got started the wrong way with a knee injury. Perhaps you can lock him up at a more favorable rate like the Redskins got with Matt Ioannidis.

Yes, the Redskins have the right to give Allen the fifth-year option this spring and they should unless an extension is done by then but don't let Allen, maybe a better leader than football player, get to a situation where he has a monster year or has major leverage.

7. Do not cut Adrian Peterson: Even if you think you can do better and cheaper, you can't so don't.

8. Sign a veteran quarterback: I can't trust that Alex Smith will be able to play. Colt McCoy is one-thousand percent gone. I can't imagine Case Keenum wants to come back although if he did, I think you could do a lot worse.

9. Re-sign Ereck Flowers to a team-friendly deal: The Redskins can't afford to go crazy here because it's unknown if this is just the beginning of Flowers taking off or a one-year wonder. However, Bill Callahan has wanted to bring Flowers in for a long time, finally got him and the Redskins coaching staff along with Flowers did a remarkable job.

That should be rewarded. How about a three-year deal worth an average of $6 million per year or something like that. If he busts, it's not a killer. If he improves, you have a bargain.

10. Do not waste $15 million dollars on Brandon Scherff: This is going to be an unpopular spin because for some reason, many think he is dominant.

He's occasionally dominant. Very occasionally. He's good and sometimes great. He's not consistently great, never mind anything more.

He's also breaking down. Two games in 2017. Eight games missed in 2018. Five more in 2019. No thanks.

I can't pay premium rates for broken down and injured.

I would also say this: I believe that Scherff has no desire to commit long term to the Redskins unless it's top of the market cash, so what are we doing here? Extending the inevitable by one more year?

Again, no thanks.

Chris Russell is the Publisher of Maven & Sports Illustrated's Washington Redskins channel. He can be heard on 106.7 The FAN in the Washington D.C. area and world-wide on Radio.com. Chris also hosts the "Locked on Redskins" Podcast and can be read via subscription to Warpath Magazine. You can e-mail Chris at russellmania09@Gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @Russellmania621.