WFT New GM: How Should We Judge Hurney's History?

ASHBURN, Va. -- Marty Hurney is set to become the next Washington Football Team general manager. Whether he'll be alone in the GM branch of the front office or with a tag-team partner remains to be seen. Multiple sources have indicated to Fish and yours truly that Ron Rivera had a larger-scale plan in mind.

READ MORE: 'Marty-Ball' Returns to D.C.

READ MORE: Rivera's Desired Plan

Meanwhile, some Washington Football fans are upset about the move for several reasons. Let's dissect those ...

1. They want Kyle Smith: That's not happening. Rivera didn't even interview him and as talented as Smith is, he has no experience for what Rivera ideally is looking for.

2. Critics are concerned with 'Charlotte-North' or the feeling of too many faces being brought in and not enough fresh ideas. We'll argue that a differing philosophy is important because it breeds discussion and new concepts.

At the same time: In all walks of life, we lean and gravitate towards the comfortable and the known commodities. That's just the way life works for everyone. Rivera wants trusted allies around him.

3. Hurney's record: This is a big one and I'm not here to tell you it doesn't matter at all.

In 15 seasons as a general manager, including 2017, when he was the interim GM after Dave Gettleman was fired in July of that same year, Hurney's executive win-loss record is 108-121 by our math.

Clearly not good enough, and as my pal Chris McLain of WFNZ Radio mentioned Tuesday on The Team 980, Hurney has yet to have a winning record in back-to-back seasons.

Here's the problem with judging someone solely by a win-loss record - or by any numbers or any stats, as numbers can be made to dance any which-way: It's a prism that allows for no context.

Hurney was largely responsible for building two teams in different NFL eras that made it to a Super Bowl. That, too, is a "stat.''

What else screws with the "record''? One of those teams advanced to the Super Bowl ... but Hurney did not get credit for on his official record. That's a 15-1 team in 2015, and while it's true that he was fired in the middle of the 2012 season, a significant part of that roster was the reason they made it.

He was involved in the choices of Cam Newton, Luke Keuchly and more.

One other thing to keep in mind. Ron Rivera has a winning record overall as a head coach. Great, but if we're just purely judging by wins and losses - if we're "making numbers dance'' - he's had a losing record in seven of his 10 seasons an NFL head coach.

And two of his "winning seasons'' (in which he won two division titles) he was actually a "loser'' (because he did so with a losing record)!

He's also had a losing record in four of five seasons entering 2021.

Rivera in his career has presided over 11-win, 15-win and 12-win teams, meaning Rivera has had some ultra high peaks but the reality is there's been plenty of down years.

So what? Does that mean Ron Rivera is a bad coach? Of course not. Does that mean Rivera doesn't know how to motivate or manage a football team? I think we know the answer to that.

So let's keep Hurney's record as an executive in proper context, understanding that while numbers matter, something matters even more: the experienced Hurney has a resume of more positives than negatives, works well with Rivera, and marks a hopeful end to WFT's long-standing issue with front-office dysfunction and drama.

Add up those "dysfunction-and-drama'' stats. ... and the elimination of those is a result of the Rivera/Hurney pairing, WFT just added to the "win column.''