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Redskins' Cheap Scouting

George Preston Marshall
Redskins QB Eddie LeBaron

Eddie LeBaron

George Preston Marshall, owner of the Washington Redskins from 1932-1969, had a reputation as a cheapskate. One area where he skimped was scouting college players for the draft.

Eddie LeBaron, Redskins QB (1952-59), joked, "They used to say the Redskins scouting budget was 50 cents, the cost of Street and Smith and another football magazine."

Even though he had a GM, Marshall exercised total control over the personnel decisions. He prided himself on evaluating talent even though he had no background as a player or coach.

The Redskins did so little preparation for the draft that other coaches suspected Marshall of cheating.

In his autobiography, legendary Cleveland Browns coach (1946-62) Paul Brown wrote:

At the player draft meetings, we all sat at separate tables with our lists spread before us, and Marshall inevitably made the rounds of each table, coming up from behind, leaning over and giving the big hello. At the same time, he would look over our shoulders at our lists, trying to get some information. After a while, it became so obvious that everyone just closed his book when he saw Marshall coming.

LeBaron says that some teams actually showed lists of players they did not want to sucker Marshall into taking them.

As you might imagine, the Redskins didn't fare well in the drafts. The most egregious example of their lack of preparation occurred in 1946.

With their first round pick, Washington took UCLA RB Cal Rossi.

One problem - Rossi was only a junior and therefore not eligible for the draft.

Undeterred, Marshall selected Rossi again the following year even though he had made it clear that he had no interest in playing pro football.

Reference: Showdown: JFK and the Integration of the Washington Redskins,
Thomas E. Smith (2011)
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