Thursday, October 14 Snyder shows thick 'Skins By Chris Mortensen Special to ESPN.com

There have been some incidents that do not paint a very pretty portrait of Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder. He fired some 25-30 employees when he took over the team, most of them very competent at what they did, and yet most of them were good people who had no direct impact on the football team's performance.

	Despite the presence of perennial Pro Bowler Darrell Green, the Redskins' pass defense ranks last in the NFL.

Snyder also refused to pick up severance pay for these stunned employees, taking the callous attitude of, "I didn't hire them." So the man who did hire them, John Kent Cooke, decided to pay a six-month severance to those employees himself, even though he was no longer owner of the Redskins.

Snyder's actions spoke of his character. It tells us he's not a good guy. I don't think he cares what I think.

But I do think that the Washington Redskins could develop into Super Bowl contenders this year because Snyder has provided the organization with an urgency, intensity and an edge to the 1999 season.

No matter what anybody says, the addition of Bill Arnsparger to the Redskins' coaching staff is a direct result of Snyder's I-want-results-now attitude. The day after the Redskins eeked out a 34-30 victory over the Carolina Panthers, Snyder made it clear to coach Norv Turner that he wanted some changes to a defense that was allowing almost 29.5 points and 433 yards per game.

Snyder didn't tell Turner to fire defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, but the message was otherwise clear: Do something.

There already had been discussion of bringing back former defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon, but both Turner and Petitbon recognized that it would be an awkward fit. (Remember, Turner replaced Petitbon, who was 4-12 in the one season after Joe Gibbs retired).

Turner, whose offense is on a record scoring pace in a 3-1 start, met with Nolan, and although neither man has shared the conversation with me, I imagine it started something like this:

Turner: "Mike, I want to save your job ..."

Turner was astute enough to suggest Arnsparger, one of the NFL's defensive coaching legends who had a relationship with Nolan. Arnsparger had once given Nolan his first job as linebackers coach at LSU. Nolan might have been wounded, but he had no choice, and Arnsparger was the most comfortable decision Turner could have made on his behalf.

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Arnsparger, 72, was the architect of the Miami Dolphins defense that won a Super Bowl. And in his last return to the NFL, he was the defensive coordinator of the surprising San Diego Chargers team that made a Super Bowl appearance in the 1994-95 season.

He joined the Redskins Monday night after watching tapes of the team's first four games. He has already made a few suggestions. Turner insists Nolan will remain the defensive coordinator, but Arnsparger is certain to grow in his role of "defensive specialist."

"He's going to help us," Turner said. "He'll help us with game-planning on Tuesday. He'll give us another set of eyes upstairs during games. He's got a relationship with Mike. We're doing something. It's gonna build confidence for everyone, including Mike."

No matter how bizarre the timing is, Arnsparger should have a positive impact. The Redskins should have a dominating front four with Marco Coleman, Kenard Lang, Dan Wilkinson and Dana Stubblefield, but they've fallen short. The front four should make the linebackers better, but that hasn't been the case, which explains why Turner might bring back veteran Ken Harvey. The secondary enjoys the presence of cornerbacks Darrell Green, a future Hall of Famer who hasn't lost much, and promising top draft pick Champ Bailey.

The NFC race is wide open. If I'm a Dallas Cowboys owner, coach, player or fan, I'm concerned that the Redskins just got better with the addition of Arnsparger. The Green Bay Packers have Brett Favre, but they're not a dominating team. The Minnesota Vikings are struggling. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have Trent Dilfer at quarterback. The 49ers don't know if they will have Steve Young at quarterback. The Falcons have flown south. The St. Louis Rams are hot, but are they for real?

Snyder and Turner aren't blind to their opportunity. They might have hurt Mike Nolan's feelings, and his reputation, but they did the right thing.

Retirement a real possibility for Young
Speaking of Young, the 49ers quarterback could be told by doctors any day now that he needs to retire. If that happens, I believe he'll retire. But if they fudge, Young obviously will struggle with the idea of abandoning his teammates for the 1999 season.

This is why Niners GM Bill Walsh and coach Steve Mariucci won't let Young back on the playing field anytime soon. As much as they want to win, they feel a greater obligation to protect Young from himself.

Young suffered from dizziness, grogginess and headaches last week, clear symptoms of post-concussion syndrome. Though the concussion he suffered appeared to occur in the Monday night game in Arizona on Sept. 27, there is a strong suspicion that his first concussion was a week earlier when he was battered by the New Orleans Saints. He blacked out in the Arizona game. That's not a healthy sign for a quarterback with a concussion history.

Leigh Steinberg, Young's agent, has consistently advised the quarterback to retire. Family members have renewed their pleas, too. I'm told that on one hand Young is listening; on the other, he feels a tremendous loyalty to his teammates.

The state of the 49ers' offensive line, combined with running backs who have little experience in the scheme, make Young vulnerable.

There's no Super Bowl team for Young to quarterback. The 49ers' organization as Young once knew it is no longer. The glory days are over. It's something Young must reconcile, and that must not be an easy thing.

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