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"I was told (last week) that there were three coaches specifically," Russell said. "And I've been reporting about Callahan wanting out and Tomsula wanting out, and the third coach was Ben Kotwica."
"This does not surprise me in any way," he added. "What I was told at the time was they are done, they are tired of the three-ring circus. They don't want to be here. It is not fun for them.
"It is not enjoyable for them. It's going nowhere. They understand the politics. They understand the culture, in that there is none, and they understand how acrimonious and smoke-filled that building is. Period."
"Your sources are telling you confirmed that these guys want out, simply because of how toxic the culture has become in Ashburn?" Dukes said.
"Yeah. Now, that is just one source," Russell clarified. "I have been able to get it confirmed on Callahan, yes, by more than one source. Not on Tomsula.
"And again, Kotwica was the third coach mentioned in the trio of coaches that wanted out and that's what leads us to, presumably, him going to the Redskins and saying, 'Hey look, I'm not happy here' or whatever the situation is. 'I'd like to interview with the Atlanta Falcons.' And of course they hire him."
Russell noted that Falcons head coach Dan Quinn, like Kotwica, is a New Jersey-area native, which could have precipitated the move. "I don't know exactly what that relationship is," he said.
"I'm not saying that Kotwica was walking on water and was not able to be criticized, or not in trouble at times or just this saint. I'm not saying that," he said. "But what I am saying is, I've known Ben Kotwica for five years – that dude does not mess around. He is a hardcore. He's a military guy. He fought for our country and he's turned himself from a soldier and a member of our military, into a pretty damn fine special teams coordinator.
"I just think he got fed up with, again, the circus and the culture and all of the stuff that goes on around that building that people don't want to necessarily admit, but that fans are finally starting to realize really is a thing and not just a media creation."
"Does Jay Gruden think it's a toxic situation?" Loverro asked.