There’s a theory making the rounds in league circles that the promotion of offensive coordinator Jim Zorn to head coach in Washington has more to do with Vinny Cerrato than it did with Zorn.

As the theory goes, Zorn was deemed to be the least likely of the candidates to challenge Cerrato’s authority as the new Executive V.P. of Football Operations.

“For as long as he has been in D.C., Vinny has been second fiddle to the coach,” one league source said.  “This time, he gets promoted and hires an inexperienced coach who will not make waves. . . .  Mooch and Fassel would have threatened Vinny because of their past success and experience.  The fact that Vinny was promoted before the head coach hire was a veiled sign that Vinny would be making the call.  In the end, it was own insecurity that made for the hire of Zorn.”

It was believed that Fassel was the leading candidate primarily because he would likely be so grateful to get a job that he’d defer to Vinny.  But if Fassel had had any success on the job, that might have changed.