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Scot McCloughan Is The Biggest 2017 NFL Free Agent Left

By Erik Lambert

Sep 20, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan walks on the field prior to the Redskins' game against the St. Louis Rams at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 20, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan walks on the field prior to the Redskins' game against the St. Louis Rams at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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The amazing thing about 2017 NFL free agency is that the best man available left isn’t a player. It’s a former general manager of the Washington Redskins.

It’s becoming difficult to pinpoint where things went wrong on that front. Scot McCloughan looked like one of the best investment owner Daniel Snyder had ever made. He was building a strong roster and giving the team an identity. He didn’t fear the big decisions either, deciding to go with Kirk Cousins over Robert Griffin III. Fast forward to early 2017 and just like that his time is over. The Redskins fired him after just two seasons in charge.

Some have blamed his long-discussed drinking problem that got him in trouble with previous jobs in San Francisco and Seattle. However, there are others who think McCloughan was the victim of an internal power struggle. Most notably with team president Bruce Allen. In the end, in order to save face and cover up the real reason for his dismissal, it was rumored the Redskins made the move because of a resurfacing of those issues.

Something a number of players on the team refuted accord to Albert Breer of the MMQB.

"“What’s pissing me off is how everything is Scot’s fault,” said one veteran player. “This is not Scot’s fault. Everyone here appreciates Scot. … Let’s be honest, the issues are there, but he’s never gotten in front of the team drunk or anything like that. Whoever is saying that needs to stop.”“If that was there, he did a good job of hiding it,” said another player. “There was never a discussion about that, at least that I saw.”"

That’s when the buzz started to come out that McCloughan was actually sent packing because he was doing too good a job. Allen feared he might lose power and influence within the organization.

RISK vs. REWARD

There is no way to tell if this is true. Allen and Snyder will never admit to it. All that is left is to decide what happens for Scot McCloughan next. Teams no doubt will want to do heavy research into whether this drinking problem was a factor. If it wasn’t though, there is a good chance an organization could get one of the best eyes for talent in the game. Here is a breakdown of some notable names he either signed or drafted during his run as a GM in San Francisco and Washington.

  • Alex Smith
  • Frank Gore
  • Vernon Davis
  • Delanie Walker
  • Patrick Willis
  • Joe Staley
  • Dashon Goldson
  • Justin Smith
  • Brandon Scherff

This doesn’t even account for his time spent in Seattle as a senior executive with the Seahawks. During that span they built their powerhouse roster featuring Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, Bobby Wagner, Michael Bennett, Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch. This is a proven track record of success that stretches back over a decade. Every team that he has helped build ended up in the playoffs. Two of them went to the Super Bowl.

Yes there is risk attached to the idea. Even so, what he could do for the franchise is worth it. Isn’t that what the NFL is all about?

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