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Scot McCloughan Not With Washington Redskins To Start Free Agency

By Jacob Camenker

Nov 20, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan on the field before the game between the Washington Redskins and the Green Bay Packers at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan on the field before the game between the Washington Redskins and the Green Bay Packers at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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There are a lot of questions about the current status of Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan. He is not with the team at the start of the free agent period.

Just about a week ago, the Washington Redskins announced that their general manager Scot McCloughan would not be at the NFL Combine. The team cited a family matter, the death of McCloughan’s grandmother, as the reason that he would be absent. However, many have questioned the reasoning behind his absence, and it appears to be valid.

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On Tuesday, reports broke that McCloughan is not back with the team yet at Redskins headquarters. The legal tampering period for NFL free agency began at noon, but the general manager is still not with the team. His timetable for return is still uncertain and now, some are wondering if he will return at all.

According to ESPN’s John Keim, there is some speculation that McCloughan may not return to the team. Keim said the following of McCloughan’s absence in a recent piece:

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"McCloughan has been in charge of putting together the roster since he was hired in 2015; he also was given the authority to make player cuts. His absence during a critical time is yet another signal of something wrong in the Redskins’ organization. There have been multiple reports of tension between McCloughan and team president Bruce Allen. There also has been speculation about McCloughan’s future with the organization and how much longer he might last, possibly making it through the draft. McCloughan’s strength over the years has been the college draft; this would be his third with the Redskins."

If there is indeed tension in the Redskins front office, then there will almost certainly be a scapegoat at some point. It appears that the Redskins may be trying to push McCloughan out right now as they figure out a direction to move in.

On the surface, this seems like a massive mistake. McCloughan has generally found some solid players during the draft and it appears that the Redskins are going to be set up as a contender in the coming years. Granted, they are still figuring out the quarterback position, but if they extend Cousins or upgrade the rest of the roster, then they will have a shot at the playoffs. McCloughan has done what he can to make that a reality. Perhaps working with Allen has just made his life difficult.

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Regardless of what happens with McCloughan, one thing will be certain. The team will be attacking free agency without him, and they need to make sure that they sign quality players at good prices. If they do not, then the front office will look bad and the turmoil will continue in the lead up to the draft.

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