Former Redskins GM Scot McCloughan joins Cleveland Browns’ staff

Former Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan is employed once again. Sources say he’s taken up a position as a consultant for the rebuilding Cleveland Browns.

For almost a year, Scot McCloughan has been without a job. He was fired by Bruce Allen and the Washington Redskins in March of 2017. His stint on the unemployment line has ended, however. Per Chris Mortensen, the Cleveland Browns have brought him onto the staff to help shape the roster for future success.

With McCloughan in Cleveland, the talks of the Browns trading for Cousins in a tag-and-trade scenario should die down. McCloughan was the one who was hesitant to sign Cousins in 2015, and earlier this offseason, he said himself that he didn’t think Cousins was special. With all that money on the line, as well as at least one draft pick, McCloughan is sure to quell any conversation of trading for Cousins the instant he steps through the door.

McCloughan will bring a fundamentalist viewpoint to the Browns’ front office, as he did to the Redskins. McCloughan is known for his craving of true football players, prospects who compete and have winning traits and mentalities. This was often evident in McCloughan’s short tenure with the Redskins. Players like Kyshoen Jarrett and Brandon Scherff perfectly embodied his vision.

Unfortunately, not all of McCloughan’s picks were successful in Washington. The team is still waiting on long-term returns from Preston Smith and Josh Doctson. Su’a Cravens is all but gone from the Washington Redskins roster, after just two years. And Matt Jones, the standard example of McCloughan’s failure, is hanging onto his last NFL chance with the Indianapolis Colts.

Still, while McCloughan was far from perfect, he gave the Redskins a sense of security. Too often, with Bruce Allen calling the shots in the personnel department, fans and players alike never know what to expect. This was obvious earlier this week, when Kendall Fuller was unexpectedly traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. Even the players were unaware what was happening.

While the Cleveland Browns have stocked up with reputable talent evaluators, ranging from John Dorsey to Alonzo Highsmith, and now to McCloughan, the Redskins have remained uncharacteristically bare in that area. Bruce Allen still seems to be confident in his abilities, and Dan Snyder seems to share that confidence.

Next: 3 cornerbacks for the Redskins to target in free agency

But after eight years of minimal progress and frequent resets, fans have learned to know better. This year’s draft will be a telling one for the Redskins. Last year, the Redskins reportedly went off of McCloughan’s draft board, from before he was fired. They followed his draft preferences almost to a tee. This year, Bruce Allen is at the top of the totem pole once again. And we cannot know what to expect.