Scott McCloughan: Honest Evaluation and Contract Renewal

[Skinsinparadise]

Just caught this article via breaking news, interesting perspective from the packers side of things about the Redskins and here about Scot.

http://www.packersnews.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2016/11/15/packers-next-opponent-redskins-scouting-report/93923800/

When Ron Wolf was the Packers’ general manager from late 1991 to early 2001 he periodically would invite people with interest in being a scout to visit the team’s headquarters and take a test. They were given tape of some players, a few hours time and told to write scouting reports.

Scot McCloughan, the Redskins’ general manager, is one of those who passed the exercise with flying colors.

“It’s a skill some people have,” Wolf said, referring to the ability to evaluate football players. “Those that are really good are really good; those that aren’t good aren’t good. It’s kind of like playing the game. You either can play it or you can’t play it. There’s no middle road there. Scot is an exceptional guy in that area.”

McCloughan, a graduate of Wichita State, played three years of minor-league baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays. His father, Kent, played cornerback for the Raiders from 1965-’70 before spending more than 30 years scouting for the team. He and Wolf worked together for years.

“One of my closest friends was his father,” Wolf said Tuesday. “He recommended Scot. We brought him in, he did very well and so we hired him.”

That was January 1995. McCloughan, 45, spent the next five years serving as the Midlands area scout for the Packers before departing in April 2000 to become director of college scouting in Seattle.

He worked under Mike Holmgren and Ted Thompson until becoming vice president of player personnel for the 49ers in 2005. Three years later he was named GM, a position he held for two years.

“He goes from our place to running the thing in Seattle to running the entire operation in San Francisco,” said Wolf. “He changed the entire structure and formation of their team. He laid the framework that (Jim) Harbaugh really enjoyed there with all those tremendous players.

“He’s a very good scout. All you’ve got to do is see his meteoric rise.”

About the time McCloughan left San Francisco is when he began his struggles with alcohol. John Schneider, his former colleague in Green Bay and Seattle, brought him back to the Seahawks as an executive in personnel from 2010-’13 but alcohol again played a role in his departure.

Redskins owner Dan Snyder took a chance on McCloughan in January 2015 and hasn’t been disappointed.

“He’s doing wonders now with the Redskins,” said Wolf, who has regular conversations with McCloughan. “In his first year they’re in the playoffs. He’s had a phenomenal career.”

Last season, the Redskins were picked to finish 3-13 by Sports Illustrated. They went 9-7, winning the NFC East for the second time in 16 years, before being ousted by the Packers, 35-18, in a wild-card playoff game.

“I would think toughness would be a very important thing for him,” Wolf said. “The game is predicated on size and speed. People want to make fun of that but really that’s what the game is all about. You have size and speed, you’re going to be successful.”

[TSO]

31 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

Just caught this article via breaking news, interesting perspective from the packers side of things about the Redskins and here about Scot.

 

That's a great find, SIP. I also really enjoyed reading the first part: 

Quote

GREEN BAY - Before the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins met in an NFC wild-card playoff game in January a panel of four NFL personnel agreed to select the winner.

The Packers, a 1½-point underdog, nevertheless got the nod from all four scouts: 31-24, 24-20, 28-24 and 28-21.

Right the scouts were as Green Bay, after a terrible start led to an 11-0 deficit, defeated the Redskins, 35-18.

Ten months later, on Sunday night at FedEx Field, the Packers will be the underdog again, this time by 2½ points. The difference is, a panel of four personnel people tabbed Washington to win by scores of 20-17, 28-21, 29-27 and 24-21.

“I don’t know what the hell happened to Green Bay,” an executive said Tuesday. “I think Green Bay will be able to throw on them quite a bit. Down the middle (on defense) the Redskins are weak.

“But Green Bay can’t stop anyone now? What is going on? With the injuries on the offensive line and to (Clay) Matthews, I’ll go Redskins.”

Another personnel director took Washington because he called it a “resilient” team with a top-notch defensive coordinator in Joe Barry.

“I like the Redskins at home, 20-17,” a third scout said. “(Jay) Gruden and his staff are playing mistake-free football trying not to beat themselves. Pretty balanced across the board with offense, defense and special teams.

“If you’re looking for flash you won’t find that in Washington. Not a lot of big-name players. More of the journeyman, blue-collar type team that finds ways to win.”

The Redskins started 0-2, won four in a row and sit in third place in the torrid NFC East race at 5-3-1.

“I don’t know if Green Bay can stop the bleeding unless they score on every possession,” an AFC personnel man said. “Defensively, they lack pressure and coverage, and last week they struggled to slow down the run.

“Kirk Cousins may not have weapons of mass production, but they have a variety of good playmakers at each position. The defense is just starting to form enough chemistry to play like a complete unit instead of a bunch of individual parts.”

 

Those are some very interesting takes from personnel guys that run contrary to some of the popular takes by Skins' fans (specifically regarding Joe Barry and Kirk's assortment of weapons). 

Super interesting read. I'd advise everyone to click on the link, there's a ton more there. They can be off on some of their assessments on our players here and there, but for the most part it's spot on. 

It's just nice to see the healthy respect we're beginning to garner from people around the league.  

[Long n Left]

17 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

LOL, yeah as for Bruce Allen it was only for like 2 minutes.  Seemed like a cool guy but can't make a judgment on such a tiny sample.  With Scot, I feel pretty confident after 2 hrs.  It's not like Scot comes off as some sort of saint -- but he comes off as a guys guy -- easy going, funny, cool -- fun guy to have a beer with.

I've known Bruce for quite a while, friend of a friend, and golfing buddy. He is a super guy, very cool and easy to relate to when he's away from all the junk. Was a bit of a wild child in his younger days, but then, weren't we all?

[RedBeast]

These are qualities that are hard to define and measure; morale in the locker room, a clearly defined FO strategy, how we are beginning to gain some respect as a team and as an operation externally, etc. Really the only true measuring stick is performance on the field and the win loss column at the end of the season, but something special is happening here. Something good, hopefully it will continue to gather mass and be really good. I believe that we are on the right track and a lot of it has to do with GMSM and the attitude and quality of players he is bringing in.

The other part that I really love is how it seems that he is beginning to love this team, the heritage and history, the fans and the area. That is so critical IMO for our GM NOT to be a hired gun, looking for a bigger light or always looking back to the west coast. Longevity and stability is critical for any organizations management team and the fact that he seems to really want to be here and has that vision of getting another ring? That speaks miles to me.

I believe his earlier mistakes helped shape him, the issues with the drinking, the divorce, the year off. We all go through trials and tribulations as people and many of us grow, mature and learn from them. It's also good that he can put that behind him and see the great opportunity he has here, which I think he has done all of this, in some manner or another. Sometimes a fresh start, with the right opportunity leads to places you would have never expected. Getting up for work, and working long hours, is a hell of alot easier when you love where you are, who you are with and what you are doing. And that goes for the players and the rest of the organization as well.

I don't mind the strikes so much anymore in the draft because our drafting, FA strategy and player development has greatly improved. Everybody misses and he is human just like the rest of us. Just keep it to a minimum, ok? Hahahaha. Imagine 5 years of front office and coaching stability, solid drafting and FA's, great cap management, and Danny staying out of Ops and still be willing to pay whatever is necessary? Hmmm, sounds like a winning combination?

I think I am becoming a "McHomer"? What can I say? LOL

[CapsSkins]

SIP, your posts are like crack to me.

While staying respectful to anything Scot told you in confidence, can you at all provide any insights towards the FA strategy with DeSean, Pierre and obviously Kirk? There are some huge decisions to make this offseason!

[SkinsGuy]

12 hours ago, thesubmittedone said:

Another personnel director took Washington because he called it a “resilient” team with a top-notch defensive coordinator in Joe Barry.

 

"Top Notch"?!?  

Man, I should start a thread with this ^ line. Imagine the craziness.  

[TSO]

6 hours ago, CapsSkins said:

While staying respectful to anything Scot told you in confidence, can you at all provide any insights towards the FA strategy with DeSean, Pierre and obviously Kirk? There are some huge decisions to make this offseason!

 

@Skinsinparadise

Scot did get into it with him a little, but those are things best kept behind closed doors we decided.  

[goskins10]

13 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

Just caught this article via breaking news, interesting perspective from the packers side of things about the Redskins and here about Scot.

Edit

“I would think toughness would be a very important thing for him,” Wolf said. “The game is predicated on size and speed. People want to make fun of that but really that’s what the game is all about. You have size and speed, you’re going to be successful.”

 

Really great article. Probably the most fair assessment of the team. Here is something that stuck out to me:

Second-year coordinator Joe Barry directs a one-gap style of 3-4 base defense. His coverages are multiple, but lately he has been favoring man behind pressure. According to Sportradar, the Redskins rank eighth in blitz rate (33.8%). Much like the Titans, he has 300-pounders roving around on some third downs. The Redskins rank tied for 12th in takeaways (12), 17th in points (23.2) and 21st in yards (365.4).

8th in blitz %. That's a lot higher than I thought, especially from many of the comments in the game day thread.

[Darrell Green Fan]

I hate to be a buzz kill but let's not forget the risk that comes with SM and the reason he is no longer in SF or Seattle. We are Redskins fans, apparently we are no longer allowed to have nice things.

[Conn]

2 hours ago, Darrell Green Fan said:

I hate to be a buzz kill but let's not forget the risk that comes with SM and the reason he is no longer in SF or Seattle. We are Redskins fans, apparently we are no longer allowed to have nice things.

Scot basically has his dream job here--he's a GM, but he's really just a super scout with final say. Allen handles the management minutia that apparently drove Scot to drink (not that any personal or work struggles can be boiled down to any one reason, but the onslaught of the "non-football" details seem to have been a big stressor for Scot in SF). 

He also had a really hard time firing Nolan in SF...if things really go south and McCloughan has to start a coaching search I might get a little more worried about his red flags resurfacing, especially because it's clear he and Jay are kindred spirits with a lot of mutual respect between them. Let's just continue rooting for Gruden being the last HC we need for a good long while and skip the whole issue.

But right now I'd say everything is going pretty smoothly, and he's with an organization that knew about his issues and invested in and trusted him anyways. That can motivate a lot of people, and I imagine Scot is among that type but that's just my speculation.

Just a really weird post to stumble upon right now considering how well things are trending for the team and organization, DGF.

[Wildbunny]

19 hours ago, CapsSkins said:

SIP, your posts are like crack to me.

While staying respectful to anything Scot told you in confidence, can you at all provide any insights towards the FA strategy with DeSean, Pierre and obviously Kirk? There are some huge decisions to make this offseason!

Man, I understand that you are eager for more info from SIP regarding is interview with Scott, I believe we are all alike. But if SIP would be passing along info, I would not welcome it for the following reasons.

1 - Saying things behind doors is showing trust to the people in the room at the time being. Spreading what was said, is then betraying that trust. Thus Scott would merely never ever again allow something like this gift happen again.

2 - As Scott, you don't want any info regarding your players slipped through a fan forum from one of their member. That would piss players and their agent. That would also piss other's players agents throughout the league that wouldn't see Scott as regarded as he may be right now. Example: Our plans are to cut DJax next offseason, but, obviously, you want to keep in concentrated for the remaining of the season. You want to keep him performing at 100% on any given sunday, so you haven't informed his agent yet. If news starts to leak that he's not going to be here next year, you'll have a pretty pissed DJax that might not give his best effort for the remainder of the season, might fake injuries, not put in the work necessary in training sessions, And you'll have his agent calls you asap to kill you.

Now, do the same thing replacing DJax with Kirk Cousins.

3 - We've spend enough time complaining about leaks coming from inside this team, not to create them ourselves.

4 - I'm pretty sure the mods are closely looking over this, so that doesn't happen. In any case some might lose their jobs, or I dunno, but maybe the Redskins could even take some legal action against SIP.

So, while I understand your position, I believe we all have to be grateful to SIP for giving us the info he gathered, which is already quite important, and leaves everything that left stay in the room where it was said.

14 hours ago, SkinsGuy said:

 

"Top Notch"?!?  

Man, I should start a thread with this ^ line. Imagine the craziness.  

Obviously that guy thinking this is definately not one of our member. But I was pretty pleased to read it. Fans around here are probably disagreeing, but fact is our D is highly regarded throughout the league.

[goskins10]

32 minutes ago, Wildbunny said:

Man, I understand that you are eager for more info from SIP regarding is interview with Scott, I believe we are all alike. But if SIP would be passing along info, I would not welcome it for the following reasons.

1 - Saying things behind doors is showing trust to the people in the room at the time being. Spreading what was said, is then betraying that trust. Thus Scott would merely never ever again allow something like this gift happen again.

Edit....

So, while I understand your position, I believe we all have to be grateful to SIP for giving us the info he gathered, which is already quite important, and leaves everything that left stay in the room where it was said.

Obviously that guy thinking this is definately not one of our member. But I was pretty pleased to read it. Fans around here are probably disagreeing, but fact is our D is highly regarded throughout the league.

 

Thank you so much for writing this. I was planning on doing so myself but you beat me to it and did a better job than I could have!

Very high respect for @Skinsinparadise keeping those things to himself. The insight provided was plenty enough for me. Let's me know what I have felt all along, the guys currently in charge know exactly what they are doing and we are in really good hands!

[bh32]

I think his contract should be renewed,but he has to start bringing in top shelf impact players and not just football players...We need talent bad and try hard players just aren't going to cut it.. 

[Wildbunny]

You need football players first and foremost. Some of them will turn into top shelf impact players.

Are we regretting the old days of Vinny?

[Burgold]

8 hours ago, bh32 said:

I think his contract should be renewed,but he has to start bringing in top shelf impact players and not just football players...We need talent bad and try hard players just aren't going to cut it.. 

I suspect McCloughan's aim is high impact players from the draft and try hard players from free agency... unless a DJax or JNorman fall into your lap. So far, he seemed to have a really good first draft and a mixed second. However, if Cravens, Fuller, and Kelly become players that's a pretty good rookie class. If Doctson comes back next year and starts producing then the flavor of the draft changes entirely. Last year brought us Crowder and Scherff who are Great and Kyoshen who was great, but got hurt unfortunately. I'd put Preston Smith in the good category for now. Very much like Kerrigan in some respects. A guy who hustles, makes plays, but falls short of elite.

Jones is in the dog house and seems to be a player whose potential is higher than his production. I'm probably missing a few. Strange as it seems, I do like the fact that in both drafts not every pick has made the team. That says something about the guys that did make it.

[Darrell Green Fan]

21 hours ago, ConnSKINS26 said:

Scot basically has his dream job here--he's a GM, but he's really just a super scout with final say. Allen handles the management minutia that apparently drove Scot to drink (not that any personal or work struggles can be boiled down to any one reason, but the onslaught of the "non-football" details seem to have been a big stressor for Scot in SF). 

He also had a really hard time firing Nolan in SF...if things really go south and McCloughan has to start a coaching search I might get a little more worried about his red flags resurfacing, especially because it's clear he and Jay are kindred spirits with a lot of mutual respect between them. Let's just continue rooting for Gruden being the last HC we need for a good long while and skip the whole issue.

But right now I'd say everything is going pretty smoothly, and he's with an organization that knew about his issues and invested in and trusted him anyways. That can motivate a lot of people, and I imagine Scot is among that type but that's just my speculation.

Just a really weird post to stumble upon right now considering how well things are trending for the team and organization, DGF.

Alcoholism really does not care who your head coach is.  I'm just offering a valid cautionary post, it can't be dismissed as a possibility.

[RedBeast]

And that his call and not yours DGF.

[Hail2theSkins24]

My honest evaluation- He deserves two more years, for sure. But his status as a savior is long gone. 

 

 Let's start with the good. He seems to have brought a more positive culture, no more weekly leaks or any disfunctional nonsense. He and Jay banged the table to start Kirk, leading us to an NFCE title albeit during an extremely weak NFC East. He is known around the league as a premier scout for personnel, but as the year has gone on, his two drafts have been looking worse and worse. At this point, Crowder and Kyshoen Jarrett have been his two best picks.  Free agency has been a nightmare. 

 

All in all, the end justifies the means. We won the division last year, and I can see us winning 1 of our 2 final games that brings us back to back winning seasons. That's an impressive feat. It's time for Scot to get us some talent on defense 

[ExoDus84]

4 minutes ago, Hail2theSkins24 said:

My honest evaluation- He deserves two more years, for sure. But his status as a savior is long gone. 

 

 Let's start with the good. He seems to have brought a more positive culture, no more weekly leaks or any disfunctional nonsense. He and Jay banged the table to start Kirk, leading us to an NFCE title albeit during an extremely weak NFC East. He is known around the league as a premier scout for personnel, but as the year has gone on, his two drafts have been looking worse and worse. At this point, Crowder and Kyshoen Jarrett have been his two best picks.  Free agency has been a nightmare. 

 

All in all, the end justifies the means. We won the division last year, and I can see us winning 1 of our 2 final games that brings us back to back winning seasons. That's an impressive feat. It's time for Scot to get us some talent on defense 

 

Wut? His drafts haven't been that bad. Free agency has been hit or miss, but he did bring in Norman, our best defensive player and an all-pro.

 

Sherff, Crowder, and Jarrett were great picks. Jarrett's injury was really unfortunate, but not something you can predict. We don't know what we have yet in Doctson, but he was perhaps the highest touted WR coming out of college last year. Can we wait till he actually steps on the field before we label him a POS bum?

 

Kouandjio, Smith, Cravens, Fat Rob, and Fuller have been solid contributors so far. Fuller has looked great, but is a rookie and has made some rookie mistakes. He'll get better. I'd like to see more from Smith.

 

Spaight, Jones, and Ioniddas have contributed some as well. I don't expect any of them to turn into all pro's, but they haven't exactly been worthless. Jones needs to fix his fumbling issues.

 

Sudfeld, Daniels, and Keith Marshall I don't expect anything from. Hey, can't hit on every one.

 

I want Scot to invest heavily in LB/S/DL over the offseason. I'd also like to have Gruden invest in a new defensive coordinator.

 

[Area51]

We're on the right track.  Prior to his arrival, this organization had been a mess for the past 20 years.  High priced FA busts and continually trading away high/mid round draft picks for over 30 players.  McCloughan may not have drafted Cousins, but without him, no one is stopping Snyder from playing RGIII last year.  He took over a roster that needed major rebuilding.  

 

He's not perfect and has made his mistakes.  Having said that, I still feel confident about the overall direction of this franchise.  Something I couldn't say since forever.

[Hail2theSkins24]

15 minutes ago, ExoDus84 said:

 

Wut? His drafts haven't been that bad. Free agency has been hit or miss, but he did bring in Norman, our best defensive player and an all-pro.

 

Sherff, Crowder, and Jarrett were great picks. Jarrett's injury was really unfortunate, but not something you can predict. We don't know what we have yet in Doctson, but he was perhaps the highest touted WR coming out of college last year. Can we wait till he actually steps on the field before we label him a POS bum?

 

 

 I didn't say Doctson is a POS bum. At this point that pick hasn't helped our team. Also, Scherff right now, is a slightly above-average G in the NFL. He was the #5 pick in the first round of the draft. He's an above average GUARD. The pick after him is now an all-pro DL. 

[bobandweave]

Personally have no issues with SM but that may change this offseason depending on a couple of factors

 

1. Joe Barry, if he doesn't replace him it will be a huge mistake. SM must make a tough call here and get us some one who can coach these men up or it will kill this team mentally and become a wasted season

 

2. With the meteoric rise in Cousins play I expect we are in the market for a new offensive coordinator this offseason. Who we choose as a replacement will be a deciding factor in our success going forward. We must continue our team pilosophy of passing first

 

3. Cousins contract. History shows us that a great way to mess up a team long term is to overpay at the QB position. What will the contract number say? If we get fleeced it will possibly ruin us long term

 

4. Draft. You guys can all pine over wanting elite safeties and defensive lin men in the draft first round all you want but I will not join you. First safeties where we end up picking likely will bust out as there is as much of a lack of talent for that position as any in the draft these days and you must grooom them or be a high pick to get someone. Middle round defensive linemen usually disappoint. I want to see a continued investment into our offensive line in this draft. Not only are those players safer with less of a bust rate they usually help teams like the cowboys compete for years.

 

Lots of things coming this offseason to judge SM on, for now I'm pleased with the results for the most part but bad decisions in those areas could change all of of that real quick

[TimmySmith]

20 minutes ago, ExoDus84 said:

 

Wut? His drafts haven't been that bad. Free agency has been hit or miss, but he did bring in Norman, our best defensive player and an all-pro.

 

Sherff, Crowder, and Jarrett were great picks. Jarrett's injury was really unfortunate, but not something you can predict. We don't know what we have yet in Doctson, but he was perhaps the highest touted WR coming out of college last year. Can we wait till he actually steps on the field before we label him a POS bum?

 

Kouandjio, Smith, Cravens, Fat Rob, and Fuller have been solid contributors so far. Fuller has looked great, but is a rookie and has made some rookie mistakes. He'll get better. I'd like to see more from Smith.

 

Spaight, Jones, and Ioniddas have contributed some as well. I don't expect any of them to turn into all pro's, but they haven't exactly been worthless. Jones needs to fix his fumbling issues.

 

Sudfeld, Daniels, and Keith Marshall I don't expect anything from. Hey, can't hit on every one.

 

I want Scot to invest heavily in LB/S/DL over the offseason. I'd also like to have Gruden invest in a new defensive coordinator.

 

Lot's of optimism in this post.

 

Of the players on the field and contributing on a weekly basis, Sherff and Crowder are the only guys on offense.  Kelley plays, but I think we have seen enough of him to know that he is a marginal NFL RB. 

 

No one on defense shines. Maybe someday, but not now.  

 

P. Smith and M. Jones have fallen so far off expectation, they have a better chance of being out of the league in 3 years. than being starters.  Cravens and Doctson are closer to busts than starters.  Let's be realistic and judge people on what they have shown so far.

 

[ExoDus84]

1 minute ago, TimmySmith said:

Lot's of optimism in this post.

 

Of the players on the field and contributing on a weekly basis, Sherff and Crowder are the only guys on offense.  Kelley plays, but I think we have seen enough of him to know that he is a marginal NFL RB. 

 

No one on defense shines. Maybe someday, but not now.  

 

P. Smith and M. Jones have fallen so far off expectation, they have a better chance of being out of the league in 3 years. than being starters.  Cravens and Doctson are closer to busts than starters.  Let's be realistic and judge people on what they have shown so far.

 

 

Uh, no. You can't label a talented WR as a bust because he suffered an injury and missed his rookie year. Cravens a bust? What makes you say that? He's been a solid contributor on defense, as a rookie. You're way off base here.

[Wildbunny]

29 minutes ago, Hail2theSkins24 said:

Also, Scherff right now, is a slightly above-average G in the NFL. He was the #5 pick in the first round of the draft. He's an above average GUARD

 

You're tough here. Scherff is far from being average or above average. He's been nasty so far.

Now if you only take into account the last few games, guy is playing injured right now, as almost our whole OL.