Somethin fishy goin on in DC

[Merlin]

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...edskins-gm-scot-mccloughan-not-hq-free-agency

GM Scot McCloughan not at HQ for first day of legal tampering period

• Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan remained away from the team's facility as the legal tampering period began Tuesday, a source confirmed.

The Washington Post first reported his absence.

It's not a surprising development considering that McCloughan missed the scouting combine, citing family matters, and there have been reports of ongoing tension in the organization. But, as with the combine, it's highly unusual for a general manager not to be involved in a process that could result in acquiring talent, raising more questions about his status.

McCloughan is not in charge of negotiating contracts, and a lot of what's taking place over the next few days involves finances. The legal tampering period, which opened Tuesday at noon and ends Thursday at 3:59 p.m. ET, allows teams to engage representatives of free agents in contract talks. No agreements can be signed until the beginning of the league year at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. The Redskins also have a number of their own free agents to consider, notably receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, tight end Vernon Davis and defensive end Chris Baker.

At the combine, team president Bruce Allen said McCloughan would return as soon as his family matters "are cleared up." His grandmother died in early February, and that was the reason the Redskins gave for his absence.

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 sign of something wrong in the Redskins organization. There have been multiple reports of tension between McCloughan and Allen. There also has been speculation about McCloughan's future with the organization. McCloughan's strength over the years has been the college draft; this would be his third with the Redskins.

Several agents said last week that they had remained in contact with McCloughan about their respective players.

Redskins senior vice president Tony Wyllie said when asked about McCloughan, "We are focusing on free agency."

 

[Prime Time]

McCloughan has a rep for being a drinker. He could have "fallen off the wagon" again. As someone who used to go on periodic benders where I would vanish for weeks at a time and stay drunk(this was during the 70's), I'm guessing this could be a possibility.

OTOH it could indeed be a "family situation." I have great empathy for those struggling with any addiction so I'm hoping it's something else.
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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...en-scot-mccloughan-will-return-to-washington/

It’s not known whether or when Scot McCloughan will return to Washington
Posted by Mike Florio on March 7, 2017

Getty Images

Last week’s Scouting Combine P.R. debacle for Washington included at one point a claim that G.M. Scot McCloughan definitely will return. At this point, that’s hardly definite.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, it’s currently not known whether McCloughan will return, or when he’ll be back.

As Gantt noted earlier in the day, McCloughan remains away from the team. His history has prompted speculation that the absence is related to documented issues with alcohol. If that’s the case, it’s a serious medical condition that needs to be regarded accordingly.

For Washington, the situation raises potential issues under the Americans with Disabilities Act and any applicable state laws in Maryland, where the team primarily does business.

McCloughan is under contract for two more years. Don’t be surprised if they add someone to the front office as the draft approaches. That person then potentially could take over for McCloughan, if he ultimately does not return.

It’s also possible, in theory, that the team could hire a new G.M. and reassign McCloughan, while still paying his regular salary.

Regardless, the situation remains in flux during one of the most critical phases of the offseason calendar.

 

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...han-not-involved-in-any-washington-decisions/

Report: Scot McCloughan not involved in any Washington decisions
Posted by Darin Gantt on March 8, 2017

Not only is Scot McCloughan out of the building, he’s out of the loop.

According to John Keim of ESPN.com, the Washington General Manager is not involved in the team’s pending free agent moves, and seems to be headed out the door.

That seemed kind of obvious, since he wasn’t in the building for the start of the legal tampering period yesterday, and wasn’t at the Scouting Combine. But his agent is talking to team officials today, which suggests that some degree of resolution could be getting nearer.

The team has done a bunch of stuff without him, from tagging quarterback Kirk Cousins to extending coach Jay Gruden to signing tight end Vernon Davis.

And with team president Bruce Allen still in place and apparently willing to negotiate (at least over drinks in Indianapolis), it’s clear that they don’t need McCloughan hanging around.

 

[Merlin]

McCloughan's a quality evaluator. Not sure if he's on a binge or whatever, but you can't have too many good evaluators in a front office. I'd give him a look if he's really on the way out in DC, and offer him an assistant role to Les.

 

[Mojo Ram]

I should have put my 13,680th post here instead.

I felt like this team was headed in a good direction the last couple years. Now? Not so much.

 

[MadGoat]

McCloughan has had drinking issues in the past, but this time it appears to just be Dan Snyder's typical interference and cheapness in full effect. Just like with his attempts with Jim Zorn, Snyder is hoping McCloughlan can be bullied into quitting. It's not happening.

McCloughlan deserves a lot of credit for turning around a team that basically wasted three years worth of draft capital.

 

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/03/08/mccloughans-departure-from-d-c-inevitable/

McCloughan’s departure from D.C. “inevitable”
Posted by Mike Florio on March 8, 2017

Getty Images

Last week, Washington president Bruce Allen said G.M. Scot McCloughan will be back. On Tuesday, PFT pointed out that he may not be.

Now, the Washington Post reports the McCloughan won’t return.

Liz Clarke and Mike Jones of the Post write that “it has become clear that [McCloughan’s] departure from the team is inevitable,” citing multiple unnamed sources with knowledge of the situation.

McCloughan, per the report, has become “increasingly frustrated by ongoing frictions” with Allen regarding personnel moves. McCloughan also was miffed by the failure of the organization to defend him after team employee Chris Cooley suggested that McCloughan, who has a history of alcohol issues, may be drinking again.

Clarke and Jones report that players and team employees “have received indications” that McCloughan won’t be back. For now, the team apparently is trying to decide how to part ways with him.

McCloughan is under contract for two more years. Owner Daniel Snyder could try to terminate McCloughan for cause, blocking any obligation for ongoing payments. Looming over the entire situation are federal and state labor laws that protect employees against disability discrimination arising from actual or perceived alcoholism.

It’s not known what Washington will do to resolve this situation. As with plenty of other decisions the team has made in recent days and weeks, however, it could be safe to assume that the front office will eventually find a way to bungle it.

 

[Riverumbbq]

RotoWorld :

In a wide-ranging column detailing the Redskins' impending split with GM Scot McCloughan, the Washington Post explains the separation was caused by arguments over control and whether to sign Kirk Cousins long term, and the Redskins' lack of support for McCloughan.

We would recommend reading the piece below if you're any kind of an NFL fan. McCloughan felt disrespected the Redskins did not defend him when Chris Cooley spread a rumor McCloughan had relapsed into alcoholism. McCloughan also told people in 2016 he would have signed Cousins long term "if he had full control," which "angered" president Bruce Allen. McCloughan and the coaching staff clashed over McCloughan's preference of more-talented Rashad Ross over coaches-pet Ryan Grant. The Post reports McCloughan never stopped drinking, but "peers all agreed they didn't believe McCloughan's drinking ever hindered his job." Per the Post, the Redskins and McCloughan are now "working toward a buyout." Allen and coach Jay Gruden have won the power struggle.


Source: Washington Post
Mar 8 - 8:03 PM

 

[InnovatedMind]

Man... Washington Redskins seem like a dumpster fire... It would be hard to be a fan, that's for sure.

 

[Selassie I]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/03/08/mccloughans-departure-from-d-c-inevitable/

McCloughan’s departure from D.C. “inevitable”
Posted by Mike Florio on March 8, 2017

Getty Images


I wonder if they could have found a worse pic of this guy. I'm thinking not.

 

[Merlin]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/03/08/mccloughans-departure-from-d-c-inevitable/

McCloughan’s departure from D.C. “inevitable”
Posted by Mike Florio on March 8, 2017

Getty Images


I wonder if they could have found a worse pic of this guy. I'm thinking not.

One of him at the bar?

 

[Picked4td]

Seems like part of it is a power struggle which is a shame, and somewhat confusing, since he seemed to do such a good job turning that team around by adding quality talent. oh well, not our problem

 

[HeiseNBerg]

Seems like part of it is a power struggle which is a shame, and somewhat confusing, since he seemed to do such a good job turning that team around by adding quality talent. oh well, not our problem

Yup -- seems like Bruce Allen didn't want to take off the GM hat once he was promoted to team president.
One too many cooks in the kitchen.

In contrast, it seems that the distinct roles are more clearly defined regarding Kevin Demoff and Les (make a deal) Snead. Sure, there needs to be consensus between the two on personnel matters -- but they seem able to do their individual jobs without stepping on each other's toes.

 

[Adi]

They were going in the right direction and now what? A complete offensive rebuild ? A top 10 qb that doesn't want to play for you ? Makes me feel alot better about our team .

 

[RamsVA]

Living in the DC area, the Skins are such a dumpster fire under Snyder. McLoughan was putting them on the right track. McVay has to be glad he escaped. I heard about a guy that was called in on a holiday while entertaining family guests by Snyder to deal with a personal (not team) issue. He quit that day b/c he had enough of the douche.

McVay knows Scott on a personal and professional level. After Scott works out a settlement, maybe McVay can bring him in as a consultant. He helped build the SeaChickens and Redskins with a rare eye for talent.

 

[LACHAMP46]

Like a famous skins player once uttered,
"Loosen up, Danny baby!" Or something like that....

 

[LesBaker]

Like a famous skins player once uttered,
"Loosen up, Danny baby!" Or something like that....

Or was it a fan that said "Fuck off Danny baby"

Hahahahaha

 

[Prime Time]

http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2017/03/16/...nction-scot-mccloughan-dan-snyder-bruce-allen

An Examination of What Went Wrong in Washington
A closer look into GM Scot McCloughan’s firing reveals three incidents involving players that led to strained relationships and the return of organizational chaos in D.C.
by Albert Breer

Photo: Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images

Scot McCloughan won one battle in Washington in August 2015. If he’d won two, maybe—maybe—the Redskins wouldn’t be in the mess they’re wading through now.

The then-GM met for five hours one night that summer to try to convince owner Dan Snyder and president Bruce Allen that the time had come, and the team needed to move from Robert Griffin III to Kirk Cousins. Soon thereafter, with Cousins installed as starter, and believing he was in for a big year, McCloughan made a second appeal to the team’s top brass.

Let’s extend Cousins now, he told them, so we’re not stuck holding the bag later.

In the end, the quarterback’s lingering contract situation was one noticeable trigger in the explosion of the relationship between McCloughan and Allen, the team’s top two decision-makers. Most people in Ashburn agree that the deterioration of the Allen/McCloughan partnership is why we’re here. The root of that discord remains up for debate, however, and it might never be definitively settled.

We’ll start, though, by explaining how Washington got back into a spot that’s all too familiar, where organizational chaos envelops the football side of an operation and swallows whole the promise of a new day.

Full disclosure: I bought that promise 100 percent a year ago. My belief, having been around the Redskins, was that they had become as level as they had been at any point during Snyder’s ownership. They had perhaps the top talent evaluator in football. They had an ascending, 40-something head coach with a strong, deep staff. They had a 27-year-old quarterback. They had an increasingly deep roster.

They were good in 2015—division champs and red-hot down the stretch—and poised to get better. Even a jaded fan base was climbing aboard.

A year later the GM is gone, coach Jay Gruden is replacing both his coordinators, the quarterback’s future is murky, and D.C. Drama is back. And after talking with people at every level of the team who were there for the downturn, it’s clear there is passionate disagreement over just what tore all that optimism to shreds.

On one side of this is the idea, floated to the Washington Post by an anonymous team source, that McCloughan’s past demons—he’s publicly talked about his fight with alcoholism—returned to bring him down over the last year.

On the other side, there are players and coaches who deny ever having witnessed that, and argue that it is being used as a red herring to take attention off a power struggle between Allen and McCloughan.

“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.”

What those on the coaching and scouting staffs did see, eventually, was a blurring of lines that created a level of tension in the upper reaches of the club. There were, in particular, three flash points obvious to those not named Allen and McCloughan:

• The Cousins negotiation. At the close of training camp in 2015, McCloughan wanted to try to extend Cousins, but there was concern over how that would go over with Griffin, because some felt the team would still need him at some point.

(Whether a fair figure could have been reached with Cousins is open for debate, considering the quarterback’s inconsistent résumé and lack of success at that point.) Finally, that December, McCloughan was given the green light. By then, Cousins’ camp wanted to wait until after the year.

After Cousins’ hot finish, the Skins knew they’d have to franchise Cousins at around $20 million, which framed negotiations in a place where the team wasn’t willing to go. Talks on a long-term deal got off to a rough start, and then control shifted from McCloughan to team negotiator Eric Schaffer. By the time 2016 was winding down, the GM had been removed completely from decision-making on Cousins.

To some inside the club, the use of the exclusive tag on Cousins was a surprise, since there’d been earlier discussion on potentially moving Cousins and going with Colt McCoy or signing someone like Mike Glennon. Point of all this? It’s hard to say that this was necessarily where the problem began, but there’s no question—based on the import of quarterback decisions—that it strained the relationship.

• Su’a Cravens injury. The rookie safety/linebacker injured his biceps on Dec. 11 against the Eagles. Initially the team believed it was a tear. It wound up being a bruise, the kind players often play through. Cravens missed the following Monday’s game against Carolina, and then the next game in Chicago on Christmas Eve.

By then, teammates, some of whom had seen him playing ping-pong at the facility, were openly wondering why he wasn’t pushing through the injury. After he missed two games, the team wanted him to get the arm drained in an effort to play in Week 17. Cravens responded by not showing up to the facility for treatment that day, at which point McCloughan decided to call Cravens.

That didn’t go over well with Allen. Some veterans felt McCloughan was simply trying to uphold the culture that he and Gruden had worked to build, which is seen as a “Seattle” thing (McCloughan worked for the Seahawks from 2011-13): If you see something, say something. But certainly there’d be some debate in the football world over whether it’s a GM’s place to handle those things. (Cravens sat out the finale.)

• Bashaud Breeland’s outburst. At another point in December, the third-year corner—who’d been seen internally as moody following the Josh Norman signing—blew an assignment, and was called by a coach on it. He argued. The coach argued back. Then Breeland blew another assignment, took his helmet off and sat on a cooler on the sideline. From the perspective of the coaching staff, these sorts of squabbles with players were not uncommon.

But after practice, in the locker room, McCloughan saw Breeland coming out of the shower and bluntly told the third-year corner to come to his office after he was dressed. Word of the confrontation got around, and it led to another squabble in the front office over boundaries.

As was the case with Cravens, some players believed Breeland needed to be shaken and didn’t mind McCloughan doing it. Clearly, others within the organization didn’t think it was his place.

* * *

So the season ended with the Redskins losing a win-or-go-home game against the Giants on New Year’s Day. Obviously, in the time since, things got worse. It’s been theorized that Allen grew jealous of the credit McCloughan got for the team turning a few corners over the past two years. Conversely, there have been rumblings of dissatisfaction over McCloughan’s 2016 draft and free-agent haul.

And there was more sinister talk, but few actual accounts, of McCloughan’s drinking being a visible issue. “It was whispered about all the time,” says one staffer, “but I never saw it, and I don’t know anyone who did.”

Maybe we eventually get more answers on what really happened. What I do know is that the conclusion predicted by some in Ashburn—Eventually, those people forecast, there would be problems over power and McCloughan’s past issues would be raised as he departed—has come true.

This one really never was about Snyder, as far as I can tell. It was about Allen and McCloughan, two guys who entered into a partnership two years ago founded in large part on trust, based on Allen’s history with McCloughan’s father and brother, whom he’d worked with around the turn of the century in Oakland.

That trust, as you can see, didn’t last long. And the Redskins are starting over. Again.

 

[Merlin]

For me it's a pretty simple deal: was he really drunk at work, and by drunk I don't mean a drink or two at lunch. If so, then it's something that I understand and the dude needs to get help.

But from what I've read I just don't get the feeling the drinking was an issue. It does seem like a power struggle type deal due to the fact that none of the players or staff reported seeing it (which would probably not be the case if the guy was out of control), and for Allen to utilize his drinking problem as the reason is a chicken$#!t move if that's how it went down. I mean if I had a power struggle at work and won or lost I'd call it what it was when the press asks, why sugar coat it or character assassinate someone.

Basically if I am the owner and see that kind of BS going on, and particularly if I hadn't seen the guy drunk at work first hand, I would fire Allen as well and bring in a young GM to replace him who wants to be part of a team not a glory hound. The whole thing, at least how it looks to me right now from the outside, just looks ridiculous.

Oh and btw re: the path forward for Allen... I have to think Allen is going to want to solve the problem of Cousins one way or another. So if McCloughan was a big proponent of extending Kirk, then I would guess he gets moved before the draft. That way Allen can reload with a bunch of picks in this draft and the next and take all the glory. I just hope the 9ers aren't the team that benefits.