Scot McCloughan's FA Plan Demands Washington Redskins Fans Trust His Reputation
Scot McCloughan wants you to trust him. In fact, the new Washington Redskins general manager isn't really giving you a choice.
That's obvious from his plan in free agency. It's obvious in the players he's signed and the players he hasn't.
In the first case, McCloughan has asked you to trust his familiarity with certain players. He wants you to believe that his eye for talent didn't fail four, or even six years ago.
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That explains the additions of defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois and safety Jeron Johnson. McCloughan opted for the former in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL draft, while he plucked the latter off the undrafted market in 2011.
Francois was rarely convincing as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. He was less convincing after earning a hefty free-agency contract with the Indianapolis Colts in 2013.
Specifically, he's never been a force against the run. Consider any Colts game against the New England Patriots during the last two years.
Both LeGarrette Blount and Jonas Gray have enjoyed huge rushing efforts against a defensive front Francois called home. Of course, no one player can be the solution by himself, but it would be disingenuous to ignore that Francois was part of the problem.
He couldn't dominate the trenches when the 49ers needed him to replace Justin Smith in 2012. A stout defense crumbled with Francois failing to set a hard edge.
The Niners and Colts didn't want to keep Francois around, but McCloughan moved very quickly to bring him to D.C. It's natural he's a believer, but Francois' body of work in the pros hardly supports that belief.
The same is true for Johnson. The Redskins need safeties in the worst way. But rather than opt for some of the dependable veterans who hit the market, McCloughan went for a player with one start in four years. But a player he knows, a player he helped acquire when he was with the Seattle Seahawks.
Given Washington's recent history of dire recruitment at this troublesome position, Johnson looks like just another stop-gap, short-term solution. CSN Washington writer Rich Tandler indicated Johnson is being seen as the latter.
Hasn't this team had enough short-term solutions at safety? If this were any other general manager, the answer would be a resounding yes.
But McCloughan isn't just asking for trust; every general manager does that. He's getting it, he's getting it almost unequivocally.
The level of optimism surrounding McCloughan's arrival has already outstripped the start of the Mike Shanahan era. The optimism is certainly understandable for a fanbase that's seen its franchise go from a three-time Super Bowl-winning powerhouse to the butt of every joke about how not to do things in the NFL.
The negative perception has created a few disturbing changes in the psyches of those who bleed burgundy and gold. McCloughan's arrival has only made those changes more distinct.
His reputation as a master team builder, one justified by stops in Green Bay, San Francisco and Seattle, has many Redskins fans in a frenzy. Finally, these fans insist, they'll get to see Washington's franchise run the right way, the way things are supposed to work in the NFL.
To many, that means modest free-agent contracts to players who all must be under 30, along with a heavy leaning toward the draft. There's nothing wrong with that approach, it's the idealized template for winning at the pro level, what every fans wants: A young team that delivers sustained success.
Even in the ever-changing landscape of modern free agency and the salary cap, teams and fans chase this right way. McCloughan has sold all these things to an instantly adoring public since he arrived in D.C.
In fairness, it hasn't just been talk. The early stages of his plan for free agency have shown him to be as good as his word.
B/R writer Michael Schottey declared McCloughan one of his "50 biggest winners from early NFL free-agency signings." Schottey commended apparently out-of-character moves for the Redskins:
"They're not overpaying to keep veterans like pass-rusher Brian Orakpo who'd like to go elsewhere. They didn't dive right in and make a big splash by getting someone new. They're acting in calm, measured and intentional steps that should improve the team.
"
Schottey's right to applaud the approach that landed Terrance Knighton, one of football's most dominant nose tackles, on a modest deal. It's a signing fellow B/R writer Mike Freeman rightly lauded as one of the best from this market:
"Washington getting Terrance Knighton is a helluva pickup, one of the best of free agency.
— mike freeman (@mikefreemanNFL) March 12, 2015"
So far, so good, right? In part, that's true.
But the problem is it's become a risky practice even questioning any move Washington's new GM has made. Remember, for every Knighton, there's a Francois.
But there's a healthy (maybe that's not the right word) section of Redskins fans who will brook no critique of the start of the McCloughan era. No balanced analysis is allowed, only full, unconditional endorsement of every move.
It's not too difficult to see how this has started. Too many years spent as the poster child for how not to build a winner, too many years spent being put to rights by finger-wagging pundits, too many years being mocked, has created a pathological defense mechanism among many Washington fans.
The problem has compounded because those same fans haven't been able to answer the critics. Every time they've tried they've been slapped down by references to the Albert Haynesworth signing, the Robert Griffin III trade or the year Bruce Smith and Deion Sanders arrived in the nation's capital, presumably decked out in suits made from owner Dan Snyder's dollar bills.
With no retort for others, Redskins fans have often had little choice but to bicker with each other. Now McCloughan's in town, and the battle lines have been well and truly drawn.
If you wholeheartedly support every move he's made, you've cast your vote for the supposed "right way" to build a team. If you even suggest there may be reason for concern about one of his moves, you're apparently in favor of the contracts handed to Haynesworth, Adam Archuleta and so many others.
In the name of everything reasonable, what has happened to the middle ground?
The truth is sand hasn't just been kicked over it. Frenzied sections of fans have used McCloughan's reputation to obliterate it altogether.
It's a staggeringly irrational approach to analyzing yet another rebuilding job. But what does a more balanced approach really look like?
It might start with saying the trust you're going to give McCloughan should only go so far. For instance, he's added some unheralded former players via free agency. Let's examine that.
It's not uncommon for general managers and coaches in the NFL to surround themselves with familiar faces. In fact, it's standard practice.
One of the more notable examples from the annals of league history was Bill Parcells. After winning two Super Bowls with the New York Giants, Parcells had stops with the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys.
On each occasion he loaded up on former players, no matter their age. But familiarity never bred contempt for Parcells. Not when he turned each franchise from a loser to a playoff team.
Maybe that's how it will go with McCloughan. Maybe the gamble on Johnson will pay off big time and McCloughan will be the man who finally answered Washington's perennial safety problem.
Johnson naturally hasn't seen the field while he's been behind marquee pair Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor on Seattle's depth chart. But there are those, including Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo, who believe he can make the grade as a starter:
If Johnson turns out to be a competent starter, McCloughan will deservedly look like a genius. But why gush over the move before that's happened?
Pointing to the one start isn't unwarranted criticism, but it also isn't an indictment of the new general manager's approach. Instead, examining the move from both sides is just not wearing the "In Scot We Trust" t-shirt. At least not yet.
McCloughan has rarely been subjected to that kind of analysis since he arrived in Washington. But what would that even look like?
Let's start with all this talk of McCloughan changing the culture in free agency. Is he really leading that charge by himself? Did he even start it?
Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan doesn't think so:
Paulsen isn't chiding McCloughan in any way. He's simply making the good point that it's been a while since the Redskins were the sneering, cash-rich cavaliers in a market many still see them as.
The reference to the Shanahan era also works the other way. Remember when Shanahan was doing things the "right way?" Remember when he only wanted young, "character guys" for his program?
Back then it was dangerous practice to question any Shanahan decision. Like McCloughan, his reputation, honed by winning a pair of Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, meant no questions could be asked.
It's frankly a little creepy how quickly some fans give themselves over completely to the supposed saviors at Redskins Park. You can tell by the names.
During his first three years in charge, when Shanahan could do no wrong, when it was taken for granted he'd eventually deliver a championship, the adoring masses constantly referred to him as "Shanny." Occasionally, he got a Mike thrown in for good measure.
It's the same with McCloughan. People who don't know the man, have never met him and likely never will, feel so enamored by him they consistently use his first name only. It's Scot this, Scot that.
This is before the team he is putting together has even played a down. If that team loses, Scot will soon go back to being referred to by surname only, among other things.
Let's look back at Shanahan again for a moment. All his supposed "right way" yielded was three losing seasons out of four and a roster McCloughan is now working to refresh from the ground up.
Will McCloughan be any different? The positive chapters of his career history scream yes. He drafted a core of elite talent for the 49ers, then helped do the same in Seattle.
Those are the bits Redskins fans want to focus on. Here's what many want to ignore.
McCloughan was also the general manager who appointed Mike Nolan and Mike Singletary as head coaches. Ouch.
He's also the GM who drafted Kentwan Balmer in the first round in 2008.
The 49ers had his players, but they didn't start winning until he left. It took the arrival of Jim Harbaugh to turn San Francisco into a winner. But he didn't just do it solely with McCloughan's roster.
Key talent was added via free agency and the draft, talent like rush end Aldon Smith, quarterback Colin Kaepernick, safety Donte Whitner and cornerback Carlos Rogers.
Do these facts mean McCloughan won't get it right in Washington? Of course not.
But they are as much a part of his story as the successes. They do mean it shouldn't be taken for granted that he'll deliver a championship.
Not when his plan in free agency left a few stones unturned. McCloughan scored big by building the defense from the trenches first. That's how the smartest builders do it.
But he also lost points for overlooking the offensive line, not adding a versatile running back, a pass-rusher or an inside 'backer. Of course, doing all that in one market would turn the S in Scot into a symbol emblazoned across his chest.
But flip the script for a moment. If team president Bruce Allen was still GM and had made these same decisions, would the praise be so unreserved?
If Allen had tried to fix safety with a backup special teamer, added a 4-3 pass-rusher for a 3-4 front (Stephen Paea) and overlooked the O-line, would he be commended for his restraint? Not a chance.
That's ironic considering Allen signed Ryan Clark to play free safety and Jason Hatcher to play 3-4 end last offseason. The difference is he doesn't have McCloughan's reputation.
The test of that reputation will come during the 2015 NFL draft. Maybe that's where McCloughan will plug the remaining holes, specifically pass-rusher and the offensive line. The draft is where he built the reputation many are prepared to trust without reservation.
That reputation makes this draft one of the most significant in Redskins history. That's not a hyperbole for a franchise that's often had a contentious relationship with the process.
During the Joe Gibbs era, the draft was an afterthought, at least the top half of it was. After Gibbs (first edition), the draft became an embarrassment following high-profile flops such as Heath Shuler.
But now the Redskins are armed with a man who weaves his magic on draft day. Every team's fans will be excited on that day, but none will play closer attention than those who want to see a fourth Super Bowl in Washington.
The draft will also put McCloughan's plan into sharper focus. Through free agency, it's been easier to like the plan, the emphasis on defense, the smart working of reasonable contracts, than some of the players it's yielded.
But that feeling will change if some of the things that have been missed are dealt with during McCloughan's seven picks. Until that happens though, don't take it for granted.
The McCloughan regime, like any regime, is asking for our trust. Let's just not give it all away at once.
At least not until we've seen the results on the field.
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