Former Washington GM Scot McCloughan joins Cleveland front office

Blake Schuster
·Yahoo Sports Contributor

The man responsible for helping draft late-round stars like Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor is joining the Cleveland Brown’s front office in the run up to the 2018 NFL Draft.

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Scot McCloughan, most recently the general manager in Washington, has signed on as a personnel consultant with the Browns, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

The move comes amid major shakeups in Cleveland’s scouting department and adds one of the league’s best talent spotters to an organization awash with wasted draft picks. That seems particularly important as the Browns hold the No. 1 and No. 4 overall selections in this year’s draft with 12 picks overall.

McCloughan was only around Washington for two drafts but his fingerprints are all over the roster. In 2015, he added future Pro Bowl offensive tackle Brandon Scherff (5th overall pick) and wideout Jamison Crowder (105th overall pick), while snagging wideout Josh Doctson (22nd overall pick), linebacker Su’a Cravens (53rd overall pick) and cornerback Kendall Fuller (84th overall pick) in 2016.

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Fuller has developed into one of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL and was a key part of the Alex Smith trade for Washington. McCloughan was fired by team president Bruce Allen in March 2017 despite helping Washington reach consecutive winning seasons — a move that caused the former GM to file a grievance which is still pending.

Before landing in D.C., McCloughan was a Senior Personnel Executive with Seattle where he helped usher in the famed Legion of Boom defense from 2010-2013. That followed a short stint as the GM of the 49ers from 2008-2009.

McCloughan has a noted history of alcoholism, which led to his demise in San Francisco and was alleged in his departure from Washington. Since he last worked for an NFL team, McCloughan has run his own college scouting agency.

With Cleveland on the verge of a potentially franchise-altering draft in April, it’ll certainly take all the help it can get.

Scot McCloughan is considered one of the best talent evaluators in football, which is exactly why the Cleveland Browns have added him to their scouting department. (AP Photo)
Scot McCloughan is considered one of the best talent evaluators in football, which is exactly why the Cleveland Browns have added him to their scouting department. (AP Photo)

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Blake Schuster is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at blakeschuster@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!