The league’s “legal tampering” window opened earlier today, but Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan was not at Redskins Park, reports Liz Clarke and Mike Jones of The Washington Post. When asked for an explanation on McCloughan’s absence, vice president of communications Tony Wyllie said, “[w]e’re busy with free agency.” Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com writes that it’s uncertain when McCloughan will come back or whether he’ll return at all.
We heard last week that the GM wasn’t at the Combine, and team sources said McCloughan was dealing with the death of his grandmother. However, agents were reportedly worried about the organization’s stability, perhaps implying that there may be another reason behind the executive’s absence. There were questions about who is currently “calling the shots,” although some agents acknowledged that they had been in recent contact with McCloughan. Previously, the general manager was not permitted to talk to the media at the Senior Bowl.
President Bruce Allen had previously said McCloughan would return once “things are handled,” and it was assumed that he could come back sometime this week. However, it’s certainly troubling that the Redskins general manager wasn’t even in the building during the first day free agents are allowed to formally talk to teams.
And in other news from Redskin Park, GM Scot McCloughan was seen crying outside of O’Dools Pub with Albert Haynesworth crying over what could have been.