Washington Redskins: Scot McCloughan classy, savvy in praise of team

Former Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan appears cool with the team that fired him That’s called taking the high road.

Scot McCloughan appeared on 106.7 Tuesday and spoke no ill will against his former employer throughout. He largely took the high road throughout the interview. However, the most shocking part may have been who the former Washington Redskins general manager was complimentary of. He had nothing but good words to say about Dan Snyder. Yes. Dan Snyder.

The March 9 exit was surprising, considering it was negotiation season with free agents,  The NFL Combine was also barely in the rearview, though McCloughan wasn’t with the team in Indianapolis.

However, that didn’t stop the rumors swirling about his drinking, and battles in the front office. The nasty breakup had many thinking the Redskins organization was imploding. With a good draft and a few decent offseason signings, though, the team showed that life goes on.

McCloughan did too. He showed that you can turn the other cheek, and still do some good for your adversary.  He and his wife are selling their Redskins gear on eBay, with proceeds going to the Redskins Charitable Foundation, NFL.com’s Dan Hanzus reported Tuesday. 

You can believe the extreme drinking rumors, or you can remember he helped the Redskins win 17 games in two years. It depends on where you place his contributions in Redskins history.

The former GM did the exact opposite of what many would have done with a platform like his. Instead of talking down the Redskins, he built them up. In a world that is very “me” focused, McCloughan positioned himself perfectly for another job. He also put the burden of proof on the Redskins.

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Whatever he did outside of work obviously didn’t cross paths with business. Several players have spoken in defense of McCloughan. This is about appearances, posture, and precise planning. Whether he meant to or not, he made the Redskins look bad. He praised an owner who’s widely panned by the fanbase and spoke well of his time in D.C. Not only is that the work of a class act, but also of a smart businessman looking ahead.