Redskins make the right move: Hire McCloughan

The Washington Redskins have a new General Manager, and for the first time in a long time, it is a true football GM: Scot McCloughan. Bruce Allen will take a "promotion" to be team President, in other words Mr. Allen will crunch numbers and focus on Fall Harvest.

As for new GM McCloughan, he will reportedly have complete control over all personnel department. That simply means that McCloughan will have the power to add and likely subtract scouts from the Redskins current scouting department as well as control over all draft and free agent decisions.

This is a move to get really excited about if you're a Redskins fan. McCloughan played a huge role in building super bowl contenders in San Francisco and Seattle. Not to mention, that McCloughan did so mainly through the draft, largely how the 49ers and Seahawks have been able to remain consistent contenders year in and year out.

This move could very well be the culture change the Redskins have desperately needed for years. With McCloughan, the days of splashy free agent spending and trying to buy a super bowl contender will be over, and the Redskins will begin to build depth and a complete roster mostly focusing on the draft.

This is a best case scenario if you're a Redskins fan; McCloughan is one of the most respected football minds in the NFL. However, that doesn't mean that the move doesn't come without risk. McCloughan battled alcoholism which led to his brief time away from the NFL. McCloughan has reportedly gotten help, and is ready to make his return to the NFL, but when you've been the laughing stock of the NFL for as long as the Redskins have, McCloughan is certainly worth the risk, and comes with a high reward.

McCloughan has a very successful draft history, and may be most famous for taking a chance on a short quarterback from Wisconsin in the third round, who is now a super bowl champion. However, what McCloughan may be best at is finding the diamonds in the rough picks. McCloughan consistently finds contributors late, in rounds 5-7. These are the types of picks that can make a good team great. Before McCloughan the majority of the Redskins late round picks don't ever make it onto the 53-man roster, let alone become impact players.

As shocked as I am to type these words: the Redskins have had a very good off-season thus far. Jim Haslett probably took some unfair criticism at times, but I believe that the mutual parting was a necessary change that needed to happen. Depending on whom the Redskins bring in to ultimately replace him; along with the move to bring in McCloughan at GM the Redskins have had an A+ off-season thus far. Pinch me, I must be dreaming.

The roster is still a mess, and it will be a process, but the Redskins have taken steps in the right direction this off-season. The next step for the Redskins is to continue their success throughout the free agent and draft process.

Hiring McCloughan is great, he's a phenomenal football mind, but he isn't a miracle worker. The rebuild process will take time, but there are few better people to be in charge of the rebuild than McCloughan. Redskins fans have to understand that there are still issues across the roster, and be patient while McCloughan goes to work and tries to turn around one of the most dysfunctional franchises in all of sports. Embrace the rebuild, Redskins nation, because for the first time in a long time, there is some legitimate things to be excited about in D.C.

I rarely type these words, but solid job Dan and Bruce.

For some background on McCloughan's draft history, here's how the 49ers and Seattle fared with McCloughan calling the shots: