Washington GM Scot McCloughan not with team for start of free agency

Washington general manager Scot McCloughan has an arrangement with the team where he is in charge of all roster decisions, so you can understand why it is more than a bit concerning that he was still nowhere to be found as the free agency period began on Tuesday.

A source with knowledge of the bizarre situation surrounding McCloughan told Liz Clarke and Mike Jones of the Washington Post that McCloughan was not at Washington’s facility on Tuesday, which marked the first day when teams are permitted to legally discuss contracts with free agents. McCloughan has not been spotted with Washington since he was reportedly sent home from the Scouting Combine last week.

McCloughan said he went home due to a death in the family, and the team would only say that the GM is dealing with “family matters.” Washington vice president of communications Tony Wyllie said Tuesday that team officials are “busy with free agency” and offered no update on McCloughan’s whereabouts. Team president Bruce Allen told reporters last week that McCloughan would return to work “when things are handled,” which Allen said could be this week.

McCloughan’s 100-year-old grandmother died on Feb. 6, and the funeral was held on Feb. 13. While we would never question whether someone is dealing with a personal family matter, one report claims there is more to it than that between the GM and the team.

Washington has placed the franchise tag on Kirk Cousins and has some big decisions to make regarding top wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, who are free agents. It’s unclear who is handling roster decisions and contract negotiations while McCloughan remains absent.