As a senior personnel executive for the Seattle Seahawks from 2010 to 2013, Scot McCloughan played an integral role in helping construct the team’s Super Bowl rosters.
During his tenure with the Seahawks, Seattle added a franchise quarterback in Russell Wilson while also drafting linebacker Bobby Wagner, safety Earl Thomas, and cornerback Richard Sherman, among others.
Count McCloughan, who worked as a consultant for the Browns during this year’s draft, as another big fan of Seattle’s decision to snag running back Rashaad Penny in the first round.
During a question and answer session via Twitter, a fan inquired about who McCloughan viewed as a sleeper to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. In response, the former 49ers and Redskins general manager immediately mentioned Penny as a prime candidate.
Penny led all of Division I with 2,248 rushing yards and scored 25 total touchdowns as a senior at San Diego State last season. The Seahawks surprised many when they opted to take the dynamic back with the No. 27 overall selection in April’s draft, but fixing the run game has been a top priority for the team throughout this offseason and his ability to return kicks provided extra incentive to select him early.
McCloughan clearly believes Penny can be a big-time difference maker for Seattle and thought highly of him during the pre-draft process. It’s not a coincidence Cleveland reportedly had a significant interest in drafting the talented runner with the No. 33 overall selection. It also wouldn’t be a revelation if the Browns were the team that contacted Seahawks general manager John Schneider about a trade immediately after Penny was drafted.
While McCloughan’s comments could be classified simply as offseason social media fodder, his reputation as one of the league’s best talent evaluators coupled with prior success in Seattle make him an intriguing person to have in the team’s corner praising their selection.
