And that pesky Kirk Cousins decision still lingers.

Upon his arrival in January 2015, McCloughan was treated as a savior for a club that lacked a true general manager since Charley Casserly resigned in 1999. In two years, McCloughan has turned a franchise that was a sideshow into a football operation. Building teams that went 9-7 and 8-7-1 seemed Lombardi-like.

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But the Redskins need more. After firing defensive coordinator Joe Barry last week, the team pledged to increase free-agent spending on that side of the ball. A day after the season-ending loss to the New York Giants, coach Jay Gruden took a jab at McCloughan by saying the team has to do more with its first-round picks than drafting someone who barely played and a guard. Receiver Josh Doctson, Washington’s top pick in 2016, was plagued by Achilles problems and played only 31 snaps. Guard Brandon Scherff was the first pick of the McCloughan era.

Most importantly, the personnel man’s work all starts with Cousins. Maybe ownership kept McCloughan from signing the quarterback to a long-term deal last year, but it’s time to commit to Cousins or look elsewhere. Using the franchise tag last year was bad enough. Using it again would only continue to cloud the future.

Make a deal with Cousins now or start looking to the draft. March 1 is the deadline to apply franchise or transition tags.

It’s too early to judge the past two drafts, but so far they’ve been underwhelming. McCloughan claims to prioritize taking the best players available, but he drafted for need when he took Scherff fifth overall in 2015. The Redskins coveted line help, but Scherff was quickly exposed when he played tackle and moved inside. He made the Pro Bowl in his second season, but top-five picks should be better than even a standout guard.

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Second-round linebacker Preston Smith has underperformed, and third-round running back Matt Jones was benched halfway through the 2016 season. McCloughan did score with fourth-round receiver Jamison Crowder, and second-round safety Su’a Cravens looks promising. Otherwise, McCloughan’s drafts have been marginal.

Aside from Josh Norman, McCloughan’s free-agent signings have largely reflected minimal investments. They’re short-term placeholders.

McCloughan needs a splashy move. Chiefs safety Eric Berry and nose tackle Dontari Poe, both under 30, are unrestricted free agents at positions of need.

This offseason, it’s time for McCloughan to shine — or else he’ll lose some luster.

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