Kirk Cousins

[Guest]

@JimmyinSD said:
i think that it is a fractured relationship.   Cousins has been a little bitter about getting tagged and not getting any long term commitment over the last few years so I think he will sign for less elsewhere just to get the hell away from snyder and company.   if they make him the highest paid player he might stick around,  but I think he just wants to get the hell out of DC.

I heard on the radio today Laveon Bell is threatening to hold out if franchised again...

[Guest]

@FSUVike said:
Does Snyder still own this team, cuz if he does that's your answer right there.

That's the answer the Denver sports radio gives. "Because Washington does stupid things" is an actual answer they provide when they pose this question to themselves, as if to suggest "they're stupid, and we'll take advantage of them." I just don't buy that. 

[Guest]

@MaroonBells said:

@FSUVike said:
Does Snyder still own this team, cuz if he does that's your answer right there.

That's the answer the Denver sports radio gives. "Because Washington does stupid things" is an actual answer they provide when they pose this question to themselves, as if to suggest "they're stupid, and we'll take advantage of them." I just don't buy that. 

the redskins will have to overpay to keep him..

[Guest]

Who gives a shit about the Redskins. I hope he goes somewhere else and makes them look more foolish.

[Guest]

@MaroonBells said:

@FSUVike said:
Does Snyder still own this team, cuz if he does that's your answer right there.

That's the answer the Denver sports radio gives. "Because Washington does stupid things" is an actual answer they provide when they pose this question to themselves, as if to suggest "they're stupid, and we'll take advantage of them." I just don't buy that. 

To be fair, there is ample evidence for the first premise.  It's only the second that's questionable.

[Guest]

The Redskins have been offering him poor deals.  Bruce Allen came out and said what that deal was in a poor attempt at showing the franchise was really trying hard to keep Kirk.

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/bruce-allen-redskins-offered-kirk-cousins-53-million-but-he-prefers-franchise-tag/

This deal only added 29 mil more guaranteed than the 24 mil he was already going to get for 2017.  Not really a great offer.


I think Kirk wants out and he did a Q&A with fans for about 2 hours explaining his position ...

http://www.nbcsports.com/washington/redskins/breaking-down-biggest-highlights-kirk-cousins-sit-down

It’s just not about the money. The money is not the driving factor in
this decision to go another 16 games . . . Winning is really important
to me, the most important thing, really, at this juncture of my career.
So, I understand that. I’m not going to go to a place where I know I’m
going to lose but, boy, I’m getting paid well.


It is clear that he wants to win and that he would sign with the Redskins if the offer is good.  I think he is out of there though.

And he would be an excellent signing for the Vikings at 27 mil per year average.  I could see a 5 year 135 mil deal which matches what Matt Stafford just received.  I would prefer a 5 year 125 mil deal.  The Vikings would likely only have the first 3 years guaranteed and then could get out of the deal after that point.

I do not believe it would cripple the team's ability to keep their own top free agents.  They are already paying about 22 mil this year for their QBs.  Right now, the 2018 available cap space is about 64 mil without any QBs besides Sloter signed. Even if Cousins took up 26 mil of the cap space in 2018 they would still have 38 mil left to extend Kendricks, Hunter, and Diggs.  They would need about 5 mil for the rookie draft class.  And they might keep a few mil just in case but that is not absolutely necessary.

They could give Barr an extension that likely would lower his current 12.3 mil cap hit in 2018 by a couple of mil giving them  more cap space.

In 2019, you have Kyle Rudolph with a 7.675 mil cap hit in the last year of his deal. You have Murray with a 5.6 mil cap hit in the last year of his deal.  Both of those could be adjusted or extended.

The Vikings window for this defense is probably the next 3 years at the least.  They cannot afford to be cheap at the QB position and waste the talent they have on defense. 

Kirk Cousins would be an upgrade over any of these QBs although I would not be opposed to keeping Case Keenum at about 18 to 20 mil.  Maybe even Teddy at about 18 mil?

I would go for Cousins.

https://www.si.com/longform/big-interview/kirk-cousins-washington-redskins-nfl/index.html


My dream off season would be to sign Kirk Cousins and Andrew Norwell OG in free agency.  Maybe try to snag Chris Jones DT from the Chiefs but that might get too pricey.

In the draft, I would do whatever it took to get Quentin Nelson OG Notre Dame but that could involve the 2019 first round pick.

I would settle with this draft ...

32.  Da'Ron Payne DT Alabama
* Trade down with the Broncos getting #71 & #133 for #64
71.  Will Hernandez OG UTEP
96.  Luke Falk QB Washington State
133.  Rashaad Penny RB San Diego State
160.  Daniel Carlson K Auburn
192.  Siran Neal CB Jacksonville State
6th round comp  Shaquem Griffin LB UCF
7th round comp  Ray Ray McCloud WR/PR Clemson

[Guest]

It has to do with the Redskins not being willing to match the cash flow demands of Cousins and his representation. The franchise tag ends up being both a blessing and a curse for QB's. 

From the Redskins point of view they see Cousins as a top 10 QB and are willing to pay him accordingly. That would give him an average salary of about $25M per year. The overall contract value would be in the range of 5 years $125M with $45M guaranteed. Comps would be Stafford, Carr, Luck, and Brees. Seems fair, right? wrong. 

Cousins and his reps knew that if they took the tag this year at $24M they'd be sacrificing $1M in the short-term but working themselves into a better situation this off-season. Now to keep Cousins the Redskins either have to tag him at a fully guaranteed $34.5M or use the transition tag for 28.8M (which would allow another team the right to sign him). Both would offer more upfront cash and come up roughly $10M short of the full guarantees on a long-term deal. Basically, Cousins and his reps have a very good argument for why he should be paid $34.5M in 2018 on a long-term deal and no team is going to realistically comply with that. 

So this gap of $10M in 2018/19 has really been the issue all along. So why don't the two sides work it out? This is more due to Cousins preference to choose his long-term destination. Kirk knows there will be significant interest if he hits the market while still being able to circle back and resign a market average deal with Washington. Players typically get an additional 10-15% tacked onto their deal when they sign as a UFA. Heck, he may end up getting an additional year on his deal as well. So if the team like the Jaguars wanted to go all in they could offer him a 5 year deal in the range of $28-29M/yr for 5 years coming in around $145M. Better yet he could likely swing a roster bonus to get a full $34.5M in year one with the guarantees extending past the first 3 years of the deal. 

Its a tough spot for the Redskins since they backed themselves into this corner. Ultimately I think they will find a way to retain him, but Kirk may hit the market before returning home when the Redskins panic he may actually leave. But it isn't so much an issue of the Redskins not wanting to keep him. Its a matter of putting a team around him while still getting him the compensation he desires.