Do you remember the scene in Dumb and Dumber when Lloyd trades the dog truck for the mini scooter and sees Harry for the first time, and Harry has one of the greatest quote of the movie:
"Just when I think you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this.............AND TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF!
I think that is what Bruce Allen is thinking right now in his head, and it is possibly what Dan Snyder said to him when he heard that Allen had executed this trade. Allen is being excoriated on Twitter at the moment and for good reason. He gave up a 29 year old Kirk Cousins for four years of a now 33 year old Alex Smith at a cost of $94 million with $71 million guaranteed, our 2018 3rd Round Pick, and one of the best nickel corners of last season in Kendall Fuller. This is bad trade in that Allen gave up too much for an aging quarterback, and it torpedoed any leverage you had in moving Kirk Cousins. Smith still had one year left on his contract. Who was banging down the Chiefs door to get him, and if they were, why were we willing to give up Fuller for him? Allen could have played the game a little bit more to see what the Redskins could have received for Cousins. In my mind, anything over the compensatory pick we are going to get when Cousins walks would have been sufficient. And there in lies the problem. Trade value.
More than likely, any free agent quarterback would have cost just as much as Smith, and any rookie would be a step down in experience and maybe ability. The thing about this trade is we have a net loss of value in losing Fuller and our 3rd Rounder this year, and the repercussions of those losses will be felt in many ways this offseason. Let us go through all of the repercussions of this trade in the short term piece by piece.
Repercussion #1: The Redskins added to their draft needs
The Redskins willfully added a cornerback to the list of position needs. The coaching staff must be really higher on Quinton Dunbar and Fabian Moreau, but prudence dictates that they at least get someone to back them up in case they are not up Fuller's level at the nickel corner. And while we are on the subject of cornerbacks.........
Repercussion #2: The happiest person in Ashburn right now is Bashaud Breeland
Allen lost leverage in trading Kirk and in trying to resign Breeland. Josh Norman is the only proven starting corner on the roster right now, and with the loss of Fuller, Bashaud Breeland can now command a high price from the Redskins who have nothing they can counter with if Breeland threatens to leave if he does not get more money. Are you really comfortable going into the season with Quinton Dunbar as our #2 corner? Breeland is very happy right now.
Repercussion #3: Don't be surprised if the Redskins still draft a QB.
The only thing more Redskins than unnecessarily trading for an aging quarterback is redundantly drafting one after they do so. With all of their needs on the offensive and defensive line, don't be surprised if the Redskins still draft a QB with one of their first three picks in the draft. Logic would dictate that they, more than likely, will not do it in the first round (but when has logic ever entered into the Redskins' decision making) which brings us to the next repercussion:
Repercussion #4: The Green Bay Packers will go broke on Etsy sending Bruce Allen gifts.
Assume that Baker Mayfield and/or Josh Allen sit at 13 when the Redskins are up. Teams now may be more unwilling to trade up because the Redskins now signed Smith, and it is easier to call the Redskins bluff that they will draft either of those quarterbacks. Maybe the Redskins will, but there is less of the uncertainty needed to drive those negotiations than there was before. And if they are there at 13 teams may be more willing to trade for the team who has the 14th pick. The Green Bay Packers. Don't be surprised if the Bills trade one of their first round picks to Green Bay in order to move up and get one of these QB's before Arizona does at 15. That could have been the Redskins, but that scenario is unlikely. And while we are on the subject of trading, the one possible positive repercussion surrounds trade value
Repercussion #5: Bruce Allen's one-outer is Denver.
The only positive bargaining chip Allen has left is with Denver. Numerous sources have linked Denver to Cousins over the past week. With Allen trading for Smith, it is an almost certainty that Cousins will hit free agency in March. Allen SHOULD be reminding the Broncos that the Jets have an offer sheet ready to go for Cousins that will outpace them in the short term. Allen's only card left is to possibly pull off a deal with Denver before Cousins hits free agency, because the Broncos know that they cannot offer as much as the Jets. If Allen can do this and get something comparable to what we gave up for Smith it will be a win, but do we believe that Allen has the bargaining acumen to pull this off?
These are the repercussions as I see them, and there are probably many more. It is not a total loss in acquiring Alex Smith, but for the actual and theoretical price we paid for him is not worth his services in the short term. Smith has always played with a chip on his shoulder ever since he was benched for Colin Kaepernick, so maybe he uses that to great success here in Washington and we forget about Kendall Fuller and the contract. And maybe Allen is playing a long game with the Broncos who want to prevent a bidding war for Cousins. Logic would dictate, though, that the repercussions of this trade put the Redskins is a worse place than where they starter. But when has logic ever entered the conversation regarding the Washington Redskins.
Showing posts with label Redskins Kirk Cousins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Redskins Kirk Cousins. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Sunday, January 7, 2018
The Redskins Have No Choice But to Keep Cousins
The Redskins have put themselves in a position where they have no choice but to keep Kirk Cousins, even if that means putting the franchise tag on him for next year. Despite Jay Gruden's lukewarm endorsement of Cousins at his end of the year press conference, the Redskins need to see that Cousins has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league over the past three seasons and that there is no other alternative out there that can readily replace Cousins's production on the field. There are those who follow the usual banal talking points that boil Kirk's performance down to the notion that his stats are pedestrian and that we can easily replace him with someone who can take this franchise to the next level. A look at Cousins's stats over the past three seasons compared to his fellow quarterbacks, however, shows that Cousins excels in numerous areas given his situation, and the Redskins should see that trying to replace that production may be harrowing at best.
For this analysis, Cousins's stats are compared to only those quarterbacks who have had 40 or more starts over the past three seasons, plus Aaron Rodgers who has 39. That does limit comparison to players like Dak Prescott, Carson Wentz, and Jared Goff, but their sample sizes are too small to make a fair comparison, and it is better to compare Cousins to the elite quarterbacks who have sustained their play for a longer period of time. There are 19 of those quarterbacks, including Cousins, who have made 40 or more starts since 2015 (plus Aaron Rodgers with 39 starts), and it is that list of quarterbacks we will be comparing Cousins to in order to show how good he has been over the past three seasons. Here is the list of quarterbacks who have made 40 or more starts since 2015, with the number of starts they have had in parentheses: (Note: all stats obtained from profootballreference.com, and all stats given are totals since 2015)
Kirk Cousins (48), Phillip Rivers (48), Drew Brees (47), Tom Brady (44), Matt Ryan (48), Matt Stafford (48), Eli Manning (47), Blake Bortles (48), Derek Carr (46), Aaron Rodgers (39), Cam Newton (46), Jameis Winston (45), Russel Wilson (48), Alex Smith (46), Ben Roethlisberger (40), Joe Flacco (42), Andy Dalton (45), Tyrod Taylor (43), Marcus Mariota (42).
As can be noted by the bold numbers above, Cousins is one of six quarterbacks to have started every single game since 2015. So has Blake Bortles, though, so a further analysis of Cousins's worth needs to be presented. I choose to do this by addressing some of the asinine statements that the Anti-Cousins camp brings up to justify not signing Kirk Cousins to a long term contract. Let's start by presenting an argument aimed at taking down one of Cousins's strengths
Sure, Kirk has a great completion percentage because he checks down and refuses to go down field.
It is true. Out of this group of quarterbacks, Cousins is 2nd in completion percentage (67.02%) only behind Drew Brees. Cousins has been highly accurate, but to say that he throws the easier passes is a misnomer based on his yards per attempt and yards per completion over the past three seasons. His yards per attempt (7.8) is equal to that of Brees and Brady, and his yards per completion (11.6) is third highest among the quarterbacks who had over 1100 completions during this time frame. Cousins is throwing his passes as deep as some of the best in the game, and he is completing them at a distance that is equal to the elite quarterbacks in the league. The fact that he is completing these passes at a higher rate than anyone but Drew Brees should show the Redskins that he is worth a long term contract. But wait, the Anti-Cousins League has another bone to pick with giving Kirk that kind of money...
OK, so he is accurate, but Cousins just doesn't put up the big stats...like yards.
The Cousins doubters maybe surprised to know that the only quarterbacks out of this group to throw for more yards than Cousins are Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, and Matt Ryan in that order. Cousins has thrown for 13,176 yards over the past three seasons, and he has shown that he is able to eclipse 4,000 yards this season with a mostly new receiving corps and a patchwork offensive line. Also factor in the average amount of yardage thrown by these 19 quarterbacks over the past three seasons is 11,172 yards, and you can see that Cousins is well above average.
Fine, but those yards don't translate into points...i.e. Touchdowns.
This statement depends on how you want to evaluate Cousins's performance. Yes, Cousins has only thrown for 81 TD's over the past three seasons (good for 8th out of the list above) and he has never thrown for 30 or more TD's in any one season. But there is a surprising stat that elevates Cousins's game when you factor in rushing touchdowns. Cousins has 13 rushing TD's over the past three seasons. The only other quarterbacks to have more are Cam Newton (21) and Tyrod Taylor (14). When you combine the rushing touchdowns with passing touchdowns, Cousins has accounted for 94 TD's over the past three seasons. That is tied with Russell Wilson for 3rd over that time frame. The only people ahead of him are Brady (99), Brees (97), and Newton (97). Think about that. Cousins has accounted for more TD's over the past three seasons than Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, and Ben Roethlisberger, all of whom you would elevate over Cousins without thinking about it.
Right, because those quarterbacks win games. Close games. Big Games. Cousins cannot and has not done that.
Let's dissect this argument as it pertains to Cousins by looking at overall regular season wins over the past three seasons. Since 2015 Kirk Cousins has won 24 regular season games, which is slightly above the average of 23 for this group. But Cousins needs to be averaging 10 wins a year to be considered elite enough for a large contract. Right? That would add up to 30+ wins over three years, yet there are only three quarterbacks out of this group who have won 30 or more regular season games since 2015. Tom Brady (36). Cam Newton (32). And......................you guessed it.....Alex Smith (31). Weird, right? Brady is the best quarterback of all time, but would you automatically call Cam Newton elite, or just a winner because he has a great team around him? And what do you call Alex Smith, lucky? It is clear that a quarterback can win a lot of games if the right team is around them, and for Cousins he has not had that since he has been a starter.
Much has been made about the Redskins defense and running game being sub par this season, and that Cousins has achieved in spite of this. Looking back at the last three seasons the story is much worse. Since 2015 Cousins has won 24 games despite being one of only three quarterbacks to never have had a top 10 rushing offense or defense to support them. The other two are Matt Stafford and Aaron Rodgers. Also, Cousins is one of four quarterbacks to have only one season (2016 where the Redskins inexplicably averaged 106 rushing yards per game) where his rushing offense averaged over 100 yards or his defense averaged below 20 point per game. The other three quarterbacks are Phillip Rivers, Derek Carr, and Matt Stafford. None of these quarterbacks have won more than 25 games since 2015, so Cousins's total wins are on par with what one would expect with the supporting cast he has been given. And for all the knocks on Cousins, he has been able to win close games.
It may be surprising to know that Cousins has 11 wins where he led the Redskins on a 4th quarter drive that put them ahead for the last time in the game. Only Derek Carr and Matt Stafford have more of those wins than Cousins, and ironically Stafford has one against the Redskins. This shows that Cousins has the mettle to win tight games, and he had chances to show that this season in the games against Kansas City and Seattle. Yes, Cousins has shown a propensity for losing in big game situations, and it has been particularly acute over the past two seasons. But these stats show that he is among the elite quarterbacks over the past three seasons, and the question is, if not Cousins then who?
The Redskins have no choice but to keep Cousins because of his stats and the talent that is out there as replacements. Out of the 19 quarterbacks listed above only Drew Brees will be a UFA this offseason and the Saints will probably keep him. But maybe Case Keenum did not need the best defense in the NFL this year to put up those stats. Maybe Teddy Bridgewater can end his 2 year medical sabbatical in DC. I'm sure Jay Cutler would like to avoid real life for one more year, and Sam Bradford could blow his knee out in a new city. The rest of the gems on the 2018 Free Agent market are not worth noting, but we would probably be in rebuilding mode and looking to draft someone for the future. Maybe Baker Mayfield can grab his junk for the FedEx Faithful and run for more than 13 touchdowns. Maybe Luke Falk can throw for 4,000 yards in the next four years. Maybe Dan Snyder can end his Robert Griffin withdrawal and draft Lamar Jackson. Maybe playing New Mexico every year prepared Josh Allen to lead a 4th quarter comeback in the NFL. But all of these maybe's go to the fact that the Redskins have no choice. There are no maybe's with Kirk Cousins. He has proven himself at the highest level to be able to contend with the best this league has to offer, and there are no choices involved with the Redskins other than keeping Kirk Cousins in DC.
For this analysis, Cousins's stats are compared to only those quarterbacks who have had 40 or more starts over the past three seasons, plus Aaron Rodgers who has 39. That does limit comparison to players like Dak Prescott, Carson Wentz, and Jared Goff, but their sample sizes are too small to make a fair comparison, and it is better to compare Cousins to the elite quarterbacks who have sustained their play for a longer period of time. There are 19 of those quarterbacks, including Cousins, who have made 40 or more starts since 2015 (plus Aaron Rodgers with 39 starts), and it is that list of quarterbacks we will be comparing Cousins to in order to show how good he has been over the past three seasons. Here is the list of quarterbacks who have made 40 or more starts since 2015, with the number of starts they have had in parentheses: (Note: all stats obtained from profootballreference.com, and all stats given are totals since 2015)
Kirk Cousins (48), Phillip Rivers (48), Drew Brees (47), Tom Brady (44), Matt Ryan (48), Matt Stafford (48), Eli Manning (47), Blake Bortles (48), Derek Carr (46), Aaron Rodgers (39), Cam Newton (46), Jameis Winston (45), Russel Wilson (48), Alex Smith (46), Ben Roethlisberger (40), Joe Flacco (42), Andy Dalton (45), Tyrod Taylor (43), Marcus Mariota (42).
As can be noted by the bold numbers above, Cousins is one of six quarterbacks to have started every single game since 2015. So has Blake Bortles, though, so a further analysis of Cousins's worth needs to be presented. I choose to do this by addressing some of the asinine statements that the Anti-Cousins camp brings up to justify not signing Kirk Cousins to a long term contract. Let's start by presenting an argument aimed at taking down one of Cousins's strengths
Sure, Kirk has a great completion percentage because he checks down and refuses to go down field.
It is true. Out of this group of quarterbacks, Cousins is 2nd in completion percentage (67.02%) only behind Drew Brees. Cousins has been highly accurate, but to say that he throws the easier passes is a misnomer based on his yards per attempt and yards per completion over the past three seasons. His yards per attempt (7.8) is equal to that of Brees and Brady, and his yards per completion (11.6) is third highest among the quarterbacks who had over 1100 completions during this time frame. Cousins is throwing his passes as deep as some of the best in the game, and he is completing them at a distance that is equal to the elite quarterbacks in the league. The fact that he is completing these passes at a higher rate than anyone but Drew Brees should show the Redskins that he is worth a long term contract. But wait, the Anti-Cousins League has another bone to pick with giving Kirk that kind of money...
OK, so he is accurate, but Cousins just doesn't put up the big stats...like yards.
The Cousins doubters maybe surprised to know that the only quarterbacks out of this group to throw for more yards than Cousins are Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, and Matt Ryan in that order. Cousins has thrown for 13,176 yards over the past three seasons, and he has shown that he is able to eclipse 4,000 yards this season with a mostly new receiving corps and a patchwork offensive line. Also factor in the average amount of yardage thrown by these 19 quarterbacks over the past three seasons is 11,172 yards, and you can see that Cousins is well above average.
Fine, but those yards don't translate into points...i.e. Touchdowns.
This statement depends on how you want to evaluate Cousins's performance. Yes, Cousins has only thrown for 81 TD's over the past three seasons (good for 8th out of the list above) and he has never thrown for 30 or more TD's in any one season. But there is a surprising stat that elevates Cousins's game when you factor in rushing touchdowns. Cousins has 13 rushing TD's over the past three seasons. The only other quarterbacks to have more are Cam Newton (21) and Tyrod Taylor (14). When you combine the rushing touchdowns with passing touchdowns, Cousins has accounted for 94 TD's over the past three seasons. That is tied with Russell Wilson for 3rd over that time frame. The only people ahead of him are Brady (99), Brees (97), and Newton (97). Think about that. Cousins has accounted for more TD's over the past three seasons than Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers, and Ben Roethlisberger, all of whom you would elevate over Cousins without thinking about it.
Right, because those quarterbacks win games. Close games. Big Games. Cousins cannot and has not done that.
Let's dissect this argument as it pertains to Cousins by looking at overall regular season wins over the past three seasons. Since 2015 Kirk Cousins has won 24 regular season games, which is slightly above the average of 23 for this group. But Cousins needs to be averaging 10 wins a year to be considered elite enough for a large contract. Right? That would add up to 30+ wins over three years, yet there are only three quarterbacks out of this group who have won 30 or more regular season games since 2015. Tom Brady (36). Cam Newton (32). And......................you guessed it.....Alex Smith (31). Weird, right? Brady is the best quarterback of all time, but would you automatically call Cam Newton elite, or just a winner because he has a great team around him? And what do you call Alex Smith, lucky? It is clear that a quarterback can win a lot of games if the right team is around them, and for Cousins he has not had that since he has been a starter.
Much has been made about the Redskins defense and running game being sub par this season, and that Cousins has achieved in spite of this. Looking back at the last three seasons the story is much worse. Since 2015 Cousins has won 24 games despite being one of only three quarterbacks to never have had a top 10 rushing offense or defense to support them. The other two are Matt Stafford and Aaron Rodgers. Also, Cousins is one of four quarterbacks to have only one season (2016 where the Redskins inexplicably averaged 106 rushing yards per game) where his rushing offense averaged over 100 yards or his defense averaged below 20 point per game. The other three quarterbacks are Phillip Rivers, Derek Carr, and Matt Stafford. None of these quarterbacks have won more than 25 games since 2015, so Cousins's total wins are on par with what one would expect with the supporting cast he has been given. And for all the knocks on Cousins, he has been able to win close games.
It may be surprising to know that Cousins has 11 wins where he led the Redskins on a 4th quarter drive that put them ahead for the last time in the game. Only Derek Carr and Matt Stafford have more of those wins than Cousins, and ironically Stafford has one against the Redskins. This shows that Cousins has the mettle to win tight games, and he had chances to show that this season in the games against Kansas City and Seattle. Yes, Cousins has shown a propensity for losing in big game situations, and it has been particularly acute over the past two seasons. But these stats show that he is among the elite quarterbacks over the past three seasons, and the question is, if not Cousins then who?
The Redskins have no choice but to keep Cousins because of his stats and the talent that is out there as replacements. Out of the 19 quarterbacks listed above only Drew Brees will be a UFA this offseason and the Saints will probably keep him. But maybe Case Keenum did not need the best defense in the NFL this year to put up those stats. Maybe Teddy Bridgewater can end his 2 year medical sabbatical in DC. I'm sure Jay Cutler would like to avoid real life for one more year, and Sam Bradford could blow his knee out in a new city. The rest of the gems on the 2018 Free Agent market are not worth noting, but we would probably be in rebuilding mode and looking to draft someone for the future. Maybe Baker Mayfield can grab his junk for the FedEx Faithful and run for more than 13 touchdowns. Maybe Luke Falk can throw for 4,000 yards in the next four years. Maybe Dan Snyder can end his Robert Griffin withdrawal and draft Lamar Jackson. Maybe playing New Mexico every year prepared Josh Allen to lead a 4th quarter comeback in the NFL. But all of these maybe's go to the fact that the Redskins have no choice. There are no maybe's with Kirk Cousins. He has proven himself at the highest level to be able to contend with the best this league has to offer, and there are no choices involved with the Redskins other than keeping Kirk Cousins in DC.
Saturday, December 30, 2017
Kirk Cousins Has No Option But to Stay in DC
The Kirk Cousins Saga will come to its glorious zenith once the Redskins finish their season against the Giants this Sunday and he is allowed to begin free agent negotiations. In the DC area, the conjecture surrounding the fate of Kirk Cousins over the past three seasons has only been eclipsed by the theories surrounding Game of Thrones and The Last Jedi, and this season the maelstrom of rumors has been centered on what Kirk has said over the past three months regarding his status with the Redskins organization. But this approach only looks at what Kirk has said to the detriment of looking at what kind of person Kirk is. A great Spots Illustrated article by Greg Bishop gives a good glimpse at Cousins's personality and it is very telling. He is someone who face timed into a QB meeting from the delivery room of a hospital while his son was being born. He has his day planned out in 15 minute increments. He has a brain coach. Cousins is someone who is overly regimented and draws his energy from the process he uses to get himself into peak performance. So why would Cousins mess that process up by going somewhere else? And, more importantly, would those situations be any better suited to his process or psyche than staying in DC? Lets look at all possible suitors by breaking them into categories and showing why the alternatives leave Cousins with no option but to stay with the Redskins.
Category 1: The Ghosts of RGIII (Denver, Cleveland, Buffalo)
These teams seem promising for Cousins, but all of them would more than likely carry an incumbent QB into the 2018 season that may have Cousins needing 10 hours of sleep a night in his hyperbaric
chamber to keep his beta levels in order (read the SI article). Does Cousins want the Ghost of RGIII looking over his shoulder again? For all of Denver's upsides they will probably hold on to Paxton Lynch for this year considering he has a $4 Million dead cap hit, and they may want to keep an insurance policy. Cleveland will probably hold on to Deshone Kizer for the same reason, and because he is only finishing his rookie season. Tyrod Taylor carries an extra $10 Million in dead cap money until 2021 if he is not on the roster after the 2018 season so it can be assumed that the Bills would want to keep him for next year and beyond. Cousins seems to be a calculating individual who has played his way out of situations like this, and it is not worth it for him to go to a place like this even if Cleveland can offer a huge contract.
Category 2: Uncharted Waters (Cincinnati, Arizona, NY Jets, Miami)
Cousins's brain coach will need to be working overtime if he chooses to leave DC for one of these destinations. All of these teams carry uncertainties that Cousins and his camp must be weighing against the known evil that lies in Ashburn, Virginia. Arizona was one of the obvious alternatives for Cousins in the beginning of this season, but with Bruce Arians almost certainly on his way out can Cousins afford to take a gamble on an coach to be named later and hope that they gel? This is ditto for Cincinnati's situation where Marvin Lewis looks to be ending his 15 year reign as head coach. Miami would have to take a big step and release Ryan Tannehill, which is a maybe at best, and Cousins would also be stepping onto a Dolphins team with a second year head coach that is taking on water at the moment. The Jets are very intriguing as far as salary cap space goes, but with Jermaine Kearse, an aging Matt Forte, and soon-to-be-free-agent Austin Serferian-Jenkins as the Jets's main skill players on offense it seems to be a lateral move from DC at best. Even with that cap space to possibly sign some free agents, remember that the Jets drafted Christian Hackenberg to be the future. So these teams have many uncertainties surrounding their situations that makes the known situation of the Redskins better than the unknown of these teams
Category 3: Replacing the Legend (NY Giants, New Orleans, Pittsburgh)
These teams present Kirk with the question of legacy. It is plausible that the Giants could move on from Eli, Brees is a UFA at the end of this season, and there are rumors that Roethlisberger may retire after this season, especially if he wins his third Super Bowl this year. It would be intriguing for Kirk to go to a ready made winner, but would Kirk be able to handle that kind of pressure? Cousins will need to really amend his process to accommodate for the media lashing that will come when he falls short of being "the guy who came to replace the legend". And, more importantly, does Cousins want to carry that moniker with him in the latter end of his career? Even if he is able to win a Super Bowl in New York or Pittsburgh (which would be the standard he will be held to), the narrative will always be that it was not as many as Manning or Roethlisberger. Brees only won one, but Cousins could never endear himself to that fan base the way Brees has over his career. He will always play the step dad role in these cities. Couple this with Odell Beckham's prima donna attitude, Pittsburgh's horrendous cap space situation, and Le'Veon Bell's own franchise tag free agency hangover, and a ready made winner may not be better than trying to build here in DC. If New Orleans came calling, though, it may be hard to turn down, but it would still carry the baggage of replacing a legend.
Category 4: High Expectations (Jacksonville, Minnesota)
It maybe the first time ever that the Jacksonville Jaguars are associated with the term "high expectations", but if Kirk were to go there he would need to get the left side of his brain in full gear to tone down his inner monologue. The current AFC South Champions would expect, with no major free agents to sign other than Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson and a returning high octane defense, that Kirk Cousins would come in and improve them right away based on his performance over the past three years. If Cousins were to fall short of wherever the Jags finish this season it would spell instant disaster for Cousins based on the price tag he would demand. It would be the same situation with the Vikings who have the defense and the skill players to get the job done next season, and all three of their current quarterbacks are UFA's at the end of this season. Minnesota would be intriguing for Kirk because they have the cap space and a ready made team for him to succeed, but if that success does not come right away Kirk would be an instant scapegoat. Would Kirk be able to perform with the expectation that he needs to win his division or else there will be disappointment? And, could Kirk handle being called a bust after one season due to his big contract and hypothetical mediocre record? With all of these teams considered there is only one option.
All of these teams' current situations show that Cousins has no option but to stay in DC. The Redskins have the means to give him a large long-term contract, and if not they could still franchise him and limit his options once again. The Redskins, though, do not have a possible replacement that Cousins would need to dispossess. The Redskins coaching staff is relatively stable, and most of his offensive weapons will be back next year. Expectations in DC will be high no matter what, but they will not come with special caveats that will put a higher premium on winning in the short term for relative strangers who would not fully appreciate what Cousins brings. Kirk Cousins draws his energy from his self imposed daily routine, and moving to another team may require a drastic change to that routine that would require time that Cousins may not have in a new setting given the limitations stated above. For Kirk Cousins to remain successful with the least amount of stress put on him and his process, his only option is to stay with the Washington Redskins.
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