The beginning of free agency on March 9 is just over three weeks away, but the Redskins and the most valuable unsigned player in the NFL, quarterback Kirk Cousins, still haven’t made progress toward a long-term agreement, reports Mike Jones of the Washington Post. Talks between the two sides are poised to “intensify” over the next couple weeks, according to Jones.
Redskins president Bruce Allen said last month that the club’s goal is to lock up Cousins for the long haul, but doing so might cost in the neighborhood of $90MM and $110MM – including $50MM to $60MM in guarantees – on a four- to five-year contract, posits Jones. If that’s too big a commitment for Washington, whose brass has differing opinions on Cousins, it could place the franchise tag on the 28-year-old as early as Wednesday and no later than March 1.
The Redskins tagged Cousins at $19.95MM last season, and doing so again this winter would cost them $23.94MM. The likelihood is that the Redskins would use the non-exclusive tag on Cousins, adds Jones, which would enable the five-year veteran to negotiate with other teams. Should someone sign Cousins to an offer sheet, that club would have to send two first-round picks to the Redskins as compensation. That would perhaps be an unpalatable price to pay for bottom-feeding teams like the 49ers and Browns, both of whom have been connected to Cousins this offseason.
For the Redskins, losing the highly productive Cousins would lead to a significant short-term downgrade under center, as Jones writes that the team would seriously consider turning to backup Colt McCoy as a stopgap as it grooms an early round signal-caller behind him. Cousins’ departure could also deter free agents from signing with the Redskins this offseason, per ESPN.com’s John Keim, who notes that “multiple agents” around the league want their clients to join the team if the QB stays in the fold.
It’s easy to see why Cousins is regarded highly by his colleagues: In his two years as a starter, he has helped the Redskins to plus-.500 seasons – including a 9-7, NFC East-winning showing in 2015 – while flourishing statistically. Cousins is coming off a year in which he completed 67 percent of passes, nearly reached the 5,000-yard mark (4,917), and tossed 25 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
Uh…Hello. Franchise Tag for Cousins? It’s all I have been posting since yesterday. Is anybody paying attention to the clues that have been sprinkled along the path. Will be in San Francisco within 3 weeks. If Cousins was signing he would have a contract by now. This is not brain surgery.
P.S. Nate Sudfeld is going to be an Excellent QB for the Skins.
Sudfield will be lucky to be in the NFL past 2017.
I doubt the Redskins will let him walk for nothing and San Francisco isn’t going to pay the price of two first round picks (via the franchise tag) for him and give him a big contract. The 49ers only hope is if they trade for him with the condition that he signs a contract (as in he isn’t traded only for him to leave in free agency).
Your prediction has a very high probability of being correct. The aftermath will not be pretty for several years. As noted the FA period will be another bust. FA will not come unless they are overpaid or they use the Redskins to get paid more elsewhere. One should not be surprised! They have been doing that for 25 years. Gruden and ScotM get fired after 2017 and the major rebuild starts yet again. 2 to 4 years of 4 win seasons on the way.
It’s all too easy. Let Cousins go to SF. Collect the picks. Then package some picks for Jimmy Garoppolo.
Done.