Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins could hit free agency next offseason, which would force the team to engage in a bidding war if it wants to retain him, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see Cousins re-sign in 2018, writes Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. The standoff between the Redskins and Cousins isn’t personal, notes Graziano, who expects him to stay with them if they make him the best offer. Otherwise, Graziano runs down a slew of other potential suitors that could make Cousins one of the richest players in the game if he reaches the open market in March. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests that a Cousins derby could look a bit like Hall of Fame defensive end Reggie White’s trip to free agency in 1993, when most of the league pursued him before he signed with Green Bay, as well as the sweepstakes for quarterback Peyton Manning in 2012. Manning drew vast interest before joining the Broncos.
More from the NFC:
- In theory, Saints quarterback Drew Brees is in the same situation as Cousins. Except, Brees has made it pretty clear that he doesn’t want to play anywhere but New Orleans, as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes. The 38-year-old could have become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and cashed in on a weak QB market, but he instead gave up his leverage by signing a one-year, $24.25MM extension just before the 2016 opener. For a morale boost, Triplett thinks the Saints should do the same thing before the 2017 season kicks off. Then again, since Brees hasn’t given the team any real reason to think he’ll bolt in free agency next year, there isn’t a ton of pressure to get that done.
- Brandon Beane, who spent 19 years in Carolina’s front office before taking over as the Bills’ general manager in May, endorses the Panthers’ decision to bring in Marty Hurney as the interim GM. “Hiring Marty is an excellent move for the Panthers,” Beane told David Newton of ESPN.com. “He knows the organization inside and out and has great relationships with many people in their front office and coaching staff. I wish him nothing but the best in his return to Carolina.” Most of Beane’s tenure in Carolina was spent working under Hurney, who first served as the team’s GM from 2002-12.
- Free agent running back DeAngelo Williams would be willing to pull a Hurney and return to the Panthers, with whom he played from 2006-14, but the club should stay away, argues Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer. Not only do the Panthers have a full complement of running backs (Jonathan Stewart, Christian McCaffrey, Curtis Samuel, Fozzy Whittaker and Cameron Artis-Payne), but Fowler points out that Williams has badmouthed the Panthers since his departure and, at 34 years old, has taken a pounding during his career.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Why do players like Brees and Cousins demands such a high contract, that the team is then strapped to put a team around them? Brees insisted to have the Saints pay him a crazy contract and then woke up one morning and was trying to figure out why Jimmy Graham was gone!
For the same reason owners demand a salary cap to artificially keep players salaries down. MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cousins to SF
bold prediction
A salary cap is primarily for parity.