Kirk Cousins

Jets Not Preparing To “Wildly Overspend” For Kirk Cousins

February 24th, 2018 at 2:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets are planning to aggressively pursue Kirk Cousins in free agency, but their intentions don’t appear to include changing the way NFL contracts work.

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports the Jets are not planning a history-making contract offer that would include $60MM in the first year. This was recently suggested, but Mehta reports the franchise is not prepared to wildly overspend to land the 29-year-old quarterback.

However, sources informed Mehta the Jets would “absolutely love” to add Cousins. But they won’t be radically changing the NFL landscape by offering the passer a fully guaranteed deal.

Another recent report indicated Gang Green was willing to spend “whatever it takes” to land Cousins, and while the Jets are in position to outmuscle the Broncos or Cardinals or Vikings or other possible suitors that aren’t the Browns (who are projected to hold $110MM-plus in cap space), Mehta reports the Jets are not planning to wildly overspend for Cousins. The Jets could have more than $90MM in space if they are to make certain logical cuts — which they’ve already started to do after not picking up Ben Ijalana‘s option — and the gap between Cousins and other veteran UFA quarterback solutions does look wide considering the former Redskins QB’s experience and lack of injury history.

Talk about how crazy the Jets are going to get in the Cousins sweepstakes has amused some at team headquarters, per Mehta, who adds the team does expect a few other teams to join them in chasing the seventh-year passer. The Jets expect three other teams to be strong suitors, but of the Broncos/Browns/Cardinals/Vikings/Bills group, Mehta notes the team doesn’t anticipate all of those teams being aggressive buyers here. The Jaguars may be considering a foray, but they could be hamstrung by Blake Bortles‘ physical.

Cousins has repeatedly said he wants to join a team that can contend immediately. The young Jets roster may take some time to move into position to do so, but if New York’s offer is well north of the competition’s, a decision to turn it down would obviously be difficult. Although it doesn’t appear the Jets are as full-speed-ahead intent on winning this race as has been suggested, they still may be the most aggressive team in this unique derby.

NFC East Notes: Eagles, Jeffery, Cousins

February 21st, 2018 at 1:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Eagles wide receiver Alshon Jeffery had surgery on Wednesday morning to fix a torn rotator cuff, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Jeffery first suffered the injury in training camp and played through the pain all the way to a Super Bowl championship.

Jeffery’s toughness is commendable, but rotator cuff tears come in various degrees and his wasn’t of the most severe variety. By getting the surgery in February, the receiver should be ready well in advance of training camp.

Last offseason, the Eagles signed Jeffery to a one-year prove-it deal when the open market didn’t yield the kind of contract offers he wanted. The contract paid big dividends for both sides. The Eagles saw Jeffery catch 57 passes for 789 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season. Jeffery, meanwhile, was rewarded with a fat four-year, $52MM extension in December.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

Many have assumed that the Redskins wouldn’t be eligible for a compensatory pick by tagging and then rescinding a Kirk Cousins franchise tender, but that may not be the case, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com writes. The Panthers and Dolphins both received 2017 draft compensation after revoking franchise and transition tags from cornerback Josh Norman and defensive end Olivier Vernon, respectively, in 2016. The Redskins have intimated that they could tag Cousins, but it is still viewed as improbable.
Duce Staley missed out on becoming the Eagles‘ new offensive coordinator, but the team has given him a new title. In 2018, he’ll serve as the team’s “assistant head coach” in addition to his duties as running backs coach, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets. This week, the Eagles promoted Mike Groh to OC, though head coach Doug Pederson will continue to call the plays.
Wide receiver Brandon Marshall and cornerback Eli Apple are among the Giants‘ tough decisions this offseason, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com writes. Raanan sees Marshall getting cut, which is consistent with what Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com recently reported, and believes that Apple will be traded since he could yield a middle round pick in return. Veterans Janoris Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Ereck Flowers, and John Jerry will likely stay, in Raanan’s estimation, while wide receiver Dwayne Harris seems likely to get cut in order to save $2.4MM against the cap.

2018 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates

February 20th, 2018 at 12:13am CST by Zachary Links

Starting today, NFL teams will be able to place franchise and transition tags on potential free agents for the first time. While the window for franchise tags is open, most clubs won’t actually tag any players right away.

As our list of important dates for the 2018 offseason shows, the deadline for teams to assign those tags doesn’t come until Tuesday, March 6. Usually, when it comes to NFL contract discussions, deadlines spur action, so teams will wait until that deadline approaches to officially use franchise tags, once it becomes clear that they won’t be able to strike a longer-term deal yet with their respective free-agents-to-be.

Even though the action might not heat up for a couple more weeks, it’s worth taking a closer look at what to expect during 2018’s franchise tag period. The NFL hasn’t officially announced the salary cap figure for 2017, but OverTheCap.com recently projected the 2018 franchise tag salaries based on a presumed $178MM cap. Here are the expected non-exclusive franchise tag amounts:

Quarterback: $23.09MM
Running back: $11.72MM
Wide receiver: $16.23MM
Tight end: $10.36MM
Offensive line: $14.54MM
Defensive end: $17.52MM
Defensive tackle: $14.53MM
Linebacker: $15.47MM
Cornerback: $14.88MM
Safety: $11.08MM
Punter/kicker: $5.06MM

(For a refresher on the characteristics of the exclusive and non-exclusive franchise tags, as well as the transition tag, be sure to check out PFR’s glossary entry on the subject.)

Here’s our look at the most likely candidates to be tagged, along with several more outside possibilities:

Virtual Locks:

Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: Last offseason, things got pretty weird between the Steelers and Bell. Just before the deadline to extend franchise tagged players, the Steelers believed that they had agreed on a five-year offer worth roughly $60MM. Ultimately, Bell backed out because he did not find the guarantees and cash flow to be to his liking. Soon after, friend and former teammate Ike Taylor said that Bell wanted a contract that reflects his performance as both a No. 1 back and a No. 2 receiver – something in the neighborhood of $15MM per year. This year, Bell topped his 75 catch total with 85 grabs, so one has to imagine that his position hasn’t changed. Despite some retirement threats in January, Bell has indicated that talks are going better this time around. Here’s where things get interesting – the Steelers say that today (Feb. 20) is the “deadline” for a long-term deal to get signed. If not, they’ll go ahead and franchise tag him for a second consecutive season, leaving Bell with a one-year, $14.5MM pact when factoring in the 20% increase. Will Bell buckle and sign a deal that isn’t quite to his satisfaction? In theory, the running back could abstain from offseason activities and even reboot retirement talk in an effort to get the Steelers to cave and abide by the real extension deadline on July 16.
Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys: It has already been reported that the Cowboys will go ahead and tag Lawrence to prevent him from reaching free agency. Once that happens, you can expect the cash-strapped Cowboys to get to work on an extension that will smooth out the $17.5MM cap hit for defensive ends. There won’t be much drama as to whether the Cowboys will or won’t tag Lawrence, but the subsequent multi-year negotiations will be interesting to watch. Lawrence had a rocky first three seasons in the NFL, but he stepped up big in his contract year with 14.5 sacks. The Cowboys must be willing to pay Lawrence like a top DE, but they may insist on protections like an easy escape hatch or heavy roster bonuses in the event that he is injured or suspended.

Strong Candidates:

Sammy Watkins, WR, Rams: As our own Micah Powell explained on Sunday, Watkins is a candidate for the tag with mutual interest on both sides in continuing their union. Committing major dollars to Watkins is dicey, however, given his injury history and his somewhat disappointing stat line in 2017. If the Rams let Watkins hit the open market, they’ll risk losing him to other teams with more wiggle room under the salary cap. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. And in a weak crop of free agent wide receivers, Watkins could clean up and leave the Rams without an obvious replacement.
Allen Robinson, WR, Jaguars: Tagging Watkins will be a tough call for the Rams and the Jaguars have a similarly difficult decision to make when it comes to Robinson. Robinson played only three snaps in 2017 before going down with a torn ACL and he didn’t set the world on fire in 2016. However, his 2015 performance – 80 catches, 1,400 yards, and a league-leading 14 touchdowns – makes it hard for Jacksonville to let him walk. In theory, the Jaguars could re-sign fellow free agent Marqise Lee and let Robinson go, but Robinson is clearly the more talented of the two and one could argue that Lee’s late-season emergence was fueled by advantageous matchups. It’ll be pricey, but the Jaguars are suddenly in position to win and they can’t afford to let one of their best weapons bolt.

Toss Up:

Kyle Fuller, CB, Bears: Frankly, I’m conflicted on this one. I’m sure Bears GM Ryan Pace can relate. Fuller turned in a strong rookie campaign and an excellent contract year, but he was a victim of the sophomore jinx and an unfortunate knee injury which cost him his entire season as an NFL junior. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com hears that Fuller will not be with the Bears this year. But, considering that Fuller graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 22 ranked cornerback and the position is already a major area of need for the team, the Bears have to at least think about tagging him for $14.88MM.
Ezekiel Ansah, DE, Lions: Ansah has performed pretty well over the last two seasons, despite playing through some serious pain. The Lions probably aren’t thrilled about extending a one-year, $17.5MM tender to Ansah, but pressure generating edge rushers like him are at a premium. Consider this: Ansah tallied 12 sacks last year despite knee, ankle, and back ailments. Only seven players topped that total: Chandler Jones, Calais Campbell, DeMarcus Lawrence, Everson Griffen, Cam Jordan, Ryan Kerrigan, and Joey Bosa.
Case Keenum, QB, Vikings: Is one year as an elite quarterback enough to justify the franchise tag? Maybe, but the Vikings have options at their disposal, including two other pending free agents already on the roster. If the Vikings can’t retain Keenum or Bradford or Bridgewater with a reasonable multi-year deal between now and free agency, they can use their mountain of cap space to get involved in the Cousins sweepstakes.
Sheldon Richardson, DT, Seahawks: The Jets had both Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson under contract, but they could only afford to pay one of the two defensive linemen. Clearly, they chose wrong. For all of the headaches that Richardson gave the team, the five-year, $86MM deal given to Wilkerson wound up being a monumental mistake and will continue to be an albatross for the Jets even after they cut him this offseason. The Seahawks gave up a second-round choice and wide receiver Jermaine Kearse to get Richardson – will they make the same mistake and let him get away? Perhaps not, but it would also be a major gamble to tag him at $14.5MM with limited cap space and other holes to address. The best course of action here may be to try and work out a fresh deal without the franchise tag as a floor for Richardson’s camp. If that fails and the two sides can’t come to terms, the Seahawks can at least collect a 2019 compensatory pick.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins: Team president Bruce Allen has intimated that the Redskins could tag Cousins in an effort to get something for him via trade. Could the Redskins be that petty when it comes to Cousins? Yes, absolutely. But the Redskins would be taking on a monumental risk by applying the tag to him when they already have Alex Smith penciled in as their starter. Cousins also feels that he has a strong grievance case against Washington if he is cuffed, so the Redskins could wind up hurting their own flexibility during the most important part of the offseason for absolutely nothing.
Andrew Norwell, OG, Panthers: Heading into this week, our feeling was that Norwell was a very strong candidate for the tag. But, on Monday night, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer learned that the Panthers are not expected to use their franchise tag on any player. Norwell, a former UDFA, has established himself as one of the very best guards in the NFL. This year, he set new personal watermarks in advanced analytics and graded out as the No. 3 ranked OG in the league, per Pro Football Focus. If the Panthers do not tag him and do not find a way to retain him before mid-March, he could be a goner. Old friend Dave Gettleman, who has roughly $24.5MM in cap space to work with, would pounce at the chance to add Norwell to the Giants’ offensive line.
Star Lotulelei, DE, Panthers: Again, the Panthers are not expected to use the tag. If they change their minds on that front, they’d probably lean towards using it on Norwell anyway. With limited cap room to work with, Carolina will likely allow Lotulelei to leave while giving a larger role to 2016 first-round pick Vernon Butler.
Jarvis Landry, WR, Dolphins: In December, Landry’s agent asked the Dolphins for a deal worth about $14MM annually with $30MM in guarantees. As of late January, the ‘Fins have not come to the table with a counter offer. The Dolphins could surprise us and keep Landry in place with the tag, but right now it doesn’t feel all that likely. The wide receiver has told those close to him that he doesn’t expect to return to Miami, so he could be in position to be the highest-paid wide receiver in this year’s free agent crop. A word of caution to Landry and agent Damarius Bilbo: Alshon Jeffery, Terrelle Pryor, and Kenny Britt reportedly believed that they were in line for $12MM/year offers last year. Jeffery and Pryor both had to settle for one-year, eight-figure pillow contracts (with drastically different results, of course). Britt got an AAV of just $8.1MM on a four-year deal, and that failure will be fresh in the mind of any team exploring Landry.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins , TE, Jets: The Jets reportedly offered ASJ a two-year, $8MM deal, which he rejected. The one-year tag ($9.8MM) is worth more than the total of that two-year offer, so it seems highly unlikely that Gang Green will take the plunge. Seferian-Jenkins had his best career year with 50 catches for 357 yards and three TDs, but the Jets reportedly won’t go overboard to retain him.
Justin Pugh, OG, Giants: Pugh is perhaps the longest of the longshots listed here. He is included only because of the Giants’ serious need up front and the dearth of quality interior linemen in this year’s free agent class. In theory, the Giants could overpay to put a placeholder on him, but we don’t expect the new regime to go that route, particularly since he didn’t grade out well in his injury-shorted 2017. If the Giants want to apply the tag to Pugh, it will be interesting to see how he is classified since he has also spent time at tackle.

AFC East Notes: Cousins, Jets, Dolphins,

February 19th, 2018 at 9:54pm CST by Micah Powell

The Jets are reportedly ready to pay quarterback Kirk Cousins all he could want to be the team’s franchise quarterback. The team could get creative in a deal, offering him as much as $60 MM guaranteed in the first year of the deal, a league source told the New York Post’s Brian Costello.

The thinking is similar to what the 49ers did when they signed Jimmy Garoppolo. With a projected $73.2 MM in cap space, according to overthecap.com, the Jets could front-load the contract when the team has plenty of money to work with. That would set up friendlier cap numbers for the ensuing years when the team is expected to have less cap space.

Costello projects the $73.2 MM in cap room could grow to as much as $92 MM if the team cuts DL Muhammad Wilkerson and RB Matt Forte, as expected. Even with $60 MM in guaranteed money going Cousins’ way, the Jets would still have $30 MM to work with in free agency.

Money won’t be the issue with New York trying to lure Cousins to town. It will be if they can sell him on the idea of winning quickly.

Here is more from around the AFC East:

Sticking with the Jets, the team reportedly offered tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins an $8 MM deal over two years but was turned down, Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York reports. The reported deal is well below the expected $9.8 MM expected annual salary for tight ends on the franchise tag.
The Dolphins would be interested in bringing in C.J. Anderson if the Broncos cut him, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. Miami attempted to sign Anderson following the 2016 season but the Broncos matched their offer. The Dolphins recently hired former Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville for the same position. Anderson was very critical of the team’s decision to let Studesville go.
Dolphins DL coach Craig Kuligowski left the team to pursue other opportunities, Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link). That other opportunity is expected to be as the new Alabama DL coach, Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman reports (Twitter link).

Cousins Notes: Jets, Vikings, Broncos

February 19th, 2018 at 7:34pm CST by Micah Powell

With free agency less than a month away, speculation is beginning to pick up around Kirk Cousins. The Redskins quarterback is set to hit the open market after the team pulled off a trade for Alex Smith in recent weeks and there are expected to be plenty of suitors.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that the Jets are willing to pay whatever it takes to land the star free agent. This comes on the heels of news out of Denver that the Broncos are also all in on the quarterback.

That’s just the beginning of the list of suitors who are expected to be in play for the fifth-year signal-caller. The Browns, Vikings and Cardinals could all make a run at Cousins, who is expected to become the highest-paid player in NFL history once he decides on a team.

Here is a collection of the latest rumors and predictions surrounding the top free agent:

The MMQB’s Peter King predicted landing spots for all free agent and draft-eligible quarterbacks and pegged Cousins to the Broncos. King notes Cousins’ reported desire to win and John Elway’s willingness to swing for the fences as reasons for the move. King also says that Elway appears ready to move defenders like Aqib Talib and Derek Wolfe to create the cap room to go after his guy. Among other noted quarterbacks, King listed A.J. McCarron to the Cardinals, Sam Darnold and Sam Bradford to the Browns, and Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater to the Vikings.
If his teammates have any insight on the situation, then Cousins might be indeed headed for Denver. Redskins safety D.J. Swearinger appeared on NFL Network on Monday and gave his thoughts on Cousins’ likely landing spot. “With the situation they have out there on defense, they’re missing their quarterback. I think Kirk will be getting a healthy payday and I think Denver is the team that can do that.”
If the Vikings do not place the franchise tag on Keenum, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport fully expects the reigning NFC North champions to be in the mix for Cousins (Twitter link). Minnesota, fresh off posting a 13-3 mark in 2017, arguably offer the quarterback the greatest chance to win right off the bat with a strong defense and solid weapons at receiver, tight end and running back.
Sticking with the Vikes, the Star Tribune’s Michael Rand writes that the Jets’ willingness to back up the Brinks truck for Cousins might force the team to look elsewhere. “If suddenly Cousins — hardly a sure thing as a franchise-altering QB in the first place — can command that kind of contract from a desperate team, the Vikings (if they are interested in the first place) might have no choice but to look in other directions.”

Jets Preparing For Kirk Cousins Pursuit

February 19th, 2018 at 10:09am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets will search for their franchise quarterback this offseason, and New York is “willing to pay whatever it takes” to land free agent signal-caller Kirk Cousins, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.

Gang Green is just the latest team to reportedly express interest in Cousins, as the Broncos are “all in” on the 29-year-old passer. Quarterbacks of Cousins’ ilk rarely hit the free agent market, and given the number of teams searching for signal-callers (the Browns, Cardinals, and Vikings could all make plays for Cousins), the ex-Redskin figures to reset the quarterback market by topping Jimmy Garoppolo‘s $27.5MM annual salary.

The Jets and general manager Mike Maccagnan have the financial wherewithal to make a serious push for Cousins, as the club is currently projected to have more than $70MM available in 2018 cap space. As such, New York should be able to offer Cousins a hefty 2018 payout that other teams may not be able to match. Per Cimini, the Jets will also attempt to sell Cousins on their “championship vision” and stress scheme familiarity, as new offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates enjoys a relationship with Cousins.

If the Jets aren’t able to land Cousins, they’ll have to explore other options including veteran Josh McCown, who is open to returning to New York for the 2018 campaign. If the Jets do re-sign McCown, they’ll likely need to select another quarterback early in the draft, per Cimini.

Photo courtesy of Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.

Kirk Cousins Will Follow Through With Grievance If Tagged

February 18th, 2018 at 7:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The grievance rumored to be filed if the Redskins use the franchise tag on Kirk Cousins for a third straight season will commence, Kimberley Martin of the Washington Post reports.

Cousins’ camp will file a grievance through the NFLPA if the Redskins tag him again, per Martin. This finalized stance comes two days ahead of the first day teams can designate franchise players. Beginning Tuesday, teams have two weeks to use their tags on players they intend to try to sign by the July 16 deadline.

The Redskins did this with Cousins the past two seasons, and he collected more than $44MM as a result of those one-year setups following contentious negotiations, but they do not plan to have him as their quarterback this season. That will be a problem for the team’s case.

Washington having agreed to trade for Alex Smith, and having an extension lined up, would violate a section of the CBA that indicates teams must only tag players if they have a good-faith intention to employ them at or around that salary for the following season. The Redskins’ Smith extension will ensure they have no plans of paying Cousins $34.47MM in 2018, and this purpose would purely be for compensation. Martin notes several executives around the league view this as a spiteful move on Washington’s part.

The 29-year-old passer figures to have a host of suitors should he reach free agency, and this grievance going his way would finalize his path to unrestricted free agency and ignite a frenzied stretch for teams planning for this rare quick-fix quarterback solution.

Latest On Kirk Cousins

February 18th, 2018 at 8:53am CST by Rory Parks

As our Sam Robinson detailed yesterday, any number of teams could pursue Kirk Cousins if and when he hits the open market, but the Broncos and Jets are currently considered the favorites in the Cousins sweepstakes (although it does appear that the Vikings and Cousins match up very nicely as well).

Indeed, as Troy E. Renck of Denver7 writes, the Broncos will be “all in” on Cousins, which is about as definitive as a statement of interest can get. And, as Renck notes, Denver does have a pretty strong sales pitch, as the club has more Super Bowl berths (seven) over the last 34 seasons than losing seasons (six), and it has shown a willingness to build around a free agent quarterback (see Peyton Manning, 2012). The Broncos also have a strong roster and could be just a solid QB away from returning to contention.

However, Denver does not have the same type of salary cap room that several other Cousins suitors enjoy, so Renck says that the Broncos would need Cousins to show flexibility in his salary over the first few seasons of his contract. Even though Cousins has expressed excitement over the possibility of playing for Denver, it is unclear whether he would be willing to make such a concession.

Enter the Jets. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, Gang Green is reportedly willing to at least consider fully guaranteeing the entirety of Cousins’ contract if he were to sign with New York. And, if the Jets make that kind of pitch, other teams that want Cousins may have to follow suit or drop out of the race entirely.

And yet, even a fully-guaranteed contract may not be overly enticing to Cousins, as he may prefer a provision that guarantees him a fixed percentage of the salary cap after the first several years of the deal. After all, as Florio notes, most franchise quarterbacks do not suddenly lose their abilities or suffer career-ending injuries, and they typically either finish a long-term deal or have it torn up and replaced by a bigger deal before it expires.

Speaking of teams with a lot of money to throw at Cousins, the Browns have been discussed as a potential landing spot for the long-time Redskin, but John Keim of ESPN.com does not believe a Browns-Cousins marriage makes sense for either side, regardless of whether Washington tries to put the franchise tag on Cousins.

East Notes: Cousins, Eagles, Jets, Pats, Bills

February 17th, 2018 at 8:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Should the Redskins place the franchise tag on Kirk Cousins, a grievance from the quarterback’s camp could follow. And Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk expects the quarterback’s side to successfully prevent Washington from tagging him again. Florio cites a section of the CBA that indicates a team that intends to use the tag must have a “good faith intention” to employ that player the following season. The Redskins having agreed to trade for Alex Smith, and having terms in place for an extension once that trade processes, essentially signals they do not plan to employ Cousins at or around $34.47MM this season. With other complications of a possible Cousins tag potentially emerging, the Redskins don’t look to be in line to succeed if they were to go down this path.

Here’s the latest from the East divisions:

The Eagles currently hold the least amount of projected cap space (being $9MM-plus over the cap as of Saturday), and Geoff Mosher of FanRag Sports notes Howie Roseman would like to get a head-start on future caps by reaching an extension with breakout wideout Nelson Agholor. While no 2014 first-round pick has signed an extension yet, Mosher writes Roseman would probably like to extend the Chip Kelly-approved 2015 first-rounder this offseason and expects — if that comes to fruition — that price to be at around $9-$10MM per year. That would stand to lower Agholor’s 2019 fifth-year option number, slated to come in at $9.5MM. But with Agholor set for a bigger role in the Eagles’ offense, which Mosher does not expect to include Torrey Smith, he could bet on himself and see if he can drive up his value with a strong 2018.
This offseason will also be important for Jay Ajayi, whose contract expires after the ’18 slate. But Ajayi’s history of knee trouble — which helped lead to the Boise State product falling to the fifth round in 2015 — could induce Roseman to be careful about an extension, Mosher writes. Corey Clement‘s Super Bowl performance may put the ex-UDFA on the radar to be the leading Eagles back in the near future, Mosher writes, which would affect Ajayi’s long-term standing.
Martellus Bennett did not end up playing much of a role for the AFC champions this season post-waiver claim, and ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss does not expect his second Patriots stint to last much longer. Reiss expects the Patriots will decline his $2MM option (which would trigger a $3.6MM 2018 base salary and $2.6MM roster bonus). Bennett said he intended to retire after last season but has yet to formally announce anything. Of course, he was embroiled in a contentious situation with the Packers at the time of that proclamation.
Two AFC East tackles are cap-casualty candidates in the view of OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald. The Jets will save $4.67MM by cutting Ben Ijalana, who has mostly served as a backup aside from his 13 starts in 2016. The Bills may have a tougher decision regarding Cordy Glenn, but since signing a five-year extension in 2016, the formerly durable left tackle has has struggled to stay healthy. It would cost the Bills $9.6MM in dead money to cut Glenn, with $4.85MM coming Buffalo’s way in savings, and Fitzgerald could see the team putting him on the trade block. The Bills have second-rounder Dion Dawkins as an in-house replacement option and could see if another team would gamble on Glenn given the dearth of available tackle talent.

Poll: Who Will Sign Kirk Cousins?

February 17th, 2018 at 6:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

With less than a month until free agency begins, Kirk Cousins looks to be — barring an 11th-hour Redskins franchise tag he would fight — close to signing a long-term contract with the team of his choice.

It’s an incredibly unique situation, and teams with disparate profiles figure to make runs at signing the 29-year-old quarterback. Rebuilding teams, contending teams and operations that would seemingly be contenders if supplied a quarterback are going to pursue Cousins. So, where will he go?

The Jets and Browns are going to have the most money to chase Cousins, and the former makes sense as a destination. New York surprised many last season by winning five games and finishing well off the pace for the No. 1 pick, which many predicted the rebuilding team would secure. The Jets could have more than $90MM in cap space after a few sensible roster moves, and despite their troubles in recent years, could make a case they are a young team who could build a long-term foundation around Cousins.

Cousins has said repeatedly that after making more than $44MM the past two years he wants to play for a contending team. The Browns, though, have a staggering amount of cap space at $110MM-plus. They could sell a free agent QB on their ability to construct a foundation, but their past does not inspire much confidence. And this, by just about every indication to this point, seems like the year they draft a quarterback.

The Bills made a surprise run to the playoffs last season, but Brandon Beane said upon being hired he doesn’t plan to make many high-cost free agent signings. Considering this figures to be the most expensive free agent in NFL history, it’s difficult to envision a Bills push for Cousins. And Tyrod Taylor may not be completely out of the picture yet.

The Broncos and Cardinals are in similar positions as recent contenders who have fallen off the pace a bit, and neither will have the cap space to outflank the Jets or Browns. Both saw quarterback play lower their ceilings last season, and the Cardinals saw their longtime starter retire and his backups’ contracts expire. Denver has both Paxton Lynch and Trevor Siemian under contract but has made no secret about wanting to upgrade — via free agency or the draft — with that desire presumably being centered around complementing the core players remaining from the Super Bowl season.

Both the Broncos and Jets are rumored to be gearing up for entrances into the Cousins sweepstakes, and the Bovada sports book has these two as the early frontrunners. However, both the Vikings and Jaguars fit the profile of franchises that could use Cousins as a possible springboard to a Super Bowl. How serious are they about this, though?

The Jaguars may have complications because of Blake Bortles‘ wrist surgery. The embattled starter not being able to pass a physical come mid-March will guarantee his $19MM fifth-year option salary and cloud a potential Cousins pursuit. Jacksonville’s current plan is to keep Bortles, but is a chance at Cousins too tempting to avoid?

The Vikings would make sense as well but may opt to stick with Case Keenum via franchise tag. However, Cousins has proven more than Keenum, and although he would make for a costlier expense, Minnesota being on the doorstep of its first Super Bowl berth in 40-plus years may make ditching their 2017 setup for Cousins a worthwhile gamble. The Vikings do have several core players entering contract years, which could make a near-$30MM-AAV Cousins accord complicated. Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks, Stefon Diggs and Danielle Hunter are four who fit that profile. How much will that factor into a Cousins push?

So, where does Cousins end up?

Does he stick to his winning-situation statements and avoid teams who have struggled in recent years, or can the Browns or Jets submit an offer he can’t refuse? Can the Broncos make a sales pitch that their history surrounding a UFA QB with championship-caliber talent would be worth sacrificing a bit of cash, or is their nucleus’ window closing to the point Cousins looks elsewhere? How serious are the Cardinals and Bills in this derby? And how much would the Vikings or Jaguars entering the fray change the outlook of this high-stakes process? Take PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.

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Kirk Cousins

Virtual Locks:

Strong Candidates:

Toss Up:

Long Shots: