Kirk Cousins

Reactions To Andrew Luck’s Extension

June 29th, 2016 at 6:37pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Colts owner Jim Irsay said in February that Andrew Luck‘s extension – which he signed Wednesday – would be “shocking.” Now that it’s official, though, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk disagrees, arguing that the only true surprise is that Luck fell short of $25MM per year and accepted $23.3MM annually through 2021. Even though Luck’s contract is now the richest in NFL history, Florio contends that the signal-caller could have held out for more money, perhaps by going year to year under the franchise tag. Instead, as Florio tweets, the soon-to-be 27-year-old settled for a team-friendly pact.

Here’s more on Luck’s deal and what it means for the league:

Dan Graziano of ESPN.com is in lockstep with Florio, noting that Luck’s guaranteed-at-signing total ($44MM) is significantly less than the $60MM Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh received as a free agent in 2015 and adding that pushing $27MM in guarantees into the third and fourth years of the deal carries too much risk for Luck. Although the cap has risen 26.2 percent since Aaron Rodgers signed for $22MM per year in 2013, the top QB salary has gone up by only 5.9 percent, observes Graziano, who adds that Luck’s accord should be a letdown for other passers – including the Redskins’ Kirk Cousins.
Conversely, CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Rich Tandler opines that Luck’s extension likely has Cousins smiling, writing that Cousins’ agent can now use Luck’s deal as a ceiling and Brock Osweiler‘s $18MM AAV as a floor for his franchise-tagged client. Cousins, a fourth-rounder in the 2012 draft (Luck was the No. 1 overall pick that year), will rake in $19.95MM this season if he and the Redskins don’t reach a long-term accord by the July 15 deadline. As of last week, the 27-year-old Cousins and the Redskins hadn’t made progress in contract talks.
Both Luck and the Colts fell well short of expectations during an 8-8 campaign in 2015. After leading the league with 40 touchdown passes in 2014, Luck missed nine games because of injuries and was underwhelming on the field, completing just 55.3 percent of throws on 6.42 yards per attempt and adding 15 TDs against 12 interceptions. Nevertheless, that didn’t faze Irsay, who fully expected to make Luck the highest-paid player in the league. “You look at the total body of work,” he said (via Mike Wells of ESPN). Prior to 2015, Luck started 52 straight games (playoffs included), led the Colts to three consecutive double-digit-win outputs, and threw for 86 scores and nearly 13,000 yards in the regular season.
Luck is now one of five important members of the Colts’ offense under team control through at least 2019, as Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star points out (on Twitter). Left tackle Anthony Castonzo, first-round center Ryan Kelly and tight end Dwayne Allen are all locked up until the end of the 2019 season, while Indy has No. 1 receiver T.Y. Hilton in its grasp through 2020. With a fifth-year option in his contract, Kelly’s deal could also take him through the conclusion of the 2020 campaign.

East Notes: Cousins, Brady, Lombardi, Jets

June 26th, 2016 at 9:58am CST by Rory Parks

The latest reports on contract talks between the Redskins and Kirk Cousins suggested that the two sides may not be reaching a long-term pact prior to the July 15 deadline, and that Cousins may consequently play out the 2016 season on the $19.95MM franchise tender. As Albert Breer of TheMMQB pointed out, Washington could be playing with fire if, as expected, Andrew Luck signs a record-breaking extension with the Colts and Cousins turns in another strong year.

Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com echoes those sentiments. He believes that, as we are still nearly three weeks away from July 15, both player and team are exercising the appropriate amount of patience and are right to not rush into a deal, but he does note that the Redskins have to be worried about the pending Luck contract. As Tandler writes, Washington could lock up Cousins today for something in the neighborhood of $20MM per year, but if they wait until next season, the club could end up paying more than $40MM more over the life of Cousins’ contract than if it acts now.

Let’s take a look at a few more links from the league’s east divisions:

Tomorrow marks five full weeks since Patriots quarterback Tom Brady filed a request for an en banc hearing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. As Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes, legal experts anticipated that the Court would take no more than six weeks to make its decision, so Brady should know within the next few days whether he will get a second bite at the appellate apple.
Ben Volin of The Boston Globe hears that Michael Lombardi‘s recent departure from the Patriots was not as mutual as it was first reported. Volin writes that New England was happy to have Lombardi serve as the team’s assistant to the coaching staff the past two years, because most of his salary was still being paid by the Browns, but after Lombardi’s contract expired, the Patriots chose not to keep Lombardi on the books. Volin adds that head coach Bill Belichick was Lombardi’s only real ally inside the building, and that Lombardi’s role in bringing in former Browns like Jabaal Sheard and Dion Lewis was overstated.
In his ongoing examination of each team’s best and worst contracts, Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com writes that the best deal on the Jets‘ books is Brandon Marshall‘s, whereas Fitzgerald believes David Harris‘ deal is the team’s worst contract.

Latest On Kirk Cousins, Redskins

June 23rd, 2016 at 11:50am CST by Zachary Links

With roughly three weeks until the extension deadline, the assumption is that Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins will play out the 2016 season on his $19.95MM franchise tender, sources from both sides tell Albert Breer of The MMQB. While talks are “amicable” between both sides, Breer hears that they are basically going nowhere.

Cousins’ reps are negotiating on the premise that Cousins can earn roughly $44MM over the next two years if he is tagged for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. The Redskins, meanwhile, are reluctant to meet those numbers in the first two years of a contract (and, presumably, reflect those salaries beyond 2017) since they want to see Cousins prove himself all over again. As Breer notes, the Redskins may be playing a dangerous game with their QB. If, as expected, Andrew Luck signs a record-breaking extension and Cousins turns in another strong year, then their quarterback’s asking price will skyrocket.

Another factor to consider is the impact of the Josh Norman signing on the Redskins’ salary cap. The cornerback’s massive deal will carry a $20MM cap hit in 2017. Therefore, if Washington were to exercise the franchise tag on Cousins next season at $24MM, more than 25% of its cap space would be dedicated to two players, and that’s a pie chart that no NFL team wants to be facing.

Cousins, 27, became Washington’s full-time starting quarterback for the first time last season, earning 16 of his 25 career starts in 2015. The four-year veteran finished the regular season on a tear, completing 74% of his passes for nearly 1,200 yards, 12 touchdowns, and a 134.0 quarterback rating over the final four weeks of the year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Fitz, Wilkerson, Cousins, Cowboys

June 15th, 2016 at 5:16pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jets’ Todd Bowles indicated Tuesday that there’s no deadline to sign free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, but the head coach backtracked on that today, reports Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “If it’s Week 4 in training camp and he’s not here, you know who your starter is going to be Week 1,” Bowles said, implying that Geno Smith would be the Jets’ No. 1 signal-caller in such an extreme scenario. “You have time until you don’t have time,” continued Bowles, who added that the Jets will consider signing a veteran to compete for a backup role with rookie Christian Hackenberg and second-year man Bryce Petty if Gang Green doesn’t re-up Fitzpatrick.

More from the NFL’s two East divisions:

Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins is content to play this season under the $19.95MM franchise tag if he and the club don’t reach a long-term agreement by the July 15 deadline, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. One reason the 27-year-old is fine with operating under the tag is because he knows his price will continue rising if the Redskins franchise him again next offseason, relays Florio. Indeed, it would cost Washington $23.94MM to tag Cousins in 2017 and $34.47MM to do the same in 2018.
Jets defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson – who skipped OTAs and is sitting out minicamp (and could hold out of training camp) – will not settle for less than the $103MM extension the Eagles gave Fletcher Cox on his next deal, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. Although Wilkerson has a star-level track record, the Jets don’t regard the two-time second-team All-Pro highly enough to pay him Cox-type of money and already have a pair of other stud D-linemen in Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams. Thus, Wilkerson is likely to eventually sign his $15.7MM franchise tag, play 2016 under that and then bolt in free agency, per Costello.
The Cowboys have named Lionel Vital their director of college scouting, tweets Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Dallas hired Vital as a senior personnel executive in March, but the team has now clarified his role. Vital was previously the personnel director for the Falcons, who parted ways with him in January.
After a mini-holdout, standout Dolphins safety Reshad Jones reported to minicamp earlier today.

Extra Points: Packers, Baldwin, Cousins, Bears

June 11th, 2016 at 12:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Veteran wideout James Jones was surprised when the Packers notified him that he wouldn’t be back in 2016. As ESPN.com’s Jason Wilde writes, the receiver expected to return to Green Bay even despite the talented receiving corps.

“I wasn’t mad that they didn’t bring me back, but I was surprised,” the wideout said. “Me and Mike [McCarthy] had a very good conversation at the end of the year after we had lost to Arizona and I kind of felt like, ‘OK, cool, I’m going to be back.’ Whether it’s [a] one-year [deal], whether it’s two years, I felt like Mike was going to bring me back. But he didn’t.”

While Jones isn’t rooting for any of his former teammates to get injured, he acknowledged that he’d gladly return to the team should the need arise.

Let’s check out some more notes from the NFL…

The recent extension for receiver Keenan Allen could indicate the “floor” for Seahawks wideout Doug Baldwin, tweets Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times.
Kirk Cousins said there’s been no progress on an extension with the Redskins, tweets Tarik El-Bashir of CSN MidAtlantic. With about a month left to come to an agreement, the signal-caller told writers to “stay tuned.”
Former Redskins fullback Darrel Young will be participating in the Bears minicamp, tweets Mike Jones of The Washington Post. The six-year veteran has 13 career touchdowns, and the 29-year-old has never missed more than three games in a season.

NFC East Notes: Cousins, Giants, JPP, Harrison

May 16th, 2016 at 11:07am CST by Zachary Links

Washington general manager Scot McCloughan says that quarterback Kirk Cousins will be here “a long time,” as John Keim of ESPN.com writes. Of course, as of today, Cousins is still slated to play under the franchise tag for the 2016 season. For his part, Cousins acknowledged that extension talks will likely heat up as the July 15th deadline approaches, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com tweets.

Washington can’t afford to lose Cousins and they also can’t really afford to franchise tag him for a second time at ~$24MM in 2017. If the team were to do that, more than 25% of their cap space would be dedicated to Cousins and pricey new addition Josh Norman.

While we wait to see how that plays out, here’s a look at the NFC East:

The Giants will likely move Jason Pierre-Paul around the defensive line this year, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com writes. JPP, who was re-signed this offseason on a one-year, $10MM+ deal, likely can’t line up as a full-time starter at right defensive end spot due to the state of his right hand. The two-time Pro Bowler could be moved inside to play defensive tackle on passing downs while seeking the bulk of his time at left defensive end. On the opposite bookend, the Giants will trot out free agent acquisition Olivier Vernon.
More from Graziano, who writes that run-stuffer Damon Harrison will team with Johnathan Hankins on early downs. While Snacks’ $9.5MM/year salary might seem high for a two-down player, the Giants firmly believe that he will benefit them on third downs by lengthening the distance their opponent has to go with his work on first and second downs. Giants opponents converted 47% of third-down opportunities in 2016, the highest figure in the league, so Big Blue needs Harrison to help set the tone.
Jordan Reed’s contract extension lets other Washington players know that they will get paid if they work hard and produce, Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic writes. Reed, a third-round pick in the 2013 draft, inked a five-year, $48.4MM deal that includes $22MM in guarantees. Reed set career highs in games played (14), receptions (87), receiving yards (952), and touchdowns (11) in 2015. “It’s a great message to send to the rest of the guys, man,” coach Jay Gruden said. “You work hard, you produce, good things will happen, and it did for Jordan. He’s a great kid and obviously we have high aspirations for him.”

East Rumors: Rolle, Tunsil, Jets, Cousins

May 3rd, 2016 at 8:08am CST by Zachary Links

Safety Antrel Rolle is on the open market and he tells SiriusXM (audio link) that he would like to return to the Giants.

“I’ve never hidden it. New York is where the heart is. New York is where I feel comfortable,” Rolle said (transcript via PFT). “New York is a place where I would love to play. You know, there’s a difference playing for an organization, you know, you’re there to play and to win, and you’re there because that’s where your contract is. And there’s a difference in playing where your heart is. I would absolutely be open to the situation if it presents itself. Obviously it would have to make sense for both [sides]. The New York Giants, I think it would definitely make sense for both myself and the team. But let’s see what happens.”

The Giants added third-round pick Darian Thompson to the safety mix, but there is no slam-dunk starter at the free safety position. Still, as Jordan Raanan of NJ.com writes, a reunion between Rolle and Big Blue seems unlikely.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s East divisions:

Despite the gas-mask/bong video that surfaced on draft night, Dolphins first-round choice Laremy Tunsil will avoid entering Stage 1 of the NFL’s substance-abuse program, a source tells James Walker of ESPN.com.
While many speculated that Tunsil’s stepfather was behind the shocking draft day leak, Tunsil’s attorney, Steve Farese, says that’s not the case. “Initially, that would be the low-hanging fruit,” Farese said on SiriusXM (audio link; transcription via PFT). “Now I’ve drifted away from those thoughts and don’t believe he had anything to do with it.” The Dolphins believe Tunsil’s former financial advisor was responsible for the leak, according to a source who spoke with Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post (on Twitter).
Jets GM Mike Maccagnan “all but confirmed” that he explored trading up for Tunsil last Thursday, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. Per Cimini, Maccagnan also didn’t rule out the possibility of keeping cornerback Dee Milliner on the roster beyond 2016 if he plays well this year, even after turning down his 2017 option today.
Before the Titans shipped the No. 1 overall pick to the Rams, the Jets inquired about trading up for the No. 1 pick in order to draft Jared Goff, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter). It was previously reported that the Jets explored trading up to the top two, but it wasn’t clear which QB they were targeting.
Kirk Cousins believes “there’s a chance” that a long-term deal could be hammered out with Washington between now and the July 15th deadline, but he tells 106.7 The Fan that he’s also comfortable with playing the year out. “If they feel like they have enough information and want to make that call right now, then great,” Cousins said. “But I think the ball’s in their court and I will react accordingly to whatever decision they make… I am totally comfortable playing more football, and frankly if I don’t play well next season, I don’t deserve to be back. I don’t deserve a long-term deal. So I want to go out and earn it, and prove myself, and if I need to prove myself again, that’s fine. I’ll go see if I can do that.”

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Washington Optimistic About Kirk Cousins Extension

April 25th, 2016 at 9:17pm CST by Zachary Links

After watching a division rival pay a king’s ransom to take a chance on a rookie quarterback, Washington GM Scot McCloughan has probably been reminded of the value of a reliable signal caller. Apparently, contract talks between the team and its starting QB are going rather well. McCloughan says talks on a long term-extension with Kirk Cousins are “positive,” as Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com writes. The GM added that he thinks a deal is within reach between now and the deadline.

[Follow Pro Football Rumors On Instagram To See Sneak Peak Of Josh Norman In His New Jersey!]

Washington used the franchise tag to cuff Cousins last month and the QB subsequently inked the ~$20MM tender. However, both sides are interested in working out a long-term deal and they’ll have less than two months between now and the July 15 deadline to make something happen. Cousins reportedly wants a “legitimate” franchise quarterback offer before he considers signing a long-term deal with Washington. That would suggest that he’s seeking a big money deal with fiscal security rather than something like the deals signed by Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton, which carry considerable cash but are lacking in the way of guarantees.

It is now perhaps more imperative than ever for Washington to sign Cousins to a long-term deal. Days ago, Washington shook hands with cornerback Josh Norman on a deal which will carry a $20MM cap hit in 2017. If Washington were to exercise the franchise tag on Cousins next season at $24MM, more than 25% of its cap space would be dedicated to two players.

That end-of-season run helped Cousins cement his standing as a quarterback Washington couldn’t afford to lose, but his first 12 games weren’t too bad either. For the season, Cousins thew 29 touchdowns against 11 interceptions, led the league in completion percentage (69.8%), and helped Washington win its first division title since 2012.

Cousins is represented by agent Mike McCartney.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Norman, Jets, Dolphins

April 24th, 2016 at 9:14am CST by Rory Parks

The addition of Josh Norman should pay big dividends on the field for Washington, at least for the next couple of seasons, but Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com is already looking ahead to the difficult choices that the team will have to make in 2017 as a result of the deal. For instance, Tandler suggests that Washington is gambling it will be able to sign Kirk Cousins to a long-term contract sometime before the start of the 2017 league year. If it has to put the franchise tag on Cousins again next season, at a projected value of $24MM, then Cousins and Norman, whose 2017 cap hit is $20MM, would be taking up more than a quarter of its overall cap space, a clearly untenable situation.

Further, regardless of what happens with Cousins, the Norman contract will also force some difficult decisions with regards to Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson, Jordan Reed, Junior Galette, and Chris Baker. Of course, Washington was probably not planning on retaining all of those players anyway, but it is now a near certainty that at least a couple of those players will be moving on after the 2016 season, particularly Garcon and Jackson. As such, Tandler further opines that the Norman contract increases the likelihood that Washington will take a wide receiver early in this week’s draft.

Now let’s take a look at some more notes from the league’s East divisions:

Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com weighs in on the Norman contract, and his examination of the overall contract, the cash flow, and the guarantee structure reveals that the deal is even more favorable to Norman than it appears on the surface, and is arguably the best contract for a cornerback in the entire NFL. The whole article is worth a read, but since the contract structure indicates that Washington wants to retain Norman for at least the first three years of the deal, Fitzgerald believes the key for Washington is to let this be the one risky contract the club signs in the next two years and not compound the risk by restructuring in 2017.
Jets head coach Todd Bowles and GM Mike Maccagnan have very different quarterback philosophies, as Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com points out. Bowles believes he can win with a competent game manager as long as he has a strong defense, whereas Maccagnan thinks teams should draft a quarterback every year and create something of a pipeline. Those differing viewpoints may well lead to a real conflict for New York on Thursday, when the team could have the opportunity to draft Paxton Lynch–the last time it could draft a first-round quarterback talent for the next couple of seasons, as the 2017 and 2018 classes of signal-callers are considered very lean–or it could fill a major defensive need by selecting a cornerback or an edge rusher. For what it’s worth, Cimini believes the Jets will pass on Lynch and will ultimately re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick while continuing to groom Bryce Petty.
Adam Beasley of The Miami Herald has grown weary of the newly-popular cliche that running backs in today’s NFL are a dime a dozen. As Beasley points out, 14 qualifying running backs averaged at least 4.5 yards per carry in 2015, and all but three went in the first two days of the draft. Plus, four of Pro Football Focus’ 10 highest-graded backs last season were first-round picks; second- and third-rounders made up most of the rest. As such, Beasley suggests that the Dolphins, who currently have only one running back guaranteed to be on the team in 2016 (Jay Ajayi), will take a running back in the early rounds of this week’s draft. Of course, we heard recently that Miami could trade up from their No. 13 overall selection in an effort to land Ohio State star Ezekiel Elliott, but even if the Dolphins don’t have the chance to take Elliott, there are a number of other talented collegiate backs that could be a fit in South Beach and that could be had on Day 2 of the draft. Devontae Booker and Kenyan Drake, both of whom visited the Dolphins in recent weeks, are two such players.

Franchise Tag Notes: Mo, Cousins, Norman

April 12th, 2016 at 6:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The asking price for Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson is a first-round pick, and perhaps even more, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who reports that Wilkerson is still on the trade block. One club that won’t be bidding for Wilkerson is the Bears, per Robinson, because Chicago doesn’t want to sacrifice the No. 11 pick and likes the depth of this year’s defensive line draft class.

Let’s take a deep dive into Robinson’s article (which is well worth a full read), as he passes along updates on the top franchise-tagged players…

Kirk Cousins wants a “legitimate” franchise quarterback offer before he considers signing a long-term deal with Washington, sources tell Robinson. In other words, Cousins, who is set to earn more than $19MM in 2016, isn’t interested in a “pay-as-you-go” extension signed by the likes of Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick. At the moment, Washington doesn’t view Cousins as the centerpiece of its team.
The Panthers aren’t interested in paying cornerback Josh Norman‘s asking price, which Robinson reports is around $15-16MM (a number that jibes with earlier reports). Carolina is fine with letting Norman play out the year under the franchise tag, which, at nearly $14MM, pays him like an elite corner.
Von Miller‘s price has gone up this offseason following Olivier Vernon‘s massive deal with the Giants, but the Broncos want to pay him somewhere between Ndamukong Suh and Justin Houston money, which would be around $18MM. Recent reports have indicated that Denver offered Miller more than $17MM annually.
The Bills have made left tackle Cordy Glenn their top priority, and because they view him as an “ascending cornerstone,” they’re willing to pay him elite tackle money, writes Robinson. The deal could be delayed, but Anthony Castonzo‘s deal with the Colts is a starting point in talks, per Robinson.
The Chiefs expect to get a deal done with Eric Berry, but probably not until after the draft, according to Robinson. Berry and Kansas City have a great relationship which should make negotiations easier, and Robinson opines that Berry should be able to top Devin McCourty‘s deal.
Alshon Jeffery is in the same boat as Berry, per Robinson, as the Bears are largely focused on the draft at the moment. Jeffery is not worried about reaching a long-term deal, especially since the franchise tag is paying him nearly $15MM, but the two sides are expected to knock out an extension later in the offseason.
The Rams might have a hard time getting cornerback Trumaine Johnson to agree to a reasonable deal, especially because they picked Johnson over fellow CB Janoris Jenkins, who went on to score a large contract with the Giants. If the two sides do work out an extension, says Robinson, it will be late in the offseason.

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