Kirk Cousins - Pro Football Rumors

Latest On Washington, Kirk Cousins

March 11th, 2016 at 10:12am CST by Zachary Links

Washington is expected to resume negotiations with Kirk Cousins on a long-term deal after the free agency period slows down, team president Bruce Allen says (via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com). Washington used the franchise tag to cuff Cousins earlier this month and the QB inked the ~$20MM tender. That tender wasn’t cheap, but it doesn’t seem like an exorbitant price to pay for one year of Cousins in the wake of the deals signed by quarterbacks Brock Osweiler and Sam Bradford.

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.

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.

Apparently, Washington was only interested in giving Cousins a franchise tag and the $17.7MM transition tag was not a consideration.

“We thought the best thing to do was the franchise tag,” Allen said, according to El-Bashir. “It made it clear where we stood with him. We had told his agent that’s what we were going to do.”

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Cousins, White, Giants, Bucs

March 6th, 2016 at 9:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Washington and the Eagles lined up their 2016 quarterbacks within days of each other, with Kirk Cousins staying in D.C. on the franchise tag and Sam Bradford signing a two-year deal to remain in Philadelphia.

Washington, however, was concerned the Eagles were going to pursue Cousins if it didn’t apply the franchise tag or designated the fifth-year quarterback with the transition tag, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

Florio points out Cousins’ familiarity in an offense closer to the West Coast attack Doug Pederson runs would have made the Mike Shanahan-drafted signal-caller attractive to the Eagles.

Here’s more from some NFC destinations as the 2015 league year nears its conclusion.

Roddy White‘s release from the Falcons stemmed from the receiver’s relationship with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, White’s agent, Jonathan Feinsod, told D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “There is one reason Roddy is no longer with the Falcons and it is Kyle Shanahan,” Feinsod told Ledbetter. “Kyle forced the Falcons to choose between him or Roddy.” White also contended Kyle Shanahan did not feature him much in the Falcons’ offense after he arrived from Cleveland in 2015, with the recently released wideout telling ESPN’s Vaughn McClure “I expected to play a bigger role in the offense, and that’s what I wanted to do. But he didn’t have that in his desires. He had other people that he wanted to play my role, so he wanted me to be out of the [offense].” White’s 43 receptions in 16 games last season were 37 fewer than he caught in 2014 in 14 contests. Falcons coach Dan Quinn denied consulting with Shanahan prior to making the decision to release the 34-year-old White, according to Ledbetter.
A source close to Calvin Johnson tells Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press there’s “nothing to report” on Megatron’s potential retirement. Birkett notes the Lions are expected to pursue receiving help. Johnson is on Detroit’s books for $24.01MM as of now.
The Giants engaged in discussions with Jason Pierre-Paul and Robert Ayers but couldn’t come to terms, Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports. He expects both to enter unrestricted free agency and begin talking with teams Monday.
Vacchiano also notes the Cowboys are expected to have interest in former Buccaneers first-round pick Adrian Clayborn, whom the Giants are expected to pursue as well. The 27-year-old Clayborn started five games for the Falcons last season and 16 in both the 2011 and ’13 seasons with the Bucs, respectively. The Cowboys could lose Greg Hardy and will be without Randy Gregory for four games in 2016.
Georgia Southern outside linebacker Antoine Williams worked out for the Bucs, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports. The Bucs are expected to release Bruce Carter and did not tender RFA Danny Lansanah, so they’ll likely be in the market for outside-linebacking help.

Kirk Cousins Signs Franchise Tender

March 2nd, 2016 at 7:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins has officially signed his free agent tender, according to his agent Mike McCartney (Twitter link). Cousins will earn $19.953MM in 2016 under the terms of the non-exclusive franchise tag.

That franchise tag figure, clearly, represents a massive raise for Cousins, who earned just $660K in base salary last season. Of course, Cousins will have the opportunity to earn even more money, as he and Washington can work towards a long-term extension until July 15. If the two sides can’t agree to a deal, Cousins will play under the one-year tender, and then reach free agency again in 2017 (at which point, it would cost Washington roughly $24MM to franchise him again).

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.

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.

As Luke Adams observed last week in his preview of Washington’s offseason, Cousins’ breakout season put the franchise in a difficult spot. The signal-caller’s lack of a track record will likely make GM Scot McCloughan and the rest of the front office hesitant to offer a lucrative, multiyear deal this offseason. However, Washington couldn’t let Cousins reach the open market, where there may have been multiple QB-needy teams ready to make him that kind of long-term offer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Washington Puts Franchise Tag On Kirk Cousins

March 2nd, 2016 at 3:14pm CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 3:14pm: Cousins plans to sign his franchise tender potentially as soon as this afternoon, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). This would represent a stark contrast from the approaches of last year’s crop of tagged players.

TUESDAY, 2:30pm: Washington has officially filed the paperwork for Cousins’ franchise tag, reports Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter link).

TUESDAY, 12:11pm: Washington will place the franchise tag on quarterback Kirk Cousins in advance of today’s 3:00pm central time deadline, reports Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan (Twitter links). According to Paulsen, Cousins will be receiving the non-exclusive franchise tag from the team.

The non-exclusive franchise tag for quarterbacks is worth $19.953MM. While that’s about $2.3MM more expensive than the transition tag, Washington apparently decided that it wasn’t worth the risk to potentially lose its starting quarterback without receiving any compensation any return. The transition tag only would have given the team the right of first refusal.

If a rival suitor wants to sign Cousins to an offer sheet after he has been franchised, that club would have to be willing to give up two first-round picks to land him, so the 27-year-old appears likely to remain in D.C., either on a one-year franchise tender or a longer-term deal. The two sides will have until July 15th to work out a multiyear extension.

Cousins became Washinton’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.

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.

As I observed last week in my preview of Washington’s offseason last week, Cousins’ breakout season put the franchise in a difficult spot. The signal-caller’s lack of a track record will likely make GM Scot McCloughan and the rest of the front office hesitant to offer a lucrative, multiyear deal this offseason. However, Washington couldn’t let Cousins reach the open market, where there may have been multiple QB-needy teams ready to make him that kind of long-term offer.

Assigning the franchise tag to Cousins provides Washington with a short-term fix. McCloughan and his team can either work on getting a long-term extension completed with Cousins at a price they’re comfortable with, or have him play out the 2016 season on a one-year franchise deal, giving the club a better sense of his value by 2017.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Franchise Rumors: Miller, Cousins, Norman

March 2nd, 2016 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

As we outlined shortly after Tuesday’s deadline, 10 NFL teams used their franchise or transition tags this year to secure at least the right of first refusal for potential free agents. While there’s no pressure on those players to sign those franchise or transition tenders anytime soon, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported earlier today that at least one or two players, including Bills tackle Cordy Glenn, could sign those tenders sooner rather than later.

Signing a franchise tender ensures that a player is guaranteed his 2016 salary, and prevents the team from rescinding the offer down the road. It also precludes the player from exploring the market to see if there are any teams willing to sign him to an offer sheet, but there would be nothing stopping the player from continuing to work on an extension with his own team, prior to the July 15th deadline.

As we wait to see if any franchised players sign their tenders today, let’s round up a few items of interest relating to this year’s group of tag recipients…

Von Miller, the only player to receive an exclusive franchise tag before Tuesday’s deadline, is willing to take a “discount” on a long-term contract with the Broncos, says Albert Breer of the NFL Network (Twitter links). As Breer points out though, it’s not clear whether Miller’s discount would apply to Ndamukong Suh‘s $19MM annual rate, or to Miller’s actual market value, which could exceed $20MM per year, according to rival executives. If the star pass rusher is only willing to accept less than his market value, that would still likely mean an average salary in the $18-19MM range.
Washington‘s long-term contract offers to quarterback Kirk Cousins have exceeded $16MM per year, according to Breer (Twitter links). However, Cousins’ camp is aiming for an annual average closer to the franchise-tag salary ($19.953MM). Still, Washington’s starting quarterback plans on signing his tender and reporting to offseason activities while the two sides continue to work on a multiyear extension.
Before the 2015 season began, the Panthers offered Josh Norman a five-year contract worth about $7.5MM annually, writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Needless to say, Norman’s price has gone up significantly since then, with Person suggesting the veteran cornerback is seeking a deal that exceeds $14MM per year. Norman’s franchise-tag salary is $13.952MM.

Washington Rumors: Cousins, Davis, Galette

February 29th, 2016 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

When ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on Friday that Washington would use either the franchise or transition tag on quarterback Kirk Cousins, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk refuted that report, suggesting no decision has been made and adding that the team was more likely than not to avoid tagging Cousins. Three days later though, Schefter is sticking to his initial story, tweeting again that Washington will tag Cousins before Tuesday’s deadline.

Washington is not done discussing a long-term deal with Cousins yet, however, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, who tweets that the two sides will continue to talk right up until the March 1st deadline. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) echoes that report, but both reporters view a tag as the most probable scenario, with Rapoport suggesting the transition tag might be the likeliest outcome.

As we wait to see what happens with Cousins and Washington, here’s the latest out of D.C., including more on the free agent quarterback:

John Keim of ESPN.com breaks down the risks and benefits of using the franchise or transition tag on Cousins. Using the transition tag would save a couple million dollars, but would result in no compensation if Cousins signs with an offer sheet elsewhere and Washington decides not to match it. While that approach may seem risky, Keim notes that if the team goes that direction, it would be based on extensive market research.
Could Washington be a potential destination for free agent tight end Vernon Davis? As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Davis appears unlikely to re-sign with the Broncos, and Washington is worth keeping an eye on since GM Scot McCloughan drafted the veteran tight end during his time in San Francisco.
Given his suspension history and the fact that Washington holds the right of first refusal on him, pass rusher Junior Galette may have a hard time landing an offer sheet from another team, says Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (all Twitter links). In La Canfora’s view, there are enough factors working against Galette that it’ll be hard for him to get big-time money, or more than a one-year offer. The 27-year-old will also be working with new representation, having recently fired his agent.
In case you missed it: We previewed Washington’s offseason last week.

East Notes: Eagles, Cousins, Jets

February 28th, 2016 at 11:17am CST by Rory Parks

We recently rounded up the latest reports concerning Sam Bradford‘s status with the Eagles, so let’s dive into some more notes from the league’s east divisions, starting with more out of Philadelphia:

The Eagles were the only team to avoid drafting an offensive lineman in the 2014 and 2015 drafts, but Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer expects that to change in 2016. Head coach Doug Pederson has spoken highly of this draft’s class of offensive linemen, and although the team could address its deficiencies along the O-line in free agency, Philadelphia is likely to use at least one of its nine draft choices on a guard or a tackle who could begin his career on the interior of the line.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com examines the risks involved for Washington if the team were to offer a long-term deal to Kirk Cousins. Fitzgerald does not believe Washington should go higher than $15MM per year for Cousins, and he says that if the two sides cannot come to an agreement on a multi-year deal, the team should place the transition tag on its quarterback.
Former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum is now the Dolphins‘ executive vice president of football operations, and former Jets head coach Rex Ryan is now the Bills‘ head coach. As Brian Costello of The New York Post writes, that situation may be creating some additional leverage for impending Jets free agents like Damon Harrison who have ties to Ryan and Tannenbaum and who might have a landing spot in Buffalo or Miami if they do not get paid by New York.
The Jets‘ plan remains to continue negotiating with Ryan Fitzpatrick, and the team is not interested in trading for Colin Kaepernick, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
The Patriots are looking hard at running backs, both in the draft and in free agency, per Ben Volin of The Boston Globe. New England is typically loathe to spend more than $1MM on a running back, but Volin believes the team may splurge a bit on a veteran this year, considering how badly the Pats were handicapped by the lack of a running game in their loss to Denver in the AFC Championship Game.
However, the Patriots will not dramatically alter their usual low-key approach to the offseason just because they do not have a first-round pick, according to Christopher Price of WEEI.com.

Washington To Use Tag On Kirk Cousins?

February 27th, 2016 at 5:04pm CST by Luke Adams

SATURDAY: Washington initially offered Cousins $12.5MM per year on a long-term deal and then increased the number to $15MM, tweets Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports. Cousins, however, wants at least $19MM per annum, according to Rapoport (Twitter link).

FRIDAY, 1:43pm: A source with knowledge of the situation tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Washington has yet to make a decision on whether to use any form of tag on Cousins. In fact, the source believes it’s currently more likely than not that Washington won’t place the franchise or transition tag on the quarterback.

Florio speculates that Schefter’s report came from a team source hoping to discourage rival suitors from putting together offers for Cousins or talking to his agent at the combine this weekend.

With conflicting reports on the table now, it looks like this situation could remain up in the air until Tuesday’s franchise-tag deadline.

12:59pm: According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Washington is keeping all of its options open on Cousins, and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of tagging him, then trading him.

12:42pm: Washington will use a tag on Kirk Cousins, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who tweets that the “only decision left” is whether to place the franchise or transition tag on the quarterback. While Schefter doesn’t mention it, the team will also have to weigh the exclusive vs. the non-exclusive franchise tag.

The transition tag, the least expensive of the three options, would allow Washington to match any other team’s offer sheet for Cousins once he reaches free agency, but the club wouldn’t receive any compensation if it declines to match that offer sheet. The non-exclusive franchise tag would also allow Cousins to sign an offer sheet elsewhere, but Washington would get two first-round picks from the signing team in that scenario. The exclusive franchise tag, the most expensive option, prevents any other team from negotiating with the quarterback.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday about Washington’s negotiations with Cousins, GM Scot McCloughan said that he has met with the quarterback’s agent face-to-face this week, describing the sit-down as “very positive,” per Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). According to McCloughan, conversations are going on “every day” between the two sides, and he remains optimistic that something will get done (Twitter link).

Still, with Cousins holding most of the leverage in contract talks, he has long been viewed as a prime candidate to be franchised, since Washington probably can’t afford to let him hit the open market, and there’s little motivation for him to take a discount on a multiyear deal.

No player in the league did more over the last four weeks of the regular season to help his stock than Cousins, who completed 74% of his passes for nearly 1,200 yards, while posting a 12:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio to go along with a 134.0 quarterback rating. 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.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: Cousins, Reiff, Falcons, Floyd

February 24th, 2016 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

As noted earlier this afternoon, Washington‘s Scot McCloughan wasn’t on today’s schedule of general managers or head coaches to hold formal press conferences at the combine in Indianapolis. However, he did speak to the media about his team’s contract talks with quarterback Kirk Cousins.

While McCloughan didn’t go into specifics, he said that he has met with Cousins’ agent face-to-face this week, describing the sit-down as “very positive,” per Mike Jones of the Washington Post (Twitter link). According to McCloughan, conversations are going on “every day” between the two sides, and he remains optimistic that something will get done (Twitter link).

Let’s round up several more of the latest GM and head coach comments from the combine in Indianapolis, with a focus on NFC teams….

Lions tackle Riley Reiff is currently set to earn an $8.07MM salary for 2016, and while that money isn’t yet guaranteed, Reiff won’t be going anywhere, GM Bob Quinn said today (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). It’s not clear yet what position Reiff will play next season, but he’ll be a Lion.
Speaking to the media today, Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said that he’d like to see defensive free agents Adrian Clayborn and O’Brien Schofield re-signed, and added that no veterans besides Paul Soliai have been approached about restructuring their contracts (Twitter links via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and ESPN’s Vaughn McClure).
There’s no new deal imminent for Michael Floyd, but GM Steve Keim had plenty of praise for the Cardinals wideout, as Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com details. Floyd is extension-eligible but still has one year left on his rookie contract, so Arizona doesn’t have to get anything done right away.
Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman confirmed today that wide receiver Kevin Norwood met the conditions of the trade Carolina made with Seattle prior to the 2015 season, so the Seahawks will receive the Panthers‘ seventh-round pick in 2017, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
Despite a fairly sizable cap hit for 2016, Vikings defensive end Brian Robison sounds like a good bet to remain on Minnesota’s roster based on comments made today by GM Rick Spielman, says Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune.

NFC East Rumors: Washington, Cowboys, Cruz

February 24th, 2016 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Washington executives Scot McCloughan and Bruce Allen aren’t scheduled to speak to the media in formal press conferences this week at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, but head coach Jay Gruden did so today, touching on a handful of topics surrounding the team. Most notably, Gruden expressed confidence that Washington will work something out with quarterback Kirk Cousins, suggesting that the two sides continue to talk in the hopes of hammering out an agreement (Twitter link via Mike Jones of the Washington Post).

Cousins isn’t the only quarterback that Gruden is bullish about bringing back. According to Jones (via Twitter), the head coach also wants to re-sign Colt McCoy. However, it sounds as if linebacker Keenan Robinson will depart via free agency. John Keim of ESPN.com adds that Gruden spoke to defensive lineman Jason Hatcher recently and thinks that Hatcher is leaning toward playing in 2016, rather than retiring.

Here’s more from around the NFC East:

Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones spoke about his team’s approach to free agency, suggesting that the Cowboys don’t want to “pay a good player like he’s a great player” if they can avoid it. Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com has the details and the quotes from Jones.
Giants head coach Ben McAdoo said today that he “absolutely” expects Victor Cruz to return to the club next season, tweets Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Cruz, who has a $9.9MM cap hit, recently estimated that he has an 80% chance of being retained by the Giants.
Paul Schwartz of the New York Post tweets that McAdoo’s comments today made it sound as if he really wants the Giants to re-sign Jason Pierre-Paul.
McAdoo also confirmed today that “there was a potential for a second interview” for the Eagles‘ head coaching job before he was promoted by the Giants. As Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets, McAdoo said he wasn’t formally offered the Eagles’ job.