HEADLINES

Kirk Cousins

Redskins GM Talks Draft, Jackson, Cousins

May 6th, 2014 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

Redskins general manager Bruce Allen spoke to reporters today, including Mike Jones of the Washington Post, John Keim of ESPN.com, and Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com. The Washington GM fielded questions about his offseason to date, his draft plans, and recently reinstated safety Tanard Jackson. Here are a few of the highlights, courtesy of Jones, Keim, and El-Bashir (all Twitter links):

  • After what Allen called an “active” free agent period, the team doesn’t feel as if there are any gaping holes on the roster. Of course, he added that the Redskins are always looking to add young talent.
  • If there’s a trade out there that makes sense, Allen would like to make a move to acquire more draft picks. On the other hand, as one of teams currently without a first-round pick, Washington is unlikely to jump back into the first via trade.
  • Jackson, who had been suspended indefinitely in 2012 for violations of the league’s substance abuse policy, will take a physical today, and assuming he meets all of the NFL’s conditions, the Redskins might give him a chance to earn a roster spot, according to Allen.
  • Allen has had no discussions with other teams about a trade involving No. 2 quarterback Kirk Cousins.
  • Not having a first-round pick, and the added financial flexibility that comes along with that, didn’t play a factor in Washington’s pursuit of DeSean Jackson, says Allen.
  • The Redskins aren’t targeting a specific position in the draft, and will stick to their draft board and opt for the best player available. Allen also mentioned multiple times that Washington will have its 2015 and 2016 rosters in mind when drafting, rather than looking for any short-term solutions.

NFC East Notes: Garrett, Redskins, Giants

March 26th, 2014 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said last month that he’s not thinking about his contract situation, despite entering the last year of his deal. Following those comments, owner Jerry Jones stressed that 2014 is not necessarily a make-or-break season for Garrett, and he expressed that sentiment in stronger terms yesterday. Asked if the head coach must lead the Cowboys to the postseason this year in order to keep his job, Jones said he doesn’t look at it that way “at all,” according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.

Here’s more from around the NFC East:

  • According to head coach Jay Gruden, no teams have contacted the Redskins about acquiring Kirk Cousins. Gruden indicated today he’s excited to have Cousins backing up Robert Griffin III , tweets Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
  • Discussing Brian Orakpo, Gruden said he wouldn’t mind the linebacker playing out the 2014 season on his one-year franchise tag to see what he can do before the Redskins lock him up to a long-term deal (Twitter link via Jones).
  • The Giants added Rashad Jennings and re-signed Peyton Hillis in free agency, but with Andre Brown likely to sign elsewhere and David Wilson still recovering from neck surgery, head coach Tom Coughlin suggested today that the team will likely need to add another running back to be safe (Twitter link via Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post).
  • Coughlin, the NFL’s oldest current head coach, also said today that he feels great health-wise and feels like he can keep coaching beyond this season, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.

Extra Points: Cousins, Hood, Graham, Saffold

March 13th, 2014 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

A Kirk Cousins trade remains unlikely for the Redskins, write Mike Jones and Mark Maske of the Washington Post. There was talk that Washington would be open to moving the quarterback since he would like to start and he is stuck behind Robert Griffin III on the depth chart. For his part, Cousins has said that he will be professional and won’t demand a trade.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • Before he agreed to sign with the Jaguars, defensive lineman Ziggy Hood received interest from the Redskins, Raiders, and Chiefs, tweets Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Meanwhile, Chris Clemons said the Raiders and Falcons reached out to him before he agreed to sign with the Jaguars, according to O’Halloran (via Twitter).
  • Cornerback Corey Graham, who signed with the Bills, told reporters today that he was preparing to go to dinner with the Redskins when he got the call from his agent about Buffalo’s offer (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WGR550).
  • Wide receiver Jacoby Jones had a similar story to Graham, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun details in a pair of tweets. Jones says he was in New York, about to have dinner with the Giants, when he realized he wanted to stay with the Ravens and headed for the airport instead.
  • Safety Mike Mitchell is extremely happy to be with the Steelers and tells reporters, including Alan Robinson of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (on Twitter) that he wanted to come to Pittsburgh more than the club wanted him to be there.
  • As expected, the Cardinals have paid Daryl Washington his option bonus, tweets Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic. There was some talk that they wouldn’t pay out his bonus due to legal issues.
  • Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle provides a look at the Raiders‘ perspective on why their deal with Rodger Saffold fell apart yesterday.
  • Wide receiver prospect Marqise Lee is drawing significant interest from the Jets and had a private meeting with the team, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
  • Georgia tech outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu, a projected second- or third-round pick tells Matt Zenitz of the Carroll County Times (Twitter links) that six teams have shown strong interest in him. Those clubs are the Ravens, Eagles, Titans, Redskins, Chargers, and Steelers.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC East Rumors: Cousins, Orakpo, Cowboys

February 24th, 2014 at 2:27pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reported last week that the Redskins don’t plan to move Kirk Cousins, on the heels of another report indicating that the team would seek a second-rounder in any trade. At the time, it looked like an attempt by Washington to regain some leverage in potential talks, and a story from Mark Maske of the Washington Post today lends credence to that idea. Maske hears from “multiple people familiar with the situation” that the Redskins remain open to the possibility of trading Cousins, even if the club isn’t actively pursuing a deal.

“It’s not a case of looking to trade him,” said one of Maske’s sources. “That’s not the situation. But it’s not a case of there being absolutely no interest in a trade under any circumstances, either. It would all depend on what someone might offer.”

Here are a few more updates from around the NFC East, including another note on the Redskins’ backup quarterback:

  • Appearing on 106.7 The Fan in Washington recently, Cousins reiterated that he’d like to start, for the Redskins or another team, but downplayed the idea that he’s pushing for a trade or that his desire for a starting job is newsworthy (link via Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post).
  • Cousins on wanting to start: “If there’s any NFL quarterback who doesn’t want what I just communicated, I would seriously question – as a fan base or as an organization – what good he’s doing for your team. Now that being said, I’m gonna communicate my desire to play in a classy way. I don’t want to do it in a way that’s gonna hurt our organization or reflect poorly on me or the team. But yeah, I absolutely want to play, and that’s not a complicated fact.”
  • No deal is imminent for Brian Orakpo and the Redskins, but the two sides are talking and will continue to talk, a person familiar with the negotiations tells Maske.
  • Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones suggested that the Cowboys’ cap constraints aren’t as bad as people think. “The only thing the cap issues do with us is we can’t be big players in free agency,” Jones said, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “And I think history will tell you that being a big player in free agency is overrated and usually detrimental to the growth of a franchise, because a lot of these guys are leaving their other team for a reason.”
  • While it seems likely that Justin Tuck and Jon Beason will hit the open market on March 11, Giants GM Jerry Reese didn’t entirely close the door on the possibility of re-signing them before or after that date, says Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (Sulia link).
  • Dan Graziano of ESPN.com explores a few reasons why the Giants won’t feel compelled to extend Eli Manning‘s contract this offseason.

Redskins Don’t Plan To Move Kirk Cousins

February 21st, 2014 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

8:33am: Speaking to reporters today, including Zac Boyer of the Washington Times (Twitter link), Allen confirmed that he hasn’t had discussions with any teams about trading Cousins.

7:47am: Redskins general manager Bruce Allen publicly suggested earlier this month that the club is comfortable heading into 2014 with Kirk Cousins on the roster and isn’t looking to move its backup quarterback. Those comments didn’t come as a surprise, since team executives will often express one thing publicly and privately send different signals out to possible trade partners, but it appears that’s not the case for the Redskins and Cousins. League sources tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link) that the Redskins have no interest in moving the 25-year-old and no plans to do so.

Schefter’s report comes on the heels of a Washington Post story from earlier in the week that indicated the Redskins would be seeking a second-round pick if they were to consider dealing Cousins. While the Post report made it clear that Washington wasn’t openly shopping its No. 2 QB at this point, it’s still fair to wonder if a leaguewide lack of interest in giving up a second-rounder for Cousins is partially responsible for the team’s plan to stand pat. Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report said yesterday that clubs around the league were “laughing” at the idea of giving up a second-round pick for Cousins, calling it a “very ambitious” asking price.

I could still see Cousins being dealt at some point this offseason if Washington gets an offer it likes, and we know that the signal-caller himself is open to the idea of being sent to a team where he’d have a chance to start. With plenty of holes to fill on the roster and no first-round pick in this year’s draft, it could be in the Redskins’ best interests to deal from a position of strength. We’ll have to wait and see if they really do stick to their guns and hang on to Cousins through the spring and summer.

Redskins To Seek Second-Rounder For Cousins

February 20th, 2014 at 11:21am CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 11:21am: According to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report, teams around the league feel as if an asking price of a second-round pick for Cousins is “very ambitious” and one that’s unlikely to be paid. In Freeman’s view, the Redskins would likely consider moving Cousins for a third-rounder.

WEDNESDAY, 12:04pm: If they decide to trade backup quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason, the Redskins will be seeking at least a second-round pick in return, a person familiar with the team’s planning tells Mark Maske of the Washington Post. However, it’s not clear yet whether the team will seriously consider trade offers for Cousins.

Cousins, 25, has suggested that he’d be open to a trade that sent him to a team where he’d have a chance to start. That chance won’t come in Washington as long as Robert Griffin III is on the roster, though the Redskins may prefer to keep Cousins as an insurance policy in case Griffin has any injury issues in 2014 and beyond.

According to Maske, there are no indications yet which teams may be talking to the Redskins about acquiring Cousins, if Washington is even engaged in discussions at this point. It’s also unclear whether teams would be willing to pay that asking price of a second-round pick, or if the Redskins might ultimately be willing to compromise and accept a lesser package for their second-string quarterback.

Having traded away this year’s first-round pick to the Rams as part of the Griffin deal, the Redskins may be more interested than usual in adding another early-round selection.

Kirk Cousins Open To Trade

February 16th, 2014 at 11:10am CST by Rory Parks

FEBRUARY 16: In a piece for his Real Redskins blog, Rich Tandler indicates that Cousins does not have to be dealt before or during the May 8 draft if the Redskins want to trade him this year. Although many pundits look at the team’s lack of a first-round pick this year and assume that Washington would want to add a second- or third-rounder to supplement their 2014 draft haul–and that the team would hang on to Cousins if they cannot swing such a deal–Tandler says that isn’t necessarily the case. Instead, Tandler writes the Redskins may be content to wait for a team that missed out on a QB it wanted in the draft, or a team that suffers an injury in the preseason, to come calling.

FEBRUARY 12: In an appearance on SiriusXM Radio, Cousins himself confirmed today that he’d be open to a trade (Twitter link). While that came with the caveat that he’s happy in Washington and loves the city, the fact that he didn’t simply shoot down the idea of a trade certainly suggests that he’s considered the possibility.

FEBRUARY 2: Redskins backup QB Kirk Cousins is open to a trade and has told the team as much, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The Washington brass has declared Robert Griffin III the unquestioned starter heading into 2014, and although Cousins loves the organization, he believes he is ready to start and would rather play than serve as Griffin’s backup again.

As noted earlier, the Browns would be one potential landing spot for Cousins. Such a scenario is more likely now that the Browns have selected Kyle Shanahan as their new offensive coordinator. Shanahan, of course, was the Redskins OC for each of Cousins’ two years in Washington, so the two are very familiar with each other. Tony Grossi of ESPN.com (via Twitter) seems to expect a great deal of Cousins-to-the-Browns rumors in the near future. Grossi, though, also tweets that the Cousins story amounts to a “sucker’s trade” where the Redskins can drop the line and see who bites.

The Jets may be another option if Washington wanted to deal Cousins. ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini tweets that Jets fans may find the news of Cousins’ openness to a trade “interesting,” particularly in light of Geno Smith‘s recent off-field issues. As CBSSports.com’s Josh Katzowitz reported yesterday, Jets head coach Rex Ryan stopped short of naming Smith the team’s starting QB heading into 2014.

Meanwhile, Joel Corry of National Football Post tweets that Cousins’ being open to a trade was “inevitable” since the day he was drafted to back up Griffin, and Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets that this is “not news.” Jones notes that Cousins has spoken many times about wanting to audition for other teams.

Cousins has shown flashes in his limited playing time, but his statistics thus far are fairly pedestrian. He has appeared in eight games in his career, starting four of them. In that time, he has thrown for 1,320 yards, eight touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.

Browns Unlikely To Trade For Kirk Cousins

February 5th, 2014 at 10:33am CST by Luke Adams

The Browns’ hiring of Kyle Shanahan to run their offense has fueled speculation that the Redskins’ former offensive coordinator could bring backup quarterback Kirk Cousins with him to Cleveland. However, despite a report indicating Cousins would be open to a trade, don’t expect the Browns to land him, according to Dianna Marie Russini of News4. Russini reports (via Twitter) that Cleveland isn’t interested in acquiring Cousins, since the team believes Brian Hoyer is a better option.

The report echoes one from over the weekend by Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Cabot cited a source in writing that there was only a “remote possibility” of Cousins being sent to the Browns. In addition to having Hoyer under contract for another year, the Browns are positioned to pick fourth overall in May’s draft, so they could also add a young, high-upside quarterback with that selection.

While the Browns may not have a ton of interest in acquiring Cousins, that doesn’t mean the young signal-caller won’t be surrounded by trade rumors during the offseason. GM Bruce Allen has publicly indicated that Washington isn’t looking to move its backup QB, but the club will have plenty of holes to fill heading into 2014, so if a deal could net the Redskins a solid piece or two, the team would probably at least have to consider it. The ’14 free agent market for quarterbacks is fairly thin, and there’s considered to be a moderate drop-off after the top three QBs in the draft. In other words, teams searching for an upgrade may be willing to make it worth the Redskins’ while to part with Cousins.

Redskins Rumors: Hall, Riley, Orakpo, Cousins

February 4th, 2014 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Within the last two days, we’ve heard reports that the Redskins are discussing new long-term contracts for free-agents-to-be DeAngelo Hall and Perry Riley. GM Bruce Allen confirmed as much today, telling Zac Boyer of the Washington Times that the team has engaged in negotiations with reps for those two players, as well as linebacker Brian Orakpo. According to Allen, the Redskins coaching staff is still evaluating the team’s free agents, so exact figures likely won’t be exchanged with those players and their agents until the end of the month.

Here’s more on the Redskins:

  • Within Boyer’s piece, Allen also indicated that Kirk Cousins hadn’t requested a trade and that the team plans to have its second-string quarterback back next season: “There’s no change from our perspective on Kirk. That’s it. We’re comfortable with Kirk.” For what it’s worth, the weekend report on Cousins suggested he was open to a trade, not that he’d asked for one.
  • Allen also spoke to Boyer about the limitations that the 2012 and 2013 cap penalties still place on the Redskins: “We have the same [cap] number everybody else does this year, which is different, but if you look at the cap room around the league, that’s because everybody carried room over from the previous year, so we don’t have that. We have a lot of free agents. We have a lot of holes on the team that we need to fill, and the key is to look at our guys first and then we’ll look around, but having an understanding of what’s also in the draft.”
  • ESPN.com’s John Keim examines a few ways the Redskins could clear even more cap space, and takes an in-depth look at the club’s cornerback situation.
  • Replying to Keim’s cornerback piece, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter) that Aqib Talib looks like a logical free agent target for Washington, given Talib’s connection to Allen, who drafted him in Tampa Bay, and Redskins DB coach Raheem Morris, who coached him in Tampa.