No matter the final outcome, the Redskins have mangled the Kirk Cousins negotiations, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports and Mike Jones of the Washington Post write in dueling pieces. If Washington applies the franchise tag for a second consecutive year, Cousins will have earned nearly $44MM over the past two years. That total, per Robinson, would have been an acceptable level of guarantees on a long-term Cousins deal that included, say, a $20MM annual average. In his piece, Jones invites former NFL negotiators Joel Corry and Joe Banner to discuss the Cousins situation in a back-and-forth format, making both articles must-reads.

Here’s more from around the league:

• Center Jason Kelce and edge rusher Connor Barwin could learn a bit more about their status with the Eagles this week, as the pair’s respective agents are set to meet with Philadelphia management at the scouting combine, according to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com, who notes the Birds haven’t made a final decision on either player. Barwin ($7.75MM base salary) and Kelce ($5MM) are both candidates to be released or traded this offseason.
• The Panthers have “little to lose” by re-signing defensive end Charles Johnson to another short-term contract, while a reunion between Carolina and Julius Peppers would also make sense, opines Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. Johnson, 30, inked a one-year, $3MM with the Panthers last offseason and responded by posting four sacks, while Peppers, who spent the first eight years of his career in Carolina, is likely done in Green Bay.
• The Packers have made several additions to their coaching staff, announcing that they’ve hired Jeff Blasko as assistant offensive line coach, Tim McGarigle as defensive quality control coach, and David Raih as offensive perimeter coach. As Jason Wilde of ESPN.com points out (Twitter link), that list of coaches doesn’t include a replacement for former associate head coach/offense Tom Clements, who left Green Bay after his contract expired. The Packers could certainly announce such a hire in the future, or simply go without such a role on staff.