Will Cousins Play For The Skins In 2018

[beachboy757]

@ncr2h All of those questions about the uncertainty of the Redskins can easily be Yes with continuity, good drafting, and strategic planning. I think they can easily be no/none if we are hitting the reset button. As far as Reed, Thompson, and Williams I know fans have doubts about their future but I would be willing to bet that the majority of personnel at Redskins Park (both management and players) have faith in those players and consider them cornerstones of the franchise.

[Tsailand]

8 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

But I don't agree with those who suggest that Bruce is just some toady carrying out Dan's orders.  As if it were up to Bruce, the deal might even get done but Dan's whispering to Bruce as to how to handle it.   There is a lot to me that gives the vibe that Dan is letting Bruce handle it his way or at a minimum accepting Bruce's counsel on it. 

 

I agree with you.  If Bruce had wanted to sign the deal Kirk offered in 2016, three years at 19.5M per year, Dan would have allowed it.

 

However, we know that when Dan had people whispering in his ear from both sides, one arguing for a long term deal with Kirk, one against, he came down on the side opposed to Kirk.  August 2015.

 

7 hours ago, thesubmittedone said:

You could argue that's even Dan's main responsibility as owner, to hire the best possible candidate to be his top executive and to then ensure his top executive is handling things properly. 

 

He has failed at that for 20 years.

 

 

4 hours ago, bobandweave said:

Cant buy those but give him his due, everyone knows he’s tried to

 

Tried to buy a win but was too cheap to buy modern training facilities or good turf.

 

3 hours ago, bobandweave said:

44 million over the past two seasons is incredible. He probably wouldn’t have gotten that if he signed a LTD either season.

 

Yup.  The tag has been Kirk's best friend.  No sane team hires their franchise QB one year at a time.

 

3 hours ago, bobandweave said:

Last draft they were reported to have been offered a second, third, and fourth round pick for him. Maybe this year they get offered more?

 

I doubt it.  The close Kirk gets to true free agency, and the higher his salary goes, the less willing teams will be to throw in draft picks on top of it.

 

3 hours ago, bobandweave said:

Kirks relationship to this point is like a woman they are dating. She wants to get married but do they want to put a ring on it? Takes two to want to stay together and commit

 

I'm not sure who the woman is in this scenario.

[glongest]

I like Kirk Cousins and I hope we sign him to a LTD however I am not optimistic.  And I agree as others have expressed that the management brass has screwed this up.  However I think Kirk deserves some of the blame in this deal as well.  

 

First off he was a 4th round draft pick.  When he was drafted, most people were like who is this guy and why are we drafting him.  We just gave up the farm to draft what many thought was one of the top quarterbacks to ever come out of college.  So if he is upset with the Skins brass because he never got shown the attention that R G III got, then that is just stupid.  They mortgaged the farm to pick Griffin.  He was going to be their savior.   He was never going to get that kind of attention.  If that is what his issue is he needs to either grow up and forget about it or move on somewhere else.

 

He also needs to remember that he was a 4th round pick.  He wasn't guaranteed anything.  Not even to make the team.  And then when Jay came in, he eventually said Kirk is my guy, benched Griffin and stuck with Kirk and defended him when he did not play well.  Think about that.  He benched the guy that the owner had mortgaged the farm for just a few years prior.  That took some guts.  So its obvious the Coach has his back and to me that should be way more important than what the Owner or the Coach thinks of you.  

 

What he should  be doing is saying okay guys, give me a fair offer, lets get this thing done and go out and get some more talent so we can make this team competitive.  After all, I have not exactly shown that I can put this team on my back and win.  My overall record is 28-32-1.  My record against our arch rival is 1 and 6.  I am 4-3 against the Eagles and  3-4 against the Giants.  That would make my record 8-13 against division opponents.  And I am 0-6 on Monday night football.  So after looking back at my record, let me humble myself, show some support for the confidence my Coach has shown in me and lets get this thing done and build this team into a contender.  I want to be a part of that.

 

We don't know all of the behind the scenes stuff that is for sure.  But quite honestly the way Kirk comes off at the moment is that I am here to collect all of the money I can for as long as it lasts and then when all the franchise tags are done I will go somewhere else.  He says all the right things in front of the camera but I am not sure how genuine he is.  I know many people will disagree but that is just my opinion.  

 

 

 

[bobandweave]

3 hours ago, Tsailand said:

 

I doubt it.  The close Kirk gets to true free agency, and the higher his salary goes, the less willing teams will be to throw in draft picks on top of it.

 

 

I'm not sure who the woman is in this scenario.

 

Woman is Cousins. Some girls you date just aren’t marriage material. That’s ultimately the question to the team. Is he wifey material or just a bridge to the future wife? 

 

As for what teams would/could give up to land him his offseason all depends on who they are. Take the Broncos or the Browns for example. They been spending firsts on a QB for a while and not finding one. Getting Cousins takes away the mystery and risk for them and puts it on the Skins so compensation is definitely to be expected

 

Yea it will cost them a lot of money to sign him but given they got to give something to the Skins to get a trade in what would they offer to the team to get him?

 

He’s definitely not the Brock Osweiler type of guy that gets traded to save a team some money. But say the Broncos who are cap strapped this year struck a deal where the Skins would eat some of this years cap cost for Cousins. Expecting more then the second, third, and fourth picks is reasonable.

 

Say they got Cousins this year for only 10 million and only had to give up their first and third round picks to the Skins. They likely would have spent the first on a quarterback anyway so that 10 million cost for him offsets what they would have spent on the first round pick which helps the cap. 

 

So what did they lose to get Kirk there?  A third round pick. Not at all bad for them. And that’s better then what the Skins got offered last year.

 

Just saying this to say I don’t think that the team can’t get something done for picks if they have to. They might have to be creative to do it and it’s a last resort move if they can’t sign him or don’t want to sign him but the team should still have some trade leverage no matter what happens this year

[mistertim]

7 hours ago, bobandweave said:

 

We all know that Kirk wants to be courted. He has expressed his feeling of seeing how the red carpet was rolled out for Griffin and not for him. The longer this goes the more attention he gets from the media, and the more important he looks to the league overall. The added attention gives him the courting he desires. 

 

 

What team rolls out the red carpet for a 4th round draft pick? I'm a bit wary of rumors about part of his issues stem from feeling "insulted" or "disrespected" or not treated as well as RG3...it just reeks of insecurity and fragility. But if it is true then he needs to grow the hell up and realize that he was a 4th round pick and that was never going to happen to him. How do you expect a guy to have the mental toughness to be a QB in the NFL and bring his A game, elevate a team when need be, and play his best when the pressure is on if he can't get over not being treated as well as a guy who was a #2 overall pick 5 freaking years ago? I really hope all that stuff isn't true and it has all been purely business based.

[petey hodge]

Who is Will Cousins?  Is he Kirk's little brother?  ... any good? 

Let's sign him to a LTD... send out the Dannyboy Learjet!

[TSO]

6 hours ago, mistertim said:

What team rolls out the red carpet for a 4th round draft pick?

 

A team that acknowledges it’s best players and not the ones it spent the most resources on? 

 

And no one is saying they should’ve immediately rolled out the red carpet. We’re talking after a lot happened and Kirk emerged. There’s a bit of a strawman here in this post since you’re not distinguishing within the timeline. Another one in that you’re making it seem like we’ve said it’s the only legitimate factor or issue Cousins has. 

[mistertim]

5 minutes ago, thesubmittedone said:

 

A team that acknowledges it’s best players and not the ones it spent the most resources on? 

 

And no one is saying they should’ve immediately rolled out the red carpet. We’re talking after a lot happened and Kirk emerged. There’s a bit of a strawman here in this post since you’re not distinguishing within the timeline. 

 

That's true. My assumption (and it could have been incorrect) was that it was about the red carpet being rolled out for RG3 in general and at the time him feeling basically like an afterthought. If we're talking later after he started playing well then that's a bit different. But even though it isn't as bad it would still concern me a bit if he was letting his emotions over not being "courted" or feeling "disrespected/insulted", etc in the last couple of offseasons affect the way he's approaching contract negotiations. He doesn't seem like that kind of guy to me, but I guess you never know what's going on behind the curtain.

[TSO]

12 minutes ago, mistertim said:

But even though it isn't as bad it would still concern me a bit if he was letting his emotions over not being "courted" or feeling "disrespected/insulted", etc in the last couple of offseasons affect the way he's approaching contract negotiations. He doesn't seem like that kind of guy to me, but I guess you never know what's going on behind the curtain.

 

See my edit, it addresses this point as well. Basically, it’s a part of it, not all of it, and that’d be entirely legitimate.  

[skinzplay]

I still say that, in light of everything that went down with the Skins, Kyle did one hell of a job creating that hybrid attack offense with RG3. The league couldn't stop it. He designed something that masked RG3's shortcomings and allowed him to attack defenses with the most deadly assets in his arsenal. I tip my hat to the kid. He was one heck of an OC, and will probably have a lot of success in SF. For Cousins, knowing that Kyle and Mike wanted him so badly, even after giving up those draft picks to take Robert...........man, that would make me feel pretty damn good.

 

If he does leave, I really hope he goes to a ball club that has a good QB coach; he's still learning. Cavanaugh's influence on his this past season cannot be overstated, believe me. I hope he stays (for a reasonable contract that allows the team to continue building), but if he decides to walk, he'll have a million reasons why and I won't have any problem with it. His choice.

[Skinsinparadise]

8 hours ago, glongest said:

 

We don't know all of the behind the scenes stuff that is for sure.  But quite honestly the way Kirk comes off at the moment is that I am here to collect all of the money I can for as long as it lasts and then when all the franchise tags are done I will go somewhere else.  He says all the right things in front of the camera but I am not sure how genuine he is.  I know many people will disagree but that is just my opinion.  

 

 

 

 

It's weird to me that we have this type of narrative running. And I don't mean to pick on you, I've seen it elsewhere, on twitter, etc.  But to me the facts on this are crystal clear since we've gotten over time the figures-offers.

 

The Zillow price of the home lets say is $500,000.  The Redskins are the ones that could have gotten it at first $300,000.  Then, they could have had it of $400,000 the previous year but said no,  We will just pay $350,000 for it. We like the house, we don't love it.  And we will explain to your exactly why we don't love it.    So we will rent it.  You got your real estate agent whispering in your ear that never mind the $500,000, I can get you $550,000 on the open market.  

 

Now the house is about to hit the market again.  If the Redskins do the usual drill.  They will say we will offer $425,000 tops for the house.  Otherwise, we will pay you the highest rent in the neighborhood for one more year.  

 

What is Kirk and his real estate agent to do?  Take a below market deal?  Or take the highest rent in the neighborhood for one more year?  It's a no brainer.  That's why to me this is 100% on Bruce/Dan this problem.  This isn't even IMO a hair on Kirk -- not a whit, not a drop, not even 0.0001%.  This will probably go down as the dumbest negotiated contract in sports history.  Only question now is do they double down on the dumb approach. 

 

I expect they will double down because ego wise if you abandon that idiotic approach its admitting that the approach is idiotic.   I totally understand why Albert Breer said in the summer on a segment that Bruce has to be perceived around the league as having won the deal -- and that's part of the problem at this point in reaching compromise.  I get it -- he and Dan look like fools. 

 

So what can you do at this point if ego-saving face is the prime motive?  Either act like the approach was smart in the first place, so double down on it and hope that Kirk's agent gives in so they can go "see, see, see it did work" or just say look we didn't think Kirk was worth it hence this is why we acted that way.  Took a look at our new shinning toy at QB -- isn't Mayfield or Bradford or whomeever cool?

 

The problem they have is Kirk's agent isn't going to give into their lunacy.  Bruce clearly isn't going to wear them down.  So if this plays out, Bruce/Dan at best will only win temporarily.   I don't even think they'd get that because most fans are supportive of Kirk (judging by the 980 polls).  I think the PR fallout will be epic bad from the start.   So it likely goes downhill fast.

 

As Chris Russell says, the Kirk contract when it plays out with a verdict of Kirk leaving will ultimately get Bruce fired because if Kirk succeeds elsewhere and Plan B fails here -- it will go down as one of the biggest sports mistakes of all time spearheaded by perhaps the most incompetent negotiation ever.

[goskins10]

10 hours ago, ncr2h said:

If I'm Cousins, I would love to sign another one year deal with the Redskins, but would be hesitant to sign a long term deal.

 

The Skins' future is very uncertain:

 

- Will Jay still be the coach 2+ years from now?

- Will Reed, Thompson, Williams, etc. all bounce back from injury and hit the ground running?  Are we bringing in any new weapons, and if so, how do we know they won't struggle like Pryor?

- What are the chances the defense improves enough to be a top 10 unit?

- What are the chances we build a respectable ground attack?

 

Meanwhile, it's only a matter of time before Brady and Roethlisberger retire.  If Kirk's goal is to make a long term impact off the field - which, in his words, can't be done without sustained success on the field - why sign long term with a team like the Redskins, whose front office hasn't proven anything, when you could potentially sign with the Steelers or the Patriots, who have huge fanbases and decades of success?  If he makes the $34 million this season, he will have made ~$80M in the past 3 seasons.  He could realistically go to the Patriots or Steelers and say, "Hey, I've made a ton of money, and now I just want to win.  Sign me up for something in the range of $15-20M and use the leftovers to build out the roster."

 

I tend to agree it's not in Kirk's best interest to sign a LTD unless it is at market level - which has been the problem. Bruce keeps making these stupid extremely low ball offers. 

 

I get your point about question marks, but most can be said about most any team. 

 

1. NFL coaches have a short lifespan. Outside a few franchises there are no guarantees any coach will be there. 

2. All teams have players coming back from injury. The hope is always that they will but the reality is some will some will not. But all teams have those same question marks. Redskins do have more key injuries than most. But many of those should be recoverable. And looking at the Offense, they still did pretty well without many of those weapons. Trent is probably the most devastating. I would hope they look for his long term replacement in this years draft. But i digress. 

3. FAs working out will always be a question. Yes Pryor failed miserably. But Zach Brown and DJ S. have played great. And although not appreciated as much McGee and McClain have played reasonably well - especially McClain. You will not hit 100% on your FAs, nor should you. If you do you are paying too much for them and it will come back to bite you - see NY Giants. 

4. Defense improving? There were certainly good signs until the injuries - especially to J Allen. But again many teams need help on D, including several of the team Kirk is being discussed going to. Other do have built in Ds - very good ones - thinking Jacksonville and maybe Denver. But they have other problems like offensive line issues and offensive play makers. They could focus on that during the off-season. But there is always uncertainty. 

5. This one is more than fair. The team has not built a good run game since Jay has been here. If there would commit to that, really commit it could make a decision to stay here more enticing. 

 

Also, while those may be the Redskins issues, any other team he goes to will have their own question marks. 

 

Here is where I really disagree. Waiting for NE or Pitt is a fools errand. Really bad examples. Both of those teams are very comfortable with their ability to develop players. How many QBs has BB drafted and traded? And Ptts as an organization just does not sign big name high priced FAs. They develop and pay within. There is virtually no chance either of those teams are interested in Kirk for the money it would take to get him.

 

Having said that there are teams that should be attractive to Kirk that can and would gladly pay what it takes - Jacksonville and Houston come to mind immediately. Denver maybe. Depends on if Elway can get past his ego or realizes he is losing the fans - been to lots of Denver message boards and many want Elway gone. I was honestly thinking Tampa might be a good place for him. But they decided to keep the J Winston experiment going. Guy is a POS and even if he has some limited game success his idiocy will hurt him and his team eventually. 

 

Ultimately, as long as Jay is here, the Redskins are truly Kirk's best option, even without a run game and a mediocre D. I am pretty sure that's the reason they announced Jay being here next year like they did, to assure Kirk Jay would be here. But now that Bruce has made this a combative relationship instead of one of respectful negotiation, can he get out of the way of his ego and give Kirk the contract he needs to stay here? I see nothing that suggests he can but there is always hope until there isn't a chance any more. 

 

 

[Skinsinparadise]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/the-blow-it-up-redskins-appear-ready-to-gamble-on-stability/2017/12/30/7b9fe5da-ecda-11e7-b698-91d4e35920a3_story.html?utm_term=.4a7d76b9dd1b

 

Barring a humiliating loss to the 2-13 Giants and an 11th-hour change of heart, Snyder will retain Gruden, who has three years remaining on his contract, and grant Allen a ninth year as his chief football adviser. If so, it would represent a departure for the often-impetuous owner. Since he bought the Redskins and their Landover stadium for $800 million in May 1999, Snyder has cycled through eight head coaches and 16 starting quarterbacks. Meanwhile, his investment has roughly quadrupled. As of September 2017, the Redskins were valued at $3.1 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

 

Heading into the 2018 offseason, Snyder’s focus, according to the team official, is on strengthening a roster that had three players selected to the Pro Bowl; resolving the uncertainty at quarterback (Is Kirk Cousinsworth the $34.5 million a third franchise tag would cost to bar his departure? Is he worth the still-costly gamble of an NFL transition tag?); and figuring out how to prevent the plague of injuries that ended the season of more than one-third of the Week 1 starters.

 

...“There are two barometers: If Bruce Allen stays, I would be more likely to give the tickets up,” Schultze said. “I lay all of this game-day experience at his feet, and it hasn’t improved since he has been here. Also the general direction of the team, which has not been good.

“And if Kirk Cousins goes? Are you kidding me? After all these years we didn’t have a quarterback, and because you didn’t have a wherewithal to look ahead, we’re going to lose him? That’s what I’ll be looking at. I will be evaluating the Redskins like they evaluated Kirk.”

[goskins10]

7 hours ago, bobandweave said:

 

Woman is Cousins. Some girls you date just aren’t marriage material. That’s ultimately the question to the team. Is he wifey material or just a bridge to the future wife? 

 

Edit

 

You guys do realize there are women on this board, at least there were? These analogies are at the very least disrespectful if not completely misogynistic.  Of all the analogies in the world you can't find one that does not disparage 50% of the worlds population? It's not funny or clever. It's pretty much just rude. It's comments like these that have run many women off from here. I for one find that sad. Dan does a good enough job of running fans off we don't need to do it to our selves. 

 

How about not providing any such analogy. For example, Bruce does not seem to think Kirk is worth the money and has not given him the contract Kirk wants. Or, Bruce has to win the "negotiation" and Doug is convinced he has the incredible evaluation ability to find another Kirk just hiding in the wings waiting to be plucked from obscurity. 

 

 

[Jumbo]

ty for that post, @goskins10.

 

posters who like to post here will be best served will take the sentiments you expressed to heart. 

 

i'll add a reminder for all to not turn this into an extend off topic matter. ty.

 

on topic, my final (for now ) prediction is dan offers a ltd to Kirk of a nature he'll accept.

 

here's to 2018. i'm not sure i can take many more of these years. 

 

 

 

 

 

[glongest]

3 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

What is Kirk and his real estate agent to do?  Take a below market deal?  Or take the highest rent in the neighborhood for one more year?  It's a no brainer.  That's why to me this is 100% on Bruce/Dan this problem.  This isn't even IMO a hair on Kirk -- not a whit, not a drop, not even 0.0001%.  This will probably go down as the dumbest negotiated contract in sports history.  Only question now is do they double down on the dumb approach. 

 

And that is my point.  You are exactly correct in that if its all about the money and I really don't want to be here but because of the franchise rules I can't do anything about it so I am just going to maximize what I can get until I can get out then it is a no brainer.  However, if you truly want to be a part of the franchise, then, especially as a quarterback (leader) I would assume you have a greater interest in building a team around you that can compete for Championships than squeezing out a few more million dollars out of a contract.  Its not like you haven't been paid pretty well having made like probably $50 million at age 29.   

 

In terms of management, they need to offer him a fair contract that is market value and not try to low ball the guy.  Negotiating is just that but ultimately for any business deal to get done, both parties have to want to get it done.  There is always give and take. 

 

It will be interesting to see what happens.  I will say this.  If the Redskins decide to franchise him again for 2018 and then he signs a long term deal with the Skins after next season for whatever market value is, we will then know it was all about the money and himself and not really about being a part of building a competitive team.     

[Tsailand]

OK leaving aside that particular (very apt) real-world analogy, let's just say the evaluation process is a two way street at this point.

 

The team has long since evaluated Kirk as a franchise QB worthy of a long term deal.  Last year they were still trying to lowball him on the money, but there's a reasonable hope they will get it right this time.

 

Kirk on the other hand evaluated the team as not being worthy of his commitment.  He is happy to take our money on one year deals, but nothing more.

 

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

I still think it's less to do with the $ and more to do with the handling.  Such as the season ending, the FO playing up the loss to the NYG to Kirks agent, making no offer, applying the tag, the press release, all that stuff.  Gave Kirk too much time to think about whether or not he truly wants to be here long term. More important than the $, is whether or not Bruce will have hat in hand come the end of this season.

[Skinsinparadise]

43 minutes ago, glongest said:

 

And that is my point.  You are exactly correct in that if its all about the money and I really don't want to be here but because of the franchise rules I can't do anything about it so I am just going to maximize what I can get until I can get out then it is a no brainer.  However, if you truly want to be a part of the franchise, then, especially as a quarterback (leader) I would assume you have a greater interest in building a team around you that can compete for Championships than squeezing out a few more million dollars out of a contract.  Its not like you haven't been paid pretty well having made like probably $50 million at age 29.   

 

OK then I think its a wild point on your end.   Going back to my Zillow analogy.

 

The house is worth $500,000.   All you want is $500,000 -- the market value of your house.  The only reason why the house's price keeps raising is the potential buyer only wants to rent the house -- unlike the typical buyer.  You offer the house to them at $400,000 a year back and they don't even return your phone call on it.  They tell you why your house isn't worth the same price as similar houses on the market and how you don't deserve the same price. 

 

You can sell the house at $600,000 probably on the open market.  But you'll take $500,000.  You are saying if Bruce offers you $450,000 with a small deposit (small guarantees).  You take it anyway.   

 

Ignore how much you don't like the buyers's agent (Bruce). Ignore that you make your real estate agent look like a buffoon for selling a house for $150,000 under what they could get on the market.   

 

You take the below market deal like Bruce is your best friend in the world.  Because who wouldn't do that?  As to what player would do that?  My guess is no one.  Zero.  Not even Brady.   From all accounts Brady loves ownership -- they have a good relationship -- no insulting press releases going out about him, no I am even going to respond to your agent's counter offer.  Brady wasn't dealing with weird stuff like that let alone Brady didn't give a discount on his first major deal which is what we are talking about here for Kirk.

 

 

[bobandweave]

6 hours ago, goskins10 said:

 

You guys do realize there are women on this board, at least there were? These analogies are at the very least disrespectful if not completely misogynistic.  Of all the analogies in the world you can't find one that does not disparage 50% of the worlds population? It's not funny or clever. It's pretty much just rude. It's comments like these that have run many women off from here. I for one find that sad. Dan does a good enough job of running fans off we don't need to do it to our selves. 

 

How about not providing any such analogy. For example, Bruce does not seem to think Kirk is worth the money and has not given him the contract Kirk wants. Or, Bruce has to win the "negotiation" and Doug is convinced he has the incredible evaluation ability to find another Kirk just hiding in the wings waiting to be plucked from obscurity. 

 

 

 

I in no way was trying to insult 50% of the world in what you quoted. If I did I apologize. Was not at all my intention or feeling to do. I am not that type of person

[BayouBrave86]

Let him walk. This team is likely 5-11 or 6-10 with Colt at QB this year. Kirk gets way too much love for that Seahawks game. His best game of the season was against the Saints (and it was a GEM). I’d rather spend the money bolstering the defense and reinforcing the oline. We can compete without this guy. 

[TradeTheBeal!]

Statistics and today’s outcome aside, this has probably been Cousins’ best year.  Dealt with a lot of adversity and showed a lot of toughness and durability.

 

Hes worth $25M in this market.  Pay him

 

 

[Kilmer17]

15 minutes ago, TryTheBeal! said:

Statistics and today’s outcome aside, this has probably been Cousins’ best year.  Dealt with a lot of adversity and showed a lot of toughness and durability.

 

Hes worth $25M in this market.  Pay him

 

 

He’s a loser.  Stats be dammed 

[BrandonJ83]

I'm glad I'm not the one to make decisions cause after this Giants game I would want to run everybody off. Then tomorrow I would hate that I did. Especially if I was drinking Crown like Snyder.

 

On to the draft and 2018! HTTR!

[CounterTrey]

19 minutes ago, BayouBrave86 said:

Let him walk. This team is likely 5-11 or 6-10 with Colt at QB this year. Kirk gets way too much love for that Seahawks game. His best game of the season was against the Saints (and it was a GEM). I’d rather spend the money bolstering the defense and reinforcing the oline. We can compete without this guy. 

 

Perfect plan. By not signing Kirk you can sign 3 studs on D