Will Cousins Play For The Skins In 2018

[Veryoldschool]

A Denver reporter thinks Cousins would be a good fit for the Broncos.  Seems like everyone appreciates Kirk except the pinhead Redskin owner and some NeverKirk Redskin fans suffering from terminal rectal-cranial inversion.  Can imagine Cousins going to the Bronco's and John Elway hiring Mike Shahanan as head coach?  Coverage of the Elway/Shanahan/Cousins Denver Super Bowl win would become one of the key features in the Daniel Snyder Most Inept Owner of the 21st Century exhibit in the NFL Hall of Fame.  Don't think this will happen?  Oh, it will happen all right if Cousins goes to Denver and Denver hires Shanny, they will win it all at least once because the Football Gods will enable them to win to punish Daniel Snyder for being a putz.  

 

http://gazette.com/woody-paige-kirk-cousins-well-suited-to-join-broncos/article/1617820

[bla bla bla]

16 minutes ago, Veryoldschool said:

A Denver reporter thinks Cousins would be a good fit for the Broncos.  Seems like everyone appreciates Kirk except the pinhead Redskin owner and some NeverKirk Redskin fans suffering from terminal rectal-cranial inversion.  Can imagine Cousins going to the Bronco's and John Elway hiring Mike Shahanan as head coach?  Coverage of the Elway/Shanahan/Cousins Denver Super Bowl win would become one of the key features in the Daniel Snyder Most Inept Owner of the 21st Century exhibit in the NFL Hall of Fame.  Don't think this will happen?  Oh, it will happen all right if Cousins goes to Denver and Denver hires Shanny, they will win it all at least once because the Football Gods will enable them to win to punish Daniel Snyder for being a putz.  

 

http://gazette.com/woody-paige-kirk-cousins-well-suited-to-join-broncos/article/1617820

 

I think the Broncos are going to have to cut a lot of their talent to have a competitive offer with other teams or Cousins will have to leave a lot of money on the table to go there. Broncos will be sitting at $20M (after subtracting what it takes to sign a draft class) by comparison the Jets will be sitting at $70M (before cutting players who should not be overly missed Mo, Skrine, Ijalana, Forte, Smith will move them up to $85M). Another factor is the amount of endorsements Kirk will receive in NY vs Denver, Eli makes an extra $8M per year. It will ultimately come down to; how much money is Kirk willing to pass up on to play for the Broncos?

[lancruza]

https://www.facebook.com/keepkirkcousins/

[mistertim]

Yes but does Elway think so? That's all that really matters. If he thinks they need to rebuild I doubt he's going to give the highest contract in the NFL to a 30 year old QB who doesn't really have all that much on his resume as far as accomplishments besides throwing for lots of yards. You only do that if you think you'll be an immediate SB contender and I really don't think Denver is there, and it isn't only the QB position. Their defense is good but they have a ton of money invested there. If they give Kirk a king's ransom contract they're going to have to make some tough decisions most likely. Sure, Von Miller would like Kirk on his team, but ask him if he'll take a pay cut so they can sign him.....yeah, no.

 

Their offensive talent is pretty much completely mediocre. They have one decent RB, one good WR and the rest are JAGs. Their OL is pretty awful as well. I really don't see them as a team that can simply plug in a new QB and win a SB, Shanahan or not (unless it was Brady or Rodgers or Brees maybe. They DID give up a ton for Peyton but he was already sure fire first ballot HOFer and one of the GOATs...bit of a difference there).

 

I think a more likely landing spot would be the Jags. Who knows what the Browns will do and NYG are in rebuilding mode and also have a ton of money invested in their defense so would have to eventually make some tough decisions based on contracts as well if they signed Kirk to what he wants so I find it more likely that they'll draft a QB in a deep QB class. Denver may do the same as they'll have a top 5-7 pick. 

 

IMO SF is out of the picture after giving up a high second rounder for Jimmy G. I'm guessing they'll decide to at least give him another year to see how he pans out and draft a bunch of talent to put around him as SF basically has a crap roster right now.

[NoCalMike]

Sometimes I have to take what the media says with a grain of salt because their opinions on players change with the wind too.  When Cousins was first getting better and it looked like he might be the answer, the media was hell bent on calling out his flaws and saying how unspectacular he was.  Now that he is possibly leaving, the entire narrative has switched to how dumb the organization would be to let him walk.  Sometimes I think the DC media is so stuck on being anti-Redskins front office (not to say they don't deserve a lot of it) that the it doesn't matter what they end up doing with Cousins, they will be wrong.

 

Want to bet if they sign Cousins to a LTD, the contract will be super scrutinized and said that they paid way too much for a QB that hasn't yet proven he can take things to that next level?  I bet those articles are already written up and on standby, should the 'Skins find a way to sign Cousins to a LTD.

[bobandweave]

I don’t think Kirk shines when the lights are bright and that’s my biggest issue with him. He is a career 0-8 playing on weekdays. When he’s in must win games check Giants 16 and Cowboys Chargers 17. I know QBs take too much heat for losses but couple that in his record of not throwing TDs and this is not someone any team should be throwing record setting contracts at. If the Jets want to do that then so be it. The lights in NY shine bright could be a really bad move for him to go there

 

Continuing the discussion about the contract, what are NFL teams getting out of paying a QB top money? Is it worth it?

 

Stafford the highest priced QB in the league missed the playoffs again

 

Carr the second highest paid QB missed the playoffs again 

 

Luck the third highest paid QB missed the playoffs again

 

In fact only Drew Brees made the playoffs from the top five earners this year (Cousins was the 5th highest earner this year) and make what you will about how the Saints got there this year and how much of that is on Brees vs the running game

 

Truth is out of the top ten earners this year only Brees and Ben Roethlisberger have punched their teams playoff tickets with only one game left in the season this year.

 

So are the teams that are spending huge dollars to keep that expensive QB getting success from the move? 

 

The prevailing idea is that when your QBs about to leave you pay him whatever it takes to keep him (why? Best option, continuity, team success are the most common answers given) but this year it is not equaling success.

 

Out of the top half of QB earners (16 top paid guys total) you will find only 5 guys making the dance this season.

 

And it happens that there are more playoff Qbs (15th highest paid Brady, 14th highest paid Matt Ryan, and 13th highest paid Newton) in the bottom third then the top two thirds highest paid QBs

 

Make what you will out of the question whether to be paying record breaking money to QBs but these points to me says that it’s not what you want to be doing building your NFL franchise. An NFL team wants to be middle to late in the QB cash line. 

 

Truthfully I think that we could get to 8-8 next year with one of the Bradford, Keenum, Bridgewater, or Tyrod starting QB varity if our defense steps up like they did the past two weeks. Makes me wonder why we would pay someone more money to get the same results or slightly better or slightly worse when it could he significantly cheaper.

 

This is business. If he and the agents think some teams willing to pay him record setting money then he will never sign a long term deal for cheaper just to play here. That’s not going to happen. If we want him to stay he demands to be paid what he’s worth. We have to accept that what he’s worth might not be best for this club.

 

To me the price is just too steep to keep him and from reading the Washington post articles it seems like everyone realizes this and is already saying their goodbyes. It would be amazing if Kirk felt some sort of loyalty to this club and would take less money and wanted to stay here but when the headlines read “played his last home game” it’s time to discuss moving on and other plans 

 

 

 

 

[Taylor 36]

Just a head's up,there is another Cousins Thread this should have gone in.  Make sure to read the rules and follow them, or your stay here won't be very long.

[mistertim]

17 hours ago, Darrell Green Fan said:

 

First off Kirk has been far better than Flacco so far, he just lacks the playoff performances but that's because his team hasn't been good enough to get him there.  One QB has been playing with  a top defense the other has been playing with one of the worst defenses in the league.  Next most Ravens fans will tell you it was a combination of Flacco playing like, well, Flacco as well as poor drafts that have really hurt them.

 

I think Kirk is overall a better QB than Flacco but the reason Flacco got a massive contract isn't just because of their defense. It's because he played absolutely lights out on their playoff/SB run. 11 TDs, 0 INTs. He was in full on clutch mode the whole time. Maybe after that the Ravens thought he had truly turned the corner and become an upper echelon elite QB instead of just decent. But obviously they were wrong. If Kirk won a SB and played like that, even if he had a relatively mediocre regular season, every single person on this board would be saying "pay him whatever the hell he wants". 

[Skinsfan1311]

21 hours ago, Bonez3 said:

Pay KC 28 mil a year... enjoy. He's a 25 mil a year ceiling for me. If the Skins offer that and he declines, adios.

 

Kurt is a top 10 QB, and likely has all the necessities to win in the playoffs. So, a top 10 QB doesn't mean he should be 10th highest QB paid, I get that. A QB that good can be the missing piece to a championship, so value gets compounded. 

 

But to make him the highest paid player in the league, he's just not that guy. Stafford has an X factor in my opinion. Carr, not so much. Cousins is somewhere in between. My limit is 25 mil, I think it's fair. If he wants a few mil more a year, bless his heart. I've stated there are probably 5-6 players with similar value or talent available next year. 

 

One player with a bullet for me will be Case Keenum. I'm seeing one of those end of career bursts ala Randall Cunningham, where a really talented QB is getting good coaching and applying great skill sets and will be very good. Give me Case Keenum for 18-20 mil for 2 years. 

 

18 hours ago, Bonez3 said:

That's just like your opinion, man. He is very replaceable and it's obviously not about the 3m but more about the alternatives and overall plan. 

 

He absolutely is not a 28-30 mil a year QB. Further, with the rollover cap rules, 3m can be leveraged in future years. 

 

I like Kurt, but I know his limitations and he won't make the NYJ that much better. Take the Fitzpatrick year and add 1.5 wins to it. Than, let me know if it's foolish to pay him 40 mil or whatever your structure was

 

It's KIRK!

[TheGreatBuzz]

I think the Steelers would be the best fit for him.  Hopefully, Big Ben decides he isn't ready to hang it up just yet AND Pitt doesn't decide to tell Ben to hang it up.

[TheGreatBuzz]

1 hour ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

 

 

It's KIRK!

Beat me to it.

[Skinsinparadise]

17 hours ago, mistertim said:

 

Most "professional" opinions we don't know, if you're talking about football professionals like coaches, GMs, etc. As far as opinion people yes there are some that believe he's elite, but there are also plenty who think, like I do, that he's a good QB but isn't upper echelon.

 

 

Thanks to the soap opera of a contract situation running two years -- there has been a gazillion articles written about Kirk in particular quoting executives and scouts who didn't though put their names on the record.  Keim in particular wrote multiple articles like that.  Many of those articles have been posted on Kirk threads.  By and large, Kirk is very highly regarded in those articles.   Rarely was the conclusion (especially after last year) that he isn't worth the typical high salary that QBs are warranting these days. 

 

I'd summarize most of them as saying they'd give Kirk the money in the articles where they made conclusions.  Also very few of them (again especially after 2016) say that the lowest bar here "good" QBs don't deserve big money.  It's just the reality of the NFL.  Denver has a great defense and arguably a better offensive supporting cast than we do.  But they stink.   That's our future but without the great defense?

 

15 hours ago, NoCalMike said:

Sometimes I have to take what the media says with a grain of salt because their opinions on players change with the wind too.  When Cousins was first getting better and it looked like he might be the answer, the media was hell bent on calling out his flaws and saying how unspectacular he was. 

 

I followed the narrative as closely as anyone.  When Kirk was the starter in 2015 and they won the division.  He earned plenty of fans in the media.  The radio guys in particular who are still infatuated with him like Sheehan, Galdi, Paulsen -- were infatuated with him likewise back then.  You did though have the narrative of lets see if he can do it again before everyone buys in.

 

When he basically did it again, Kirk pretty much locked in everyone who still likes him now.  Not that I care what the media thinks about this narrative aside from those who claim they are talking to both sides and I'm curious about their gossip considering Bruce is so close vested.

 

IMO this isn't a controversial topic.  It's borderline no brainer stuff.  It's not whether we think Orkapo has it or not or fits the slew of other debates had on this board.  This is about EVERY other team in the NFL secures their franchise QB but the Redskins.  It's a debate about whether Bruce-Dan are just smarter than the rest of the league on the topic.   

 

As for the media slamming the team if they do sign Kirk.  I highly doubt it.  But even if so I wouldn't care one whit.  And frankly they should get slammed either way (to majorly different degrees though) because IMO it was grossly misplayed.  The best case scenario here would be they secured Kirk in a LTD and Bruce cost the team 30-40 million dollars by misplaying it. 

 

Not sure how there is any outcome where the FO gets patted on the back for a job well done.  The issue IMO right now is do they oversee potentially the demise of the team via their own mismanagement by willingly entering the Osweiller-Gabbert style twilight zone territory or versus accepting that Mike Lombardi is right and Bruce as a negotiator will end up with egg on his face and the agents have the last laugh.  I can deal with the later not the former.

 

If they do get Kirk signed, forgetting the media I think they'd get a major PR buzz from it.  The situation looks so hopeless that Bruce coming out of the blue getting a deal done -- I think if anything will generate for the FO some serious hype. 

[Darrell Green Fan]

1 hour ago, mistertim said:

 

I think Kirk is overall a better QB than Flacco but the reason Flacco got a massive contract isn't just because of their defense. It's because he played absolutely lights out on their playoff/SB run. 11 TDs, 0 INTs. He was in full on clutch mode the whole time. Maybe after that the Ravens thought he had truly turned the corner and become an upper echelon elite QB instead of just decent. But obviously they were wrong. If Kirk won a SB and played like that, even if he had a relatively mediocre regular season, every single person on this board would be saying "pay him whatever the hell he wants". 

 

Oh I think we all agree with that. My point is Kirk has had a much larger sample size to prove he is a better option long term investment than a guy who got hot for a few playoff games.  

[Tarpon75]

3 hours ago, bobandweave said:

 

To me the price is just too steep to keep him and from reading the Washington post articles it seems like everyone realizes this and is already saying their goodbyes. It would be amazing if Kirk felt some sort of loyalty to this club and would take less money and wanted to stay here but when the headlines read “played his last home game” it’s time to discuss moving on and other plans 

 

 

 

 

I could be wrong,but I don’t recall any article saying it was Kirk’s last game in D C. I read more than one that said, it could be his last home game in Washington, obviously it could be.I did read a WP article that quoted Kirk yesterday saying he wants the Redskins to be known as winners. He also said, that he is concerned with the team brand. Don’t know if that sounds like someone who has made up their mind to leave. 

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

6 hours ago, NoCalMike said:

 

Want to bet if they sign Cousins to a LTD, the contract will be super scrutinized and said that they paid way too much for a QB that hasn't yet proven he can take things to that next level?  I bet those articles are already written up and on standby, should the 'Skins find a way to sign Cousins to a LTD.

But they won't be wrong.  Bruce's handling of Kirk cost the Skins easily 30M+ more than need be had they played their cards right.  

[Veryoldschool]

How much Kirk plays for isn't really significant it is who he plays for that matters.  If it is the Skins and they have decent health and a decent draft I think they can win 10+ and make the playoffs.  If they had stayed healthy they might have won 10+ this year.  If they add a couple of better receivers and improve the running game a little and the team stays healthier I think even 11 or 12 wins are possible.  Without Kirk, the Skins win 3 or 4 at best and last place in the league is a clear possibility.

 

 

[zoony]

6 minutes ago, Veryoldschool said:

How much Kirk plays for isn't really significant it is who he plays for that matters.  If it is the Skins and they have decent health and a decent draft I think they can win 10+ and make the playoffs.  If they had stayed healthy they might have won 10+ this year.  If they add a couple of better receivers and improve the running game a little and the team stays healthier I think even 11 or 12 wins are possible.  Without Kirk, the Skins win 3 or 4 at best and last place in the league is a clear possibility.

 

 

 

This team has got to find a way to stop the run.  Been swept by dallas 2 years running and not going to beat them or philthy until we get some talent on that line.  Love loanidis as an effort guy but not sure he is the answer.  Allen has proven unreliable.  Its the single biggest issue facing this team, and has been for 2 straight seasons

[JoeJacobyHOForRIOT]

8 hours ago, Veryoldschool said:

A Denver reporter thinks Cousins would be a good fit for the Broncos.  Seems like everyone appreciates Kirk except the pinhead Redskin owner and some NeverKirk Redskin fans suffering from terminal rectal-cranial inversion.  Can imagine Cousins going to the Bronco's and John Elway hiring Mike Shahanan as head coach?  Coverage of the Elway/Shanahan/Cousins Denver Super Bowl win would become one of the key features in the Daniel Snyder Most Inept Owner of the 21st Century exhibit in the NFL Hall of Fame.  Don't think this will happen?  Oh, it will happen all right if Cousins goes to Denver and Denver hires Shanny, they will win it all at least once because the Football Gods will enable them to win to punish Daniel Snyder for being a putz.  

 

http://gazette.com/woody-paige-kirk-cousins-well-suited-to-join-broncos/article/1617820

I was reading this same article last night and thinking the exact same thing as your post. Denver would be such a perfect fit for Cousins and instantly make them a Super Bowl contender in the AFC.

 

You know guys, at this point, Ill be shocked if Cousins is our QB next season. He seems like such a good guy on and off the field i really hope he finds success. O yeah, I think he is a pretty dam good QB as well.

[Burgold]

So many are writing Cousins future off with the Redskins. For some reason, that in itself makes me think there's hope.

[purbeast]

13 hours ago, Rufus T Firefly said:

No one's paying 34.5 mil per year on a multi-year deal, as was clearly my point in the first place.

 

I had a feeling responding to you might be a waste of my time and so far you're making me feel prophetic. 

Yeah no **** numbnuts, that was my entire point in the first post you quoted of mine - that if he signs a tag there is no chance a LTD gets done.

 

Way to let logic slip your mind.

[Skinsinparadise]

26 minutes ago, zoony said:

 

This team has got to find a way to stop the run.  Been swept by dallas 2 years running and not going to beat them or philthy until we get some talent on that line.  Love loanidis as an effort guy but not sure he is the answer.  Allen has proven unreliable.  Its the single biggest issue facing this team, and has been for 2 straight seasons

 

Agree.  It's another reason why in my opinion we have to get a deal done.  We can't afford to waste capital on a QB in the draft and start over.   They are in perfect position to get a nose type in the draft like Vea or Payne with their mid first round pick or maybe even a run stuffing MLB like R. Smith. 

 

I don't think the team is a mile away.  I am not a big Doug guy in terms of trusting his take with personnel but I agree with his point from a few days ago which is the roster is close -- implying, no need for a rebuild. 

 

IMO Stopping the run.  Creating a real run game is key.  And I don't think it take a lot to get there.  Ziggy Hood isn't a true nose-clog the middle type.  Replacing him with a true nose I think is a game changer.  Ditto on offense finding a #1 running back type for the first time since Portis' years.

[Veryoldschool]

2 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

Agree.  It's another reason why in my opinion we have to get a deal done.  We can't afford to waste capital on a QB in the draft and start over.   They are in perfect position to get a nose type in the draft like Vea or Payne with their mid first round pick or maybe even a run stuffing MLB like R. Smith. 

 

I don't think the team is a mile away.  I am not a big Doug guy in terms of trusting his take with personnel but I agree with his point from a few days ago which is the roster is close -- implying, no need for a rebuild. 

 

IMO Stopping the run.  Creating a real run game is key.  And I don't think it take a lot to get there.  Ziggy Hood isn't a true nose-clog the middle type.  Replacing him with a true nose I think is a game changer.  Ditto on offense finding a #1 running back type for the first time since Portis' years.

 

I'm not sure the running backs are the problem, it might be but I am not sure, it could also be the blocking, the scheme, commitment to it and the execution.  In any case, they need to improve it.  The Skins need to run better themselves and get better stopping it.

[Burgold]

5 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

Agree.  It's another reason why in my opinion we have to get a deal done.  We can't afford to waste capital on a QB in the draft and start over.   They are in perfect position to get a nose type in the draft like Vea or Payne with their mid first round pick or maybe even a run stuffing MLB like R. Smith. 

 

I don't think the team is a mile away.  I am not a big Doug guy in terms of personnel but I agree with his point from a few days ago which is the roster is close -- implying, no need for a rebuild. 

 

IMO Stopping the run.  Creating a real run game is key.  And I don't think it take a lot to get there.  Ziggy Hood isn't a true nose-clog the middle type.  Replacing him with a true nose I think is a game changer.  Ditto on offense finding a #1 running back type for the first time since Portis' years.

On that, I wonder if Francis can make a jump. Allen's return matters. Frankly, being down our starting middle linebackers AND their back ups doesn't help. I think we were actually pretty good against the year before injuries. Now, the question is, what do we really have and how can we improve on it. I think the answer is probably in the line and at LB, but it might actually be on offense. If we can build a few leads, teams won't run on us as much.

 

I suspect with returning players and one addition, this D can be pretty stout against the run. The thing they have going for them are good Dbs which mean that we can focus more on the run without fear of being burned all the time. Also, we have Dbs who have proven they can take down runners and don't mind doing so.

 

As far as us running the ball, if I believe the commentary... we need some tight ends willing to get their noses dirty. Reed and Davis are contact adverse. Paul is willing, but may be too much of a tweener. That means as far as the current roster goes it's time to Sprinkle a little magic on the run game.

[wit33]

44 minutes ago, Veryoldschool said:

How much Kirk plays for isn't really significant it is who he plays for that matters.  If it is the Skins and they have decent health and a decent draft I think they can win 10+ and make the playoffs.  If they had stayed healthy they might have won 10+ this year.  If they add a couple of better receivers and improve the running game a little and the team stays healthier I think even 11 or 12 wins are possible.  Without Kirk, the Skins win 3 or 4 at best and last place in the league is a clear possibility.

 

 

 

Take a look at the games the Skins have won this year and you’ll see the defense played a leading role in most. 

[Skinsinparadise]

15 minutes ago, Veryoldschool said:

 

I'm not sure the running backs are the problem, it might be but I am not sure, it could also be the blocking, the scheme, commitment to it and the execution.  In any case, they need to improve it.  The Skins need to run better themselves and get better stopping it.

 

I haven't rewatched any of the games on coaches film via NFL.com -- I get to that in the off season.  Not that watching it makes me an expert but its easier to focus on a unit in that setting.  So for now, I'll trust Cooley on it.  His take is the issues with the running game in order are:

 

1. Running backs without much wiggle and speed.   To supersede the blocking issues you need a running back who is special.  These guys aren't special.

2. The tight ends aren't just bad blockers they are wretched at it and disinterested in blocking.  The wide receivers are almost as bad

3.  The scheme

 

But we got perhaps the best play action QB in the league playing with one of the weakest running games in the league.  Imagine Kirk with lets say L. Bell from the Steelers?  Imagine if Bruce/Dan come to their senses and bring him back and draft a running back in the first or 2nd round (in a stacked talent wise running back draft)

 

A lot of attention is given to the talent at QB in this draft but the position that's really loaded IMO is running back.  Some of the beat guys (John Keim in particular) played up that the team liked Dalvin Cook before that draft.  So did I.  Cook looked like a stud until his injury.  I picked Kamara on the board's mock draft we did.   I thought he'd be good but still not that good.    There were some prime opportunities to improve the running game in that draft.

 

This draft is loaded, too.  Barkley, Guice, Johnson, Love, Harris, Chubb, Michael. On and on.  I'd add that to the million or so reasons why letting Kirk go is a dumb idea -- this is the perfect draft to shore up that position.