WP: Kirk Cousins breaks his silence after Redskins trade for Alex Smith

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

2 minutes ago, Ghost of Nibbs McPimpin said:

What they are talking about is the notion that you're hanging out here while discussing your intention to follow a fan somewhere else.  If that wasn't really you, then no worries, right?

I think we've seen a total of two people say they were done with the Skins over this.  Which actually seems low in comparison to the amount of times I've seen it written in the past.  While my S/N says I showed up in 2014, I used to operate under another S/N on an account started in 2004.  So I've been around through a lot of drama and seen numerous 'I'm done with this franchise forever' moments from posters.  I don't keep track of all of them and where they are today but it would seem as if many never leave, and if they do - they come back.

 

I've never held any ill will for those folks as I completely understand why they feel the way they do to react that way.  It's weird to me that folks get so up in arms about it like there is some sort of contract that says in order to post here you must be a die-hard fan that would never so much as think about moving on.

[TD_washingtonredskins]

1 hour ago, Reaper Skins said:

 

I'm bummed that the Cardinals look to be out of the running because in my head this would be the perfect spot for Kirk.  A classy organization with lots of charity and military ties.  A trio of him, Fitzgerald and David Johnson would be very easy for a fanbase to rally behind.  Lots of playmakers on Defense to help him out as well.

 

 

 

 

 

This depresses me. A generation ago, the Redskins were the classy organization with the well-respected owner. The Cardinals were dicking around the city of St. Louis with a cheap owner that nobody liked or respected. Ugh...why can't it be 1986 again...?

 

As for Cousins - I don't care where he goes. I'm mildly interested to see where he lands and for how much only because I think his destination and contract will finally answer if we ever had a shot in retaining him. Beyond that, I don't care how he does. He seems like a nice guy so I don't want anything horrible to happen to him. But, as a Redskin fan, I'd admittedly take a little pleasure in watching him have a Romoian career arc of putting up numbers, winning some games, but never really accomplishing anything of substance. 

[mudpig]

On 2/9/2018 at 9:22 AM, Lombardi's_kid_brother said:

 

She makes around $30 million a year. It's a hard-knock life.

 

 

Good god, she bosses Tom around then and maybe he is a bottom sometimes.  LOL   

 

On Cousins deal:  I would be interested to see him in Minnesota with all those weapons.  That's his best bet if he really wants to win obviously.  I believe he will go to the Jets for some reason, gut feeling.  Probably land a shade under 30 for his first year.  28.5 mil first year with a large bonus of course.  

 

Good on Bortles for his comment.  He played well last year and if they get Robinson back and another deep threat then they may just come out of the AFC.  

 

 

[NewCliche21]

45 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

I think we've seen a total of two people say they were done with the Skins over this.  Which actually seems low in comparison to the amount of times I've seen it written in the past. 

 

I could count on two hands the number of times I've "quit" on this team after a stupid game/roster move.  

 

Wait, math was off, two hundred forty-three hands.

[Fat Stupid Loser]

On ‎2‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 12:18 PM, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

Who are these lots of people?

 

Juggalos, psych ward patients, Bruce Allen, Dan Snyder?

That's them.

[Fat Stupid Loser]

6 hours ago, skinzplay said:

Most of the teams who need a QB aren't just a QB away from seriously competing for a Super Bowl. Cousins is good, but he is not going to elevate your offense.

He elevated ours by himself. We tend to forget we're a 3 win team without him.

[PlayAction]

1 hour ago, TD_washingtonredskins said:

As for Cousins - I don't care where he goes. I'm mildly interested to see where he lands and for how much only because I think his destination and contract will finally answer if we ever had a shot in retaining him. Beyond that, I don't care how he does. He seems like a nice guy so I don't want anything horrible to happen to him. But, as a Redskin fan, I'd admittedly take a little pleasure in watching him have a Romoian career arc of putting up numbers, winning some games, but never really accomplishing anything of substance. 

 

I'm beginning to think that Cousin's agent overplayed his hand.  The fewer teams that are options (e.g., Jaguars) reduces the likelihood of teams having to outbid each other.  My guess is that the Vikings stick with Case Keenum and let Sam Bradford walk.  Broncos then sign Bradford to a cheap deal and draft a QB.  Browns draft a QB with either the #1 or #4 pick and trade the other for a load of picks this year and next year.  If they are wise they will keep trading off some of their excess picks each year for higher ones the next.  That leaves the Jets who always seem to do something stupid - - they might sign Cousins to a big contract but they have a weak team.  Cousins will be even richer than he is already but never gets an opportunity to win anything.

[Veryoldschool]

18 hours ago, skins island connection said:

 

 This scenario would be the ultimate win for Bruce. But, if Bruce decides to tag him, then he'll be putting the Redskins in jeopardy. As teams are getting other QBs signed, slowly but surely Cousins big payday dream is turning into a nightmare. If he gets tagged and no one opts for a trade for him, this team will be in Saturday Night Live skits.

 

IMO the best thing is to not tag him; if he was so highly sought after, why didn't any team jump on him day 1 ?  Because other teams can get a lot more help with the money; Kirk can't do it by himself as he's proven here, so its not in their best interest to blow up the bank for him.

 

Let him sit, no tag, no nothing; him and his agent can play Monopoly all season for all I care. He's left a bitter taste in many Redskin fans' mouths, and I'd think Cousins would fire his agent if he doesn't get signed. Then maybe Cousins can go see a specialist to find a way to draw out all of the smoke his agent blew up his ass...

 

Teams didn't jump on him on day 1?  What are you talking about NFL teams can't approach Kirk yet, I think they have to wait until after 3/14.

[carex]

31 minutes ago, Fat Stupid Loser said:

He elevated ours by himself. We tend to forget we're a 3 win team without him.

 

2013 was a long time ago.  And we didn't win any of the games he started that year.  And the next year we were 0-4 in the games he started and finished

[Est.1974]

17 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

Grant is the dude who has said for months Kirk is willing to give a discount to a winning franchise but not to the Redskins.  

 

I can get why he would say that about the Redskins, however there's something about that stance that isn't quite right for me. Maybe he won't be at all interested in Joe Thomas' sales pitch from the Browns, more money, more history, because well they are a losing franchise.

 

Life's much easier going to a ready made winner. Not sure how driven that is. Yes you want to be a winner, but it needs to be set up perfectly for you to start with.

 

Fair enough I guess, but much like the Jags, they have that initial set up in order now and realise Bortles can functionally do the trick for 18mil p/y.

 

 

[Cliffmark1]

5 minutes ago, UK SKINS FAN '74 said:

 

I can get why he would say that about the Redskins, however there's something about that stance that isn't quite right for me. Maybe he won't be at all interested in Joe Thomas' sales pitch from the Browns, more money, more history, because well they are a losing franchise.

 

Life's much easier going to a ready made winner. Not sure how driven that is. Yes you want to be a winner, but it needs to be set up perfectly for you to start with.

 

Fair enough I guess, but much like the Jags, they have that initial set up in order now and realise Bortles can functionally do the trick for 18mil p/y.

 

 

retaining bortles was borderline moronic. they were one piece away and they just blew their opportunity to win the sb with their team as long as he is the qb. 

 

the caps did the same **** with keeping their ****ty goalies instead of actually getting a franchise goalie. now they have no cups and their window is closing. 

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

2 minutes ago, UK SKINS FAN '74 said:

Life's much easier going to a ready made winner. Not sure how driven that is. Yes you want to be a winner, but it needs to be set up perfectly for you to start with.

Fans tend to make too much out of plugging and playing players into systems that should automatically equate to X success.

 

Take the Broncos for example, it's easy to say that team is a QB away from winning a Super Bowl.  But they did just go 5-11.  A quarterback should certainly improve their chances.  But in no way is it a guarantee that adding any QB guarantees they will win a Super Bowl.  There are so many nuances and dynamics involved in all this stuff.  I'd honestly say that if there is any team out there right now that improving at QB should all but insert them into SB conversations, it's Jacksonville and they just tied themselves to Bortles.  Minnesota is the other team that fits that mold. 

 

I'd also venture a guess that a guy like Matt Stafford isn't sitting around thinking that he's enjoying going about his career the hard way and that he wouldn't much prefer the Lions to instantly create a roster worthy of making postseason noise.

[Taylor 36]

54 minutes ago, carex said:

 

2013 was a long time ago.  And we didn't win any of the games he started that year.  And the next year we were 0-4 in the games he started and finished

So, you go back to 2013 (which you admit was a long time ago) and 2014, and totally dismiss 2015, 2016, and 2017?  Talk about cherry-picking.  Holy ****! 

[skinny21]

55 minutes ago, carex said:

 

2013 was a long time ago.  And we didn't win any of the games he started that year.  And the next year we were 0-4 in the games he started and finished

I’m assuming you knew he meant this past year.  The one with a crazy amount of injuries, where teams ran like crazy on us, our run game was pathetic and we had very little in terms of receiving threats.  Oh, and a difficult schedule (including a very difficult group of pass defenses).  

 

7-9 was a minor miracle IMO.  

[CapsSkins]

Quote

Whether the Redskins improved by swapping quarterback Kirk Cousins for Alex Smith is unclear. But, that teammates will no longer be relentlessly asked about the contract status for a player who wanted out should help the locker room, according to safety DeAngelo Hall.

Hall, the longest tenured player on the roster at the end of the 2017 season, said last week he was unsure if “Kirk wanted to be here” during an exclusive interview with The Sports Capitol.

With no signs of commitment from Cousins, who becomes a free agent without another franchise tag at $34.4 million, Washington struck a deal with Kansas City for Smith in January. The trade cannot be finalized until March 14.

“[Smith] wanted to be here,” Hall said. “When he was in Kansas City he reached out to those guys in Kansas City and told them, ‘Hey, I understand you guys want to move me. Could you try to get me to Washington? I really want to get to Washington.’ For a guy to really want us as a team, as teammates, that means a lot, that means a whole lot where, you know. It felt like Kirk was forced to be here. I wish nothing but the best for him and whatever is next for him, but this organization is doing nothing but going up.”

Questions from reporters about the Cousins contract conundrum became a year-long staple for Redskins players. Barring a dramatic ploy by the organization to hold Cousins’ rights, those questions will dissipate. Hall argues that the morale boost when players report for organized team activity sessions (OTAs) in May should be noticeable.

“Absolutely, it lifts the spirits, it lifts a weight, a burden (from) being asked that question,” Hall said.

Hall noted the Redskins have been through a similar situation when the team finally chose to move on from Robert Griffin III after the 2015 season. Cousins started all 16 games that year.

“I remember during the whole (Griffin) saga. ‘Is it RG or Kirk? Is it RG or Kirk?’” Hall said. “Then when [Griffin] was released…that lifted a burden off of us. That lifted the spirits in the locker room because we knew we had that one guy and there wasn’t a big divide about these guys like him and these guys like him. To have that one guy in Kirk at the time lifted the locker room. It’s kind of that same scenario.”

Cousins, a three-year starter, played under the franchise tag in 2016 and 2017 after he and the Redskins could not agree on a long-term contract. The idea of using a third tag became financially and structurally untenable for the Redskins.

Redskins head coach Jay Gruden, speaking on his NBC4 television show in early January, didn’t think the relationship could continue on that way.

“I think something has to be done. I personally don’t want to go through another one-year deal, and just (continue) one year, one year,” Gruden said. “I think you want to have a quarterback in here that’s going to be here. And hopefully that is Kirk, and if not, we have to move on and do what we have to do as an organization.”

Hall, 34, also discussed his future options with The Sports Capitol, which include potentially returning to the Redskins for a 14th season or joining the organization in a non-playing capacity.

Hall’s tenure with the team provided lessons into how rosters are built, especially the dynamics of quarterback drama in a locker room, and the salary-cap crunch that comes with signing players to huge contracts that don’t work out, like former defensive end Albert Haynesworth.

NFL penalties levied against the Redskins and Dallas Cowboys for how they restructured contracts in 2010 impacted how much those teams had to spend in free agency in 2012 and 2013. That penalty combined with trading multiple draft picks for the right to select Griffin limited Washington’s ability to improve its roster.

“It’s the process,” Hall said. “Along that journey there are things that happened as far as trading for (Griffin) and losing draft picks. That set the franchise back. There was moving my money and Haynesworth’s money into the uncapped year [in 2010], which gave us a steep, steep cap penalty two years in a row. Didn’t allow us to get better in certain areas. To have all of that behind us and have (team president) Bruce Allen at the reigns — and Scot McCloughan was here for a little while helping out, and (senior vice president of player personnel) Doug Williams.

“To have all of those [front office] guys in place now, you can just see that things are running smoothly. Maybe it’s not the guy people want, but it’s the guy who can help us. I think this organization has done a great job. I know a lot of people are hurt that Kirk is moving on. I love Kirk, but I don’t know if Kirk wanted to be here. For us as an organization, we had to look for the next guy and Alex was the next guy.”

 

https://thesportscapitol.com/2018/02/25/deangelo-hall-is-not-sure-kirk-cousins-wanted-to-be-here/

[carex]

14 minutes ago, Taylor 36 said:

So, you go back to 2013 (which you admit was a long time ago) and 2014, and totally dismiss 2015, 2016, and 2017?  Talk about cherry-picking.  Holy ****! 

 

I went back to 2013 because that was the last time we had three wins.

[Reaper Skins]

wow, nice to see DeAngelo has figured out a way to stay relevant by successfully making the transition from player to front office mouthpiece.

 

Jesus that article reeks of company line propaganda.  Thank god our franchise record breaking QB isn't here to distract St. Bruce here from leading us to greatness.  Oh, and "Scott was here helping for a bit too" huh?

 

Laughably transparent attempt by the team to blame the front office's incompetence, on someone, ANYONE, else except themselves for this situation.  Everything's going exactly how you wanted right guys?  It's all part of a big secret plan.  Everyone in the NFL is stupid except our front office.   

 

You're right DeAngelo, getting NOTHING in return for BOTH of the last 2 franchise QB's we've had is totally giving me confidence that were on the right track.  They've played this whole thing perfectly.  

 

“To have all of those [front office] guys in place now, you can just see that things are running smoothly. Maybe it’s not the guy people want, but it’s the guy who can help us. I think this organization has done a great job."

 

[carex]

13 minutes ago, skinny21 said:

I’m assuming you knew he meant this past year.  The one with a crazy amount of injuries, where teams ran like crazy on us, our run game was pathetic and we had very little in terms of receiving threats.  Oh, and a difficult schedule (including a very difficult group of pass defenses).  

 

7-9 was a minor miracle IMO.  

 

where would he get the three win claim then?

[Fat Stupid Loser]

1 hour ago, carex said:

 

2013 was a long time ago.  And we didn't win any of the games he started that year.  And the next year we were 0-4 in the games he started and finished

We need a rolling eyes emoticon for this one.

[carex]

4 minutes ago, Fat Stupid Loser said:

We need a rolling eyes emoticon for this one.

 

we could use it for your too

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

12 minutes ago, Reaper Skins said:

wow, nice to see DeAngelo has figured out a way to stay relevant by successfully making the transition from player to front office mouthpiece.

He’s been making that transition prior to this.  DHall is certainly a BA guy.

[Fat Stupid Loser]

16 minutes ago, Reaper Skins said:

wow, nice to see DeAngelo has figured out a way to stay relevant by successfully making the transition from player to front office mouthpiece.

 

Jesus that article reeks of company line propaganda.  Thank god our franchise record breaking QB isn't here to distract St. Bruce here from leading us to greatness.  Oh, and "Scott was here helping for a bit too" huh?

 

Laughably transparent attempt by the team to blame the front office's incompetence, on someone, ANYONE, else except themselves for this situation.  Everything's going exactly how you wanted right guys?  It's all part of a big secret plan.  Everyone in the NFL is stupid except our front office. 

Yeah, its great to hear from DeAngelo that the organization is doing nothing but going up.

[skinzplay]

1 minute ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

He’s been making that transition prior to this.  DHall is certainly a BA guy.

Certainly sounds (and has looked) like it. Maybe he's angling for a front office gig.

[ExoDus84]

35 minutes ago, skinzplay said:

Certainly sounds (and has looked) like it. Maybe he's angling for a front office gig.

 

Or maybe it's because he's an aging vet with an injury history, making his job prospects outside of Washington not look so good, and he decided to talk up his current team and portray them in a positive light. Do you really think he'd say anything that wasn't team positive?

[HardcoreZorn]

Even if I don't agree about the premise that the right FO guys are in place, I think it IS important and will have a tangible effect on the team that the QB of the franchise doesn't have one foot already out the door.

 

Nice to see the swarm has already arrived to bash anything positive Redskins related. Some fanbase we have!