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

[Rufus T Firefly]

3 hours ago, Warhead36 said:

Keenum peaked last year with great players around him. You put Cousins on that team with the same talent around him and he'd put up league leading numbers.

Even if they don't, you have to admire the balls. They were a game away from the Super Bowl, they could have brought Keenum back and no one would have criticized them. Instead, they go out and try to improve at the most important position and put themselves over the top, in spite of the potential backlash if it doesn't work.

 

Meanwhile we have a GM who squandered our biggest asset because all he cared about was what he thought made himself least accountable.

[Burgold]

18 minutes ago, Rufus T Firefly said:

Even if they don't, you have to admire the balls. They were a game away from the Super Bowl, they could have brought Keenum back and no one would have criticized them. Instead, they go out and try to improve at the most important position and put themselves over the top, in spite of the potential backlash if it doesn't work.

 

Meanwhile we have a GM who squandered our biggest asset because all he cared about was what he thought made himself least accountable.

Admire, but also question. Teams have a weird alchemy. How many times have we seen a successful team boot a player for one that should by every measure be an upgrade, but it upsets everything and the team falls apart. It's pretty rare that the missing link strategy works.

 

To cliche: The grass really isn't always greener in the other yard.

[JSSkinz]

So when does this thread get moved?

 

Isn't it time?  People can still **** about the FO in the Bruce or Dan thread.

[Veryoldschool]

6 hours ago, XtremeFan55 said:

Was thinking about the sad saga of RG3.  The Redskin’s ‘brain trust’ was intent on making it work until Gruden and Scot McCloughan began pounding the tables to make the switch to Cousins whom they considered to be the superior quarterback.  This came after they picked up the $16 million option for 2015.  Three years later after sitting on the bench and not even being in uniform on game days then being waived...RG3 is out of the NFL with absolutely no interest from any team.  The reason why I bring this up is because it highlights the lack of football knowledge in our current FO.  When the entire league passes on RG3 after the Redskins were still committed to making it work but were forced to let him go it shows that our FO is not operating on the same wavelength as the rest of the league.  Meanwhile they lowballed Cousins in several LTD proposals then were forced to tag him just to keep him from walking but still were not willing to pay the market price for a talented franchise quarterback in his prime while the rest of the league is scrambling to come up with the cap space to win the Cousins sweepstakes.  Shows that once again our FO is not in tune with the rest of the league and based on the results of RG3, it shows that they will be proved wrong once again.  You can’t remain a fan and expect this group to get it right when they are so wrong time after time.  The one guy that knew what he was doing was left hanging, slandered then fired.  There is really no hope as long as Snyder keeps hiring these bozos to run the team.

 

Amen brother, well said!  Following the Skins requires a suspension of reason and disbelief similar to enjoying a super hero movie.  You know Super Man can't fly, there is no magic in Thor's hammer and the rest but you choose to suspend your disbelief to enjoy the fantasy because you wish a good guy could fly and right the world's wrongs.  

 

Our heads tell us Daniel Snyder is a doofus and he and his toadies will never succeed but every fall we decide to ignore our good sense and experience and hope with our hearts.  This year while I hope the Skins shock me and win I'm also going to be following Kirk's new team providing his choice is not unacceptable to me, I think the smart guy is going to pick a winner!

[wit33]

The value this topic has provided me in escapism time is worth a 1st rounder. 

 

Thank you.

 

Worrying about wins and losses is for amateurs. 

 

 

[Skinsinparadise]

15 minutes ago, wit33 said:

The value this topic has provided me in escapism time is worth a 1st rounder. 

 

Thank you.

 

Worrying about wins and losses is for amateurs. 

 

 

 

That's the one thing both sides might secretly miss.   A lot of downtime and a long off season, this kills a lot of time -- once this goes down, what next?  With all the buzz today on twitter about them maybe considering drafting a Qb high -- maybe that's the next plot?   Alex versus whomever?

[SkinsFTW]

10 hours ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

 

 

 

At least Kirk will have a nice post football career in sales with his superior swindling skills.  Yeah, some other guys might be able to impress in the interviews with "I sold XX million dollars worth of X last year" but only Kirk can say "I sold Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen that I actually wanted to be a Redskin, muwaaahahahaha".

 

Either that or he can go back to his singing career:

 

 

[SWFLSkins]

3 hours ago, JSSkinz said:

So when does this thread get moved?

 

Isn't it time?  People can still **** about the FO in the Bruce or Dan thread.

 

Concur. 

[skins island connection]

3 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

That's the one thing both sides might secretly miss.   A lot of downtime and a long off season, this kills a lot of time -- once this goes down, what next?  With all the buzz today on twitter about them maybe considering drafting a Qb high -- maybe that's the next plot?   Alex versus whomever?

 

 It makes total sense.

 Smith, although is the starter, would be a good mentor for a rookie QB.  Imagine that; a flashback to the Gibbs I era where he stashes a QB to groom him.  It would be in good timing too, a couple years while the rest of the team is re-built, and it would free up some of Gruden's time by letting Smith bring him up to speed.

[The Hangman- C_Hanburger]

7 hours ago, GoSkinsGo said:

I can understand the argument for cap space and flexibility. But that could have been obtained if he was moved prior for other players / picks.

 

Quick search looks like Smith has a cap hit of 17million I'm assuming you're using the 30million cap hit number for Cousins which at this point is hyperbole. I'd wait to make this overall argument until flushed out numbers are presented.

 

The overall idea that no matter what, he didn't want to play for the Redskins is something that the Front Office should have been prepared for and moved him when they had a chance for whatever the maximum return was at the time. That's a business decision that good managers make prior to losing a valuable asset, they needed to gain something back even if it was only a 4th round pick.

 

I think in a vacuum picking up Smith was a good move, like many people have posted many times the handling of the situation left something to be desired. I can't understand netting a comp pick as the best outcome from this scenario and then having to expend additional draft / player capital to fill the void. That's bad long term management.

 

This is just my opinion and means absolutely nothing in the scheme of things.

 

YA..I was YELLING during the 2017 Draft..TRADE..TRADE..TRADE..I can't believe the FO got snowed and gave up the picks we could have gotten. That still pisses me off..but Kirk was messaging Bruce that a deal could be had..That was LOW CLASS IMHO. This seems vindictive on Kirks part and I am a big believer in KARMA.

 

We will see but I for one am looking forward to 2018..unlike previous seasons. Cousins/Pryer/Doctson/Reed were huge disappointments to me

[NickyJ]

7 minutes ago, skins island connection said:

 

 It makes total sense.

 Smith, although is the starter, would be a good mentor for a rookie QB.  Imagine that; a flashback to the Gibbs I era where he stashes a QB to groom him.  It would be in good timing too, a couple years while the rest of the team is re-built, and it would free up some of Gruden's time by letting Smith bring him up to speed.

Maybe, but one thought I've been having is maybe the FO is planning for Alex to be a 4 year stopgap, and during that time not actually work on developing their new guy more than a year. The other 2-3 years are spent building up the roster, Eagles style as someone else suggested.

 

That's my dream scenario, though. I have 0 faith in them having the foresight to do it. Bruce is on the line for what happens next season, so I doubt he's in it for the long game.

[Taylorcooley1]

14 hours ago, TD_washingtonredskins said:

 

If, in back-to-back seasons, the Eagles (perennial division underachievers) and Cousins (a 4th-round homegrown QB who we let walk for no compensation) win Super Bowls, this fan base will lose its collective mind. 

If Nick foles can do it..

[Skinsinparadise]

Amusing article at least for me.  It's one way to look at it Kirk escaped the dungeon.  We can't.  Like BFS said its in the blood. 

 

https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/mar/8/kirk-cousins-gets-parting-shots-he-leaves/

Everyone else is stuck at Redskins Park.

Think of Cousins’ departure like an inmate being released from prison. Those he leaves behind are angry, because they can’t leave.

 

Those fans kicking Cousins — who never did anything to disgrace this franchise, unlike the warden, Bruce Allen, the Prince of Darkness — don’t really have the option of free agency. For fans, this is their team, and they’re stuck with it. They’re stuck with Dan Snyder and the Prince of Darkness and the dysfunction and deceit.

They see Cousins leaving, and deep down, some wish they could walk out the door with him and give their devotion to another team.

 

But they can’t, really. They are burdened with that commitment to the Washington Redskins that Cousins now allegedly never truly had.

That was the narrative pushed Tuesday by Little Brucie — Redskins safety DeAngelo Hall, who maybe believes he is going to run this team someday — in his appearance on ESPN.

[XtremeFan55]

13 hours ago, Veryoldschool said:

 

Amen brother, well said!  Following the Skins requires a suspension of reason and disbelief similar to enjoying a super hero movie.  You know Super Man can't fly, there is no magic in Thor's hammer and the rest but you choose to suspend your disbelief to enjoy the fantasy because you wish a good guy could fly and right the world's wrongs.  

 

Our heads tell us Daniel Snyder is a doofus and he and his toadies will never succeed but every fall we decide to ignore our good sense and experience and hope with our hearts.  This year while I hope the Skins shock me and win I'm also going to be following Kirk's new team providing his choice is not unacceptable to me, I think the smart guy is going to pick a winner!

 

I am with you.  My new teams..plural...will be wherever Cousins ends up and also the 49ers.  If Cousins ends up in Minnesota I too can picture them going to the Super Bowl and then for the first time in decades I will be able to watch that game and really feel a connection to a team.  The way the Shanahans and Cousins were treated by the Redskins has me rooting for them both to succeed.  I only have 400 posts on this board since I joined..I think in 2006...but only hanging around until this Cousins story is over and we know his new team.  The new NFL is here helped by fantasy football and the internet where fans no longer have a blind attachment to a local geographical team.  Like I said once before I encounter more Steeler fans around here than Redkins fan with Patriots, Panthers, and Green Bay close behind.   That is how bad Snyder has run the team into the ground.

[GoCommiesGo]

8 hours ago, The Hangman- C_Hanburger said:

YA..I was YELLING during the 2017 Draft..TRADE..TRADE..TRADE..I can't believe the FO got snowed and gave up the picks we could have gotten. That still pisses me off..but Kirk was messaging Bruce that a deal could be had..That was LOW CLASS IMHO. This seems vindictive on Kirks part and I am a big believer in KARMA.

 

We will see but I for one am looking forward to 2018..unlike previous seasons. Cousins/Pryer/Doctson/Reed were huge disappointments to me

 

As I said I don't have any strong feelings on this, it just plays to a standard Redskins Front Office to me. After saying that let me say that I'm a fan of the team not of a player.

 

The onus is on the management to be able to see that Cousins didn't want to be here long term. I don't believe a strong personnel department gets "snowed", they are paid to make long term management choices. They did a poor job at this.

 

I don't know the inner workings of what took place, nor am I going to make assumptions on it. I do know that Cousin's agent has the responsibility to maximize his earning potential and one thing no one can argue is that he did that in a grand fashion. I'm' sure lies were said by both parties and truths were stretched, this was a high stakes negation for millions of dollars and regrettably the Redskins lost. They lost real money and real tangible compensation for their asset, that's on them and no one else.

 

I'm also interested to see how the next season plays out, if they go out and rebuild the offense and continue to add to the defense. I don't think the team is as far off as others. Alas it's safe to say I don't have a lot of faith in the Front Office making long term savvy decisions.

 

[Rufus T Firefly]

13 hours ago, Burgold said:

Admire, but also question. Teams have a weird alchemy. How many times have we seen a successful team boot a player for one that should by every measure be an upgrade, but it upsets everything and the team falls apart. It's pretty rare that the missing link strategy works.

 

To cliche: The grass really isn't always greener in the other yard.

Peyton Manning worked out. I don't know of many examples of a major switch with a title contender like that. Switching to Kaepernick worked too.

 

Again, they don't think Keenum is good enough so they made the switch. Maybe they're wrong, but that's what GMs do (good or bad ones), they make the moves that they believe put them over the top. That's what they're trying and it's the right attitude. 

[Alexa]

I think Gruden prefers Smith over Cousins. I'm 100% sure that Gruden had a say in all of this. He wasn't standing on the table for Cousins when the season ended.

 

IDK, Cousins seems a bit too sensitive sometimes. It seems like he got bent out of shape when they low balled him. When he didn't even want to counter the Redskins offer before the season started then the FO should have sent out feelers for trades. That's where they messed up. SF probably would have offered that 2nd rounder to us. 

5 minutes ago, Rufus T Firefly said:

Peyton Manning worked out. I don't know of many examples of a major switch with a title contender like that. Switching to Kaepernick worked too.

 

Again, they don't think Keenum is good enough so they made the switch. Maybe they're wrong, but that's what GMs do (good or bad ones), they make the moves that they believe put them over the top. That's what they're trying and it's the right attitude. 

Keenum played very well for them. Hard to imagine that Cousins will play any better than Keenum did last year. A lot of determining factors when you bring a FA to start. Lot's of them. All of the breaks when the Vikings way last year and the biggest one was when Rodgers got hurt. 

[goskins10]

15 hours ago, JSSkinz said:

So when does this thread get moved?

 

Isn't it time?  People can still **** about the FO in the Bruce or Dan thread.

 

So you really think the Kirk discussion will end in here (Stadium) once Kirk has officially changed teams? I give you exhibit A of why that is nothing but a pipe dream. 

 

Gone for 3 yrs, out of the NFL last year and yet (Not picking on Op here - just using this comment out of many to make a point): 

21 hours ago, XtremeFan55 said:

Was thinking about the sad saga of RG3.  The Redskin’s ‘brain trust’ was intent on making it work until Gruden and Scot McCloughan began pounding the tables to make the switch to Cousins whom they considered to be the superior quarterback.  This came after they picked up the $16 million option for 2015.

Edit

 

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

1 hour ago, Alexa said:

I think Gruden prefers Smith over Cousins. I'm 100% sure that Gruden had a say in all of this. He wasn't standing on the table for Cousins when the season ended.

 

IDK, Cousins seems a bit too sensitive sometimes. It seems like he got bent out of shape when they low balled him. When he didn't even want to counter the Redskins offer before the season started then the FO should have sent out feelers for trades. That's where they messed up. SF probably would have offered that 2nd rounder to us. 

Keenum played very well for them. Hard to imagine that Cousins will play any better than Keenum did last year. A lot of determining factors when you bring a FA to start. Lot's of them. All of the breaks when the Vikings way last year and the biggest one was when Rodgers got hurt. 

 

He should have some say in this because it's his offense and he knows what type of QB fits.  But I don't think he necessarily wanted Kirk gone, but knew it was happening like everyone else, unless we did something stupid like tag him for a third year in a row and pay him way more than he's worth to have him take the same stance again (LTD starts with the $$$ they are paying him the one year under the tag).  

 

That was the narrative, nothing was going to change, except the cost to keep him.  I really think that when they made him that first offer that he turned down(2016 - $16 mil/yr average), if they had just came back with a counter offer of $20 mil/yr for 5 years, $50 million fully guaranteed, he would have signed it.  And we would be in year three of that contract today and know we had stability through the 2020 season and the ability to renegotiate that contract, extend it, etc. where both the team and Kirk benefit.  

 

When it became known that they were going to use the tag salary as the base for negotiations, they should have pulled the trigger back in 2016.  It's not rocket science to know that by tagging him again in 2017 and a possible third time in 2018 that the base was going to go up to a figure that would be more than they wanted to pay him.  

 

Kirk is a way better QB than Keenum is, if he goes to the Vikings, ARod or not in his division, he has a supporting cast and defense that could make them the top dogs.  

[Alexa]

1 hour ago, XtremeFan55 said:

 

I am with you.  My new teams..plural...will be wherever Cousins ends up and also the 49ers.  If Cousins ends up in Minnesota I too can picture them going to the Super Bowl and then for the first time in decades I will be able to watch that game and really feel a connection to a team.  The way the Shanahans and Cousins were treated by the Redskins has me rooting for them both to succeed.  I only have 400 posts on this board since I joined..I think in 2006...but only hanging around until this Cousins story is over and we know his new team.  The new NFL is here helped by fantasy football and the internet where fans no longer have a blind attachment to a local geographical team.  Like I said once before I encounter more Steeler fans around here than Redkins fan with Patriots, Panthers, and Green Bay close behind.   That is how bad Snyder has run the team into the ground.

Doesn't sound like you were ever a true Redskin fan. I will not be rooting for Cousins, at all.  

[Dont Taze Me Bro]

Just now, Alexa said:

Doesn't sound like you were ever a true Redskin fan. I will not be rooting for Cousins, at all.  

 

I don't want him to win because the selfish part of me wanted that to happen in DC.  Him being unsuccessful elsewhere eases the pain of losing him to FA.  Yes, the front office is to blame for almost 100% of this, but if we can't have nice things, then to hell with other fans getting our nice things.  I just hope Bruce is gone sooner than later and we hire a real VP and GM and allow them time to build a team.  

 

Take the San Fran approach and hire a GM and coach (or extend Jay to match the GMs contract) for 5 years and let them build the team.  Just when it looked like that was happening, they **** can our GM and we are back in Allenland.  

 

On the other hand, if Kirk does succeed and say is in the top 5 QBs in stats and takes a team to the Super Bowl, or wins it all, does one think that Dan would fire Bruce for screwing everything up?  

[Sandy Monk]

I really don't understand all the fuss about Kirk at this point. Did he win playoff games and Super Bowls that I somehow missed out on? He was a good QB for us, but now we have another good QB. Maybe it's time to let go of his leg as he skips towards big FA money and that long-term deal he wants? because he sure doesn't want anything to do with us. So bye now. 

[Llevron]

2 hours ago, Skinsinparadise said:

Amusing article at least for me.  It's one way to look at it Kirk escaped the dungeon.  We can't. 

 

Just another reason to hate him lol

[XtremeFan55]

32 minutes ago, Alexa said:

Doesn't sound like you were ever a true Redskin fan. I will not be rooting for Cousins, at all.  

 

Diehard fan since George Allen.  Daughter babysat Darrell Green’s kids.  When Joe Gibbs came back they held a dinner at the Marriott in Tysons.  I sat at front table with Britt Hume and within 3 feet of Snyder whose table included George Michaels, Tim Brandt, that overweight Maryland coach....Ralph-somebody...etc...  You don’t go to those functions without being a devoted fan.  I just finally wised up and decided it was time to move on while some in here are still in denial and think the Redskins are going to pull the rabbit out of the hat

[WelshSkinsFan]

Do think this thread is ready to die.  Maybe a new thread on the 14th as we all watch Kirk as the Bachelor decide which GM he is going to give a rose too?  I am ready to move on but I would be a liar if I said I was not interested in where he goes and regardless of any drama I will still root for him when he is not playing us.

 

I think a proper welcome Alex thread would be appropriate on the 14th too.  I know one started and flamed out when the news broke of the trade but once it is official I think it makes sense.  Lets try to be welcoming to begin with and not flame the guy the second he signs his contract, I have no issue with people dogging him once the games begin if he plays badly but I would hope we can show enough class to get behind him until he gives us a reason not too.