You Got a Better Plan?

Taking the premise that the Skins do not sign Kirk Cousins to a long-term deal, what would you do then?

In my view the first advantage this would provide would be a lot more cap space. I would use it on a couple of top-notch, young FA's. I realize that FA is about to begin but the Skins may already know whether or not they're likely to sign Kirk. So, what the heck, dive into FA!

I believe that a team has to have true star players sprinkled throughout its position groups to be a contender. I'm not a big fan of mid-level FA's because they don't move the needle much, IMO. So the first thing I'd do is to go all out to sign Brandon Williams to anchor our DL and Dont'a Hightower to anchor the middle of our defense. These are two young , talented players who we could wrap up for five years.

We'll have plenty of cap space, so I'd re-sign Chris Baker and sign a few other good FA's such as Ron Leary (LG).

Now, it's time to trade Kirk. I feel that we don't need to "win" a trade for Kirk, we just need to get one potential star. Kirk wants to go to SF. So be it. The cost to SF for Kirk is the #2 pick in this year's draft. Sure, we'll try to get more but there is no trade without that #2 pick. With that pick, I'd draft Johnathan Allen to play 3-4 DE.

Next, I'm going for Leonard Fournette. We're losing our starting QB and we'll be weaker in the passing game, so we've got to improve our running game. The Jets are shopping the #6 pick, so I'd trade for that pick with the idea of picking Fournette at #6. That will take our #17 pick and some other picks. If we can't get Fournette, I'd take Dalvin Cook. If we can't get either one, I'd draft another position.

I want to achieve this:

Rebuild our DL with Johnathan Allen, Brandon Williams, and Chris Baker
Strengthen our Running game with Leonard Fournette and Ron Leary.
Put a playmaker in the middle of our defense with Dont'a Hightower.

You got a better plan?

I don't have a better plan. GL with that. If Kirk and McC leaves I am too. I'll still root for the team but it will be quietly distant from the shadows. I'll become that old guy who hangs out in the parking lot and reminisces about the glory days of 2015-2016.

I like all those players you listed and I like the premise of moving to a Power run team with Fournette with strong additions to the front seven. Physical defense/Physical Run team.

Big problem is the QB...you start Colt, your looking at double digit losses. I would then look to make a move for Tyrod Taylor or Jimmy Garapolo. I think they are both intriguing options with upside.

QB is too important, while some argue Kirk is not as good as his stats suggest he is easily a top ten QB and that is good enough to have long term year in year out success. Get him signed or bust, give him 5 years $120 mil with $50 mil guaranteed and call it a day. You are paying him $24 mil this year anyway.
The only possibly available QB in Kirk's league is Romo and he is 37 and injury prone. If you let Kirk go you could have another 20 years of poor QB play.

If, and a big IF, the Skins don't believe Cousins is the long term solution, then I agree with the OP and trade to 49ers for picks.

At that point, address the issues on the OL and DL. Use the Cap space to get 1 DL, 1 Safety, and maybe LB. Draft for another DL, get couple OL, and maybe RB if one is available. Basically saying this season is a transition to more power running game. For QB, do best to get Tyrod Taylor.

Not great, but the way I think they should go if letting KC go.

Remember that as soon as KC signs the tender that is 24M off the top, so no long term deal actually decreases how much we can do in FA.

Once we start spending in FA - if we do - then KC could actually hold leverage by signing the FT, and not giving us cap space unless we deal him. There is 0 excuse at this point for not having worked out a long term deal prior to free agency.

Either way resign Chris Baker before FA.

As for a plan, if we don't plan to sign him period. Get a blockbuster trade done like the RG3 one in the next few days, and move forward with that. Sign Williams, target a top DLine with the trade pick, and throw in several of our lower picks to move up to around 12 and get a second top quality Defensive player.
On offense,
in the 2nd round take the best available QB.
Sign Terrelle Pryor - I think he has a lot of upside. Don't use him as a qb.
Bring in Cordarelle Patterson if the price is good, and let him return kicks/be a speed guy.

Remember that as soon as KC signs the tender that is 24M off the top, so no long term deal actually decreases how much we can do in FA.

Once we start spending in FA - if we do - then KC could actually hold leverage by signing the FT, and not giving us cap space unless we deal him. There is 0 excuse at this point for not having worked out a long term deal prior to free agency.

Either way resign Chris Baker before FA.

As for a plan, if we don't plan to sign him period. Get a blockbuster trade done like the RG3 one in the next few days, and move forward with that. Sign Williams, target a top DLine with the trade pick, and throw in several of our lower picks to move up to around 12 and get a second top quality Defensive player.
On offense,
in the 2nd round take the best available QB.
Sign Terrelle Pryor - I think he has a lot of upside. Don't use him as a qb.
Bring in Cordarelle Patterson if the price is good, and let him return kicks/be a speed guy.

That certainly makes sense to me, looking to find our next QB through the draft.

I don't have a better plan. GL with that. If Kirk and McC leaves I am too. I'll still root for the team but it will be quietly distant from the shadows. I'll become that old guy who hangs out in the parking lot and reminisces about the glory days of 2015-2016.


Kind of like what some of us have been doing with the glory days of 1981-1991.

I've mulled this over and looked at the top possible rookie QBs and the QB free agents.
There is no decent solution, we have to sign Cousins or we will finish last or second to last in the NFC East.

There is no better plan, unless the plan is to give up on seriously trying to win. If we botch this one I think I'll hit a new all time low as a fan.