The FINAL Kirk Cousins Saga thread. 5.0

Yeah I'm not necessarily sold on Teddy, I just like saying Teddy BDG.

I'd be worried about how he bounces back from the knee.

I'd sure be more excited with him at a cheap price and a lot of cap space to build around him (and the defense) than with Colt McCoy (at any price) or Cousins tagged at 34M...
And from what I understand there is no plug and play QB prospect in this year draft. At least not where we pick and I don't want us breaking the bank on a toss up again.

So BDG, Bradford, Smith and a late pick is fine. But the cheaper the QB, the more space to build the team...

It's strange, I want Cousins here, but if he leaves, I don't us to spend too much on an average FA. Just pick an ok starter and build the team.

Redskins put the Redskins further behind the 8 ball...hence my original thought to why unlikely. Its pattern unfortunately.

That's a fair observation, and I agree they've been morons, but that's ultimately unhelpful on formulating the best go-forward path from here.

Hopefully through this thought exercise it's now apparent to everyone that trading Cousins somehow is extraordinarily unlikely. Trying to put yourself in position to do so (applying the tag) puts you at enormous risk. At worst, he signs the $34M deal and the money's guaranteed, and you're back in this position next year. At best, he plays along and agrees to help you find a trade partner, but does so during the first few weeks of free agency, meantime occupying $34M of your cap space which you then can't use in free agency.

You have to have it resolved by March 6 or let him go. That's our reality.

Because New England was smart about managing their leverage. They recognized that their last chance to trade Jimmy G was at the trade deadline. If he was still a Patriot at the end of the season, their only route for attempting to trade him would have been to apply a tag. But that would have been a huge risk, because what if he signed the deal?

Basically they foresaw the situation we're now in with Cousins, and they avoided it by getting what they could when they had their last chance.

But to be fair, they could afford to trade him midseason too, since Brady was their starter. We didn't have that luxury with Cousins, he's our starter.

Now though, with Cousins a pending free agent, teams know they don't have to trade a 2nd rounder for him. Why? War game it with me:

- If you transition tag him for $28M, you don't actually give yourself any leverage. All it takes is for Cousins to sign an offer sheet with a team, then your only threat to retain him is to match it. And if we haven't been serious about paying $27M per season yet, why would we match one that has that (or more)? Our position is as transparent as can be - teams will know that all they have to do is structure a contract high enough, and we won't match.

- If you franchise tag him for $34M then you maintain leverage. You can give him permission to work out a deal with other teams, sure. But we've been down this road, you know what he'll do. He'll sign it and play under the tag for $34M. Maybe, as you say, he'll be more interested in getting settled long term and thus want to work a deal to get away. But can you risk that? Because remember, until a trade is struck, he sits there occupying $34M in cap space, in March, at the beginning of free agency when you could really use the cap space to do other things. So you'd be entering free agency with a great deal of uncertainty at QB, unable to make any long term plans, unable to go out to sign defensive upgrades, and possibly missing out on the other QB options while you wait for the Cousins situation to resolve itself.

It's not going to happen. The Redskins know all the leverage sits with Cousins, and until the situation resolves itself they have no ability to form a long term plan. I'd submit you can't tag him, knowing there's a distinct possibility he'll sign and play for $34M. If you do, you're risking a great deal just to try to acquire a bit more than what you'd get if you just let him walk (a 3rd rounder).

Hmmm... I think the argument about cap space during free agency is a good one. They would still have 20mil+ in space and they can restructure and release a few players, but I do think you're right that they would be hampered. I'll have to think a bit that some.

BTW... letting him go would be bring a conditional 3rd next year right? That's much less value than a higher 3rd this year FWIW.

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Its just funny how to me Chip Kelley destroyed the Eagles and some how they are in the SB a few years later. Yet we keep just spinning like a top in average and below average range. Frustrating.

Its just funny how to me Chip Kelley destroyed the Eagles and some how they are in the SB a few years later. Yet we keep just spinning like a top in average and below average range. Frustrating.

* somehow aka hired a new coach and drafted a stud QB

The Eagles make the case for change, not for continuity.

Hmmm... I think the argument about cap space during free agency is a good one. They would still have 20mil+ in space and they can restructure and release a few players, but I do think you're right that they would be hampered. I'll have to think a bit that some.

BTW... letting him go would be bring a conditional 3rd next year right? That's much less value than a higher 3rd this year FWIW.

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Not conditional. A guaranteed 3rd rounder as a compensatory selection. It would come at the end of the 3rd round in 2019.

* somehow aka hired a new coach and drafted a stud QB

The Eagles make the case for change, not for continuity.

They struck gold with that duo, it happens look at LAR Goff is now a stud. Jay/Kirk has been really good too, the difference is the Eagles actually have a defense that they can rely on to get that QB the ball back.

Its just funny how to me Chip Kelley destroyed the Eagles and some how they are in the SB a few years later. Yet we keep just spinning like a top in average and below average range. Frustrating.

"they are set back years" Yeah that's why there is no more FUTURE in the NFL, It's a win now league and teams you dont think can win can (browns dont count). That is why the NFL Playoffs are so different every yr.

They struck gold with that duo, it happens look at LAR Goff is now a stud. Jay/Kirk has been really good too, the difference is the Eagles actually have a defense that they can rely on to get that QB the ball back.

That's true about the defense, but saying Jay/Kirk is as good as Doug/Carson is a false equivalency. Wentz threw 33 TDs in 13 games because he extends and makes plays Kirk can't.

But I get it. That's the case for continuity - if only we could develop a defense to pair with our strong offense.

That's exactly why you can't put a tag on Cousins and have him take up $34M of space during that first week of free agency. We need to acquire a piece or two to help with that defensive build.

That's true about the defense, but saying Jay/Kirk is as good as Doug/Carson is a false equivalency. Wentz threw 33 TDs in 13 games because he extends and makes plays Kirk can't.

But I get it. That's the case for continuity - if only we could develop a defense to pair with our strong offense.

That's exactly why you can't put a tag on Cousins and have him take up $34M of space during that first week of free agency. We need to acquire a piece or two to help with that defensive build.

Yep which is why we as fans get so tired of the BS, finally have a QB that can put up top 10 results and he's about to walk out the door. So now what? We start from scratch again and HOPE we get lucky with the QB/HC combo again, or... we will go back to JZ/JC and be 6-10 for the next 4 years