This is tampering, in the illegal way. The Redskins don't have rights to negotiate a trade for Cousins until he is under the franchise tag. He can't be under the franchise tag for a couple of months..THEN, they could negotiate a trade that Cousins agrees to and rescind the tag in the process. BUT, I don't think they have the ability (cap wise) to offer the franchise tag to Cousins, the money needed immediately goes on the books whether he signs it or not, and sign the current contract for Alex Smith on the first day of the league year... And...Why would the Broncos do this in the first place? If the offer is amicable with Cousins, they wouldn't need to give the Redskins a draft pick and player for him. He just needs to wait out the Redskins to sign Smith and they would then have to rescind the tag...then he would be free to sign with the Broncos, and still have the draft pick and player to help him win games.
Roethsliberger has averaged 4,000 yards and 25 TDs a season over the past nine seasons. Cousins has done it over three. Manning has averaged 4,110 yards and 27 TDs a season over the past nine seasons. Cousins has done it over three. Manning went 73-75 over that stretch (including Playoffs) and one Super Bowl win. Roethlisberger went 89-49 over that stretch (including Playoffs) and one Super Bowl loss. Cousins went 24-24-1 over that stretch (including Playoffs) and only one playoff game (a loss).
The league year doesn't start until March 14, so he's not technically a free agent. Washington has the cap room to offer a tag ($36.2 million). Denver has the cap room to sign him to a deal ($28.5 million). Denver can create cap room once the new league year hits and front offices do this all the time. Talib counts $12 million against their cap, so swapping that contract makes Cousins cost $10 - $18 year one. Because the Broncos can clear a high contract of a player they want to move (Talib), the Redskins can re-coup a cornerback (traded Fuller), can pick up a second round pick immediately versus a third in 2019 for compensatory reasons, and keeps him from signing within the NFC.
What is more important what happened 5-10 years ago, or what has happened in recent years in regards to what you want in a QB? The last 3 years, the only ones that Kirk Cousins has been a starter which is why it is relevant... Kirk Cousins averaged 4166 yards and 25 TDs Ben Roethlisberger averaged 4002 yards and 26 TDs Eli Manning averaged 3975 yards and 26 TDs We can't magically go back for 9 years and pretend Cousins was a QB. What we can do is look at it for what it is, he AVERAGES almost exactly what Ben Roethlisberger has as a starter What we can do is look at it for what it is, he AVERAGES almost exactly what Eli Manning has as a starter What we can do is look at it for what it is, he has not had the same roster advantages as either has had over their careers This is why I am so frustrated, how is it no one else on these boards can see that??
Yes, and those rights are for the 2017 league year, they are negotiating a trade for the 2018 league year, of which they don't own his rights. Washington has the room to offer the tag, what they don't have is room to offer the tag, then sign Alex Smith. Kirk Cousins holds all the cards, he doesn't have to sign the tag, therefore a trade would be moot if they plan on going through with the trade for Alex Smith. Denver(and thus Kirk) wouldn't need to shed a draft pick and solid player in order to make a deal together. The player aspect for cap room makes sense for the Broncos, but they can just as easily cut that same player, keep their draft pick and move forward unabated. Regardless, Cousins cannot be legally negotiated for the 2018 calendar year, as the Redskins do not hold his rights. This is illegal tampering and that 2nd round draft pick along with others could be stripped from them in the process.
Well I'm not upset about the confusing post and never was about any of today's stuff. Newsflash: I was all set for Alex Smith if anyone was, so yesterday, yeah I was pissed....But I've said many times that Cousins would be my plan B, if we couldn't obtain Smith. So here we are...Cousins would give us instant legitimacy, and we could use our draft picks elsewhere. Seems like a great plan. But what if Cousins never wins a postseason game, and Mayfield and Darnold go on to spectacular NFL careers? All I was ever saying was that Cousins isn't a simple slam dunk. There is much to consider. If we pass on the next great QB, it will be considered another Cleveland fail, and the "no brainer" decision to sign Cousins won't look good at all... Heck, I've said from the beginning that I thought Cousins was just saying the right things, and that he wouldn't really consider the Browns and nothing has changed...I hope the Browns and Cousins prove me wrong, but I'm not holding my breath....
If we're only using the last three years, then I want Baker Mayfield. 4,097 yards, 40 TD, 7 INT, 69.8% comp., 189.4 QB rating - yearly average
I don't disagree...but when we are dealing in what ifs...what if we could have convinced Cousins to come here, but instead we let the Broncos sign him to a 5 year $25M contract and he goes on to win a Super Bowl or two for John Elway, meanwhile, like most drafts...the one QB that ends up being a viable starter doesn't get picked #1 overall, but instead goes on to win playoff games for another franchise and our #1 overall pick never gets out of the gates behind someone like Chase Daniel teaching him the ropes? That last scenario has happened to us, not with a #1 overall, we have only Tim Couch to reference there, but we have drafted many QBs over the last 20 years, more than any other team if I'm not mistaken. Over that same stretch, many other QBs have also been drafted and also not become anything more than an actual average QB. My fear is that we have a franchise guy staring us in the face and the best we can come up with over the next 5-10 years is a guy who is average. Average can get you 5-7 wins, but you just never get over the top. I'm not holding my breath either, Alex Smith was my plan B...that one is scrapped Cousins is my plan A and as soon as he signs with the Broncos or any other franchise, I will be on to plan C Plan C is Baker Mayfield at #1 overall, but someone like Teddy Bridgewater signed, not Chase Daniel....then THAT plan can get doused at about 8:10 pm on April 26th, when the Browns turn in a card with another QBs name on it...
If Cousins signs elsewhere, so do I. He's the best of the unknown and known commodities not named Kirk Cousins.
It really comes down to trust... I trust Kirk Cousins will come in and be a professional and continue to get his averages. I trust that with those averages and improvements to the roster, they can win playoff games. I don't trust the Browns to write down Baker Mayfield's name #1 overall... After 20 years of misery, I also don't trust the unknown. Baker Mayfield, as good as he looks on tape and in the stat column, is an unknown.
let's hope not. No doubt we could play the "what if" scenarios forever...Obviously, no matter which way we go, a veteran must be added. We can't just draft Mayfield and cross our fingers that all goes well...I would prefer Bridgewater to Daniels as well. But even if it has to be McCarron, we simply can't go into a season like we did last year, with nobody that had ever won a game before...
I just don't want to see the Browns put too much pressure on the rookie QB, if that's the way we go...It would be so nice to let him enter a game when he's truly ready. A bridge QB is a must. The fact that now one of our favorites for this role is actually named Bridgewater, is sort of cool.
The one thing I fear about McCarron is that he is Hue's guy...if he comes here, how much is spent on preparing a #1 overall pick behind him. If Hue convinces A.J. he is the guy, then they draft a QB #1, what is the attitude from McCarron from that point forward? He is another unknown...scares the hell out of me. I just want to win, that is where my frustration comes from. It has nothing to do with other fans, other fanbases, it is rooted in losing for 20 years. I see a way to end that and it frustrates me to all ends that we may squander this opportunity, just so we can try to look like we are smarter by finding the next great thing in a draft that is full of unknowns...
lol, yeah...but taking another veteran with health concerns may force your hand early also. Bridgewater or Bradford come with those added risks as well....for that matter, so does Josh Rosen. How about this scenario, sound familiar? Sign Sam Bradford to bridge the gap Draft Josh Rosen #1 overall Sam Bradford gets injured game 1 of the season and either a) You are forced to go back to DeShone Kizer b) You are forced to move the #1 overall pick into the fire much sooner than anticipated THEN Josh Rosen, inevitably, gets a concussion his second game in and Kizer is the man once again anyway..with no back up in sight..
I really wouldn't worry about that. I'm sure the Browns have interest in Cousins...The problem is Cousins was pretty adamant yesterday that money isn't everything, and it's of paramount importance to him to find a landing spot where he can win football games. He said he will sacrifice money for the best situation...I know you paint a nice picture here, that I love, but Cleveland isn't it...I lost all hope in our pursuit of Cousins when I heard that. The only reason I strongly considered him a possibility for us for a time was because I had heard quite the opposite when it came to Kirk Cousins and $$$....If it was just about money, Browns wouldn't have all the problems they do in attracting F/A's...
Nobody knows how quickly QB plans can fall apart like Browns fans... We can only control what we can...No matter who we sign, the injury risk exists. I assume if we were to acquire Teddy B., we would first have to make sure that knee is sound...
Technically, that was his shoulder that gave out Week 1. I just threw Teddy Bridge-QB out there to give the Cousins fans something else to hold on to. Not sure he's the direction I'd go if I were John Dorsey. Give me Drew Stanton, knowing his job is to get #1 overall pick ready to be an NFL QB and let's roll.
