Cousins?

[Larry Gude]

...the Redskins had the chance last off season to lock down Cousins for more than they wanted to pay bit less than what they're heading for now.
They had the chance to declare stability last off season; We have our QB, now on to the rest of the players we need.

Cousins came up flat last year in the playoffs and came up flat again this year in the last game against the Giants. Clearly, there is a case to be made that he's not a top QB when it matters most so, why stick with him and pay that kind of money?
The answer then is the same as now; the team was and is below average on defense, and that's being generous. They're simply bad on defense. How to weigh that when evaluating a QB? Brady, Ben, Eli, Rogers, NONE of those guys win in the playoffs when their defense isn't at least decent. Denver won the SB last year, essentially, without a QB at all.

So, now what? McCluen has held off because, as the story goes, he thinks he can find a decent or better guy. A Wentz? A Prescott? Or, will he find an Osweiller? Or any other middle of the road guy? if the answer for EVERY team is defense, AND Kirk has thrown together back to back record seasons, don't they HAVE to lock that position down and then focus on defense? The guy has proven durable. He does struggle in the red zone. He doesn't have a great line in front of him. And then, there is that defense. Phillip Rivers, Drew Brees, they don't make the playoffs without help.

The latest is Kyle takes over in San Fran and tries to get his hands on Cousins, whom he, basically, picked and loved from day one only to have to honor the wishes of an owner adept at making money, not building winning football teams.
Cousins, at some point, is gonna want to be where he is wanted. It seems Gruden likes him but how much? Did Gruden simply have the benefit of RGIII proving out so poorly that the choice was made for him? Does it matter what Gruden thinks on this team?

 

[Grumpy]

My feeling is that the skins will eff this up more and Cousins won't be here next year. Wouldn't surprise me if McVay made a deal for him or Kyle gets him in San Fran. The skins not signing Cousins last off season has Snyder's fingerprints all over it, IMO.

 

[tipsymcgee]

The 'Skins have been looking and waiting for a QB for 25 years, and now they aren't going to sign someone who has proven to be a better than average quarterback who is durable and puts up good numbers? You can't even name all the QBs since the Skins last Super Bowl and all the disastrous draft picks and signings that have occurred since then. Once again, the final four teams in the playoffs all have elite QBs. Cousins has some stuff to work on. He's been a little slack in his decision-making in crucial times and has to realize he doesn't have the arm strength to do what he wants all the time. I think they have to sign Cousins, and they may very well take another QB this draft starting Round 3 or later and take a flyer on getting lucky...again.

 

[Freefaller]

...the Redskins had the chance last off season to lock down Cousins for more than they wanted to pay bit less than what they're heading for now.
They had the chance to declare stability last off season; We have our QB, now on to the rest of the players we need.

Cousins came up flat last year in the playoffs and came up flat again this year in the last game against the Giants. Clearly, there is a case to be made that he's not a top QB when it matters most so, why stick with him and pay that kind of money?
The answer then is the same as now; the team was and is below average on defense, and that's being generous. They're simply bad on defense. How to weigh that when evaluating a QB? Brady, Ben, Eli, Rogers, NONE of those guys win in the playoffs when their defense isn't at least decent. Denver won the SB last year, essentially, without a QB at all.

So, now what? McCluen has held off because, as the story goes, he thinks he can find a decent or better guy. A Wentz? A Prescott? Or, will he find an Osweiller? Or any other middle of the road guy? if the answer for EVERY team is defense, AND Kirk has thrown together back to back record seasons, don't they HAVE to lock that position down and then focus on defense? The guy has proven durable. He does struggle in the red zone. He doesn't have a great line in front of him. And then, there is that defense. Phillip Rivers, Drew Brees, they don't make the playoffs without help.

The latest is Kyle takes over in San Fran and tries to get his hands on Cousins, whom he, basically, picked and loved from day one only to have to honor the wishes of an owner adept at making money, not building winning football teams.
Cousins, at some point, is gonna want to be where he is wanted. It seems Gruden likes him but how much? Did Gruden simply have the benefit of RGIII proving out so poorly that the choice was made for him? Does it matter what Gruden thinks on this team?

You know what the best job is in the DC area? It's being a razor blade salesman. I make a fortune every post season selling razor blades to Redskin fans who want to carve up their team. Happens without fail, every year!

 

[Midnightrider]

My feeling is that the skins will eff this up more and Cousins won't be here next year. Wouldn't surprise me if McVay made a deal for him or Kyle gets him in San Fran. The skins not signing Cousins last off season has Snyder's fingerprints all over it, IMO.

thats it in a nutshell. The only people who were every really high on Kirk have moved on to other teams. Jay is the closest thing he has to a supporter now and Jay would have probably picked Colt if he was the only one with an opinion.

I think Kirk will be moving on and get paid big time. If the skins dont franchise him he will likely be getting something like 25M a year and 90M guarenteed from what i have read. I dont think danny and scott are going to pony up that kind of dough even though Kirk is a known entity with decent potential. He is probably in the top 15 or so if you look at his stats and record with a critical eye. If the Skins dont pay him i hope he goes somewhere and does well, as long as its not in the NFC east

 

[kom526]

"Cousins not having the arm strength" is a BS statement, at least for this past season. How many times did he over throw DJax? You know, the guy that they said he could not over throw. Lackluster defense all season and a nearly non existent run game over the last couple of games is what did this team in this season.

Best case scenario, Snyder and McCloughan lure Josh McDaniel from the NE OC position and put him together with Kirk.

 

[tipsymcgee]

"Cousins not having the arm strength" is a BS statement, at least for this past season. How many times did he over throw DJax? You know, the guy that they said he could not over throw. Lackluster defense all season and a nearly non existent run game over the last couple of games is what did this team in this season.

Best case scenario, Snyder and McCloughan lure Josh McDaniel from the NE OC position and put him together with Kirk.

I am referring to arm strength when he's not in perfect position to throw the ball, not just a long throw down the field where he's able to plant his feet and throw. When he's on the move and avoiding the rush, he can't throw sidearm or on the run like Rodgers or Stafford. The INT to end their season in the last Giants game is an example of this....they still had time, should've thrown it away or took the tackle, but instead tried to thread it in there. Cousins is great in the system where he goes back, takes his look and gets rid of the ball quickly.

 

[Monello]

He's a better QB than most of them out there. You need some consistency at that position especially with a mediocre defense.

 

[Larry Gude]

Cousins is great in the system where he goes back, takes his look and gets rid of the ball quickly.

So, he's Tom a Brady, in that class, if not exactly at the top of it? I disagree a little though I think he, clearly, has some of those talents. He is far more mobile than Brady. He has some Rogers in him, some ability to stay alive and get rid of the ball. That said, comparing him to either isn't fair, at least at this point. He's not as fast as Brady making his reads and getting rid of it and he's not as accurate as Tom. And, when he does buy time, again, he's not as accurate as Rogers nor picks the right target as well. And THAT said, clearly, he has some of both of those talents and skill sets. He simply made a bad throw against the Giants but he can make that throw.

Look this over and ponder who you'd take him over and who not http://www.espn.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/passing/sort/passingYards/seasontype/2

He had a heck of a season for just being a 'system' QB. Pre season, we argued around here he was top 15 who you'd take, clearly behind Brady, Rogers, Brees, Roethlisburger, Wilson, Ryan, Stafford, Luck, Cam, Dalton, Eli and Flacco. But you'd go either way with him compared to Smith, Tannehill and maybe one or two others. Once you do that, you gotta go back over all those teams and look at their O lines, O talent, defenses and coaching. Oh, and results for the season, too.

Now, after two full seasons of lighting it up, is he really behind Eli and Dalton and Flacco? Eli had a far better defense and one of the most explosive players in the league and didn't get past the first round. I watched a lot of Flacco this past season and I saw him make a lot of the bad plays that bugs a fan abut Kirk. He went toe to toe with Stafford in an exciting game we win with a little more defense. He outplayed Dalton.

And Cam? As incredible an athlete as he is, he finished 21st to Kirks 3, barely making 50% of his throws 6 less TD's and a couple more picks with a far better defense. Cam doesn't make us a playoff team.

He, clearly, had a better season than Rivers. I'm not saying I'd take him over Roethlisburger but the Steelers are, clearly, a better team be it Bell and the O line or the D. He did have a better season than Ben. Luck is like Ben, a beast but Kirk edged him, too and with similar team to the Skins.

So, no argument, who is he clearly behind? Brady, Brees, Rogers, Ryan, Wilson? That means he's cracking top 5. Going into next year, would you take a 40 year old Tom Brady on our team? No. He'd be out for the season by week 4. And that's huge; only 2 QB's in the top 15 were sacked less, Carr and Eli, which gives Eli even less excuse. He, Kirk, doesn't get sacked a lot and he doesn't get hurt. And Wilson is fabulous but he does have a leading defense and got bounced in round 1, too.

So, if he is only clearly behind, real world, looking at next year, 5 other QB's or so, and at least in the mix with Stafford and Wilson and maybe ahead of some big names like Flacco, either we're talking a heck of a system or he's as good as his stats show. How many people would be happy that their QB is solid except for one area, red zone TD %? We do stink there at less than 50%. That said, Jacksonville, Buffalo, Indy and San Fran are all top 10. Tennessee is #1 at 72%. Pittsburgh and Green Bay are 56 and 58%.

Of the 12 playoff teams, Houston would LOVE to have had him. Eli isn't clearly better. Neither is Smith in KC. Oakland is happy with Carr as is Seattle with Wilson and Detroit with Stafford. I suppose the Dolphins are happy with Tannehill but they'd take Kirk. Of the good teams who didn't make it, Denver is playing for the AFC championship this weekend if they had him. I'm not convinced Carolina is better with Cam, same with Baltimore. Minnesota fell off the map with Bradford. Tampa Bay is on the upswing but Winston isn't better at this point and they've both started about the same number of games. Would Arizona have been better with Kirk?

The game comes down to making a good read and getting rid of the ball. Washington was tied with New England at 5 and 6 for average red zone possessions per game at 3.8. New Orleans was #1 at 4.2 We're 12th in scoring at 24.8 vs. #1 Atlanta at 33.9. If we go from 28th in red zone scoring just under 50%, on an average of about 4 opportunities a game, to top tied, 3 out of 4, that's about 4 more points a game (assuming 100% field goals on the half of our opportunities we did not score a TD). That puts us at 28.8 or tied with Green bay at #3 in scoring.

Go back over our season and give us 4 more points a game and we win over Dallas once, Cinncy and Detroit and have a home playoff game for the second year in a row.

We're 18th in scoring defense at 23.9, nearly 1:1 with our offense. NE is #1 at 15.6. Only 3 teams in the top 10 did NOT make the playoffs. Baltimore was #10 at 20ppg. Give us 4 points LESS by the opponent and 4 more on offense and we go from 11 wins with the same defense and Kirk better at getting it in the end zone to one more win and a tie to finish 12-3-1 and a first round bye over Dallas.

And that's the thing about the NFL that is so maddening and intriguing; it's THE team game, everything is interconnected. A mediocre offense that scores early makes the defense better because the other guys are pressured to score more so than otherwise. A mediocre defense that gets turnovers and hands the offense great field position makes a mediocre offense better. Lower scoring but able to control the clock helps a defense. Top notch defense barely needs any help. And here is the rub; Top notch offense MUST have help. That has not changed. Defense wins championships.

So, all in all, QB is NOT a weakness for the Skins. Far from it. It may be the teams one real strength.

 

[Hank]

Skins will be happy. Kyle Shannahan is going to be the new coach of San Fran. Bet Cousins ends up there.

 

[Monello]

Redskins franchise Cousins for 2017

Time to fish or cut bait Dannie.

[FONT=&quot]Redskins and Kirk Cousins have finally agreed to a deal that will keep the quarterback in Washington, at least for the time being.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]The Redskins on Tuesday announced that they have placed the exclusive franchise tag on Cousins, which is essentially a one-year, fully-guaranteed deal.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]<nflcs:avplayer data-contentid="977f8f2c-4ca3-4469-8671-33a5f62e1af4" data-width="384" data-alignment="right" data-autoplay="true" data-pr="3" data-adtagsuffix=";player=embedded" data-playername="teamsite-embed" class="right" style="float: right; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; width: 384px; height: 216px;"></nflcs:avplayer>[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]This is the second straight season that Cousins has been tagged, and the first time in NFL history that a quarterback has been given the franchise tag in consecutive years.[/FONT]

tag yur it

 

[Larry Gude]

There's a couple stories floating around on this that are, frankly, just head shaking. Sad. Hilarious. https://it.sports.yahoo.com/notizie...tched-things-with-kirk-cousins-010853506.html

In short, the Skins coulda had him this time last year for $40 mil guaranteed and something approaching $20 mil a season, 4-6 years. Probably about $80 million for 4 years.

As is, they WILL have paid him a little over the $40 mil between last year and his new tag number. It climbs to something approaching $35 mil if they do it again in '18. That's over $75 million for 3 years v. $80 had they just done the deal last year.

They can do what's called a 'transition' tag for '18 and be under $30 but he gets to negotiate with other teams. As is now, he's certainly not gonna agree to what he would have agreed to last year.

They only signed him now because they had to do something by March 1. So, that is zero indication they're gonna sign him long term.

They either sign him and end up paying maybe $20 million more than they could have had him for or hope someone will give them face saving draft picks and take him. Or, he just stays as is and waits to see what the market is next year.

This is just bleak from a team standpoint.

 

[Grumpy]

This is just bleak from a team standpoint.

But funny as hell that Snyder is looking up at Cousins in the catbird seat.

 

[Larry Gude]

But funny as hell that Snyder is looking up at Cousins in the catbird seat.

Bruce has to go, yes?

 

[Monello]

JKC has cursed this team from his grave. DS has a reverse midas touch. But we watch, we root, we cheer & boo. HTTR!

 

[Hank]

Still rumblings that Cousins may end up in San Fran.

 

[Larry Gude]

Still rumblings that Cousins may end up in San Fran.

That's best for all concerned. The Redskins have built into any future deal all the doubts and concerns of the past two years. The Skins played this deal to not lose and that's no way to win. QB was not our problem last year or the year before. Let Kirk go somewhere he is actually wanted and will be believed in and let my Redskins do what we do best and go back to the drawing board.

Romo; It is beyond me that ANYONE would actually want him. He's GOING to be hurt by week 4 or so. I don't see why spending the money and time makes any sense. Tony gets hurt behind Dallas's top tier line. He's gonna get killed in Houston or Denver. It's just how he plays; he gets hit, like RGIII does.

Denver, in my view, what makes sense to me, is THEY go after Cousins. It's all well and good everyone thinks San Fran makes all this sense but, how often does that actually play out? Is Snyder going to risk his thin skin and misplaced pride by giving Shanahan a chance to win with a guy he's treated like a rental unit? I don't think so.

And back to Romo, does he REALLY wanna go back out there and take some more pounding??? Why not do some reasonable deal with Jerry and hold a clipboard and stay in Dallas? Dak faces the sophomore slump and the same injury risk everyone does. Maybe Tony takes over mid season or late season and rides into the Superbowl and off into the sunset instead of yet another off season of rehab for a team that needs him to do what he no longer can; play a whole season?

 

[Grumpy]

At this point, I hope Cousins does leave; Skins are proving, once again, to be a loser organization with the current ownership / management.

 

[itsbob]

So, he's Tom a Brady, in that class, if not exactly at the top of it? I disagree a little though I think he, clearly, has some of those talents. He is far more mobile than Brady. He has some Rogers in him, some ability to stay alive and get rid of the ball. That said, comparing him to either isn't fair, at least at this point. He's not as fast as Brady making his reads and getting rid of it and he's not as accurate as Tom. And, when he does buy time, again, he's not as accurate as Rogers nor picks the right target as well. And THAT said, clearly, he has some of both of those talents and skill sets. He simply made a bad throw against the Giants but he can make that throw.

Look this over and ponder who you'd take him over and who not http://www.espn.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/passing/sort/passingYards/seasontype/2

He had a heck of a season for just being a 'system' QB. Pre season, we argued around here he was top 15 who you'd take, clearly behind Brady, Rogers, Brees, Roethlisburger, Wilson, Ryan, Stafford, Luck, Cam, Dalton, Eli and Flacco. But you'd go either way with him compared to Smith, Tannehill and maybe one or two others. Once you do that, you gotta go back over all those teams and look at their O lines, O talent, defenses and coaching. Oh, and results for the season, too.

Now, after two full seasons of lighting it up, is he really behind Eli and Dalton and Flacco? Eli had a far better defense and one of the most explosive players in the league and didn't get past the first round. I watched a lot of Flacco this past season and I saw him make a lot of the bad plays that bugs a fan abut Kirk. He went toe to toe with Stafford in an exciting game we win with a little more defense. He outplayed Dalton.

And Cam? As incredible an athlete as he is, he finished 21st to Kirks 3, barely making 50% of his throws 6 less TD's and a couple more picks with a far better defense. Cam doesn't make us a playoff team.

He, clearly, had a better season than Rivers. I'm not saying I'd take him over Roethlisburger but the Steelers are, clearly, a better team be it Bell and the O line or the D. He did have a better season than Ben. Luck is like Ben, a beast but Kirk edged him, too and with similar team to the Skins.

So, no argument, who is he clearly behind? Brady, Brees, Rogers, Ryan, Wilson? That means he's cracking top 5. Going into next year, would you take a 40 year old Tom Brady on our team? No. He'd be out for the season by week 4. And that's huge; only 2 QB's in the top 15 were sacked less, Carr and Eli, which gives Eli even less excuse. He, Kirk, doesn't get sacked a lot and he doesn't get hurt. And Wilson is fabulous but he does have a leading defense and got bounced in round 1, too.

So, if he is only clearly behind, real world, looking at next year, 5 other QB's or so, and at least in the mix with Stafford and Wilson and maybe ahead of some big names like Flacco, either we're talking a heck of a system or he's as good as his stats show. How many people would be happy that their QB is solid except for one area, red zone TD %? We do stink there at less than 50%. That said, Jacksonville, Buffalo, Indy and San Fran are all top 10. Tennessee is #1 at 72%. Pittsburgh and Green Bay are 56 and 58%.

Of the 12 playoff teams, Houston would LOVE to have had him. Eli isn't clearly better. Neither is Smith in KC. Oakland is happy with Carr as is Seattle with Wilson and Detroit with Stafford. I suppose the Dolphins are happy with Tannehill but they'd take Kirk. Of the good teams who didn't make it, Denver is playing for the AFC championship this weekend if they had him. I'm not convinced Carolina is better with Cam, same with Baltimore. Minnesota fell off the map with Bradford. Tampa Bay is on the upswing but Winston isn't better at this point and they've both started about the same number of games. Would Arizona have been better with Kirk?

The game comes down to making a good read and getting rid of the ball. Washington was tied with New England at 5 and 6 for average red zone possessions per game at 3.8. New Orleans was #1 at 4.2 We're 12th in scoring at 24.8 vs. #1 Atlanta at 33.9. If we go from 28th in red zone scoring just under 50%, on an average of about 4 opportunities a game, to top tied, 3 out of 4, that's about 4 more points a game (assuming 100% field goals on the half of our opportunities we did not score a TD). That puts us at 28.8 or tied with Green bay at #3 in scoring.

Go back over our season and give us 4 more points a game and we win over Dallas once, Cinncy and Detroit and have a home playoff game for the second year in a row.

We're 18th in scoring defense at 23.9, nearly 1:1 with our offense. NE is #1 at 15.6. Only 3 teams in the top 10 did NOT make the playoffs. Baltimore was #10 at 20ppg. Give us 4 points LESS by the opponent and 4 more on offense and we go from 11 wins with the same defense and Kirk better at getting it in the end zone to one more win and a tie to finish 12-3-1 and a first round bye over Dallas.

And that's the thing about the NFL that is so maddening and intriguing; it's THE team game, everything is interconnected. A mediocre offense that scores early makes the defense better because the other guys are pressured to score more so than otherwise. A mediocre defense that gets turnovers and hands the offense great field position makes a mediocre offense better. Lower scoring but able to control the clock helps a defense. Top notch defense barely needs any help. And here is the rub; Top notch offense MUST have help. That has not changed. Defense wins championships.

So, all in all, QB is NOT a weakness for the Skins. Far from it. It may be the teams one real strength.

BLASPHEMY!!!


NOBODY is a Tom Brady...

There will NEVER be another Tom Brady..

Taking Brady's name in vain.. you should be banished from watching the NFL for at least one season..

 

[Larry Gude]

BLASPHEMY!!!


NOBODY is a Tom Brady...

There will NEVER be another Tom Brady..

Taking Brady's name in vain.. you should be banished from watching the NFL for at least one season..

I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. St. Tom, of course, would have won the SB these past two years if he were Redskins QB!