The Redskins, by way of NFL.com, put the perfect spin on the non-deal with Kirk Cousins.
“It’s the market. The NFL’s a phenomenal, phenomenal entity, and the money’s incredible. But the way I look at it is I want Kirk in a long-term deal, no doubt about it, but also I’m not gonna put our franchise in a situation where we’re gonna lose three or four younger guys that I think are gonna be good football players for one guy. I won’t do it. You know, that’s just how it is.”
~ Redskins GM Scot McCloughan as quoted by NFL.com Around the Horn
riight! Don’t buy the spin.
Let’s pick McCloughan’s statement apart.
“It’s the market.”
Here’s a business lesson. Companies do not set the price. Competition sets the price. The cost of viable alternatives set the price.
The top two free agent quarterbacks going into the 2017 season and their average 2016 income are:
- Drew Brees, Age 37, $20.0 million
- Kirk Cousins, Age 27, $19.9 million
Colin Kaepernick is scheduled to make $19.0 million this season, but there is a real question that he will be an NFL starter at the end of the season.
Both the rising market price for NFL starters and lack of real veteran alternatives to Capt Kirk will force the Redskins’ hand.
It may be pure coincidence that Washington’s last best offer of $16 million to Cousins is the exact amount of the fifth-year option the ‘Skins offered to Robert Griffin III last preseason. However, $16 million is also the average annual pay for Carson Palmer, age 36, and Andy Dalton, age 28.
Give the Redskins benefit of the doubt to say their offer to Kirk was based on their sense of comparable performers.
Palmer and Dalton will not be on the market. Washington has to buy veteran talent somewhere to replace Cousins if they let him walk. They will be buying into a rising market for competent QBs who would be new to Jay Gruden’s offense.
The Redskins could make a play for Brees. It’s not as if late-career Jeff George, Mark Brunell and Donovan McNabb never wore a burgundy jersey around here. (Grimace)
If the Saints actually let him go, it’s doubtful that even Brees could project the performance that Cousins would over the next three seasons.
“I’m not gonna put our franchise in a situation where we’re gonna lose three or four younger guys….”
The five Redskins 2017 free agents with the biggest name value are:
- Kirk Cousins
- Pierre Garcon, age 29
- DeSean Jackson, age 29
- Junior Galettt, age 28
- Chris Baker/Kendall Reyes, ages 28 and 26
If WR Josh Doctson develops, the ‘Skins are not likely to keep both Garcon and Jackson in 2017. You could say the same for Baker and Reyes.
If the Redskins sign him, Cousins will be working on a $20+ million salary in 2017, or worse case, on a $24 million franchise tag. The ‘Skins would be at greater risk of losing the three or four younger veteran guys McCloughan says he wants to keep.
Hog Heaven doesn’t buy the argument. “Show me more” is the more plausible explanation. The Redskins get one more “contract year” performance from Kirk.
So what’s a GM to do?
Mike Florio wrote this in a story for MMQB:
“The team believes that, by 2017 or 2018, it will have found a quarterback on a slotted, low-money rookie four-year deal who can do what Cousins does, or close to it. That could be 2016 rookie sixth-rounder Nate Sudfeld, or it could be someone else. Regardless, Washington believes that someone younger, cheaper, and just as good if not better can be found, if Cousins still insists after 2016 or 2017 on breaking the bank.”
You can always trust what Mike Florio says about the Redskins. Always!
(h/t to hogshaven.com for the link.)
The Redskins took four seasons to develop Cousins primarily because it took them that long to settle on him as a starter. Rookies, quarterbacks especially, need about 36 live game experience to round into shape as pro players.
I doubt fans (or the owner) have the patience to wait 36 games on a quarterback youngster to develop.
I have no doubt that owner Daniel Snyder and not McCloughan is behind the decision not to sign Cousins to a long term deal.
Thom Loverro was scathing in his assessment published in The Washington Times.
“No, I believe this is about ego and bruised feelings and the bone that sticks in his throat to sign a big check for the quarterback that reminds him of Mike Shanahan, who picked Cousins in the fourth round of the 2012 draft, the same year they traded a boatload of draft picks to select Griffin with their first pick, and the failure of Snyder’s favorite player.”
This is all going to work out OK.
Cousins will deliver the consistency Washington craves. The Redskins will pay him market value and still find a way to keep the players they choose.
Hail to that.
R.I.P Chief Zee!
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