Somewhere lost in the euphoria of the New England Patriots being denied another Vince Lombardi Trophy, the news that the Washington Redskins were considering using the franchise tag on Kirk Cousins even after trading for Alex Smith and signing him to a four-year extension didn’t get a lot of play.
Today is a new day and it’s time to look at it.
Cousins without the tag is set to become an unrestricted free agent. If that happens and another team signs him, Washington will get no compensation at all in spite of drafting and developing the quarterback into a consistent 4,000-yard passer. If they franchise him and he signs the tender (and why wouldn’t he?), the Redskins would be on the hook for a guaranteed $34 million this season. Without looking too hard, that appears to be a crazy idea.
"Kirk Cousins isn't going to allow the Vikings to resign some of our players in the future… We are fine with Keenum." -Mentality of people who will never win a Superbowl
— Dominique Clare (@DomClare) February 2, 2018
But Cousins was undoubtedly going to be the most sought-after free agent quarterback on the market. I think franchising him makes a lot of sense. There’s no way a team will want to take that $34 million on, but any team that trades four Cousins will have a new deal in place. It’s exactly what the Redskins did themselves when they acquired Alex Smith.
By keeping Cousins’ rights, Washington can get back some of the compensation it lost in the Smith trade, specifically a third round pick and cornerback Kendall Fuller. In the days since the trade news broke, other deals on the table have come to light. Specifically, the Denver Broncos were offering a No. 2 and a Aquib Talib to the Kansas City Chiefs for Smith. There’s no question that Denver will be one of the primary suitors for Cousins’ services this off-season. There’s also no question that the Redskins would absolutely take that deal. If Washington could manipulate the agreement to also take Paxton Lynch off Denver’s hands, even better.
Kirk Cousins is going to Cleveland w/ a squad of extremely good receivers, don’t listen to any sources out there, i said it first‼️
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) February 1, 2018
The Cleveland Browns are loaded up with picks and losing a third rounder or one of their three second rounders would mean nothing to get a franchise quarterback under contract. Unlike the Broncos, they wouldn’t even have to worry about getting a long term deal done for Cousins before the seasons start. They have cap space running out their ears and can put a five or six-year deal together at any time.
Buffalo too has a couple of second rounders to work with and a third. Their problem is all their picks happen later in the rounds after messing up their own tank plan and making the playoffs. Those two second rounders packaged together, or a second and a third, could easily make this deal happen.
Kirk Cousins had made it known #Vikings are "number one with a bullet" on his wish list per @PAOnTheMic source. Wow.
— 1800BETSOFF (@1800BETSOFF2) February 2, 2018
The Jaguars, who I think should enter into this sweepstakes too, don’t have a ton of draft picks. They only pick in rounds 1-5 this year. What they do have is a ton of talent on defense and nickleback Aaron Colvin could slide right into Fuller’s spot.
Signing the tender wouldn’t remove control from Cousins’ hands. If anything, it should offer him plenty of insurance that a deal will get done with somebody. His worst case scenario would be getting traded to a team he didn’t want to play for and making $34 million for a season regardless of how it goes. That doesn’t sound like a loss in my book.
The Kirk Cousins saga may not be over. I'm told that rival teams talking with Redskins brass believe Bruce Allen and Washington could make a concerted effort to trade the QB, preventing Cousins from hitting the open market.
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) February 4, 2018
Most teams looking at a potential trade will want to have a long-term deal in place before they make it official. That means Cousins, in his negotiations, can basically pick the deal the Redskins are forced to take.
LIONS OFFICIALLY NAME PATRICIA HEAD COACH
Much like Kyle Shanahan was forced to do last season with the San Francisco 49ers, Matt Patricia got to celebrate taking his official position as the new head coach of the Detroit Lions with the stench of shame surrounding the proceedings.
Patricia’s defense was atrocious in the Patriots’ 41-33 loss in Super Bowl LII, combining with the Philadelphia Eagles in surrendering the most points and yardage in Super Bowl history.
The #Lions have hired Matt Patricia as the franchise’s new head coach: https://t.co/Al0meXH4Ur pic.twitter.com/AYa2IYRidT
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) February 5, 2018
Still, I think Patricia was the right man for this job and so do the Lions, who could have backed out. Instead, they wasted no time in trotting Patricia out as their head man.
“This position comes with great responsibility, and I will commit every ounce of my energy to this football team, starting today,” Patricia said in a statement. “My family is excited to become part of this wonderful city that displays so much passion for their teams. “I can’t express enough appreciation to the entire New England Patriots franchise, particularly Robert and Jonathan Kraft and their entire family. I will truly cherish these last 14 years as a member of this incredible organization.”
Patricia will take over a team with some real talent on both sides of the ball, but some serious holes to fill. He’ll also have to make a decision on defensive linemen Ezekial Ansah and Haloti Ngata, who will both be free agents.
Bummed. Matt Patricia’s game plan sucked. Gave up 538 yards, including 374 to a backup QB. Perfect choice for Lions HC.
— Mark Graham (@unclegrambo) February 5, 2018
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Patricia keep most of the offensive staff in place, including offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter. If he did want to upgrade both sides of the ball with guys he knows, the Patriots have plenty of free agents hitting the market that would add significant value to the Lions. He could bring in Nate Solder at left tackle. Malcolm Butler at corner, Marquis Flowers at outside linbacker and Dion Lewis at running back would all be solid additions.
The defensive guys could help teach the system and Lewis could be the answer to a Lions running game problem going all the way back to James “Little Man” Stewart. Solder could finish up his career at right tackle opposite Taylor Decker.
NFL NEWS
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Edwin Jackson was struck and killed by a suspected drunk driver over the weekend. Jackson’s ride-sharing driver, Jeffrey Monroe, also died. According to ESPN, the Indiana State Police have arrested Manuel Orrego-Savala, a citizen of Guatemala, who was in the country illegally. According to the report, Orrego-Savala had been deported out of the United States twice in 2007 and 2009.
“We were heartbroken to hear the news of Edwin Jackson’s passing,” the Colts said in a statement. “Edwin was loved by all in the Colts organization. We admired his outgoing personality, competitive spirit and hard-working mentality. He was well-respected among all with whom he crossed paths, and he will be greatly missed in our locker room and throughout our entire organization. We also understand that another person lost his life in the accident, only adding to our sorrow on this day. We are shocked and saddened by this tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of both men during this difficult time.”
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