It didn’t take too long for Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins to sign the franchise tag tender that was sent his way earlier this week.
Cousins agent, Mike McCartney, tweeted out Wednesday evening that the quarterback agreed to sign the near $20 million tender for the 2016 season:
https://twitter.com/MikeMcCartney7/status/705194046797402112
Considering Cousins was given the non-exclusive tender, he had the opportunity to negotiate with other teams in free agency if he didn’t immediately sign the tender. That’s now thrown out the window.
Though, it was highly unlikely any other team would have sent two first-round picks to Washington in order to sign Cousins in the first place.
With just one full season of good football under his belt, it’s quite possible that Cousins was simply excited to see the near $20 million on paper.
But as Pro Football Talk indicated, he also likely wanted to ensure the Redskins didn’t pull said offer.
Cousins and the Redskins now have until mid-July to work out a long-term deal. If that doesn’t happen, he will once again become a free agent following the 2016 season.
With this situation pretty much behind them, the two sides can now work on improving a roster that earned a surprising NFC East title this past season.
Now just $6.1 million under the cap with Cousins contract on the books, Washington has to get down to brass tax. Knowing what it is up against will definitely help during the early stages of free agency.
The first order of business will be to release Robert Griffin III — a decision that will save Washington $16.2 million against the cap.
After that, decisions will have to be made on both Pierre Garcon and Chris Culliver. Washington can save a combined $13.5 million by releasing the two players.
This would put the team in position to find upgrades at areas that held it back this past season. That list includes safety, corner and outside linebacker.
With both Philadelphia and New York having to implement new schemes under first-year head coaches and the Dallas Cowboys finding themselves behind the proverbial eight-ball from a salary cap perspective, Washington is in position to take a stranglehold in the NFC East.
It’s now all about making the smart moves in free agency while adding immediate producers in the draft. This is something the team has struggled with over the years.
It’s also something that can lift Washington from bottom rung playoff contender to serious conference title contender.