Kirk Cousins, quarterback, Washington Redskins
There is a lot of intrigue surrounding Cousins and his future.
He’s indicated he’d be willing to sign another franchise tag for this season, which would pay him $24 million guaranteed. That would put his two-year earnings at $44 million, which is pretty darn good, while still essentially guaranteeing he hits free agency or is signed to a long-term contract by Washington before the 2018 free-agency period begins. The reason for this is that, given the escalators with the franchise tag, he’d be due another $35 million or so in 2018. That’s not happening.
Another thing that might not be happening is Cousins getting tagged this year by Washington. One report indicates there is “internal resistance” to using the franchise tag on Cousins, and it’s also been reported that Cousins himself might not be so hot about a long-term future with the organization.
There are at least two teams linked to Cousins, should he become available. Both the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers have been reported as eager to land the quarterback.
It’s not surprising, either. All he’s done the past two years is pass for 9,083 yards with 54 touchdowns and 23 interceptions while starting all 32 games.
Should he find himself on another roster in 2017, then Washington would be in quite a bad spot at the quarterback position. Unless of course the ultimate goal was landing a top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, which could feature a bumper crop for top quarterbacks.