It takes two to tango. Or, in this case, a “cha-cha-cha” as ESPN980 radio host Al Galdi has coined it. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has said the right thing every time he has been asked about his contract situation. He has bet on himself and looks to reap those rewards in the offseason.
There are two questions that now linger over Ashburn, VA. Will the Redskins put a legitimate long-term offer in front of Cousins and is Cousins willing to sign that deal and be the face of a desperate franchise for the next five to seven years?
We honestly will not know for the few months.
The Redskins could decide to franchise tag him for a third time, but that would cost them a $34.5 million cap hit. Or, the Redskins could decide to transition tag Cousins and give them a $28.8 million cap hit should he decide not to sign a long-term deal with another team and the Redskins match it.
If the Redskins decide to let Cousins walk, or Cousins chooses to walk, the cupboard will be close to bare at the Quarterback position in the 2018 offseason. What could the Redskins Quarterback options look like in 2018?
Yes, Drew Brees does become an unrestricted free agent, but no one expects him to leave New Orleans with such an improved team.
The Redskins could roll the dice on either Teddy Bridgewater or Case Keenum should the Vikings choose not to bring on of them back. Others out there include: Sam Bradford, Jay Cutler, Josh McCown (though the Jets could bring him back) and Chad Henne. A wild card that is not an unrestricted free agent in 2018 is Alex Smith. It is possible he becomes available, but he would be coming to a team that does not have the talent the Chiefs have which worries some. Outside of Bridgewater or Keenum, no one thinks the Redskins could make a playoff push outside of a miracle on the defensive side of the ball.
The draft class is interesting, but the first-round draft order is even more intriguing. The Redskins hold the 13th overall pick. There are two clear teams that need a Quarterback that draft ahead of them, the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos. From there you can take Josh Rosen and Sam Darnold off the board.
If everything goes perfect and there are no trades prior to, or on draft day, the Redskins will be able to choose between Wyoming Quarterback Josh Allen and Oklahoma Quarterback Baker Mayfield. I have not shied away from saying that I do not think Mayfield will give the Redskins a chance to win. He is a great college Quarterback, but when was the last time a Big-12 Quarterback made his pro team better and won a Super Bowl? Josh Allen has the most upside and is closer to NFL ready.
But, nothing goes perfect in the NFL. There will most likely be a trade or two leading up to the draft. One of them might involve the Arizona Cardinals moving up inside the top-10 to get a Quarterback. There are still chips that must fall into place before we get a clearer picture as to who will really be available. But, Redskins fans need to start preparing themselves for what could be a long and intriguing 2018.