NFL Network analyst: Better than 50 percent chance Kirk Cousins leaves Washington this year
By Dan Steinberg February 22 at 8:41 AM
Ex-Bachelorette winner Jordan Rodgers would give his rose to Kirk Cousins over Cam Newton]
He is straight gangsta
Longtime NFL reporter Jim Trotter said on ESPN’s “NFL Insiders” program that Cousins might be among the most mercenary NFL players he’s encountered.
“The one thing I love about Kirk Cousins is that he is straight gangsta,” Trotter said. “Not -er. Straight gangsta. Ends with an ‘A.’ Owners are used to always having the leverage against players, and players will often capitulate for money. Kirk understands what his value is, and he is not going to short-sell himself. He looks at it now as look, I got $20 million last year, I’ll get 24 this year, that’s $44 million over two years. And then I go out on the free agent market next year, where if he has another season [similar] to what he had last year and this year, he can look to get guarantees at a minimum of $40 to $50 million. Which means he will have made close to $90 million to $100 million over three years. I think he’s okay with that. …
“The beauty here for me is you have a player who understands his market value, understands leverage and is willing to bet on himself and is not going to take less than what he can get,” Trotter went on. “He is maximizing his earnings. And at times, I’ve been criticized before [when] I would say that a contract I felt wasn’t good, in part because I felt a player had leverage and didn’t maximize it. Kirk is doing it. Short of Darrelle Revis, he may be the most mercenary player in the NFL that I’ve ever been around in my two decades.”
‘Give him a long-term deal and just end the problem.’
NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest implied that Cousins is better for the Redskins than any quarterback they could find in the draft.
[Redskins must tag Cousins to keep him]
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“I think he has grown in this system,” McGinest said. “I think he’s one of these players that gets better and better as he’s involved in a system, like Jay Gruden’s. It’s very difficult and complicated. I think he understands that now. He plays great within that system. Yes, [you’d like] more consistency, throughout the year, for an entire 16 games. And you want to see him put the team on his back at times and make certain throws and take over football games. Of course.
“Look around the NFL; it’s not flooded with great quarterbacks,” McGinest said. “Look at the draft. You can’t find a guy right now that you’d say you would probably take over Kirk Cousins in the draft. This is a guy that’s at home, he plays great within the system, he is continuously getting better. Give him a long-term deal. Don’t play around with it. Because you’re not going to keep paying him [under the tag]. Give him a long-term deal and just end the problem.”
Romo has a higher ceiling
Analyst Cris Carter said on FS1 this week that if he were the Redskins, he would take Tony Romo over Cousins, at least in the short term.
“If you ask me over the next three years … I’m gonna go with Romo,” he said. “I really am. I’m gonna go with Romo, because I know what Romo can do, and I believe his ceiling is still higher. … I’m worried about the upside. Is it a system for Kirk Cousins? Tony Romo, I know he’s still a Pro Bowl quarterback.”
By Dan Steinberg February 22 at 8:41 AM
Ex-Bachelorette winner Jordan Rodgers would give his rose to Kirk Cousins over Cam Newton]
He is straight gangsta
Longtime NFL reporter Jim Trotter said on ESPN’s “NFL Insiders” program that Cousins might be among the most mercenary NFL players he’s encountered.
“The one thing I love about Kirk Cousins is that he is straight gangsta,” Trotter said. “Not -er. Straight gangsta. Ends with an ‘A.’ Owners are used to always having the leverage against players, and players will often capitulate for money. Kirk understands what his value is, and he is not going to short-sell himself. He looks at it now as look, I got $20 million last year, I’ll get 24 this year, that’s $44 million over two years. And then I go out on the free agent market next year, where if he has another season [similar] to what he had last year and this year, he can look to get guarantees at a minimum of $40 to $50 million. Which means he will have made close to $90 million to $100 million over three years. I think he’s okay with that. …
“The beauty here for me is you have a player who understands his market value, understands leverage and is willing to bet on himself and is not going to take less than what he can get,” Trotter went on. “He is maximizing his earnings. And at times, I’ve been criticized before [when] I would say that a contract I felt wasn’t good, in part because I felt a player had leverage and didn’t maximize it. Kirk is doing it. Short of Darrelle Revis, he may be the most mercenary player in the NFL that I’ve ever been around in my two decades.”
‘Give him a long-term deal and just end the problem.’
NFL Network analyst Willie McGinest implied that Cousins is better for the Redskins than any quarterback they could find in the draft.
[Redskins must tag Cousins to keep him]
Sports Daily newsletter
Sports news with a focus on D.C. area teams.
“I think he has grown in this system,” McGinest said. “I think he’s one of these players that gets better and better as he’s involved in a system, like Jay Gruden’s. It’s very difficult and complicated. I think he understands that now. He plays great within that system. Yes, [you’d like] more consistency, throughout the year, for an entire 16 games. And you want to see him put the team on his back at times and make certain throws and take over football games. Of course.
“Look around the NFL; it’s not flooded with great quarterbacks,” McGinest said. “Look at the draft. You can’t find a guy right now that you’d say you would probably take over Kirk Cousins in the draft. This is a guy that’s at home, he plays great within the system, he is continuously getting better. Give him a long-term deal. Don’t play around with it. Because you’re not going to keep paying him [under the tag]. Give him a long-term deal and just end the problem.”
Romo has a higher ceiling
Analyst Cris Carter said on FS1 this week that if he were the Redskins, he would take Tony Romo over Cousins, at least in the short term.
“If you ask me over the next three years … I’m gonna go with Romo,” he said. “I really am. I’m gonna go with Romo, because I know what Romo can do, and I believe his ceiling is still higher. … I’m worried about the upside. Is it a system for Kirk Cousins? Tony Romo, I know he’s still a Pro Bowl quarterback.”
. Matt Flynn/Matt Cassel 2.0
