NFL Free Agency Preview: The Kirk Cousins Sweepstakes

Written by Sam DeCoste

Now begins the dark period in the NFL schedule: the offseason.
There will be no meaningful football to talk about until September, but that doesn't mean the NFL shuts down for six months. This week, free agency begins. Players with expiring contracts can explore the market and sign for new NFL clubs, filling needs for rosters while earning a nice paycheck as well. Since the Super Bowl, there have been many headline transactions across the league, and there will be more to come in the coming week.
This week on Franchise Quarterback, we discuss the jaw-dropping trades which have occurred this offseason, the Browns astonishing moves recently, and where Kirk Cousins will play football next season.

Let's Make a Deal!

Free agency has not even started, yet there has not been a shortage of blockbuster trades in the offseason already. The Redskins got off to a head start when they traded for Alex Smith during Super Bowl week, and trades have been happening since. Here are the most notable trades that have occurred this offseason:

• LE Michael Bennett from the Seahawks to the Eagles
• CB Aqib Talib from the Broncos to the Rams
• CB Marcus Peters from the Chiefs to the Rams
• LB Alec Ogletree from the Rams to the Giants
• OLB Robert Quinn from the Rams to the Dolphins
• WR Torrey Smith (Eagles) traded for CB Daryl Worley (Panthers)

Marcus Peters of the Chiefs traded to the Rams for future draft picks

All of these trades sure make for big headlines in the league for this time of year. But the reason for so many trades is that the free agency class this year is weak and uninspiring compared to previous years. Apart from Kirk Cousins, the big names include WR Allen Robinson, WR Sammy Watkins, LG Andrew Norwell, DT, Sheldon Richardson, CB Kyle Fuller, CB Trumaine Johnson, and CB Malcolm Butler. 

Teams are calling other teams hoping to acquire players on other rosters instead of signing players who are free agents because the quality of the players on the open market is not sufficient to fill big holes for many NFL clubs. So while the many trades are fun and splashy, expect less blockbuster free agent deals to talk about this offseason. 

Are the Browns Playing Madden?

The Browns have been the talk of the town all weekend. On Friday, they made three huge, video-game trades for quality starters, which included CB Damarious Randall, WR Jarvis Landry, and most significantly, QB Tyrod Taylor.

The Achilles heel for the Browns for decades in their franchise history has been the mediocrity at quarterback. Tyrod Taylor comes into Cleveland from Buffalo, where he snapped the longest playoff drought in the NFL last season. But it was the NFL's worst secret that the Bills were looking to move on from Taylor, and that was never more apparent than when he was benched midseason in the thick of a playoff race for a rookie making his first career start, Nathan Peterman.

Former Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor traded to the Browns for a third round pick in 2018

The league responded with confusion and scrutiny, because Taylor was a solid quarterback who did not throw interceptions and could make plays with his arms and legs. But the problem that the Bills had with him was that he was too conservative, and did not give his receivers chances to make plays. Nor could he win a game by himself, which is a trait you need to be considered a franchise quarterback. In three years as the Bills starter, the Bills won 4 games when they trailed by 5 or more points at any point during the game. Think about that for a second.

There is a reason that the Bills traded Taylor to the NFL's worst team. Sure, Taylor is an upgrade over what the Browns have right now, and he will wow Browns fans with highlight reel plays to inspire a team desperate to win a game these days, but the Browns are still far from relevancy.

The Kirk Cousins Sweepstakes

The number one free agent on the market this offseason is undoubtably Kirk Cousins. In three seasons as the Redskins starter, Cousins has thrown for 13,176 passing yards and 81 touchdowns. Cousins will be 30 next season, and in the prime of his career. Now on the open market, Cousins has the opportunity to decide where he will play for the foreseeable future. The three leading teams for Cousins at the moment are the Jets, Broncos, and Vikings. 

Denver and Minnesota both have great defenses, and weapons on offense to allow Cousins to excel. However, Denver has a weak offensive line, and that could hurt him. They also have the lowest amount of money to spend this offseason, which may limit Cousins to a salary which he could do better than with say, the Jets. The Jets have over $75 million in cap, and they have shown that they will be aggressive in attempting to sign Cousins, and are willing to break the bank to ink his signature. But the Jets have the weakest roster. They also play the Patriots twice a year. The Vikings are seemingly the most optimistic plug and play option. The Vikings have a hole at quarterback which Cousins can undoubtably fill, and they can pay him big money as well. 

Cousins has a massive decision to make in the next few days. There are many factors which will go into it, including the city, the talent on the roster, and how much money he could make. Make no mistake, the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes are the most interesting race for a free agent this offseason.




Works Cited

Hughes, Connor, and Connor Hughes. “Tyrod Taylor's Benching Could Have Big Impact on Jets' Draft, Free Agency Plans.” NJ.com, NJ.com, 15 Nov. 2017, www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2017/11/tyrod_taylors_benching_could_have_big_impact_on_je.html.
“Is Chiefs Corner Marcus Peters a Trade Target 49ers Should Consider?” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 19 Feb. 2018, ninerswire.usatoday.com/2018/02/19/is-chiefs-corner-marcus-peters-a-trade-target-49ers-should-consider/.