The Washington Redskins are preparing to officially move on from Robert Griffin III and commit to Kirk Cousins. After a breakout year in 2015, Cousins has cemented himself as the starting quarterback for the team, but there is one issue as his contract expires this offseason. While the Redskins have expressed their desire to retain Cousins for the long-term, determining a number could be tough and the quarterback has no desire in a franchise tag.
Redskins general Scot McCloughan told the media that Washington had no plans on breaking the bank for one guy. That statement was likely in regards to the upcoming contract extensions for Cousins that could get tricky. Cousins took Washington to the playoffs, but he really only has one season of success under his belt. Determining a number for that will not be easy which is where the franchise tag could come into discussion for the Redskins and Cousins.
"We're going to do what's best for him and the organization," McCloughan said, via ESPN.com. "We've got 52 other guys that are good players and we've got some young guys we need to extend. We won't break the bank for one guy. We have to take care of the organization and the roster. We're going to win because of [every player], we're not going to win because of one."
According to Spotrac.com, Cousins could command a contract worth $18 million per season. The Redskins have a lot of decisions to make in free agency this year including deals for Alfred Morris and Terrance Knighton. ESPN.com reports that Morris is not likely to return in 2016 as the Redskins expect him to command more money than they are willing to pay. It is unclear what will happen with Knighton should Washington use their franchise tag on Cousins.
The quarterback believes he is worth a long-term contract and will not back down in negotiations just because his resume is thin. Cousins told the media that he is focused on building on the success of 2015 where he threw 29 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. Downplaying the talk about his contract, Cousins just said his work on the field speaks for itself.
"I don't have any expectations," Cousins said, via ESPN.com. "I just go forward knowing my job was to play football the best I could and whatever I do on the field will speak for itself. I just play football and try to find completions and avoid sacks and protect the football and win games. Hopefully I can do that at a high level. We'll let the rest take care of itself."
As the Redskins work out their contract issues, Morris could be a victim this offseason along with either DeSean Jackson or Pierre Garcon. According to the Washington Post, either one of the receivers could get released to clear up cap space. Garcon would save the team more money, but the front office loves him. Jackson is the better playmaker. That talk could get interesting.
