The Washington Redskins have key free agents hitting the market this offseason in Kirk Cousins and Alfred Morris. The Redskins reportedly will try and sign Cousins to a long-term contract, while Morris could be allowed to walk in free agency.
Cousins led the Redskins to the playoffs this season after being named the starter over Robert Griffin by head coach Jay Gruden and now he could be in line for a big contract. General manager Scot McCloughan spoke with the Washington Post about the situation and said that the team is interested in keeping Cousins on a long-term deal. McCloughan admitted that using the franchise tag is a possibility if the two sides can't work out a contract before the deadline.
McCloughan said he would "rather not" go the route of using the franchise tag to keep working on a long-term deal with Cousins, but that is an option the team may consider. Cousins could be a strong target on the free agent market if he is allowed to get there and that is one reason why the team may use the franchise tag. Robert Griffin and his future in Washington appears done, making Cousins a priority for the Redskins this offseason.
According to CSN Washington, team president Bruce Allen said that the Redskins have opened up contract talks with Cousins this offseason. The franchise tag for Cousins is expected to be around $20 million, but the Redskins are hoping to work out a long term deal instead. Cousins had a strong season with 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing close to 70 percent of his passes and now Washington wants to build around him for the future.
The team likely will release Robert Griffin this offseason after pushing Cousins as the starter, as Griffin has a $16 million option for next season. The option will become guaranteed on March 9 when the new league year begins, so the Redskins have a month to decide what they want to do with the quarterback. The Redskins also could consider releasing DeSean Jackson after the wide receiver dealt with injury issues this season.
Rich Tandler at CSN Washington writes that Jackson's future with the Redskins is "back up in the air" and his $9.25 million cap hit could make him an offseason casualty for the team. Cutting Jackson would save over $6 million for the Redskins. The team has Alfred Morris hitting the market and as things stand now, it's unlikely that the Redskins will bring back the running back unless he comes in at a below-market rate. Allen spoke with the Post about the situation and said that if Morris "gets a great contract, we're going to applaud him. If not, we'll see what happens with us."