Kirk Cousins, Let Me Help You Find Your Next Team!

Washington Redskins you are going to remain inconsistent for a while!

  Since the millennium, Washington Redskins have been one of the worst franchises in the league. In the last twenty years, Redskins have had only five seasons with a record of over .500. They have had only three seasons with double-digit wins since 1998. Their problem isn't similar to the Cleveland Browns, that they can't find talent. Redskins know how to find talent, it's just that they can't sustain and build around it. One area where they have struggled the most is the quarterback position. It seemed like they fixed their issue of finding the right quarterback with the 2012 draft. Redskins with the second overall pick drafted Robert Griffin III after they traded a king's ransom of several draft picks to get the second overall pick. RG3 had an incredible rookie year, in which he led his team to a 10-6 record and a home playoff game. It seemed like that the Redskins had found their first franchise quarterback since Joe Theismann, who last played for Redskins in 1985. However, RG3 wasn't the quarterback that coach Mike Shanahan wanted to select for his team in 2012 draft. Three rounds later in the same draft, the Washington Redskins selected Kirk Cousins with the 102nd pick. Coach Shanahan believed that Cousins had the potential to become a franchise quarterback and take the Redskins deep into the playoffs for the next ten to twelve years. Kirk Cousins had to wait and sit behind RG3 for three years. It was an injury to RG3 before the start of the 2015 season which allowed Kirk Cousins to take over the team's starting quarterback position. Cousins just did not become the team's starting quarterback, he became the leader of the team.

  The 2015 season started slowly for Cousins and Redskins, but then came week seven. That week, Cousins and Redskins went up against Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who had dominated most of the game. Buccaneers had taken a 24-0 nothing lead against the Redskins at Washington by the second quarter. Then Cousins made history for his Redskins. He brought the Redskins back from their largest deficit ever and helped them win the game 31-30 after he threw the game-winning touchdown to Jordan Reed. It was that win which introduced Cousins to the football world and it was that game which started the 'You Like That' trend by Cousins. That 2015 season and then the two seasons after that, Cousins started every single game for the Redskins. Cousins in those seasons went 9-7, 8-7-1, and 7-9 respectively. It was only in 2015 season in which Cousins was able to lead his Redskins to the playoffs. He didn't get them to the playoffs in 2016 and 2017, but all the blame can't be put on Cousins for not finding success for his Redskins in those years. Cousins since taking over as the quarterback of the Redskins has passed for over 4000 yards in three straight seasons, and in each of those seasons, he has completed at least 64 percent of his passes. Last year for the 2017-18 season, Cousins put up similar numbers as he did in 2015 and 2016, but he did it without Pierre Garcon and Desean Jackson, who were his top two receivers from the prior two seasons. He also played eleven to twelve games without his pro bowl tight end, Jordan Reed. One could say Cousins did put up good stats last year, but they were empty calories, as his team finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs. Well, we all know Drew Brees is going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer for what he has done with his incredible career. However, do you all know what his team's record was for the seasons between 2014-2016? Until this past season, Brees led his New Orleans Saints to 7-9, 7-8, and 7-9 respectively. So what does that mean? Does that mean Drew Brees is a mediocre quarterback? Heck no, he had no running game and his defense was atrocious. So we didn't put any blame on Drew Brees for not leading his team to the playoffs and having a decent record for three straight seasons, why do that to Kirk Cousins?

  Washington Redskins' management just never believed in Cousins. Owner Daniel Synder was in love with Robert Griffin III, before and after Redskins drafted. Synder never showed any emotions or love for Cousins. RG3 never played a full season for the Redskins. Even in his rookie season when RG3 led the team to the playoffs, he missed one game. Cousins had three straight seasons in which he played all sixteen games for the Redskins. Yet, Cousins never got the admiration which he deserved. He did everything to deserve a big long-term contract from the Redskins organization. Kirk Cousins, it is time for you to go and play for a new team. When you get to your new team, play so great that you end up making the Redskins regret what they did to you and letting you go for an average quarterback like Alex Smith.


So where should Captain Kirk go?

  There are only four teams Kirk Cousins should consider going. Those four teams are Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and the Minnesota Vikings. Two teams are far from competing for a title, and two teams could become instant Super Bowl team once Cousins gets inserted into their lineup.

Why should Cousins sign with the Cleveland Browns? Okay, I understand they have been easily the worst franchise among all thirty-two franchises since they came back into the league in 1999, and managed to go 1-31 in the last two seasons, but they have talent and assets to become a presence in the NFL Browns have players like Myles Garrett, Jabrill Peppers, Jamie Collins Sr, Danny Shelton, Duke Johnson Jr., Josh Gordon, and others who are young and could develop into pro-bowl players. Browns just don't have young talented players, they have a bunch of draft picks this year. They also own two of the top four picks in this year's draft. Besides all that, there is a lot of cap room available for the Cleveland Browns to spend. If Cousins does sign with the Browns, he would get paid with big bucks. The Browns are in a position to pay Cousins more than any other team who are in need of a quarterback, in this upcoming free agency. Once the Browns get to sign Kirk Cousins, they could build around him with other free agents and with their draft picks this year. With Cousins, Browns might not become an instant Super Bowl team, but they will become a really good team. They would finally be able to challenge the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and the Cincinnati Bengals for the AFC North division title. The Cleveland Browns have never won the AFC North crown. The last time Browns won a division title was in 1989 when they played in AFC Central division. That division doesn't exist anymore. Browns need Cousins, more than Cousins need them.

  How would Cousins fit with the gang green? I could see him yell 'you like J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS.' The New York Jets have said that they are willing to pay whatever Kirk Cousins desire from them. New York Media and the money sounds exciting, but Cousins should pass on their offer. There are two reasons why he should pass on the Jets big time offer. First of all, the Jets roster isn't as good as it was in the years 2009 and 2010, or even as good as it was in 2015 when they went 10-6. Secondly, the New York Jets' management is as bad as the Washington Redskins, if not worst. Jets' management has never produced a team which was good for a stretch of five to six years. Jets since 2010, the year when they went to their second straight AFC title game, have had a regular season record of 46-66. Kirk everyone understands the money that the Jets could give you, but do you believe in your heart that you could succeed with a team which is twenty games under the .500 mark in the last seven years? Going to the Jets would mean you leaving one bad management for the other who was willing to pay more than the previous one.

How about the Denver Broncos? Initially, I thought that the Denver Broncos were the only option for Kirk Cousins to sign with this upcoming offseason. Broncos' management is way better than both the Browns and the Jets. The Broncos might not be able to give the money which Cousins could get from the Browns or the Jets, but they have a great roster and overall team to offer to Kirk Cousins. While Browns have players who have potential to pro-bowl players, the Broncos already have former and current pro bowl players on their roster. They have players like Von Miller ( a former Super Bowl MVP), Derek Wolfe, Chris Harris Jr., Brandon Marshall, C.J Anderson, Emmanuel Sanders, Demaryius Thomas, and others. If Cousins sign with the Broncos, they will instantly become a Super Bowl team and certainly the favorites to win the AFC West Division. However, there is one issue. The roster is loaded with talent, but it isn't sustainable. The Seattle Seahawks were one of the best teams in the NFC for a four-year stretch, but they started to fall after the 2014 season. That was because some of their players started to ask for big contracts and others got old. Denver Broncos are in the same phase too now. Aqib Talib their second best corner, might get released by John Elway because he is getting old and his production isn't worth what the Broncos will have to pay him next year. Plus if Broncos really want Cousins, they will have to pay him a lot. Cousins' big contract would force the Broncos to trade or cut some of their key players who helped them win a Super Bowl in the 2015-2016 season. The Broncos management will really need to use this upcoming draft to get solid players to replace some of their current players which they are going to lose in free agency if they go after Cousins. So if Kirk Cousins is planning to go the Denver Broncos, he will have only two to three years at max to compete for a Super Bowl title.

Minnesota is where you need to go, Cousins.

  A team that goes 13-3 and all the way to the championship game with its third-string quarterback means, it is a loaded team with great players. The Minnesota Vikings just didn't go to the championship without its top two quarterbacks. The team was also without its young rookie running back, Dalvin Cook who had shown a lot of promise in the first four weeks of the season before he got hurt. Vikings have talent all over the roster. They have players like Stephon Diggs, Eric Kendricks, Shariff Floyd, Harrison Smith, Adam Thielen, Linval Joseph, Andrew Sendejo, Xavier Rhodes, and so many other talented players. In my opinion, the Minnesota Vikings easily have a top five general manager in the league. Most of the players I just mentioned, were drafted in the past five to six drafts. If Cousins chooses to go to Minnesota to play for the Vikings, Cousins and his new team will become a lock to dominate the league for the next four to five years. Vikings' defense last year finished number one in scoring, and they have great weapons on offense with Stephon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph, and Dalvin Cook. In Minnesota, Cousins wouldn't have to worry about contracts of other key players expiring, or if those players are getting too old. Vikings do have couple old players, but the majority of them are young. Also, Cousins could count on Vikings general manager to pick up more good players in the free agent market and the upcoming draft. Besides having great players on their roster, Vikings have one thing in favor which the Browns, the Jets, or the Broncos don't have to offer. Vikings have a head coach in Mike Zimmer who is experienced in the playoffs. He is the only head coach among the four head coaches to compete in the playoffs against the top teams.

  Minnesota Vikings have a history of putting together very good teams. In the last twenty years, they have put together four great teams at four different times. First, they build around Cris Carter and Randy Moss in the late 90s and early 2000s. Then, they build around Brett Favre in 2008, when Favre was a forty-year-old quarterback. Then in the seasons of 2012-2015, Vikings put together a very balanced team with Adrian Peterson leading the way. Finally, last season, they had a great talented team which went all the way to the NFC Title game with Case Keenum as its quarterback. Kirk Cousins should take a note of the Vikings' history of putting together such amazing teams in the last two decades. This year if he does go to Minnesota, (which he should) the expectations for the Vikings will be to one of the top teams in the league and represent NFC in the Super Bowl. If Case Keenum could take the Vikings to NFC Title game with no Dalvin Cook, imagine what Kirk Cousins with Dalvin Cook could do for the Vikings? Cousins don't look any further, just go to Minnesota.