Washington Redskins Front Office Is Taking A High Stakes Gamble Either Way With Kirk Cousins

The Washington Redskins have a big decision to make about Kirk Cousins. No matter what they do, they are going to be taking a high stakes gamble.

It seems as though the Washington Redskins have a history of making risky acquisitions. In an article in the Washington Post on December 15, 2010, Jason Reid wrote:

"Imagine a high-stakes poker game with Washington Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan bankrolled by team owner Daniel Snyder."

Reid discussed the risk Shanahan and Snyder were taking by releasing Albert Haynesworth and his $36 million investment. Snyder went all-in on Shanahan and then pulled the plug on him in 2013.

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On January 6, 2015, Chris Russell wrote an article in D.C. Hot Read, entitled, “Redskins are Playing High Stakes Poker” and discussed the hiring of Scot McCloughan. He wrote:

"When it becomes official, if it becomes official, Scot McCloughan will be the new General Manager of the Washington Redskins and even if it is a miserable failure, Bruce Allen and Dan Snyder will have hit a grand slam on the surface and at the very minimum, they gave it a mighty swing and still fell short."

Now, it appears we may be seeing “High Stakes Poker” episode three and it may involve all of the players involved in episodes one and two. In the current version of the game Snyder, Allen, and McCloughan have gone all in on Kirk Cousins. If in fact this is episode three, they have pushed in their whole stack of chips hoping to make Kyle Shanahan show his hand. According to sources, they have stated that they will not trade Cousins unless they are blown away. The haul they gave away for Robert Griffin was apparently mentioned.

Must Read: Figuring Out The Next Step For Washington Redskins, Kirk Cousins

Shanahan is thought to very much want Cousins. We will now find out just how much. If he wants him to the tune of two first round draft picks including this year’s No. 2 pick (and not trading first round picks) the Redskins would listen and their gamble could pay off. But if Shanahan does not really want Kirk that much, the gamble will implode like so many others. The Redskins will be unable to address their glaring defensive weaknesses and they will struggle to finish near .500 next year before losing Cousins to free agency next year.

But there is another possibility and its even worse. Dan Snyder may not being playing high stakes poker at all. He may simply not want Shanahan to turn around the hapless San Francisco 49ers with the Redskins former quarterback. If the team traded Cousins and began to flounder, then the whole front office would look foolish.

Next: Scot McCloughan Not At Combine Due To Family Issue

I hope we are playing high stakes poker and not the other option. A trade with a haul coming east would probably be the best for two proud franchises. Only time will tell.

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