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Rumors: Washington Redskins Not Building Team Around Kirk Cousins

By Jacob Camenker

Nov 24, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) in action during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys defeat the Redskins 31-26. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 24, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) in action during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys defeat the Redskins 31-26. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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According to sources, the Washington Redskins are planning on building their team so that it will be strong with or without Kirk Cousins. That means upgrading their defense.

Not a day goes by without some sort of mention of the Kirk Cousins situation in Washington. With the team in general disarray at this point in time, it continues to seem like Cousins does not want to be with the Redskins. Who can blame him though? The team has refused to budge in negotiations, randomly jettisoned their general manager amid front office tensions, and have not been able to build a strong enough defense to help carry the team. Cousins appears to have grown tired of the Redskins, and wants to go play with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco.

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On NFL Network today, Steve Wyche confirmed some of those claims, but went on to say some intriguing things. One was about the way that the Redskins are planning to build their team in the offseason:

"In speaking with someone with the Washington Redskins, they were telling me that they wanted to spend almost the majority of their draft and a majority of their free agent money on defense, because they want to build a team for whether they have Kirk Cousins or not."

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So it appears that the Redskins may be acting as though Cousins is not returning to them. Granted, improving on defense does not necessarily mean that they will not keep Cousins, but the fact is that the defense and run game would have to carry them if Cousins left.

It seems like every quarterback on the market has been connected to the Redskins in some way. The “if Kirk Cousins leaves” camp has been going crazy due to these rumors, and they really should be. Personally, I think that the Redskins would be best served to trade Cousins for the No. 2 overall pick to take Leonard Fournette. If they did that, they could get by with a guy like Jay Cutler at quarterback. Or, better yet, they could trade for a younger quarterback like Jimmy Garoppolo with the No. 17 overall pick.

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Essentially, what Wyche’s comments prove is that the Redskins appear to be preparing themselves to move on from Cousins. That does not mean it will happen, but obviously the organization fears that it is a possibility. If Cousins does leave, they need to ensure that it happens via trade. Otherwise, they would only get a third round compensatory pick for Cousins at the best. The Redskins have a choice to make in the near future, and I would expect to be hearing a lot more about Cousins in the coming months.

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