Bruce Allen insists Kirk Cousins will remain with Redskins
By Donny Starr
Washington Redskins President Bruce Allen wants you to know that everything you’ve heard is very different from the present reality.
Yes, Bruce Allen finally spoke to the media and as expected, attempted to pour water on all the rumors about Kirk Cousins, contract negotiations, and trade talks. In a recent interview with CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Redskins Insider JP Finlay, Allen doesn’t appear to have a care in the world when discussing the situation.
For the past couple of months, speculation has run wild. Reports surfaced about Cousins approaching Redskins owner Dan Snyder about being traded. Possibilities the Cleveland Browns might be interested in a deal for Cousins, to office politics run aground. Allen played off the rumors and said how he and Cousins laugh at what they hear. “I can’t keep up with the rumors. We haven’t talked to anyone,” Allen said.
When it comes to Cousins being the starter for the 2017 season he was short, only saying, “That’s why we franchised him”. He added, “Our goal from the beginning is to sign him long-term. July 15 is the league-wide deadline to get that done and I’m still hopeful and confident we’ll do it.”
From one vantage point, fans could believe this will help clear the air, bring some peace to what has been a crazy off season. From a strategical point of view, he could be positioning the team in a better light to acquire more players from the Free Agency. With the 2017 NFL Draft on the horizon, Bruce Allen needs to re-market the team from being viewed as a complete disaster to a perfectly well-oiled machine. That will take speaking more to the public and being clear on what the way ahead looks like through his eyes. His interview keeps the Redskins franchise relevant enough to attract attention to possible GM candidates watching from a distance. No one will work for chaos. Allen needs to fix that persona.