Washington Redskins: Tagging and trading Kirk Cousins is a no-go
By Ian Cummings
In terms of feasibility, a tag and trade of Kirk Cousins was unlikely from the start. But in the wake of the trade for Alex Smith, such a move is officially and unequivocally a no-go.
In theory, tagging and trading would be a genius move. Acquire your quarterback of the near future for a cheaper price, and trade away your old quarterback for what should be fruitful compensation.
But the Washington Redskins will bear no fruit from Kirk Cousins when it’s all said and done. A tag and trade scenario is now unattainable, for several reasons.
First, financially, it would never work. The Washington Redskins, by the start of the league year, would have around $35 million left in salary cap, assuming the Alex Smith trade does not fall through. To tag Cousins, they would have to use nearly all of that space up, and until they could find a trade partner, that number would drastically hinder their abilities to re-sign key players. As NBC Mid-Atlantic’s Rich Tandler pointed out, Kirk Cousins would also get in their way himself.
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Additionally, teams across the NFL know that the Washington Redskins are at the end of their rope. They know that even if the Washington Redskins tag Cousins, they wouldn’t be able to keep him. It would create a rather awkward quarterback situation in 2018, and it would destroy the team’s Teams will simply wait for Cousins to be released, and when he is, they will be circling the water like sharks.
Teams have a chance to grab Cousins without giving away any draft capital. They’re not going to give the Washington Redskins anything if they don’t have to.
Next: What does Alex Smith's arrival mean for the Redskins' offense?
The Washington Redskins made the best out of a bad situation by trading for Alex Smith, but they also extinguished whatever options they had left, pertaining to Kirk Cousins. The only thing they’ll get from losing Cousins is a compensatory third round pick from the league in 2019. But as far as options go, this team has run dry. They’ve got their next quarterback, and they have an answer at the quarterback position. Now, the only thing left to do is let Kirk Cousins go. There’s nothing else they can do.