Don’t Expect Redskins Quarterback Kirk Cousins to Land with the 49ers
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers need a quarterback this offseason, and Washington Redskins QB Kirk Cousins is a possible target. But don’t expect any Cousins-to-SF deal to happen in 2017.
If you’re one of those hoping the San Francisco 49ers pull off some sort of move to land Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason, you better curb your enthusiasm.
Yes, the Niners need a quarterback in a bad way. Colin Kaepernick’s future with the franchise remains up in the air, and fellow QBs Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder and Thad Lewis are hitting the free-agent market. It makes little sense to bring any of the latter possibilities back.
So Cousins, a free agent as well, to San Francisco makes sense, right? After all, the Niners are going to have a plethora of cash to throw at the 28-year-old veteran.
San Francisco 49ers
Not so fast.
Sure, ESPN’s Jason Reid hinted Cousins might want out of Washington sooner rather than later. But the reality is it’s not Cousins’ decision to make.
The ball is in the Redskins’ court, and they have options.
First, Washington could re-sign Cousins to a long-term — and likely lucrative — deal this offseason. Knowing the market for NFL-ready quarterbacks is slim, and this year’s NFL Draft class isn’t particularly good, the Redskins would surely have to give the quarterback substantially more than the $19.953 million Cousins made on a franchise tag in 2016.
More likely, Washington isn’t ready to commit to a long-term deal. Not yet at least, which means another franchise tag is in order.
What the 49ers Would Have to Give Up
Let’s cross off the possibility Cousins hits the open market, since that doesn’t seem likely at all.
The next question is what kind of franchise tag the Redskins would apply. If it’s the exclusive kind, Cousins is off the market completely and sticks around in Washington for 2017. End of story.
But if the Redskins apply the non-exclusive tag, San Francisco could make an offer.
Here’s the catch though. Non-exclusive franchise tags would require the Niners to match what Cousins would make under a second tag. Considering their cap space, this wouldn’t be too bad a problem. But when factoring in NFL Draft compensation, it gets much trickier.
Let’s assume, for a moment, Washington doesn’t want to match the franchise-tag offer. The 49ers would have to send off two first-round draft picks to the Redskins in exchange four Cousins.
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That would include this year’s No. 2 overall pick and a 2018 selection too.
It’s a lofty price, and one which made Chris Biderman of USA Today’s Niners Wire view the deal as “extremely slim.”
Biderman also notes how it’s much more feasible for San Francisco to take a run at Cousins in 2018, when he’s likely an unrestricted free agent, and the notion Washington won’t go the franchise-tag route three years in a row.
If we add up all the facts and speculation, Cousins won’t be in Santa Clara in 2017. The starting QB role falls on someone else.