And more importantly, are the Kirk Cousins contract negotiations going to be as easy as some fans assume they will be?
On both fronts, consider me “hopeful” without making any great assumptions.
First off, standing ovation to “Scot with one-T” for a draft that looks poised to be the first of several building blocks for the future. Picking a G as high as he did, was a slight reach, but it’s paying off. Meanwhile, the first four picks (Scherff, Smith, Jones and Crowder) all look like near-future “every down players” for this team, and some of the later picks may still pan out.
Now the big off-season move will be signing Kirk. Maybe that’s all Bruce Allen and the owner, maybe not. And while everyone thinks – because Kirk’s a nice guy – that he’s not going to ask for crazy “Aaron Rodgers money.”
But you never know. Reports are Sam Bradford started out with the Eagles this winter with “how about $25 million… per year.” GTFO!
I explain in this week’s SFBFTD Podcast why we should NOT assume Kirk is going to take a team friendly deal, and the impossibility of him playing next year under the franchise tag.
Okay, not impossible. But it’s just.. NEVER BEEN DONE! Since the NFL instituted the “franchise tag” in 2007, a total of 82 players have actually played a full season under it. (Some get hit with it, and then a long term deal is negotiated to replace it.) NONE have been QB’s. Thirteen have been kickers.
So yeah, you can keep Kirk from running out of the room with the franchise tag, but he can’t play under it in 2016. He can’t. The cost is absurd – it will likely be close to $20 million – and the optics and message it sends is terrible. “Hey, nice season kid. We don’t believe it. Do it again!”
In the meantime, sit back and enjoy this week’s episode, which includes..
– The infuriating return of “Good Enough Andy”
– Czabe’s rage over the $5.6 billion metro “Silver Line”
– Who ever says “let’s draft some pussies!”
– It’s time for Bruce Allen to earn his money
– Andy’s random Redskins-centric Super Bowl stories….
Oh, and why George Allen was worried about “sun position” in advance of the big game against the Dolphins, in 1972.
Captain Kirk might just WANT to bet on himself and play under the franchise tag. First of all, the approx $20 million would be 100% guaranteed money. Then it would lead to an unrestricted open market in 2017. So even if he doesn’t improve, he could still get the same deal that he would’ve gotten now.