Just how much will quarterback Kirk Cousins make when he hits the open market next month, and what could the contract he signs look like?
We asked NFL Nation reporters to make their best offer -- on behalf of the teams they cover -- to the most-coveted free agent, who won't be back in Washington after the Redskins traded for Alex Smith.
We wanted specifics and perspective, so the offers below are based on what each reporter believes their team's front office will do, and how said team views free agents and quarterbacks.
We then had ESPN NFL Insider Mike Sando take on the role of Cousins' agent and pick the best offer for his client. Check out which one he picked here.
Go to each offer:
Jets | Vikings | Browns | Jaguars
Broncos | Cardinals | Bills
Total years and value: Five for $150 million
Average per year: $30 million
Full guarantee at signing: $72 million
Total guarantee: $90 million
Three-year payout: $52 million after Year 1, $72 million after Year 2, $90 million after Year 3.
The Jets can make Cousins the highest-paid player in the league without significantly hurting their ability to build a strong supporting cast around him. They have approximately $73 million in salary-cap room, and that amount will exceed $90 million once they're finished with veteran cuts. In other words, they have the flexibility to address their biggest needs on offense -- center, tight end and wide receiver. They can welcome Cousins to New Jersey with a nice housewarming gift in the form of Allen Robinson or another playmaker.
-
The quarterback is a pending free agent, and the Redskins just traded for Alex Smith, which means Cousins could become the NFL's highest-paid player in 2018. You like that?! Here's where he could land.
-
Take a spin through the 2018 QB merry-go-round by matching up the signal-callers who could be available this offseason with the teams that need help.
-
While the Jaguars are believed to be interested in Kirk Cousins, the stats indicate they may be better off sticking with the less-pricey Blake Bortles.
2 Related
You'll notice the first-year cash payout is $52 million -- $1 million more than Lions QB Matthew Stafford received on his record-setting deal last year. The Jets are in a unique position; they can afford to front-load the contract with a huge roster bonus, absorbing a massive cap hit ($36 million) in Year 1. That will result in lower cap hits in subsequent years.
Looking into the future, they will have the same flexibility in 2019, as no key players will be eligible for free agency. They can continue to build the foundation without having to worry about dumping contracts to stay under the cap. Yes, there are holes in the lineup, but it's a young team on the rise. Only one current starter is over 30 -- nose tackle Steve McLendon. They unloaded most of the deadwood last year, cleaning up the cap in the process.
If scheme familiarity is important, this is the place. New offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates will install Mike Shanahan's version of the West Coast offense. It should be old hat for Cousins, who played under Shanahan in 2012-13 with the Redskins. Knowing the playbook will make the transition to a new city and a new team that much easier. Bates is from the Shanahan coaching tree, the same tree that produced 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and the Rams' Sean McVay. Bates sees the game the same way as them, and that will create a comfort level that can't be duplicated anywhere else.
Lastly, there's legacy. The fan base, hungry for a Super Bowl after a 49-year drought, is waiting to throw its arms around a savior. A total of 30 quarterbacks have started for the Jets in the post-Joe Namath era, only four of whom have produced a winning record, let alone a championship. Cousins can change that and be remembered forever. -- Rich Cimini, ESPN Jets reporter
Total years and value: Four for $116 million
Average per year: $29 million
Full guarantee at signing: $65 million
Total guarantee: $95 million
Three-year payout: $52 million after Year 1, $68 million after Year 2, $89 million after Year 3.
If the Broncos want to sign Cousins, they will have to make him the NFL's highest-paid player and give him one of the biggest contracts in league history. Why? Just look at San Francisco's Jimmy Garoppolo and his $137.5 million deal with seven NFL starts on his résumé.
Cousins' camp will almost certainly put the asking price at something close to a $30 million per year average and Stafford's $60.5 million fully guaranteed at signing -- still the highest total of any deal. That's where the Broncos will have to be to get it done, especially if the Jets or Browns, with far more cap room, are willing to go big. The Broncos already have a nine-digit contract on the books in linebacker Von Miller's $114.5 million deal. He is set to enter Year 3 of the six-year contract.
Why should Cousins choose Denver? The Broncos will sell Peyton Manning's tenure, as they are the only team in the running for Cousins that once signed a high-profile quarterback in free agency and kept their promise to build a roster around him. The result was two Super Bowl trips in four years for Manning, one Super Bowl win, and another free-agency binge in 2014 that reeled in receiver Emmanuel Sanders, DeMarcus Ware, safety T.J. Ward and cornerback Aqib Talib. If Broncos GM and executive VP of football operations John Elway tells Cousins the Broncos will do what's necessary to build around the quarterback -- and they already have a top-five defense -- the proof is in the trophy case.
If Denver is going to keep the roster deep and talented, it will have to cap Cousins' offer in that $30 million per year range and try to lure Cousins with more guarantees. Stafford's deal has $92 million in potential total guarantees, and the Broncos guaranteed almost every dollar in Manning's four-year contract in 2012 to snag the future Hall of Famer.
Denver did the same with Miller in negotiations, sticking to the $114.5 million total and closing the deal by increasing the guarantees.
The Broncos will have to create some room to sign Cousins; they have approximately $26 million in cap space. Veteran players such as Talib ($11 cap space created if released) and running back C.J. Anderson ($4.5 million in cap space created if released) would be at the front of the line. -- Jeff Legwold, ESPN Broncos reporter
Total years and value: Five for $140 million
Average per year: $28 million
Full guarantee at signing: $65 million
Total guarantee: $90 million
Three-year payout: $45 million after Year 1, $65 million after Year 2, $90 million after Year 3.
The Vikings have their chance to (finally) sign a long-term option at quarterback. Minnesota has the eighth-most cap space of all teams with an estimated $57 million, which means it could allocate upward of $30 million in 2018 for a quarterback.
If the Vikings choose not to re-sign any of their upcoming free-agent quarterbacks (Case Keenum, Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford), Cousins could be the primary target. The sweet spot for the team is around the $28 million per year for Cousins, who has performed at a consistent level the past three years, doesn't have a history of injuries, and has the potential to be a franchise quarterback and put Minnesota over the top.
Minnesota likely cannot offer as much as teams with more cap room. The Vikings have several young and talented players -- receiver Stefon Diggs, linebacker Anthony Barr, linebacker Eric Kendricks, cornerback Trae Waynes and defensive end Danielle Hunter -- due for extensions in 2019 and will be tight against the cap even if they don't sign a quarterback to a huge deal.
But the Vikings' offer is strong for a few reasons. Take a look at all the weapons Cousins would have on offense, in addition to being backed by the league's top defense. And with the return of a healthy Dalvin Cook, the Vikings will add even more playmaking. Another bonus? If playing closer to home/family is on his wish list, the Michigan native/Michigan State grad will always be guaranteed a yearly trip to play in Detroit. Although Cousins has no history with new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, the former Eagles assistant is seen as a bright offensive mind.
Cousins made it known during Super Bowl week that he wants to go to a team that can help him achieve success quickly. Minnesota made it to the NFC Championship Game last season and is poised to return stronger in 2018. What solidifies how far the Vikings will be able to go is whom they have under center. -- Courtney Cronin, ESPN Vikings reporter
Total years and value: Five for $140 million
Average per year: $28 million
Full guarantee at signing: $65 million
Total guarantee: $95 million
Three-year payout: $50 million after Year 1, $70 million after Year 2, $95 million after Year 3.
The Jaguars can offer Cousins the money he wants as well as the opportunity to win a Super Bowl. The latter is obvious based on the team's run to the AFC Championship Game last season. The defense was one of the NFL's best -- ranking first against the pass and second in sacks, turnovers and scoring -- and every starter returns in 2018.
Kirk Cousins. Jimmy Graham. Le'Veon Bell. This class could get wild. Here's everything to know heading into free agency, which begins March 14.
• Ranking top 50 potential free agents »
• Looming FA decisions for all 32 teams »
•
• Destination Cousins: Landing spots »
The Jaguars led the NFL in rushing, and with some additional work on the offensive line in the draft and a year of experience for running back Leonard Fournette, their run game should again be the focal point of the offense. Re-signing (or using the franchise tag on) wide receiver Allen Robinson is a priority to give the offense the downfield threat it lacked last season because of his injury. It's a good draft class at tight end, so the Jaguars will boost their talent there, too. That
0 Response to "Seven offers, one winner: Playing out the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes - ESPN"
Post a Comment