It looks like the odds are good that quarterback Kirk Cousins is going to play out the year on the franchise tag and try for a long-term contract with the Redskins next year, something he recently said he doesn’t deserve unless he plays well in 2016.
Cousins believes his chances of having that kind of season are good in large part because of the players who will be catching his passes this year. The Redskins added first-round pick Josh Doctson to DeSean Jackson, Jamison Crowder and Pierre Garcon at wide receiver and they have Jordan Reed coming off of a breakout season at tight end, leaving Cousins feeling like he’s in position to look good thanks to what they can do with the ball.
“When you’ve got talent around you, some average quarterbacks can look pretty good, and vice versa,” Cousins said, via the team’s website. “When you’re a very, very talented quarterback, if you don’t have a lot of guys out there to help you, it’s going to be tough to look the part. Fortunately, I’m one of those guys who has a lot at my disposal. ... Just get them the ball, just get the assist, put the ball in their hands, and they’re going to make us right. And they’re going to make our offense look good. Can’t wait to spread it around.”
Cousins’ biggest problem before he caught fire in the second half of last season was turning the ball over, something that should happen less often if he is making safe throws that get the ball into someone else’s hands so that they can make plays down the field. The Redskins have the players to make that approach a successful one for the team and potentially a lucrative one for Cousins as well.