Redskins Fighting Over Kirk Cousins’ Value
We have a new management structure in Washington, but it appears that everyone is not on the same page. With days to go before the extension deadline, there is internal disagreement over Kirk Cousins’ true value, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. 
[RELATED: Why The Transition Tag Isn’t A Real Option For The Redskins In 2018]
The top decision makers in D.C. have not been aligned on Cousins’ value for years now. In 2015, Jay Gruden had to slug it out with the front office to have Cousins slotted in as the team’s No. 1 quarterback over Robert Griffin III. Heading into the 2016 season, the Redskins missed on an opportunity to sign Cousins to a relatively reasonable multi-year deal, opting instead for the softer commitment of a one-year franchise tender. This time around, Cousins has grounds to become the league’s highest-paid player and management is split on the best course of action.
Both sides are reportedly comfortable with the idea of Cousins playing out the 2017 season for $24MM. After that, the Redskins could cuff Cousins once again via the $28MM transition tag or the $34MM franchise tag. On Friday morning, we explained why the transition tag probably won’t do much for the Redskins.
Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott To Receive Ban?
There is a “growing sense” that Ezekiel Elliott could be hit with a short suspension in the coming weeks, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (video link) reports. The Cowboys running back is personally bracing for the possibility that he could miss the start of the 2017 regular season. 
[RELATED: DeAngelo Williams Rules Out Four Teams, Including Cowboys]
The Cowboys open the season against the rival Giants before facing the Broncos in Week 2. At this time, Schefter gets the feeling that Elliott will miss one, if not both of those games. Still, the NFL has yet to make a final determination on the matter and nothing will be decided until the investigation is wrapped up.
Last year, a woman accused Elliott of abusing her on two separate occasions in 2016. He was never arrested or charged for either supposed incident, but the NFL requires much less evidence to levy punishment than the American legal system. Given the league’s ugly history with domestic violence, they are not taking the accusations against the young star lightly.
Elliott, 22 later this month, ran for a league-leading 1,631 yards off of 322 carries last year with 15 touchdowns. He supplemented that incredible stat line with 32 catches for 363 yards and one score.
Latest On Redskins, Kirk Cousins
The Redskins are looking to lock up Kirk Cousins beyond his one-year, ~$24MM deal, but they are doing so with the knowledge that they can also retain him in 2018 via the transition tag or the franchise tag. The $28MM transition tag would be the cheapest option, but it would not disincentivize teams from signing Cousins to an offer sheet, nor would it give the Redskins any compensation if they choose not to match. 
[RELATED: Redskins, Cousins OK With One-Year Deal]
In fact, the transition tag might not be a viable option for the Redskins at all. Two GMs tell Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) they believe some team out there would use a mammoth roster bonus on Cousins in 2018 to make it hard for the Redskins to match.
Between next year’s projected cap increase and the insane amount of rollover possessed by some teams, it could be very difficult for the Redskins to yank Cousins back after applying the transition tag. The 49ers, who have been connected to Cousins for some time now, will be rolling over nearly $67MM in cap space for 2018. The Browns and Jaguars, two more teams with serious question marks under center, will be rolling over $50MM and $44MM, respectively. The Redskins project to have $54.7MM cap room in 2018, but their rollover amounts will pale in comparison to those clubs and others, putting them at a relative disadvantage.
The Redskins’ only viable approach next offseason might be to use franchise tag. With the exclusive tag, the Redskins can keep teams away from the quarterback and guarantee that he will be in the building for the 2018 season. By using the non-exclusive franchise tag, the Redskins will have the first right of refusal and, if they decline to match an offer sheet, they will be entitled to two first-round picks from the team that signs him. In either case, they’re looking at a one-year, $34MM tender.
Cousins’ camp is well aware of the available cap room that will be out there in 2018 and that is certainly having an impact on negotiations. It has been suggested that a full guarantee of $52MM – the combined value of this year’s franchise tag and next year’s transition tag – could be the floor for talks. Instead, Cousins’ team could be pushing for upwards of $58MM guaranteed at signing, plus aggressive cash flow to give Cousins 70% or more of his money in the first three years of the pact.
If the two sides cannot reach agreement by Monday, they will not be allowed to discuss an extension until after the 2017 season. Right now, an accord seems unlikely.
Redskins, Cousins OK With One-Year Deal
Barring something unforeseen, Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins will play out the 2017 season on his one-year tender. That’s just fine with both Cousins and the team, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. 
The Redskins, of course, have put themselves in a tough position by not signing Cousins to a more reasonable deal when they had the chance. In 2018, Cousins could become the best quarterback to reach the open market in recent memory and the only way the Redskins can stop him is by applying the $28MM transition tag on him or a third consecutive franchise tag at $34MM. The Redskins are facing a very delicate public relations situation here and the best way to save face, at the moment, is for them to act as though they are comfortable with the year-to-year-arrangement.
“Yes,” said Redskins president Bruce Allen back in May asked if his club could use the franchise tag on Cousins again in 2018. “In the collective bargaining agreement, we really have one year and an option that we can do at the end of next season if we don’t get a contract.”
The deadline for the two sides to reach agreement is on Monday July 17. If they cannot shake hands on a multi-year extension, then they will not be able to sign such a deal until after the season has concluded.
Tony Romo “Done” Playing Football
As of late May, most NFL teams believed that retired quarterback Tony Romo would return to the gridiron “sooner” rather “than later.” However, Romo indicated Wednesday that his career is indeed over (via Marc Sessler of NFL.com).
“Like I said before, I’m done,” Romo declared in an interview with NFL Network.
That’s a far cry from Romo’s mindset in April, when he refused to completely rule out a comeback immediately after announcing his retirement and signing with CBS to become its lead color announcer.
“I’m pretty happy and excited about the opportunity that was presented to me,” Romo said Wednesday in regards to joining CBS.
Even though the 37-year-old Romo says he’s content in his new role, speculation about a return to the field could rear its head again if a team loses its starting quarterback to injury in the preseason. That’s what happened to the Cowboys last summer, who saw Romo go down in August with a broken bone in his back. The Cowboys replaced Romo from within, going with backup Dak Prescott – who had a shockingly brilliant rookie season – but only after first kicking the tires on potential starters from outside the organization.
While injuries limited Romo to just four games in 2015 and four passing attempts last year, he drew interest in the offseason from a few teams – including the Texans and Broncos – and said in April he could “play tomorrow” if he wanted to. Now, Houston, Denver and the league’s 30 other teams seem content to go forward with what they have under center, while Romo appears satisfied with his decision to walk away from football.
Latest On Redskins, Kirk Cousins
There has been no movement on an extension between the Redskins and Kirk Cousins, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. A deal is not close and there will not be an agreement until someone budges between now and Monday, Robinson adds. 
[RELATED: Former Agent Suggests $130MM Contract For Cousins]
This latest report is consistent with what we’ve been hearing about talks between Cousins and the Redskins in recent weeks. As of this writing, it sounds like there won’t be extensions ironed out for Cousins, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, or Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson. But, we have to throw in the obvious caveat – things can always change and deadlines tend to spur action.
Cousins has indicated that he is looking to reset the market on a new multi-year deal and he will not be giving the Redskins any form of a hometown discount. In fact, there are rumors that Cousins is extremely unhappy in the nation’s capital and that might mean that there is no amount of money the Redskins can offer him to get him to stay.
Redskins has been hit with the one-year, $24MM franchise tag, representing a 20% increase over the franchise tender he earned in 2016. The Redskins can conceivably retain Cousins again in 2018 with a third straight franchise tag, but that would call for a salary of $34MM. Alternatively, they could control him with the transition tag, but that would still set the Redskins back $28MM and would not entitle them to any form of compensation if he is signed away by a rival club. When considering the combined values of this year’s franchise tag ($24MM) plus the value of a transition tag next year ($28MM), Cousins’ camp must be seeking no less than $52MM in guarantees on a fresh contract.
USC QB Sam Darnold On Draft Decision
Recently, a report indicated that USC quarterback Sam Darnold – the early frontrunner to go No. 1 overall in 2018 – might wait until 2019 to enter the draft. Darnold took to the airwaves this week to deny that any decision was made, but in the process he inadvertently confirmed that he could be holding off on going pro. 
“I’m really just taking it one year at a time honestly,” Darnold said on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “That’s my mindset. I don’t know where he got his information from. I’m really just taking it one year at a time.”
As a redshirt sophomore, Darnold has three years of eligibility remaining, but it has been assumed for some time that he would go pro as soon as he would be allowed. At this point, Darnold is unwilling to commit to that plan and that might be a safeguard against a disappointing season. He could also be laying the framework for getting out of being drafted by a certain team holding the No. 1 overall pick without making it too obvious.
It should be noted that Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen could challenge Darnold for the top spot in the 2018 draft, so it’s not a given that the league’s worst team will select the USC product. Also, there is precedent for quarterbacks steering themselves to the team they want to play for (see: Manning, Eli), so Darnold doesn’t necessarily have to stay in school in order to avoid certain franchises.
DeAngelo Williams Rules Out Four Teams
Earlier this month, DeAngelo Williams told ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter that he wanted to continue playing in 2017. However, he said that there were four mystery teams he refused to play for. The running back has now revealed the identity of those teams (audio link). 
[RELATED: Finding A Fit For RB DeAngelo Williams]
Surprisingly, the Panthers are one of the teams that Williams says he will not sign with. The 34-year-old spent the first nine seasons of his career in Carolina, but he left there with a bad taste in his mouth because of the way his departure played out. He also said that he would not sign with the Cowboys, because he grew up a 49ers fan. The Browns and Jaguars, Williams says, are also not in consideration, because of their losing seasons. Williams was not exactly delicate as he broke down his reasons for crossing off each club.
“They don’t ever show up during the playoffs,” Williams said of the Cowboys. “They always disappear in the playoffs.”
In theory, that leaves 28 teams for Williams to possibly join this summer. However, his age and odometer are clearly working against him as we have heard little chatter around the veteran tailback. They say that beggars can’t be choosers, and Williams is being a chooser in the most unorthodox way by ruling out four teams that he could possibly join.
As of this writing, all four of the teams listed by Williams seem pretty well set at running back. However, if one of those clubs loses an RB to injury this summer, he may regret his words.
Latest On Rams, Trumaine Johnson
They say that deadlines spur action but, so far, the impending July 17 deadline for franchise-tagged players has not brought about progress for the Rams and cornerback Trumaine Johnson. Once again, we have word that a contract extension for Johnson is not in the works (Twitter link via Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports). 
Barring a surprising last-minute change, Johnson will play out the 2017 season on his one-year, $16.742MM franchise tender. Because this is the second consecutive year in which he has been tagged, Johnson’s salary is 20% higher than last year’s, giving him the top salary of any cornerback in the NFL.
Johnson is no slouch, but it’s hard to argue that the 27-year-old should be the highest compensated CB in the league. The Rams know this, but they also felt that they had little choice when it came time to make their big decision this offseason. If the Rams allowed Johnson to test the free agency waters, they would have risked losing two starting cornerbacks in two years.
Meanwhile, Johnson seems very willing to play out the season at his lucrative salary and cash in as a free agent next offseason. Right now, 14 cornerbacks in the NFL are averaging $10MM or more per year. If Johnson plays roughly as well as he has in the last two years, $10MM/ year seems like his worst-case scenario, given that he’ll be entering his age-28 season. If Johnson can take a step forward and establish himself as a shutdown corner, then he just might put himself in the top five at the position.
Chiefs Name Brett Veach As GM
The Chiefs have promoted executive Brett Veach to the role of GM. Veach is now the seventh GM in franchise history. 
“After a comprehensive search process, I am pleased to announce that we have hired Brett Veach to serve as the next General Manager of the Kansas City Chiefs,” Chairman/CEO Clark Hunt said in a press release. “Brett has a sharp football mind, a tremendous work ethic and a keen eye for finding talent. Over the last four seasons he’s played a critical role in building our football team. I look forward to working with him to continue to build on the strong foundation we have in place.”
The Chiefs, to the shock of the football world, found themselves with a GM vacancy this summer when they fired John Dorsey. From the get-go, Veach was identified as a frontrunner for the job. After considering other internal candidates plus some out-of-house types, the Chiefs have found their man.
Veach will report directly to Hunt on all player personnel matters, according to the team. Only time will tell whether that will be the true chain of command in Kansas City. It appears that coach Andy Reid had a good amount of say when it came to the 53-man roster and Veach will probably have to negotiate between his own vision for the team and what Reid wants to do. Fortunately for Veach, he has plenty of experience in that department. The two have a relationship that goes back several years to their time in Philadelphia, including a stint where Veach served as a coaching assistant for Reid.
Before deciding on Veach, the Chiefs also considered co-director of player personnel Mike Borgonzi. Titans director of player personnel Ryan Cowden and Seahawks co-diretor of player personnel Scott Fitterer were among the outside candidates to interview for the job. Vikings assistant GM George Paton turned down the team’s request to interview and ESPN analyst Louis Riddick was reportedly in the running, though he denied that he was interested in the position.