Redskins Exploring Su’a Cravens Trade
After the NFL reinstated Su’a Cravens earlier this month, the safety is attached to his second year of his Redskins rookie contract.
But the Redskins, following a tumultuous year with their former second-round pick, look to be trying to unload Cravens. Washington is gauging the trade market for Cravens, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports (on Twitter).
Three years remain on Cravens’ deal, but the Redskins experienced trust issues with the once-coveted USC defender. Cravens retired, then unretired, then was placed on the reserve/left squad list.
As a rookie, Cravens played in 11 games and started three. Playing both linebacker and safety, Cravens made 33 tackles in 2016. The Redskins were planning to move him to safety exclusively in his second season, but Cravens’ complicated 2017 nixed those plans.
Redskins Could Still Get Pick By Pulling Kirk Cousins Tag
- Many have assumed that the Redskins wouldn’t be eligible for a compensatory pick by tagging and then rescinding a Kirk Cousins franchise tender, but that may not be the case, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com writes. The Panthers and Dolphins both received 2017 draft compensation after revoking franchise and transition tags from cornerback Josh Norman and defensive end Olivier Vernon, respectively, in 2016. The Redskins have intimated that they could tag Cousins, but it is still viewed as improbable.
2018 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates
Starting today, NFL teams will be able to place franchise and transition tags on potential free agents for the first time. While the window for franchise tags is open, most clubs won’t actually tag any players right away.
As our list of important dates for the 2018 offseason shows, the deadline for teams to assign those tags doesn’t come until Tuesday, March 6. Usually, when it comes to NFL contract discussions, deadlines spur action, so teams will wait until that deadline approaches to officially use franchise tags, once it becomes clear that they won’t be able to strike a longer-term deal yet with their respective free-agents-to-be.
Even though the action might not heat up for a couple more weeks, it’s worth taking a closer look at what to expect during 2018’s franchise tag period. The NFL hasn’t officially announced the salary cap figure for 2017, but OverTheCap.com recently projected the 2018 franchise tag salaries based on a presumed $178MM cap. Here are the expected non-exclusive franchise tag amounts:
- Quarterback: $23.09MM
- Running back: $11.72MM
- Wide receiver: $16.23MM
- Tight end: $10.36MM
- Offensive line: $14.54MM
- Defensive end: $17.52MM
- Defensive tackle: $14.53MM
- Linebacker: $15.47MM
- Cornerback: $14.88MM
- Safety: $11.08MM
- Punter/kicker: $5.06MM
(For a refresher on the characteristics of the exclusive and non-exclusive franchise tags, as well as the transition tag, be sure to check out PFR’s glossary entry on the subject.)
Here’s our look at the most likely candidates to be tagged, along with several more outside possibilities:
Virtual Locks:
- Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: Last offseason, things got pretty weird between the Steelers and Bell. Just before the deadline to extend franchise tagged players, the Steelers believed that they had agreed on a five-year offer worth roughly $60MM. Ultimately, Bell backed out because he did not find the guarantees and cash flow to be to his liking. Soon after, friend and former teammate Ike Taylor said that Bell wanted a contract that reflects his performance as both a No. 1 back and a No. 2 receiver – something in the neighborhood of $15MM per year.
This year, Bell topped his 75 catch total with 85 grabs, so one has to imagine that his position hasn’t changed. Despite some retirement threats in January, Bell has indicated that talks are going better this time around. Here’s where things get interesting – the Steelers say that today (Feb. 20) is the “deadline” for a long-term deal to get signed. If not, they’ll go ahead and franchise tag him for a second consecutive season, leaving Bell with a one-year, $14.5MM pact when factoring in the 20% increase. Will Bell buckle and sign a deal that isn’t quite to his satisfaction? In theory, the running back could abstain from offseason activities and even reboot retirement talk in an effort to get the Steelers to cave and abide by the real extension deadline on July 16. - Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys: It has already been reported that the Cowboys will go ahead and tag Lawrence to prevent him from reaching free agency. Once that happens, you can expect the cash-strapped Cowboys to get to work on an extension that will smooth out the $17.5MM cap hit for defensive ends. There won’t be much drama as to whether the Cowboys will or won’t tag Lawrence, but the subsequent multi-year negotiations will be interesting to watch. Lawrence had a rocky first three seasons in the NFL, but he stepped up big in his contract year with 14.5 sacks. The Cowboys must be willing to pay Lawrence like a top DE, but they may insist on protections like an easy escape hatch or heavy roster bonuses in the event that he is injured or suspended.
Strong Candidates:
- Sammy Watkins, WR, Rams: As our own Micah Powell explained on Sunday, Watkins is a candidate for the tag with mutual interest on both sides in continuing their union. Committing major dollars to Watkins is dicey, however, given his injury history and his somewhat disappointing stat line in 2017. If the Rams let Watkins hit the open market, they’ll risk losing him to other teams with more wiggle room under the salary cap. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. And in a weak crop of free agent wide receivers, Watkins could clean up and leave the Rams without an obvious replacement.
- Allen Robinson, WR, Jaguars: Tagging Watkins will be a tough call for the Rams and the Jaguars have a similarly difficult decision to make when it comes to Robinson. Robinson played only three snaps in 2017 before going down with a torn ACL and he didn’t set the world on fire in 2016. However, his 2015 performance – 80 catches, 1,400 yards, and a league-leading 14 touchdowns – makes it hard for Jacksonville to let him walk. In theory, the Jaguars could re-sign fellow free agent Marqise Lee and let Robinson go, but Robinson is clearly the more talented of the two and one could argue that Lee’s late-season emergence was fueled by advantageous matchups. It’ll be pricey, but the Jaguars are suddenly in position to win and they can’t afford to let one of their best weapons bolt.
Toss Up:
- Kyle Fuller, CB, Bears: Frankly, I’m conflicted on this one. I’m sure Bears GM Ryan Pace can relate. Fuller turned in a strong rookie campaign and an excellent contract year, but he was a victim of the sophomore jinx and an unfortunate knee injury which cost him his entire season as an NFL junior. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com hears that Fuller will not be with the Bears this year. But, considering that Fuller graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 22 ranked cornerback and the position is already a major area of need for the team, the Bears have to at least think about tagging him for $14.88MM.
- Ezekiel Ansah, DE, Lions: Ansah has performed pretty well over the last two seasons, despite playing through some serious pain. The Lions probably aren’t thrilled about extending a one-year, $17.5MM tender to Ansah, but pressure generating edge rushers like him are at a premium. Consider this: Ansah tallied 12 sacks last year despite knee, ankle, and back ailments. Only seven players topped that total: Chandler Jones, Calais Campbell, DeMarcus Lawrence, Everson Griffen, Cam Jordan, Ryan Kerrigan, and Joey Bosa.
- Case Keenum, QB, Vikings: Is one year as an elite quarterback enough to justify the franchise tag? Maybe, but the Vikings have options at their disposal, including two other pending free agents already on the roster. If the Vikings can’t retain Keenum or Bradford or Bridgewater with a reasonable multi-year deal between now and free agency, they can use their mountain of cap space to get involved in the Cousins sweepstakes.
- Sheldon Richardson, DT, Seahawks: The Jets had both Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson under contract, but they could only afford to pay one of the two defensive linemen. Clearly, they chose wrong. For all of the headaches that Richardson gave the team, the five-year, $86MM deal given to Wilkerson wound up being a monumental mistake and will continue to be an albatross for the Jets even after they cut him this offseason. The Seahawks gave up a second-round choice and wide receiver Jermaine Kearse to get Richardson – will they make the same mistake and let him get away? Perhaps not, but it would also be a major gamble to tag him at $14.5MM with limited cap space and other holes to address. The best course of action here may be to try and work out a fresh deal without the franchise tag as a floor for Richardson’s camp. If that fails and the two sides can’t come to terms, the Seahawks can at least collect a 2019 compensatory pick.
Redskins Want To Re-Sign Ryan Grant
- The Redskins are interested in re-signing receiver Ryan Grant, according to ESPN’s John Keim. In 2017, Grant posted career highs with 45 receptions for 573 yards and four touchdowns. Keim notes the team is expected to look for a speed wideout to pair with Josh Doctson on the outside. If the team brought back Grant, that would essentially relegate him to fourth-wideout duties.
Cousins Notes: Jets, Vikings, Broncos
With free agency less than a month away, speculation is beginning to pick up around Kirk Cousins. The Redskins quarterback is set to hit the open market after the team pulled off a trade for Alex Smith in recent weeks and there are expected to be plenty of suitors.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that the Jets are willing to pay whatever it takes to land the star free agent. This comes on the heels of news out of Denver that the Broncos are also all in on the quarterback.
That’s just the beginning of the list of suitors who are expected to be in play for the fifth-year signal-caller. The Browns, Vikings and Cardinals could all make a run at Cousins, who is expected to become the highest-paid player in NFL history once he decides on a team.
Here is a collection of the latest rumors and predictions surrounding the top free agent:
- The MMQB’s Peter King predicted landing spots for all free agent and draft-eligible quarterbacks and pegged Cousins to the Broncos. King notes Cousins’ reported desire to win and John Elway’s willingness to swing for the fences as reasons for the move. King also says that Elway appears ready to move defenders like Aqib Talib and Derek Wolfe to create the cap room to go after his guy. Among other noted quarterbacks, King listed A.J. McCarron to the Cardinals, Sam Darnold and Sam Bradford to the Browns, and Case Keenum and Teddy Bridgewater to the Vikings.
- If his teammates have any insight on the situation, then Cousins might be indeed headed for Denver. Redskins safety D.J. Swearinger appeared on NFL Network on Monday and gave his thoughts on Cousins’ likely landing spot. “With the situation they have out there on defense, they’re missing their quarterback. I think Kirk will be getting a healthy payday and I think Denver is the team that can do that.”
- If the Vikings do not place the franchise tag on Keenum, the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport fully expects the reigning NFC North champions to be in the mix for Cousins (Twitter link). Minnesota, fresh off posting a 13-3 mark in 2017, arguably offer the quarterback the greatest chance to win right off the bat with a strong defense and solid weapons at receiver, tight end and running back.
- Sticking with the Vikes, the Star Tribune’s Michael Rand writes that the Jets’ willingness to back up the Brinks truck for Cousins might force the team to look elsewhere. “If suddenly Cousins — hardly a sure thing as a franchise-altering QB in the first place — can command that kind of contract from a desperate team, the Vikings (if they are interested in the first place) might have no choice but to look in other directions.”
Kirk Cousins Will Follow Through With Grievance If Tagged
The grievance rumored to be filed if the Redskins use the franchise tag on Kirk Cousins for a third straight season will commence, Kimberley Martin of the Washington Post reports.
Cousins’ camp will file a grievance through the NFLPA if the Redskins tag him again, per Martin. This finalized stance comes two days ahead of the first day teams can designate franchise players. Beginning Tuesday, teams have two weeks to use their tags on players they intend to try to sign by the July 16 deadline.
The Redskins did this with Cousins the past two seasons, and he collected more than $44MM as a result of those one-year setups following contentious negotiations, but they do not plan to have him as their quarterback this season. That will be a problem for the team’s case.
Washington having agreed to trade for Alex Smith, and having an extension lined up, would violate a section of the CBA that indicates teams must only tag players if they have a good-faith intention to employ them at or around that salary for the following season. The Redskins’ Smith extension will ensure they have no plans of paying Cousins $34.47MM in 2018, and this purpose would purely be for compensation. Martin notes several executives around the league view this as a spiteful move on Washington’s part.
The 29-year-old passer figures to have a host of suitors should he reach free agency, and this grievance going his way would finalize his path to unrestricted free agency and ignite a frenzied stretch for teams planning for this rare quick-fix quarterback solution.
Cousins Has Way Of Halting Redskins Tag
Should the Redskins place the franchise tag on Kirk Cousins, a grievance from the quarterback’s camp could follow. And Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk expects the quarterback’s side to successfully prevent Washington from tagging him again. Florio cites a section of the CBA that indicates a team that intends to use the tag must have a “good faith intention” to employ that player the following season. The Redskins having agreed to trade for Alex Smith, and having terms in place for an extension once that trade processes, essentially signals they do not plan to employ Cousins at or around $34.47MM this season. With other complications of a possible Cousins tag potentially emerging, the Redskins don’t look to be in line to succeed if they were to go down this path.
Redskins Notes: Cousins, Smith, Reed
- Here’s a crazy scenario raised by Mike Florio of PFT: If Kirk Cousins is franchise tagged and signs the tender before March 14, Florio wonders aloud if the Redskins could back out of the Alex Smith trade. Cousins signing the tender would trigger a one-year, $34.47MM contract and it’s hard to see a team giving up a lot in a trade for a player who is only under contract for one year at that exorbitant price. As we learned on Thursday, Cousins could also fight a franchise tag by filing a grievance against Washington. Redskins president Bruce Allen is apparently thinking about going the petty route, but that could wind up backfiring. Ultimately, the best move the Redskins could make would be to do nothing and allow Cousins to hit the open market.
- Many teams will consider parting with high-priced veterans this offseason, but the Redskins appear to have no real cap casualty candidates, as Rich Tandler of NBC Sports Washington writes. The Redskins, with roughly $31MM in cap space after factoring in Smith’s contract, don’t have much flexibility snce nearly all of their expensive players are necessary. The only potential cut would be defensive lineman Terrell McClain, who is set to carry a $4.7MM cap number in 2018. However, the Redskins wouldn’t save much by dropping him. Cutting tight end Jordan Reed, who has a $10.1MM cap hit, would only save the team $4.7MM when considering the dead money hit, so it seems likely that the team will hold on to him and see if he can stay healthy.
Kirk Cousins To File Grievance If Tagged?
The Redskins are reportedly considering using the franchise tag on Kirk Cousins even though they have already acquired his replacement in Alex Smith. If that happens, Albert Breer of The MMQB‘s “understanding” is that Cousins’ camp would quickly file a grievance against the team. 
Players often bemoan the franchise tag, but there is no precedent for getting it turned over. In the case of Cousins, the camp would argue that the Redskins are violating the spirit of the rule, since the tag is supposed to be used in order to give teams additional time to get a long-term deal done. After years of lowball offers and the acquisition of Smith, it’s clear that the Redskins have zero intention of giving Cousins a multi-year contract. Instead, the Redskins would only use the non-exclusive tag on Cousins to collect draft compensation from the team that signs him.
The Redskins would be taking a major gamble by tagging Cousins. Although several QB-needy teams are planning to line up for Cousins in March, it’s possible that none of them will be willing to cough up two first-round picks for him. This year’s QB free agent crop may include decent consolation prizes like Case Keenum and A.J. McCarron. Meanwhile, draft prospects Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen may have franchise QB potential. Instead of sacrificing two first-round picks for Cousins, a team picking outside of the top two could use that draft capital to move up for those younger options. They’d also be much cheaper. This year’s No. 1 overall pick is slotted to earn $32.8MM on a four-year deal with a $21.9MM signing bonus. A franchise-tagged Cousins would cost $34.5MM for the upcoming season and command at least $30MM/year on a long-term contract.
And, even if Cousins is tagged and loses his grievance, he’ll have a great deal of leverage on his side. Cousins could delay signing the tender for weeks or months, forcing Washington to carry the $34.5MM number against its salary cap since he cannot be traded before putting pen to paper. Cousins could also tell a potential trade partner that he is unwilling to sign a long-term deal, which would scare any GM off of giving up two first rounders. If the Redskins tag Cousins and remove it later, they’ll lose the right to gain a 2019 compensatory pick, which they would get if Cousins leaves right away as an unrestricted free agent.
Redskins S Su’a Cravens Reinstated By NFL
Redskins safety Su’a Cravens has been granted reinstatement by the NFL, a source tells ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). This marks a big step forward for his return, though it’s not a certainty that he’ll be welcomed back in D.C. 
Cravens shocked the Redskins in September when he said that he would be retiring from the league. Hours later, the NFL sophomore reversed his decision. The Redskins placed him on the NFI list while he sorted things out, but they shut the door on his season two weeks later when they moved him to the reserve/left squad list.
Cravens’ talent is undeniable, but it seems that the Redskins have lost patience with the former second-round pick and his teammates are not thrilled with him either. The Redskins could shop Cravens this offseason, but they might have to settle for a late draft selection in a trade.
As a rookie in 2016, Cravens played on 36.5% of Washington’s defensive snaps as both a safety and linebacker. In ten games (three starts), Cravens recorded 22 tackles, one sack, one interception, and five passes defensed while grading as the league’s No. 27 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus. In 2017, the Redskins planned to start Cravens at safety.