Latest On Su'a Cravens
- Defensive back Su’a Cravens applied for reinstatement on Monday, and the Redskins are expected to meet with the former second-round pick at the combine, reports John Keim of ESPN.com. Cravens, of course, didn’t play in 2017 after “retiring” — and then reversing his decision — before the season began. One talent evaluator tells Keim Washington could likely recoup a third-round pick by trading Cravens — that is, if the versatile defender didn’t come with any off-field questions. Given his saga over the past six months or so, Cravens would likely garner far less than a Day 2 selection.
Su’a Cravens Applies For Reinstatement
Su’a Cravens wants to return to football in 2018 and he took a major step towards that goal on Monday. The Redskins safety has applied for reinstatement from the reserve/left squad list, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Last September, Cravens shocked the Redskins when he informed the team that he would be retiring. Hours later, he reversed that decision. The team initially placed him on the NFI (non-football injury) list to give him some time to consider his football future, but they parked him on the reserve/left squad list weeks later when he was still on the fence.
The versatile defender was diagnosed with Post Concussion Syndrome, but he is now “asymptomatic and cleared to return back to all things football,” according to a statement released by his agent in December. What isn’t clear is whether the Redskins actually want him back. In theory, the Redskins could cut or trade Cravens and amp up the playing time of rising sophomore Montae Nicholson.
If Cravens is in a good place physically and mentally, he could draw interest from teams looking for help in the secondary as well as the linebacker level.
Graziano: Redskins Shouldn't Franchise Cousins
- As the salary cap continues to rise, so do quarterback salaries, and Florio wonders if Cousins will become the first signal-caller to tie his contract compensation to cap percentage. The writer notes that the CBA permits this strategy, and he adds that cap percentage is already used for the “various baseline franchise tenders.” Cousins previously tried to get a similar contract from the Redskins (to no avail), and Florio believes he’s the free agent who’s in the best position to pull it off this offseason.
- Meanwhile, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano believes Cousins is line for an “unprecedented” contract, noting that only a pair of “top-level” quarterbacks (Brees in 2006 and Peyton Manning in 2012) have become unrestricted free agents. The writer doesn’t believe the Redskins will ultimately franchise Cousins for the third straight season, adding that few teams would give anything of value for that type of deal in a trade. Ultimately, the franchise would receive a third-rounder for compensation if Cousins walked, and that could prove to be the ideal route.
[SOURCE LINK]
Teams View Kirk Cousins Tag Talk As Petty
- Redskins president Bruce Allen has been speaking to rival executives about possibly tagging Kirk Cousins, but they don’t see the logic in doing that, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. The feeling around the league, La Canfora says, is that consideration of the tag feels overly personal. As PFR’s Rory Parks explained over the weekend, tagging and trading Cousins could wind up backfiring hard on the team.
Updated 2018 NFL Draft Order
With the Super Bowl in the books, we now know the draft order for the entire first round of the 2018 draft. Here’s the rundown:
1. Cleveland Browns (0-16)
2. New York Giants (3-13)
3. Indianapolis Colts (4-12)
4. Cleveland Browns (via the 4-12 Houston Texans)
5. Denver Broncos (5-11)
6. New York Jets (5-11)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11)
8. Chicago Bears (5-11)
T-9. Oakland Raiders (6-10)
T-9. San Francisco 49ers (6-10) (Note: The Raiders and 49ers have identical records and the same strength of schedule. The tie will be broken by a coin flip with the winner getting pick No. 9 and the other club receiving the No. 10 pick.)
11. Miami Dolphins (6-10)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
13. Washington Redskins (7-9)
14. Green Bay Packers (7-9)
15. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
16. Baltimore Ravens (9-7)
17. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)
18. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
19. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
20. Detroit Lions (9-7)
21. Buffalo Bills (9-7)
22. Buffalo Bills (via the 10-6 Kansas City Chiefs)
23. Los Angeles Rams (11-5)
24. Carolina Panthers (11-5)
25. Tennessee Titans (9-7)
26. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)
27. New Orleans Saints (11-5)
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
30. Minnesota Vikings (13-3)
31. New England Patriots (13-3)
32. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
Redskins To Franchise Tag Kirk Cousins?
After the Redskins acquired Alex Smith and signed him to an extension, rumors and speculation as to where Kirk Cousins — who is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March — would sign started to ramp up. The Broncos were most recently reported to be the frontrunners for Cousins’ services, but if Denver (or any other team) wants him, they may have to pony up more than cash. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, Washington might still put the franchise tag on Cousins and then trade him to the highest bidder.
Mike Jones of USA Today confirms (via Twitter) that the Redskins have indeed had internal discussions about going this route. Of course, Cousins could still have a major say in where he ends up, even if he does not become a true unrestricted free agent. For instance, Cousins could delay signing the franchise tender for weeks or months, thereby forcing Washington to carry the $34.5MM franchise tag number against its salary cap. Cousins cannot be traded if he does not sign the tender.
Similarly, Cousins could tell any potential trade partner that he is unwilling to sign a long-term deal with that club, which would obviously make that potential partner wary of surrendering draft picks to acquire the 29-year-old passer. Also, if the Redskins were to put the tag on Cousins only to remove it later, they would lose the right to recover a 2019 compensatory pick, which they would get if Cousins were able to leave right away as a free agent.
In any event, the already drawn-out Cousins saga just got another twist. Teams can begin designating franchise players on February 20.
Past Redskins QB Trades Fell Shy Of Goals
- The Jags made their Bortles decision before it was a certainty Cousins would be available, and if he were to be able to pass a physical, Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com writes the team could afford the six-year Redskins quarterback. Cuts of Allen Hurns and Chris Ivory would create more than $10MM in cap space, and a Bortles release would free up $19MM more. Adding nearly $30MM to the Jags’ current uncommitted cap portion ($16.9MM) would give them plenty of ammo for this pursuit — even if it lags well behind the Jets’ or Browns’ offseason allotments.
- The Redskins‘ previous trades for veteran quarterbacks did not produce what the franchise envisioned, John Keim of ESPN.com writes. Although Brad Johnson (acquired for first-, second- and third-round picks in 1999) and Mark Brunell (via third-rounder in 2004) elevated Washington to the divisional round on one occasion apiece, matching Washington’s best playoff showings since its 1991 Super Bowl title, they did not provide long-term stability. The team’s Donovan McNabb trade (for second- and fourth-round picks) in 2010 was the least successful of these maneuvers.
2018 Proven Performance Escalators
According to the NFL’s contractual bargaining agreement, players drafted in rounds three though seven are entitled to raises during the fourth year of their respective rookie contracts. The pay bumps are tied to playing time — a player must have played in 35% of his team’s offensive or defensive snaps in two of his first three seasons, or averaged 35% playing time cumulatively during that period.
If one of these thresholds is met, the player’s salary is elevated to the level of that year’s lowest restricted free agent tender — that figure should be around $1.908MM in 2018. Players selected in the first or second round, undrafted free agents, and kickers/punters are ineligible for the proven performance escalator.
Here are the players who will see their salary rise in 2018 courtesy of the proven performance escalator:
49ers: Trent Brown, T; Eli Harold, LB
Bears: Adrian Amos, S
Bengals: Tyler Kroft, TE; Josh Shaw, DB
Bills: John Miller, G
Broncos: Max Garcia, G; Trevor Siemian, QB
Browns: Duke Johnson, RB
Buccaneers: Kwon Alexander, LB
Cardinals: David Johnson, RB; J.J. Nelson, WR
Chargers: Kyle Emanuel, LB
Chiefs: Chris Conley, WR; Steven Nelson, CB
Colts: Henry Anderson, DE; Mark Glowinski, G; Denzelle Good, OL
Dolphins: Bobby McCain, CB
Eagles: Jay Ajayi, RB; Jordan Hicks, LB
Falcons: Grady Jarrett, DT
Jaguars: A.J. Cann, OL
Lions: Quandre Diggs, CB
Packers: Jake Ryan, LB
Panthers: Daryl Williams, T
Patriots: Trey Flowers, DE; Shaq Mason, G
Raiders: Clive Walford, TE
Rams: Jamon Brown, G
Ravens: Za’Darius Smith, LB
Redskins: T.J. Clemmings, OL; Jamison Crowder, WR
Saints: Tyeler Davison, DT
Seahawks: Tyler Lockett, WR
Steelers: Jesse James, TE
Vikings: Stefon Diggs, WR; Danielle Hunter, DE
OverTheCap.com was essential in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Redskins, Kirk Cousins Haven’t Talked
Even before the Redskins traded for Alex Smith, Kirk Cousins probably sensed that he wouldn’t be back in Washington next year. Cousins and the Redskins haven’t had any contact since the regular season ended, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Of course, now that the Redskins have acquired Smith and extended him, they’ll be going their separate ways. 
The Cousins saga will go down as one of the strangest storylines in Redskins franchise history. Cousins fully emerged from Robert Griffin III’s shadow in 2015 and led the team to the NFC East title. Unwilling to commit to Cousins in the long term, the Redskins used the non-exclusive franchise tag to retain him on a one-year, $20MM deal. In 2016, Cousins placed third in the NFL with 4,917 passing yards, but the Redskins were still unwilling to give him a fair market value contract and tagged him for a second consecutive year. This time around, the Redskins punted rather than offering Cousins a top-tier contract or tagging him for a third time at a cost of $34.47MM.
Finally, Cousins will reach the open market as an unfettered free agent. QB-needy teams flush with cash like the Browns, Jets, and Broncos will be eager to speak with Cousins in March and some club out there make Cousins an even richer man with a four or five-year deal. In time, the Redskins may come to regret their course of action with the 29-year-old.
Reactions To Alex Smith Trade
It was widely rumored that the Chiefs would trade Alex Smith this offseason, but few expected him to be moved in January and almost no one saw him going to the Redskins. But, on Tuesday night, Kansas City and Washington agreed to a blockbuster deal which will have far-reaching implications around the NFL. Here’s a look at some of the reactions following the mega-trade:
- Cornerback Kendall Fuller was a vital part of the Redskins and a tough piece to part with, ESPN.com’s John Keim writes. Fuller, who earned a tremendous 90.0 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2017, was one of the best pieces of Washington’s D. Meanwhile, fellow cornerback Bashaud Breeland is scheduled for free agency, so Washington could have multiple holes to fill in the secondary.Keim also feels that it’s tough to justify the extension for Smith which will reportedly pay him at an average of $23.5MM per year with $71MM guaranteed. Then again, the full details of the extension have yet to surface, so the deal might be more palatable for Washington if they can easily escape the contract after the first year or two.
- The Smith deal means that Kirk Cousins will finally hit free agency and Mike Sando of ESPN.com lists the Cardinals, Browns, Broncos, Bills, Jets, Dolphins, Jaguars, Vikings, Giants, Buccaneers, and Colts as possible landing spots. Still, it’s not a given that all of these teams will make a run at him. The Cardinals would almost certainly like to add someone of Cousins’ caliber, but their cap room is an issue. The Buccaneers already have Jameis Winston under center, so it’s not especially likely that they’ll make a serious play for Cousins. Cousins signing with the Colts would be a shock – to say the least – given that Andrew Luck is expected to come back healthy in 2018. The Jaguars, who have less cap room than most of the teams listed here, may want to stick with Blake Bortles after reaching the AFC Championship Game. The Vikings, meanwhile, have three starting-caliber quarterbacks about to hit the free agent market and logic dictates that they will try to retain one of them (most likely Case Keenum).
- In a sense, the Redskins’ sacrifice of a third-round pick in this year’s draft will be offset by the likely addition of a third-round compensatory pick in 2019 gained after Cousins signs elsewhere, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. The Redskins also will have more cap room to work with in the coming years with Smith under center rather than Cousins.
- The Redskins did a good job of fixing the mess they made with Cousins, but Bill Barnwell of ESPN.com refuses to congratulate owner Daniel Snyder and president Bruce Allen for creating the mess in the first place. The Redskins also could have gotten a better return for Cousins by franchising him for a third season at $34.5MM and fielding trade offers from teams that would have acquired him and extended him to reduce the cap hold. Now that they have Smith under contract with a $20MM+ cap charge in 2018, they have no choice but to allow Cousins to walk.
- More from Barnwell, who writes that it’s too early to grade the trade for the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes is a high-ceiling, low-floor option for 2018 and even under the best of circumstances, there should be some growing pains. Still, Barnwell believes that Kansas City got a tremendous talent in Fuller. Fuller emerged as an excellent slot cornerback last season and still has two years left on his rookie deal at a combined cost of less than $1.4MM. The Chiefs may put Fuller on the outside to see if he can be their new CB2 opposite of Marcus Peters, but they could also leave him in the slot and use him as a roving weapon.
- Multiple teams expressed some interest in trading for Smith, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. One source tells Schefter that six clubs reached out to Kansas City to try and trade for the veteran. We know that the Cardinals and Browns both had interest in acquiring the soon-to-be 34-year-old.
- Fun fact: Smith is the first QB to lead the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio (26 TD, 5 Int, a 5.2 ratio) in one season and then change teams the following year, according to the Elias Sports Bureau (Twitter link).