[Macro]

Hi, I'm new here.
Re: Cousins future.

I believe a tag and trade is being worked upon and is the preferred method for Bruce and Dan. Especially so for Bruce, if for nothing else than to attain the most symmetrical and even trade "equation" possible, as it relates to what they are giving up for Alex Smith.

Most of the counter arguments I've read fail to recognize the rules and regulations of the CBA or they tend to focus why what they believe Cousins would or would not do, or some amalgam of how cost prohibitive it would be (in theory) in carrying Cousins on a franchise tag (for example) simultaneous with Smith.

But those arguments fail to see that, of course, the tag and trade will be negotiated prior to the new league year and that said cap hit of the franchise tag will be removed as quickly as it appears on March 14th, the same exact day. And that ultimately Cousins will still be able to negotiate his long term contract with his preferred team, while his suitor team will avoid uncertainties from a free for all bidding process, with compliance to Bruce's remuneration request, which will ultimately be below market (at least as I see it).

One thing people keep glazing over, once Cousins signs the Tag, he's under team control. He can't do anything to stop a trade. The trade itself is only between Bruce and the suitor team, for whatever remuneration Bruce/Redskins deem sufficient.

There's no red card to pull or grievance for Cousins to file.
He signs it ... his contract is property.


Running concurrent to the Smith trade would be the remuneration for Cousins, who, of course, has a market. While everyone can see that multiple teams are lining up and players of said organizations are actively stumping for their orgs to attain Cousins, many detractors of the tag-trade claim the Redskins don't have a market for Cousins. Unfortunately, competent and established QBs in the NFL always have a market.


And of course when under the Tag (using the franchise tag as the example), it would require a suitor team to trade for the contractual rights. That is of course the only thing that is being traded. Cousins isn't agreeing to a contract extension deal with Bruce, Cousins would be agreeing to a contract with his already preferred team, his #1 choice if you will, the team that is trading for him.

That's essentially what Bruce is selling on the tag and trade. He would be selling that Cousins still gets to choose his team, which is what he wants. Bruce is just insinuating himself in the middle in order to get compensation. And of course, once Cousins signs the tag, which he will, his one-year tender contract is under team control. Bruce can do whatever the hell he wants to do, accept whatever compensation and sell to whomever.

Of course, that's the gambit there for Bruce. Rather than go through with a threat of selling Cousins to Siberia for a pack of smokes, he'll offer to send him to his team of choice, his ultimate want. Which also entails that the contract that Cousins wants from his #1 team is there, in advance, so his requirements are met.

All that remains is the remuneration between Bruce and the suitor, in this case Elway and Denver.


So, a market does exist. Notwithstanding the generally accepted tenet of the importance of the QB position in the NFL.

I'm quoting someone from memory, but paraphrasing, "if you don't have a QB for your organization in the NFL, the search for one is all consuming. It dominates your field of view. And careers are made or broken, jobs are lost or saved upon the right or wrong choice for a QB."

Something like that.
So, tenet #1 involving any trade scenario of a QB in the NFL starts from the fundamental position of ... thirsty teams are thirsty.


There are many reasons to this end, and to be clear I've read many if not all of the standard arguments against that notion (tag - trade) that have been presented here in this thread as well as other threads on other boards and platforms. To me many of those arguments miss the target and conflate different aspects into one, or outright superimpose the incorrect one onto another, missing the underlying reason or cause.

I'd love to craft an OP in a thread which details all the various tangents and extrapolations, the rules and regulations set forth by the CBA, as well as each action and right granted to all parties involved, including the various ploys that many people have already thrown out in arguments, but to do so in detail, in one place showcasing the larger picture. Perhaps I can do that in time to come when I'm able.