Dawg Pound Daily
FanSided

Cleveland Browns: Breaking down the potential pursuit of Kirk Cousins

By Steven Kubitza

Oct 2, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) prepares to throw the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the second half at FedEx Field. Washington Redskins wins 31 - 20. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) prepares to throw the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the second half at FedEx Field. Washington Redskins wins 31 - 20. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next
Aug 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, right, talks with executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown during pre-game against the Atlanta Falcons at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, right, talks with executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown during pre-game against the Atlanta Falcons at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports /

Some fans may clamor for the Browns to spend a lot on a player like Cousins, but this team is not in a position to give anyone $40-$50 million guaranteed at this stage of the rebuilding process.

The quarterback position is in need of an upgrade, but it may be more feasible now to draft a rookie quarterback and let him play on a rookie deal, or even stick with Cody Kessler as the starter in 2017.

Cousins would be a great addition to the Browns, but the market is going to soar when several teams compete for his services, given the Redskins let him walk.

Related: Some potential big-name options at QB

And right now, it is not even guaranteed that the Redskins won’t offer him a long-term deal. Tagging him again would be too expensive, and letting him go would set them back to having no franchise quarterback, so a long-term deal may be the likely outcome.

So even if he hits the open market, which isn’t certain, the Browns would have to hope other teams don’t drive up Cousins’ price. But if it happened with Osweiler, it will certainly happen with Cousins.

This front office has been smart so far, and building through the draft allows them to get and groom talent at a reasonable price. Doing this allows the team to invest in players like Jamie Collins and hopefully Terrelle Pryor, while not committing too much to one player and potentially stunting the development of the overall team.

Next: Nick Mangold could be a solid option at center

Anything can happen in the next few months, but it would take a miracle for Cousins to come to the Browns on a deal that is feasible for the Browns.

Home/Browns News