Following the trade of Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins, the attention around the league has shifted towards Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins.
The Cleveland Browns have been at the forefront of that effort in trying to present an appealing environment of trying to convince him to sign a deal with them in the offseason. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, it will likely take the Browns effectively communicating that they won't take a quarterback with any of their first-round choices in the 2018 NFL Draft.
.@AlbertBreer on @BullandFox on Cousins: "The Jets will go hard at him. Denver's gonna go after him. Minnesota, Jacksonville and Cleveland". Says team commitment to him will be a key. For #Browns, "it would be telling him we're not taking a QB in the first round"
— Keith Britton (@KeithBritton86) January 31, 2018
The Browns currently hold the first and fourth overall selections in the upcoming draft, which has been widely reported that the team is leaning toward taking a quarterback at either spot. There will be a slew of promising talent available such as USC' Sam Darnold, UCLA's Josh Rosen, Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield and Wyoming's Josh Allen.
The addition of one of these young quarterbacks would provide them stability if the veteran quarterback they acquire ahead of the draft doesn't work out. At the same time, Cousins is simply looking out for his best interest in this next chapter of his career. There have been rumors that the 29-year-old could be interested in playing in Cleveland if things worked out in that manner.
The Browns could wind up adhering to Cousins' request given the stability he could provide the franchise that it hasn't had for quite some time with their last playoff appearance being 15 years ago. He has proven to one of the better quarterbacks in the league that has the experience of leading a team to the playoffs behind his arm.
That said, Cousins will have several options available in front of him such as the Denver Broncos, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, who are all looking acquire a proven quarterback. All of this could end up being a bidding war for his services once the free agency period begins in early March.
Follow Us
Subscribe