Heading into the NFL free agency period, Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins of the Washington Redskins is expected to be at the top of the list for available talent on the open market.
There will be a slew of teams in need of a quarterback interested in acquiring his services on a lucrative long-term contract, but Dan Graziano of ESPN has indicated that there is a feeling that Cousins is a month away from landing on a team.
“I think there are some things to sort out. I think it's about a month away from sorting itself out. I think once you get through the combine and get closer to free agency you'll have a little bit better of Cousins' market. What's realistic, where he wants to go, (and) what exactly he wants. Ultimately, I think we get to the point where a health starting quarterback (and) unrestricted free agent with multiple teams allowed to bid Cousins has a chance to go 30-plus if he finds the right fit with the team that has the money.
There are plenty of factors at play with Cousins that will determine how things will unfold for him in free agency. There are several teams such as the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, and possibly the Minnesota Vikings. The 29-year-old will be the top priority for many of these organization, but the selection process may take a few days to sort through as he meets with the various franchises before making a decision.
What should also have a significant impact is the type of money he is looking to land on his next deal as that may play some teams out of the mix for his services. Cousins has indeed shown to be a more than capable quarterback over the last few seasons recording more than 4,000 passing yards with at least 25 touchdowns and a passer rating above 90 in each campaign over the last three years. He is also coming off another highly productive year where he threw for 4,093 yards on a 64.3 percent completion percentage with 27 touchdown passes to 13 interceptions and 93.9 passer rating.
All of this should make for an intriguing free agency process as Cousins could be the first major domino to fall that may set the tone for the offseason.
