The drafting of Kirk Cousins the same year as Robert Griffin III has really paid off for the Washington Redskins. As the quarterback continues to face an assortment of injuries in his two-year career, Cousins has looked every bit the part of a capable backup. With a new coaching staff in place in Washington, Cousins has reportedly requested out in order to become more than a backup.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Cousins has requested a trade once the NFL offseason officially begins. Cousins reportedly believes he is fully ready to be a starting quarterback in the NFL and with plenty of teams needs an upgrade at the position, this season would be the perfect time to make the jump.
However, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com denies the report that Cousins has requested out of Washington. The Redskins beat writer notes that all reports of Cousins being unhappy with the team are simply untrue and that the quarterback is not "in a rush" to leave town.
Cousins would easily be welcomed as a starting quarterback option. He has been installed numerous times as the starter for an injured Griffin. He started the final three games of the season after the starter was benched. He completed 53 percent of his passes for 747 yards and four touchdowns. Considering how bad the Redskins looked last season that was considered very impressive.
When Jay Gruden was introduced as the new head coach of the Redskins two weeks after the year ended, he stressed that Griffin was in fact the starting quarterback moving forward in 2014. That would leave Cousins as the backup once again.
"Robert Griffin III is the starter," Gruden said, via Chad Dukes of 106.7 The Fan. "There will be no competition. I see toughness. I see a guy that wants to win and I see a strong leader. I see every trait a quarterback has to have to be successful. Why wouldn't you want to coach a guy like that? I'm excited to coach him. Hopefully he's excited to play here."
Schefter stands by his reporting and notes that one desirable location for Cousins could be with the Cleveland Browns. The team plans on hiring Kyle Shanahan as their new offensive coordinator, someone Cousins knows very well after the coach spent the last four seasons in Washington. The Browns are prepared to released Brandon Weeden and find a new starting quarterback. Owner Jimmy Haslam has said the team is willing to go "all in" for rookie Johnny Manziel who could be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The Browns could consider sending a draft pick Washington's way for the backup.
