The Washington Redskins have a real chance at making a run to the playoffs as the hold on to first place in the NFC East. After playing upset and beating the New York Giants, they have a chance to top the injury-riddled Dallas Cowboys and take a firm grip on the division. The more wins the Redskins get the bigger the cry will be to keep Kirk Cousins around as he could determine the future of other teammates in 2016.
With the quarterback position no longer the biggest concern for the Redskins, the run game is now getting the most criticism. Both Alfred Morris and Matt Jones have struggled with fumbles and consistency this season which could have implications for the future of the roster. According to ESPN.com, the Redskins are likely to split the carries between Morris and Jones for the remainder of the season since Cousins is improving and they no longer need either running back to be "great". Morris did enough against the Giants to get a win, but the Redskins want to see what they have in Jones for the future.
It is no secret that Morris is playing on an expired contract and the Redskins have yet to even attempt at negotiating an extension. According to NFLSpinZone.com, Morris is not expected to return next season with Jones looking like he can handle the workload in 2016. With several players needing contract extensions including Cousins, the Redskins will not be looking to overpay on Morris when they have a young player behind him.
According to the Washington Post, the Redskins might have to get a little creative if they want to keep Cousins on the roster. Unless the team gets a trade of Robert Griffin III, the salary cap situation will be tight. According to the Post, do not count on the Redskins dealing away DeSean Jackson. Since coming back from a hamstring injury, Jackson enjoyed a nice return to form as the leading receiver. He has paired well with Jordan Reed and Jamison Crowder to make a nice receiving corps for Cousins to work with.
It is clear that Cousins is the favorite to carry the franchise in the future. The Post believes a franchise tag is the likely option for the quarterback, but the Redskins must be careful as interest in the quarterback will be high. Plenty of teams will try and outbid Washington for Cousins so tagging him might be the best option.
