The Washington Redskins are hoping to sign Kirk Cousins to a new contract this offseason and that likely means Robert Griffin III's career is done in DC. The team also may consider a move with DeSean Jackson after the receiver spent most of the season on the sidelines with injuries.
Cousins had a strong season for the Redskins and is now headed towards free agency and that means the team has to sign the QB to a new contract. According to the Washington Post, the Redskins are interested in retaining Cousins and the team could use the franchise tag if they can't work out a deal with the quarterback. Cousins said to the media after losing to the Packers in the playoffs that he wants to be where he is "wanted" and so far head coach Jay Gruden has shown signs that he wants Cousins around long term.
According to Mike Jones, Gruden said that he wants to "build" the team around Cousins moving forward. Cousins threw for 4166 yards this season with 29 touchdowns and he quieted many around the team that had hoped that Griffin would get another chance. It's pretty amazing how Mike Shanahan was criticized for taking Cousins in the same draft as Griffin, but looking back it was a pretty smart decision by the former Redskins coach.
Griffin's future has been up in the air all season and the expectation around the league is that the team will release the quarterback. The team could try trading Griffin, but during the season they did not receive much interest and at this point it is well known that the team is not planning to bring him back for next year, making his trade value drop. Griffin is still just 25 and has potential as a quarterback and teams like the Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys could be potential landing spots for the QB.
Pro Football Talk and NFL.com report that Griffin will be released before the league year begins, as he has a $16.155 million fifth year option. Griffin cleared out his locker and left a goodbye note for fans that was posted on social media, seemingly showing that the end is near for him in Washington. Griffin led the team to the playoffs as a rookie, but injuries and inconsistency pushed Gruden to go with Cousins this season.
The Redskins also may consider a move with DeSean Jackson, as the receiver only played in nine games this season and has a $9.25 million cap number for next year. According to CSN Washington, the team could consider letting go of Jackson, as that would give the team over $6 million in cap savings.
