With the quarterback relatively weak this year in terms of free agency and the NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins are prepared to try and use that in their favor. The team is ready to move forward with Kirk Cousins as their franchise quarterback leaving Robert Griffin III in limbo. The former first-round pick did not play at all in 2015 and was expected to be released, but the Redskins will instead try to trade the quarterback first.
According to John Keim of ESPN.com, the Redskins will explore trade deals for Griffin before simply releasing him. Money was the first day the Redskins could begin releasing players, but Griffin's name did not come up right away. While the quarterback is not expected to be on the roster come next season, Washington will be patient with the move they make. Regardless, come March 9 Griffin will be let go if no trade deal comes about as he would then be owed $16.15 million thanks to his fifth-year option. The Redskins have no plans of letting those numbers hit their salary cap, but they also do not want to lose the quarterback for nothing in return given what they gave up to get him.
There are options for Griffin, but a trade could be hard to come by. There are teams that need quarterbacks, both starters and backups, and Griffin could be an option. He is reportedly healthy and has kept his name out of the media. That alone makes him an upgrade over some players. The Redskins might be able to get a fifth-round draft pick for him, but since most teams know that Griffin will be released regardless, a deal might not come to the team.
According to Yahoo Sports, the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams and Houston Texans look like the most likely landing spots for the quarterback. The Cowboys need a backup to Tony Romo and have removed Johnny Manziel from contention. The Rams are not certain either Nick Foles or Case Keenum are options for 2016. The Texans need to replace the five quarterbacks they started last year. Griffin could be an option and an affordable one.
The Redskins are ready to move forward with Cousins, but doing so might not be easy. The quarterback told the Washington Post that he does not want a franchise tag while the team said they had no plans on breaking the bank for one player. The Redskins are tight on cap space with potential releases coming to DeSean Jackson or Pierre Garcon only helping a little. Considering they need defensive help and a starting running back, the contract to Cousins will be critical in other offseason moves. The Redskins will have to get creative in order to make it all work.
