After the Washington Redskins traded for Alex Smith, the derby for Kirk Cousins is pretty well underway. The Denver Broncos are considered favorites…
Even after the Senior Bowl and getting time to spend with two first round quarterbacks in Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen, it was reported the Denver Broncos would be going ‘all in’ on a veteran quarterback.
There’s really only one veteran quarterback that any team is going to be going ‘all in’ for this offseason, and that’s Kirk Cousins.
Depending who you ask, the Denver Broncos are the obvious favorites to sign Cousins at this point in time, with their top five defense, cap flexibility, and obvious need for a starting quarterback.
Yes, the majority of the Broncos’ key players are already on second contracts, but I think that honestly bodes well for their hopes of contending for a title with Cousins in the fold this season and for the next three or four seasons with this core in-tact.
The Broncos would have to make moves to bring in Cousins, including releasing or trading Aqib Talib, but if they can get a franchise quarterback, is it worth it?
Some will argue that it’s not, and there’s validity to their argument. The Broncos obviously have a top five pick in a draft that is loaded at the quarterback position, so the other line of thinking is why not just go out and spend money on other free agent players and draft the future at quarterback?
Personally, I could get on board for either strategy. Here’s what I feel like John Elway is thinking, though…
Elway tried that strategy in 2016, sticking to his price on the available veteran quarterbacks and instead drafting Paxton Lynch in the first round. In Elway’s eyes, he has already taken a shot on a talented college prospect and that does not appear to have worked out well at all.
It’s quite possible that Elway is a little gun shy when it comes to drafting someone, knowing the tough transition quarterbacks have to make from college to the NFL.
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When you also consider the fact that this year’s draft is strong at a number of major areas of need for the Broncos, and free agency is really only strong at a position — maybe two — where the Broncos have needs, it makes sense strategically that Denver would obtain their quarterback via free agency and fill another major hole in the draft.
They could sign Cousins and use that fifth overall pick on a stud defensive player like Bradley Chubb, Minkah Fitzpatrick, or Roquan Smith. They could use it on a big time offensive lineman like Notre Dame’s Quenton Nelson. They could get Cousins an elite young playmaker in Saquon Barkley.
The options — if you fill the hole in free agency with Cousins — are endless at the top of the draft, including the possibility of trading down and acquiring even more picks to fill out the roster.
The Broncos, as it stands, have nine (possibly 10) picks already and are well-equipped to round out their roster.
I understand why Cousins would be considered a favorite to go to Denver I wrote about five reasons why it makes sense for him to be their next quarterback a few weeks ago.
Cousins is going to quickly become one of the highest paid players in NFL history at some point in March, and with the Chiefs’ move to trade Alex Smith to Washington on Tuesday, it seems Cousins’ plan to get out of Washington is already well underway.