NFL: RGIII Benched For Kirk Cousins' Audition

RG3 and Kirk Cousins. Photo credit NFL 

by Chad Jones

Two years into a 5 Year $ 35 Million deal, Mike Shanahan's Redskins accumulated 11 Wins & 21 Losses. At 2011's conclusion, fans were frustrated, and many lobbied for Owner Daniel Snyder to cut the cord. Exercising restraint, Shanahan was retained into year 3 of the seismic rebuild. 

Shanahan consummated a trade, moving from 6th to 2nd overall in the 2012 Draft to select Robert Griffin III. 


In 2011, the Skins averaged 76,921 fans (83.9% Capacity), fans weren't flocking to FedEx to watch Rex Grossman & John Beck toil in mediocrity. In selecting the Heisman Winner, optimism reignited instantly. RGIII jersey sales set records, outpacing Peyton Manning significantly. Season ticker orders & prices skyrocketed, and the Skins hosted their first home playoff game since 1999. RGIII was nothing short of a savior to the much-maligned Franchise. 

2012 success is clouding realities. At it's foundation, the team is a conglomeration of mercenaries on 1 year deals, and only 7 players remain from the pre-Shannahan era. Furthermore, landing RGIII meant relinquishing draft picks, 3 1st Rounders & a 2nd Rounder. Now the Shannahan's must rebuild the bones of the football team devoid those assets, an arduous task considering the mixed results of the 1st 3 Shanahan-led drafts.

Last year, the Defense finished 30th in passing yards allowed & 5th in rushing yards. Veteran Free Agency additions built a formidable Front 7, but the backend struggled mightily. With the 2011 UFA signings Barry Coefield, Stephen Bowen & Adam Carriker nearing the 30 threshold, rebuilding upfront is vital. If the Defense & overall 'Bones' of the team are not supplemented with an influx of talent, Shannahan's contract extension won't be forthcoming. 

Currently, the 60 year old Coach enjoys fan capital off the resounding success. Returning from a devastating injury, the QB & Head Coach appear at an impasse. Here comes the caveat, the most beneficial move for the organization would be subtly benching RGIII to start the 2013 season, using the injury to guise an audition for backup Kirk Cousins. 

Looking at the roster, Cousins is the loan marketable piece from a trade perspective. What is Cousins value in the 2014 offseason? Look at the ransom Cincinnati received on Carson Palmer, but the more logical comparison is the Falcons 2007 haul for backup Matt Schaub. Atlanta auditioned Schaub during a Michael Vick injury, and dealt the 27 year old to the upstart Houston Texans for consecutive 2nd Rounders in the 2007 & 2008 Drafts, while swapping 1st Rounders in 2007. Worth noting, Atlanta landed the left side of their offensive line with those picks- Sam Baker & Justin Blalock. 

Draft Picks are Gold, especially under the rookie wage scale, where you land young & healthy talent on affordable 4 year deals. It's a wholesale market, where rates are locked in, ideally rendering production outpacing compensation. 
Dealing Cousins allows Shanahan to recoup the draft picks surrendered to land RGIII, or at least picks necessary to rebuilding the bones of the team. But to get the full ransom Shannahan envisions for his backup QB, Shanahan must prove he's worth it. The only way to facilitate return the ransom Shanahan envisions is auditioning Cousins for the rest of the league. 

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