Welcome to the Redskins Kirk Cousins QB Michigan State

[mmzznnxx]

Pretty hard not to like this guy. Reminds me of Matt Schaub. It would be nice to have a great back up plan before flipping him for draft picks in a few years.

[Dirt]

So, as far as I know, the Redskins are currently the only team that has this QB setup:

-draft superstar, rookie/long term starter
-good value rookie backup
-veteran guy with years of, and starting knowledge of the system

I mean, talk about rebuilding and starting a new era. Rex probably has just this one more year. The idea is continuity, stability, etc. 2 rookies build together, who knows if Rex is actually a good teacher or whatever but it can't hurt to watch him work with the offense.

So, if this 4th round pick isn't spent on Cousins, and say no other QB was taken in the draft, as some of you insist should be true, then the backup QB position is still in question, at least within a year. Many, including me, figured Rex is a fine backup, but isn't it better to get a jump on his whole 'one year deal' thing, than to wait until that deal is up and have to worry about acquiring a solid backup next year?

The value of the pick means more than folks give it credit for, not just because everyone's draft boards had him higher, but because Shannahan obviously likes him. Doesn't that mean something? lol at people who think Shannahan's just clueless. You don't value Mike Shannahan's decisions of QBs? Oh yea, well Donovan didn't surprise only Shannahan by being crappy and uncooperative. And the RG3 pick shows you what last year with Rex was all about. There was a plan. So as far as I'm concerned, Mike Shannahan's QB cred isn't tarnished whatsoever.

You can't praise Shanny for getting RG3, and scold him for getting Cousins in the same breath. The idea is he knows what he's doing, and considering the way things are unfolding(rebuilding/getting younger), I think he does.

[sportjunkie07]

Not thrilled at all, especially considering: McNabb may have sucked here regardless, but Shanahan(s) undermined and humiliated him by pulling him in that fourth quarter drive early, then benching him. We were 5-8 at that point, pretty bad but not as bad as under Grossman.

But my point is--if they're drafting Cousins to be a backup (or eventual trade-bait, though I think that theory is odd--could they likely trade him for anything higher than where he was just now picked at?), fine. If to "light a fire" under RGIII or give him camp competition or something ridiculous akin to their handling McNabb, I think it's a terrible pick. If we start 2-4 or 3-6 are they going to bench RGIII for Grossman or Cousins? After giving up 2 first round picks for a franchise rookie, I'd normally think that question so ridiculous as to not pose it. But we do have two years of (imo) utter mishandling of our QBs, and decades of mediocre QBs in general, so it's something that worries me.

i think you can put that worry to rest. i dont believe that shanny chose Cousins to "light a fire" under rg3. rg3 is capable of doing that himself. shanny said that cousins was too good to be left up there, and i agree.

it's very likely that Cousins will be flipped for more than a 4th. this isnt Kobb or Matt Cassell. this is a qb that is currently a much better prospect than those guys were, and he has room to grow, a good attitude, and will have the time to do so while in a stable environment and offense. that's going to breed success.

i also dont think shanny mishandled any of the qb's since he's been here, but that's another story altogether.

[TheGreek1973]

the more I think about the Cousins pick the more its obvious we have professionals running our FO and our coaching staff. BPA as Shanny said he was way too good at that spot to pass up. One of the main reasons we never had decent drafts in the past was because we tended to reach for need. You take the best player available, especially someone that should have gone 30 to 40 picks before you pick. And yes I can see now that he was also a need unless you guys that hate this move wanted to see Beck in a Skins uniform for another year or Rex as you backup to RGIII a couple of more years.

And ESPN analysts are idiots to even say QB controversy when one QB was picked 2nd overall and the other in the 4th round. Unless RGIII does truly turn out to be the next Ryan Leaf, he will be the started of this team for the next 12 years.

[MartinC]

I really don't care about all the instant draft analysis and 'winners and losers' nonsense. I get they have to fill column inches and screen time but it's 3 maybe 4 years before you know who has had a good draft or not. That said all the media who are panning our entire draft because we took a QB with a 4th round pick are morons. Talk of possible QB controversy is ridiculous.

I was not that high on Cousins from what I saw of him last year - maybe 2 games and some cut ups - I thought he had a so so arm, average at best athletic ability and some questionable accuracy and decision making at times. However I am sure our scouts and Shanny watched a ton more film than I did and, you know, actually know what they are looking at.

I do think he is a bit of a luxury pick but if he was clearly BPA on our board then I understand it.

[RED06]

People are desperately trying to make this pick look better than it is. The fact is, this is a very, very unusual move, and we're right to question it. I think the depth argument goes out the window unless you believe that Cousins is going to beat out Rex Grossman for the #2 job. I think there are 5 or 10 better options for depth behind RG3 via free agency than drafting someone in the 4th round. The "he was too good a value to pass up" argument also doesn't hold water to me because if that were the only criteria by which teams drafted players, why don't you see teams doing things like this more often in the early rounds? What if they'd drafted another QB in the 5th round? Does this team really have the luxury of buying speculative futures commodities like developmental quarterbacks given our recent struggles?

I just feel like the Shanahans are hedging their bets on RG3 and I feel like the time to have done that was prior to the trade to go up to the 2nd pick. They need to be all in on him and I don't think adding Cousins in the 4th round helps Griffin at all. Why would you do anything that makes things more difficult for the player that you've given up 2 future #1 picks to acquire?

So based on what you saw from our two QB's last year and years prior, with your own football mind what would you have done? Fact is, Shannahan & Co did what was right in the position that this team has been in for over a decade. LOL sometimes I think we should go from "ExtremeSkins to Insane Skins" LOL!!! some fans think we can keep doing the same things from the past with a different end result. The QB position is the most important position on ANY football team from a Franchise position and a back-up position. Some teams like the Giants have been fortunate that their QB hasn't gone down and they needed their back-up to step in and not miss a beat.

Why would you think the back-up QB position would NOT be addressed this year based on what you saw from Rex and Beck last year? Beck wasn't good when giving the keys to the fort and Rex was fed teams "apple turnovers" to feast on when we played them. Shannahan kept saying "you cannot WIN turning the ball over". That was our hint then that this problem would be addressed in FA or the draft. If RG3 gets hurt God forbid, I would be on pins and needles if Rex was our only option at the back-up position. Rookies are coming out of college alot more NFL ready now than in the past.

Cousins is NOT here to compete with RG3, he's here to compete with Rex. Oh yeah, Rex by the way was in a hair of a race with John Beck for the starting job last year. John Beck??? LOL I would think Kirk Cousins would have a punchers chance against Rex, wouldn't you???

[MartinC]

The "he was too good a value to pass up" argument also doesn't hold water to me because if that were the only criteria by which teams drafted players, why don't you see teams doing things like this more often in the early rounds?

Like the Eagles taking Foles this year and the Patriots taking Mallet, that type of thing?

[GWinSkins83]

Don't worry ppl KC, Browns, Cards r going to be call for Cousins 3 year from now trust. Got to get his arm strength up n decision making got improve. But I can see Cousin netting us 2 2nds.

[Burgold]

Or the Packers taking Flynn when they had Farve and Rogers in the fold.

[RED06]

With one bold move to get RG III Shanahan saved his job...
With another bold move to draft a 2nd rookie QB in the same draft, Shanahan is one step closer out the door!!

We needed to strengthen our defense and O-line in the draft to help our rookie QB. But instead Shanahan chose to feed his fetish for QBs.
Like many have said, this is D.C... When any two QBs get together its a controversey!! And that's the last thing Shanahan should've created at this point in our franchise's history. We finally got a franchise QB and immediately he has to share the headlines with questions about Cousins.. Ascinine!!!!

I guess you showed them how ascinine they where for picking 3OL, 1LB, and 2DB's in the draft along with the OL and defensive help we picked up in free agency. So I guess picking 1QB in the fourth round is Ascinine......
I've always thought it was ascinine to drink full bottles of whiskey before posting ascinine comments, but hey what do I know.

I guess another ascinine question would be, do you really think he's here to compete with RG3? Or Grossman? I guess it was ascinine for the Patriots to pick Tom Brady in the 6th round when they had a QB already right? I guess it was also ascinine for GB to pick Aaron Rodgers with Farve at the helm too, right? I guess I can keep going with teams that have had established franchise QB's and still got their insurance policies but we're ascinine for doing it. Nowhere on our roster did we have a franchise QB anywhere until we got RG3. Grossman has had more than his share of opportunities to prove he was the answer on a few teams and pretty much blew it. Beck did as well. Those where the 2 most important positions of NEED.......And Shannahan addressed it this year PERIOD!!!

You cannot win with a great defense alone, especially when YOUR QB (Grossman) keeps our defense on the field the whole game turning the dang ball over. To win with a great defense, you need a QB that will manage the game and NOT turn the ball over. We don't have that ANYWHERE on our roster, that's why we drafted Cousins so hopefully he can fill that role and NOT lose games for us with stupid turnovers if something happens to RG3.

No one is sharing any spot light with RG3, the media and some fans love being critical of EVERYTHING the Redskins do. So its a lose/lose scenario regardless of what move they make. Must you forget, this team was 3-1 last year until the injury bug hit and the wheels fell of the wagon. That's when Grossman and Beck true weaknesses showed. Rex noodle arm would under throw WR's running by themselves along with his guaranteed turnover EVERY game. Beck, well need I say more.

Shannahan didn't create any controversey, the media did. And true to fashion, some Skins fans fell for it and are now questioning it as well which is funny. Our franchise have been in shambles for so many years that I honestly think some fans don't really know what a good foundation for a football team is or resembles anymore. SMH

[UK SKINS FAN '74]

Really like this move. Expected us to take 2 QB's - granted not as high as we did but it is what it is. How else are we going to get a viable back-up with RG3 in town.

If it means we don't need to visit the FA QB scrapheap for at least 3-4 years, it all good for me.

Welcome to DC.

[SittingBull]

What do you call drafting Josh LeRibeus, Keenan Robinson, Tom Compton, Richard Crawford, Jordan Bernstine, and Adam Gettis? That's 3 offensive linemen, a linebacker, and 2 defensive backs.

lol, that's the best argument people can come up with against the move and it's false. People acting like a bunch of day 1 starters are in the 4th round.

[scruffylookin]

We needed to strengthen our defense and O-line in the draft to help our rookie QB. But instead Shanahan chose to feed his fetish for QBs.

You do realize that the Redskins selected three offensive linemen in the first 200 draft picks for the first time in 31 years right? You do realize that the Redskins have not taken more than three linemen in the draft since 1981 as well right?

[skinsmarydu]

Welcome, Kirk! Hope you can become a knowledgeable asset to our beloved team...HAIL!

[skins6]

As Shanny has been saying all along,quality depth at EVERY position!