NFL News, Rumors and Musings

[PHillisFan]

In some sad news. Bills starting Center Eric Wood diagnosed with a career ending neck injury. His career is over at the age of 31.

 

[white is right]

In some sad news. Bills starting Center Eric Wood diagnosed with a career ending neck injury. His career is over at the age of 31.

You beat me to it, Wood has been a stalwart in the relatively poor line for much of his tenure. Supposedly he knew about this injury but hid it from team doctors until the annual post season physical. Farewell to Arms Eric....

 

[celticdb15]

Alex Smith traded to Washington! Looks like Cousins is due WEST, Denver and Arizona seem likely spots.

KC is seriously screwing up right now. Mahomes will be the Nail in Porky Reids coffin.

 

[Leonardfan]

Alex Smith traded to Washington! Looks like Cousins is due WEST, Denver and Arizona seem likely spots.

KC is seriously screwing up right now. Mahomes will be the Nail in Porky Reids coffin.

Hopefully Washington drafts a QB as well. Smith is a nice contingency plan by the Redskins since they screwed up with Kirk Cousins.

 

[Don Wassall]

Smith got a 4 year $94 million extension with a whopping $71 mil guaranteed, so he figures to be Washington's starter for at least the next three seasons. Cousins to Denver or Arizona would be great. And Fat Bastard can work his magic on Mahomes

 

[Bruce]

What are the Redskins thinking ? Why would they pay Smith and not Cousins. He's a top 10 qb with elite potential. I'm guessing this has more to do with off the field stuff (cultural).

I still remember watching an awesome shootout between the redskins and the eagles a few years back. Cousins and Foles combined for almost 800 yards passing and 6 touchdowns. I was so happy at the time because I thought I was witnessing the beginning of a great new rivalry between two young gun slingers who play for division rivals . Then Foles was traded the following summer and Cousins is now on his way out of D.C.

It's infuriating, they won't even let us have our quarterbacks anymore . I just pray that Cousins finds himself in a good situation. I would hate to see what happened to Foles happen to him.

 

[Dehbashi]

The fight between the Redskins and Cousins has been money. They don't think he is worth the money he is asking for. They definitely got Smith for much cheaper than they would have to pay Cousins. It's that simple.

 

[RTTAS]

A pretty silly move by both the Chiefs and Redskins in my opinion.

Chiefs give away their franchise QB to settle with a system QB out of Texas Tech who was only drafted highly due to being a minority - he has similar skills and production as a long line of Tech QBs with huge numbers who were drafted as follows (in order of career Tech passing yards):
1. Graham Harrell - Undrafted (2009), 4 NFL pass attempts
2. Kliff Kingsbury - Pick 201 (2003), 2 NFL pass attempts
3. Patrick Mahomes - Pick 10
4. Seth Doege - Undrafted (2013), 0 NFL pass attempts
5. Robert Hall - Undrafted (1994), 0 NFL pass attempts
So something must set apart Mahomes from his counterparts, two of whom threw for more college yards and touchdowns...hmm...

The Chiefs have basically shut their Super Bowl window - in five seasons with Alex Smith they had a 53-27 record with the last two division titles and very consistent records (11, 9, 11, 12, 10 wins), but unfortunately lost four playoff games by a combined eleven points. Would not surprise me at all if they drop to sub-5 wins next season and potentially open a hole for the Chargers or Denver to take the division and make a run at the Super Bowl. Pro Football Focus graded Smith as the sixth best quarterback for the 2017 season...


Meanwhile, the Redskins gave up a third round pick and Kendall Fuller (one of the league's better cornerbacks right now and, ironically, PFF's sixth best cornerback for 2017) for a great, albeit ageing (will be 34 by the time next season starts) quarterback while yet again not giving Kirk Cousins the money he wants - may be too high but he's only 29. Basically, they paid a good cornerback and a third round pick for a slight-to-medium upgrade at quarterback (although older) and possibly saving money - although how much could Cousins be asking for above the extension they gave Smith (4 years for $94 million, $71 million guaranteed) - they probably should have paid him a couple years ago for what would've probably been much less.

 

[FootballDad]

The fight between the Redskins and Cousins has been money. They don't think he is worth the money he is asking for. They definitely got Smith for much cheaper than they would have to pay Cousins. It's that simple.

This. The trade here was all about politics and money. In Washington they did not want to pay Cousins what he will command on the open market, and the management and fans were never sold on Cousins. Smith takes care of both of those problems. For KC, Smith is a $16-17 million dollar piece of the 2018 salary cap now gone. He has been the scapegoat for everything bad that has happened to the Chiefs over the last few years.

Reid now has his non-white QB that he covets, we'll see how he does. What RTTAS says above has merit, but in preseason and limited action last season Mahomes looked serviceable and had a full year to learn from Smith.

In my opinion, the Redskins will be just fine, Smith will do what he does and they will win. Cousins will move along to a franchise that wants him and get a big paycheck. It's up to him to capitalize on it. As for the Chiefs, well, I'm not a Mahomes fan. It's going to be a struggle for me rooting against the QB but pulling for the team. Maybe they will pick up a white wideout or a couple of white defenders to make it easier.

 

[Leonardfan]

My hope is the Redskins draft Josh Allen - give him a coupe years to sit and learn from Alex Smith and than take over the franchise. This is the year to get a QB - especially teams with older vet qbs.

 

[FootballDad]

My hope is the Redskins draft Josh Allen - give him a coupe years to sit and learn from Alex Smith and than take over the franchise. This is the year to get a QB - especially teams with older vet qbs.

Virtually any of the top QB's in this draft would benefit from Smith's tutelage. He went above and beyond from the beginning of training camp to throughout the season teaching Mahomes. The only downside for the Redskins is that they are losing a rare relatively competent DB in Fuller. Slim pickings in CB land since whites aren't allowed to play that position.

 

[Shadowlight]

A pretty silly move by both the Chiefs and Redskins in my opinion.

Chiefs give away their franchise QB to settle with a system QB out of Texas Tech who was only drafted highly due to being a minority - he has similar skills and production as a long line of Tech QBs with huge numbers who were drafted as follows (in order of career Tech passing yards):
1. Graham Harrell - Undrafted (2009), 4 NFL pass attempts
2. Kliff Kingsbury - Pick 201 (2003), 2 NFL pass attempts
3. Patrick Mahomes - Pick 10
4. Seth Doege - Undrafted (2013), 0 NFL pass attempts
5. Robert Hall - Undrafted (1994), 0 NFL pass attempts
So something must set apart Mahomes from his counterparts, two of whom threw for more college yards and touchdowns...hmm...

The Chiefs have basically shut their Super Bowl window - in five seasons with Alex Smith they had a 53-27 record with the last two division titles and very consistent records (11, 9, 11, 12, 10 wins), but unfortunately lost four playoff games by a combined eleven points. Would not surprise me at all if they drop to sub-5 wins next season and potentially open a hole for the Chargers or Denver to take the division and make a run at the Super Bowl. Pro Football Focus graded Smith as the sixth best quarterback for the 2017 season...


Meanwhile, the Redskins gave up a third round pick and Kendall Fuller (one of the league's better cornerbacks right now and, ironically, PFF's sixth best cornerback for 2017) for a great, albeit ageing (will be 34 by the time next season starts) quarterback while yet again not giving Kirk Cousins the money he wants - may be too high but he's only 29. Basically, they paid a good cornerback and a third round pick for a slight-to-medium upgrade at quarterback (although older) and possibly saving money - although how much could Cousins be asking for above the extension they gave Smith (4 years for $94 million, $71 million guaranteed) - they probably should have paid him a couple years ago for what would've probably been much less.

I think the Redskins get a clear nod on this transaction. Yes Alex Smith is 34 and Cousins is 29 but Smith is a "young" 34, still limber and moving around like a young pup. In this day and age where Roger Federer is winning majors in his mid 30's and Tom Brady is on the verge of another SB win certain athletes like Smith play like a much younger man. If he stays injury free he has a good 4-5 years left.

Smith is a WINNER. I sense the Redskins want to take it up a notch and this is their first step. He provides instant leadership and while Cousins has flashed talent this team seemed to play in a fog all year long. A middle of the road type of team that seemed to have no destination in mind.

It will be interesting to see if the Redskins draft some white skill players for a change. After this maneuver I sure hope so.

As for the Chiefs I sense a darkening on all levels. Will this new unproven QB form a bond with Kelce the way Smith did for years? If history is any indication the answer is a resounding NO. We have ample evidence that non white QB's DO NOT allow white receivers to flourish. Meanwhile the Chiefs front seven on defense was exposed and they will be anxious to bench Sorensen in favor of a recovered Berry at safety. My crystal ball has the teams switching places. Look for the Redskins to vie for the playoffs and the Chiefs to end up in the purgatory space the Redskins occupied last season. And look for Andy Reid to get fired within two years.

I am anxious to see how these two teams draft.

 

[Bruce]

The fight between the Redskins and Cousins has been money. They don't think he is worth the money he is asking for. They definitely got Smith for much cheaper than they would have to pay Cousins. It's that simple.

They gave Smith 70 mil guaranteed. They never offered Cousins that much money. 50 mil was all they were willing to give him last summer

 

[Don Wassall]

They gave Smith 70 mil guaranteed. They never offered Cousins that much money. 50 mil was all they were willing to give him last summer

Instead of Smith becoming Mahomes' backup, he's now still a starter for several more years. Cousins will be signed to starter's money somewhere. I see it as a win for both.

 

[Extra Point]

If Mahomes doesn't work out the Chiefs can target Nick Foles in 2019. He was on the Chiefs a year ago and played well.

 

[FootballDad]

If Mahomes doesn't work out the Chiefs can target Nick Foles in 2019. He was on the Chiefs a year ago and played well.

Also of interest is who the Chiefs will bring on as the primary backup to Mahomes. Besides Midget Wilson, most QB's who have a penchant for running end up injured at some point. Right now the Chiefs have Tyler Bray, but not to sugarcoat anything, he was FP bad when in action last preseason and in week 18.

 

[Leonardfan]

Cousins did alot with a little last year. The Redskins big free agent signing last year was Terelle Pryor. They have no running game, no reliable WRs, oft-injured or mediocre TEs, a mediocre OL. The Redskins were stupid for letting him go but Alex Smith is a nice insurance policy. I still argue they should draft a QB as the cupboard looks a little barren in the next few years. However the Redskins will probably continue their ways and be a vehemently black team that underachieves year in and year out and no one will ever wonder why.

 

[CrazyFinn]

Cousins should go to Minnesota. They instantly become Super Bowl favorites next year if that happens, IMO.

Whether the Vikings are willing to shell out big buck$$ for him is another matter. He would certainly be an upgrade over Keenum, with all due respect.

Keenum can still end up as a capable starter somewhere else and command decent money, he has done enough this past year to earn that.

 

[Shadowlight]

To me Cousins, a solid QB, cannot be compared to Alex Smith. Smith's lifetime record is 90-67-1. He has lead his teams to five different playoff appearances including 3 in a row from 2015-2017. Cousins lifetime record is 26-31-1.

The year after Smith was traded from the 49er's the once contending team started to fall apart. Meanwhile Smith immediately made a difference in KC and made them instant contenders. Before his arrival they were stuck in the mud. Two of the playoff games that Smith was extraordinary in they lost by the skin of their teeth to go along with some bad breaks. This past season the ONLY reason the Titans won is because the Chiefs best player was skulled out of the game in the first half. Smith also had a career year proving to his countless detractors he COULD hit the bomb.

He is smooth and athletic and since the teams he leads flourish I have no reason to suspect nothing but an improvement for the Redskins. He has proven time and again he is leader. He is the athletic white QB who can hurt defenses with his mobility, running ability and he throws accurately on the run yet he has received more criticism for a top QB than anyone else that comes to mind. He is very smart and he will figure things out. And once again the piling on media thinks they have him figured out as a very nice but limited QB and figure the Redskins will stew in mediocrity. His consistent performance levels and winning ways prove otherwise. I have been a fan of Smith as far back as his Utah days.

Time will tell as far as the Redskins but never bet against this guy. He keeps proving the critics wrong.

 

[Extra Point]

Cousins did alot with a little last year. The Redskins big free agent signing last year was Terelle Pryor. They have no running game, no reliable WRs, oft-injured or mediocre TEs, a mediocre OL. The Redskins were stupid for letting him go but Alex Smith is a nice insurance policy. I still argue they should draft a QB as the cupboard looks a little barren in the next few years. However the Redskins will probably continue their ways and be a vehemently black team that underachieves year in and year out and no one will ever wonder why.

The Redskins have the number 13 pick this year. If I'm the Redskins and Baker Mayfield is available at 13 I'd take him even though they have Smith. That way you're set at quarterback for years with a proven veteran and a potential elite young quarterback in Mayfield.

 

[Shadowlight]

First I don't think Mayfield will be around at 13. He could be the number one pick. Secondly I don't see Mayfield sitting around for three plus years holding a clip board. I suspect whoever picks him intends to start him.

One other point which I think gets at the core of the media dislike of Alex Smith. Aaron Rodgers is the lone exception as a QB who can do damage with his legs but is 'accepted" by the media because first and foremost they talk about the wizardry of his arm. The media in general prefers their white QB's to be athletically limited and stationary.

I think it seems to me the media figures that only black QB's are allowed to scramble around and take it up field with their legs. Remember every time a fast young hyped up black QB enters the league we hear about how they will "revolutionize" the position and add a "never seen before" athletic element to what used to be a "staid stationary" white position. At least that is what I tend to hear. Every few years there is a Robert Griffin type QB that is anointed with that role and next season I imagine Lamar Jackson will be the next in line.

Russell Wilson runs around a lot and the media SWOONS. Alex Smith does it and he is considered "limited." And by the way Smith has never had the fortune of playing on a defense anywhere near as good as the Seahawks.

An athletic fluid white QB that can also do big damage with his legs is something the media DOES NOT want to happen as far as I can tell. They want the black players filling that role thus creating the caste cloud that wants white QBs as stationary and static and black QBs as moving and exciting.

 

[Bruce]

Instead of Smith becoming Mahomes' backup, he's now still a starter for several more years. Cousins will be signed to starter's money somewhere. I see it as a win for both.

I can see that side of it too, maybe Cousins can go to Buffalo and displace a black quarterback. I guess my reasons for being so disappointed about this are more sentimental. Cousins was just such a great story and an incredible role model for all of the kids in the D.C. area . His tale was a modern day David and Goliath. He overcame all of the odds and he proved all of the naysayers and haters wrong(and there were plenty of them).

Kirk Cousins is undoubtedly a top 10 qb and nobody other than those of us here could have predicted it, not after the massive chimpout ESPN threw after he was drafted in the 4th round, and not after RG3 was annoited as the Second Coming. He deserves better than this. If not for the clown world we live in he would have been able to retire as a Redskin and go down as the greatest qb in the history of such a storied franchise .

 

[RTTAS]

I think the Redskins get a clear nod on this transaction. Yes Alex Smith is 34 and Cousins is 29 but Smith is a "young" 34, still limber and moving around like a young pup. In this day and age where Roger Federer is winning majors in his mid 30's and Tom Brady is on the verge of another SB win certain athletes like Smith play like a much younger man. If he stays injury free he has a good 4-5 years left.

Smith is a WINNER. I sense the Redskins want to take it up a notch and this is their first step. He provides instant leadership and while Cousins has flashed talent this team seemed to play in a fog all year long. A middle of the road type of team that seemed to have no destination in mind.

It will be interesting to see if the Redskins draft some white skill players for a change. After this maneuver I sure hope so.

As for the Chiefs I sense a darkening on all levels. Will this new unproven QB form a bond with Kelce the way Smith did for years? If history is any indication the answer is a resounding NO. We have ample evidence that non white QB's DO NOT allow white receivers to flourish. Meanwhile the Chiefs front seven on defense was exposed and they will be anxious to bench Sorensen in favor of a recovered Berry at safety. My crystal ball has the teams switching places. Look for the Redskins to vie for the playoffs and the Chiefs to end up in the purgatory space the Redskins occupied last season. And look for Andy Reid to get fired within two years.

I am anxious to see how these two teams draft.

I think Smith is a great QB as well, top 10 in the league maybe even top 5, but 34 is still 34 which would always be a concern while they are giving up some valuable stock, but I would slightly give the redskins the win here purely because it puts them in a position to compete, while the chiefs are most likely taken out of competition for the time being. The two big winners I'd say, as Don said earlier, are Cousins and Smith. Cousins will now be allowed to truly test the market and get what he deserves, while Smith won't be supplanted by a highly-drafted black quarterback again (for at least the time being). As a niners fan, Smith getting hurt and being replaced by Kaepernick cost that Super Bowl against the Ravens and probably the next year's as well.

Unfortunately Kelce signed a five-year extension about two years ago to tie him with the Chiefs until 2021 so he probably won't be leaving anytime soon.

 

[Heretic]

Some teams never learn.

It gives the state of Arizona a trifecta with Herm Edwards now at ASU and Kevin Sumlin at Arizona.

 

[Dehbashi]

They gave Smith 70 mil guaranteed. They never offered Cousins that much money. 50 mil was all they were willing to give him last summer

First just because it was released by the agents those numbers are not complete. In NFL guarantee does not mean. It could mean 45 million is fully guaranteed while the rest is a roster bonus in that you will get that money if you are on the roster on March 5 3 years into your contract .

Second you assume that Cousins would have signed for $71 million guaranteed. I assume he won't. I think he wants more than Derek Carr money and wants a contract of 5 years 175 million contract, $100 million guaranteed.

If he actually takes less, it would go to my other theory, he never wanted to be a Redskin and wanted to get out of Dodge