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Breed
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Just some stuff I reading over the last couple days.
If Adam Schefter's on point to say the Skins/Cousins contracts talk hit a snag would be a sign of progress. According Schefter there have been no discussions between the two. Schefty also said while there are better players in the league than Kirk. No one has more leverage than Kirk Cousins who for his part. Said he's willing to play on another franchise tag next year. Heh. At 23.9 million I ain't mad at him and I can't blame him.
Best long-shot recruit on every NFL team
After his last game as a high school senior, Cousins had zero FBS scholarship offers. Although he was being recruited by Western Michigan and Toledo, it wasn't until Mark Dantonio was hired at Michigan State that Cousins' fortunes turned. Even then, the deal was that the Spartans would offer him a scholarship if they were turned down by higher-rated quarterbacks. Cousins will get paid handsomely this offseason, whether by the Redskins or another team, after he threw 54 touchdowns and 24 interceptions the past two years. -- John Keim
Redskins' playcalling will change with new coordinators
I also think Gruden tended to have less predictable personnel groupings and formations. But in talking to some players, they didn't think a whole lot would change because the philosophy will be the same. Both McVay and Gruden, one player said, know how to use their personnel. For what it's worth, it wasn't just a matter of McVay running Gruden's offense. They incorporated some of what previous Skins OC Kyle Shanahan used to run, and Bill Callahan was/is in charge of the run game.
The game plan also will depend on what happens at quarterback and with the receivers in the offseason. I do think the Redskins would like more balance than they had this season: 607 pass attempts, 379 runs. While McVay liked play-action, Gruden has used it more. The Redskins used it on 127 dropbacks in 2014 compared to 101 and 103 the past two years, according to ESPN Stats & Information. They averaged 11.98 yards per play-action attempt in '14 compared to 10.42 the past two years combined. Make of that what you will.
The Pro Bowl doesn’t matter, so whatever a player shows won’t alter the perception of what he can do. Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins hit a couple of throws, drove his team a little.
But one play did reveal quite a bit about Cousins, showing everyone the mentality that has helped land him on the doorstep of a mega-contract. Former Redskin Lorenzo Alexander intercepted a pass that slid through the outstretched hands of tight end Jimmy Graham and, as he was tackled, lateraled the ball to cornerback Aqib Talib.
That’s when Cousins showed what teammates and coaches see in practice, something they often point out about him. He ignored the fact that it was an exhibition and that he has no contract yet for next season, and he sprinted to catch Talib and punched the ball free. (Another thought: Really? He must have had a great angle and Talib must have gotten tired.)
It’s rare when players make such a hustle play in a meaningless game, especially a quarterback. Maybe it’s a bit unwise, too, given the stakes. But Cousins told ESPN’s James Walker after the game that he did so because "I want to win, man." We’ve seen scenes like that in practice, where he exhorts after big plays and chases down guys after bad ones. Teammates will say to him, "Really? It’s like that?" In other words, what are you doing, bro?
But that’s who he is and why he’s risen from a lightly recruited quarterback out of high school to a quality NFL player. It's the same approach he's used to prepare during the season and work on his game out of the season.
One of the appeals with Cousins is that not only has he improved the past two seasons, he has the mindset that won’t be sidetracked by a big new deal. The same can’t be said about every player. They get a little content, a little lazy. (Give cornerback Josh Norman credit: He didn’t alter his work habits after signing a big contract last spring.)
You can argue about how good Cousins is or debate whether he’s worth a certain amount of money. It’s all fair game. You can’t argue whether it matters to him. Quarterbacks need to show more than that, of course, but it’s a good place to start.
If Adam Schefter's on point to say the Skins/Cousins contracts talk hit a snag would be a sign of progress. According Schefter there have been no discussions between the two. Schefty also said while there are better players in the league than Kirk. No one has more leverage than Kirk Cousins who for his part. Said he's willing to play on another franchise tag next year. Heh. At 23.9 million I ain't mad at him and I can't blame him.
Best long-shot recruit on every NFL team
After his last game as a high school senior, Cousins had zero FBS scholarship offers. Although he was being recruited by Western Michigan and Toledo, it wasn't until Mark Dantonio was hired at Michigan State that Cousins' fortunes turned. Even then, the deal was that the Spartans would offer him a scholarship if they were turned down by higher-rated quarterbacks. Cousins will get paid handsomely this offseason, whether by the Redskins or another team, after he threw 54 touchdowns and 24 interceptions the past two years. -- John Keim
Redskins' playcalling will change with new coordinators
I also think Gruden tended to have less predictable personnel groupings and formations. But in talking to some players, they didn't think a whole lot would change because the philosophy will be the same. Both McVay and Gruden, one player said, know how to use their personnel. For what it's worth, it wasn't just a matter of McVay running Gruden's offense. They incorporated some of what previous Skins OC Kyle Shanahan used to run, and Bill Callahan was/is in charge of the run game.
The game plan also will depend on what happens at quarterback and with the receivers in the offseason. I do think the Redskins would like more balance than they had this season: 607 pass attempts, 379 runs. While McVay liked play-action, Gruden has used it more. The Redskins used it on 127 dropbacks in 2014 compared to 101 and 103 the past two years, according to ESPN Stats & Information. They averaged 11.98 yards per play-action attempt in '14 compared to 10.42 the past two years combined. Make of that what you will.
The Pro Bowl doesn’t matter, so whatever a player shows won’t alter the perception of what he can do. Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins hit a couple of throws, drove his team a little.
But one play did reveal quite a bit about Cousins, showing everyone the mentality that has helped land him on the doorstep of a mega-contract. Former Redskin Lorenzo Alexander intercepted a pass that slid through the outstretched hands of tight end Jimmy Graham and, as he was tackled, lateraled the ball to cornerback Aqib Talib.
That’s when Cousins showed what teammates and coaches see in practice, something they often point out about him. He ignored the fact that it was an exhibition and that he has no contract yet for next season, and he sprinted to catch Talib and punched the ball free. (Another thought: Really? He must have had a great angle and Talib must have gotten tired.)
It’s rare when players make such a hustle play in a meaningless game, especially a quarterback. Maybe it’s a bit unwise, too, given the stakes. But Cousins told ESPN’s James Walker after the game that he did so because "I want to win, man." We’ve seen scenes like that in practice, where he exhorts after big plays and chases down guys after bad ones. Teammates will say to him, "Really? It’s like that?" In other words, what are you doing, bro?
But that’s who he is and why he’s risen from a lightly recruited quarterback out of high school to a quality NFL player. It's the same approach he's used to prepare during the season and work on his game out of the season.
One of the appeals with Cousins is that not only has he improved the past two seasons, he has the mindset that won’t be sidetracked by a big new deal. The same can’t be said about every player. They get a little content, a little lazy. (Give cornerback Josh Norman credit: He didn’t alter his work habits after signing a big contract last spring.)
You can argue about how good Cousins is or debate whether he’s worth a certain amount of money. It’s all fair game. You can’t argue whether it matters to him. Quarterbacks need to show more than that, of course, but it’s a good place to start.