The ballyhoo surrounding the Kirk Cousins pick has fired me up. I haven’t had the chance to write as much as I would have liked, however, this pick and its negative responses all around the league have angered me enough to where I can’t stay “silent” much longer. I have expressed my disdain for the media on this blog more than once and will do so again.
My fury could be directed at numerous media outlets and writers, but I’ll simply forgo the extreme rant and go with what I believe:
The Kirk Cousins selection makes sense and will yield a high return at some point.
Does anyone actually think there will be a controversy in DC? If you do, you are in an NFL-crazed media starved for a headline that will get people to talk. That is all (Here’s looking at you ESPN). Everyone here in the DMV and within Redskins Nation as a whole, knows this is nothing more than a “Gus Frerotte” pick. Kirk Cousins has already provided Mike Shanahan the opportunity to rid the team of John Beck , and a chance to provide more value down the road then he does now.
In order to get Robert Griffin III, Bruce Allen and company had to give an arm and a leg. No first round picks over the next two years is tough to stomach, but completely worth it. However, Shanahan, who’s demonstrated a preference for a plethora of draft picks, understands that he needs to find value in the draft over the next couple of years to continue his rebuilding program and make a yearly contender.
Enter the fourth round pick of Cousins. Cousins is an extremely high character guy and already somewhat polished. Many scouts believe he could become a starter in the NFL with some patience and time. Sitting behind Griffin and learning from the likes of Mike and Kyle will help his development and push Griffin to become better. Also, with his continued development, the Redskins will have the luxury of not dealing with Rex Grossman’s contract year in and year out.
Insurance is a great thing and similar to Frerrote, this is exactly what Cousins is. There is always the chance that RGIII does not pan out. I am praying he is what we all believe, but there are no guarantees in the NFL. Griffin is one bad shot from DeMarcus Ware or Justin Tuck from being sidelined for a week or 10. Would you rather have Grossman come in and hand the other team the ball, or have Cousins come in and show what he has? Perhaps he proves to be a solid backup and becomes Matt Flynn or Matt Schaub. His stock value soars and all of a sudden the ‘Skins have more picks down the road that are of greater worth than a fourth round pick.
Look at the 1994 draft of Heath Shuler. I know it is not a name any of us like to mutter, but Washington took Gus as insurance to him and it paid off. He wasn’t great, but he was better than most seventh round picks. Mike Shanahan is protecting his investment and hoping for the reward that some backup quarterbacks have offered in recent memory. Nothing more, nothing less.
So to all you media types who believe there is a controversy in DC, let me tell you something: You are not in DC and get paid to put out crap reports. ‘My Way Mike’ is married to RGIII and will be for the rest of his career. Kirk Cousins is depth at a position that has plagued the Redskins for my entire life. With all the experts saying “They need depth, they need depth”, why not add depth at the most important position.
Kirk Cousins was a smart pick. Nothing more could or should be said about this.
May 16th, 2012 
Matt Loede 
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