The Redskins have been forced to make some tough decisions in free agency already. DeSean Jackson, who was one of the top receivers in Washington last season, was recently signed by Tampa Bay. Pierre Garcon, who did lead the team in receiving yards, is joining the 49ers in San Francisco. And it certainly sounds like that's the destination that Kirk Cousins wants to go to.
The Bruce Allen Problem.
The major problem for Kirk Cousins seems to be team president Bruce Allen. He was once the general manager of football operations for the Redskins from 2010-2014.
In 2014, owner Dan Snyder named Allen the team president. Later in 2015, the now disgraced general manager Scot McCloughan was hired by the Redskins. Allen lost his title as GM, but still couldn't keep his hands off the football operations of the organization. Universally hated by fans, Redskins supporters have called for his removal for years. And Kirk Cousins has joined the ranks of those who would like to see a change within the organization.
Kirk Cousins Refusal to Play for Redskins.
The Redskins placed the franchise tag on Cousins for the 2017 season, but would prefer to sign the quarterback to a long term deal. Cousins has been generally unwilling to cooperate, and a large portion of the problem is related to Bruce Allen.
According to Chick Hernandez, Cousins would never sign a long term deal with Redskins while Allen is team president.
Source close to the Cousins camp tells me as long as Bruce Allen is team president , he will NOT negotiate a long term deal. #redskins
— Chick Hernandez (@CHICKatCSN) March 10, 2017
The idea that Cousins would just refuse long term offers from the Redskins should worry fans.
It then means that this is less about money and more about a dysfunctional organization. If Cousins doesn't want to play there, who would? There are 31 other teams in the NFL that aren't uncovering the alcohol related issues of their current general manager.
It speaks to most of the players dislike the way Scot McCloughan situation was handled #redskins
— Chick Hernandez (@CHICKatCSN) March 10, 2017
The general manager was fired after an inside source leaked information about his alcohol issues.
The way in which the incident was handled clearly irked some Redskins who were upset about what happened.
Future for the Redskins
All is not yet lost for Washington. The team could easily trade Kirk Cousins for a hefty price to the 49ers. Alternatively, the team could simply fire Bruce Allen and replace one of the more toxic personalities in the organization. Those decisions are up to owner Dan Snyder and will likely be made within the next month.
