1. Can you think of a better job to have right now than Kirk Cousins' job? Of course, you would have to possess a base level of competency and would have had to prove your abilities at the collegiate level, but just think about it for a moment. Kirk is not expected to play at all. He will likely sit behind not only Robert Griffin III, but also Rex Grossman. Unless he starts using the 50-yard line in the practice bubble as his personal crapper, he has next to zero risk of being cut this year.
2. No expectations. No pressure. No controversy...and a nice little $2.572 million contract with a $473k bonus. I am going a little overboard with the "no expectations" thing and I know it, but hopefully you understand what I mean.
3. As I say every time I invoke the name of Kirk Cousins, I truly believe that Robert Griffin is the real deal and I think his future in the NFL is extremely bright. This only boosts how great it is to be Kirk Cousins today. The dude is initially an insurance policy for the most pleasantly plump quarterback in the league, and when he gets promoted, he will be little more than a hat rack with a clipboard on the sideline. His current life expectancy in the NFL is 37.6 years.
4. Don't expect Kirk Cousins to coast during his tenure in Washington. Don't expect Kirk Cousins to forget that there are people in this league VERY intently watching his progress. At Michigan State, he earned the respect of his teammates and coaches and earned his role on that team. I expect nothing less from Cousins here in D.C. Luckily for him, he will be earning a chance to have the cleanest jersey in the stadium. Kevin and I get our jerseys dirtier in the parking lot before the game than Cousins will during the game. That said, expect Kirk Cousins to get plenty dirty during the week. Expect the fourth-round pick to utilize the lack of fanfare surrounding him as an opportunity to grow up as a pro with fewer distractions than some of his peers. Can it get any better for this guy?
5. I have predicted that someone will eventually try and invent a controversy where none should or does exist--I promise you it will not be me. Can we all agree to just let it slide when we do hear it? Please know that there is a HUGE GAP separating Griffin and Cousins from an ability standpoint. That gap can be closed with a dedication to training and studying. That is the opportunity Cousins has in front of him. It says here that he will knock this opportunity out of the park.
6. I have taken so much heat for my unabashed Kirk Cousins love. Believe me when I tell you that I will be wearing a #10 jersey on September 23rd, but having a backup rookie of Kirk Cousins' caliber makes me so giddy it is ridiculous. The future prospects for our offense that having these two guys grow up together presents us are mind-blowing. This of course assumes that Mike Shanahan got a guy in the fourth-round that doesn't wash out in his second year, or buckle under the weight of the RG3 circus. I truly believe that the Redskins can finally attempt to enter the ranks of other good franchises that have gotten themselves in the business of developing quarterbacks. There is not a single bad outcome if the Shanahans successfully develop Kirk Cousins into a very good NFL quarterback. Even better...there are not many situations where a quarterback can develop without the normal pressures and expectations that are better than the one here in D.C. I continue to LOVE this pick.