The Time to Trade Kirk Cousins is Now!

Jay Gruden has announced Robert Griffin will be his starting quarterback going into 2015. This is the way it should be. On the sidelines sits Kirk Cousins, who I feel can be a quality starter in this league. We've seen far less talented quarterbacks succeed in the NFL, and all Cousins really needs is the backing of a coach and organization, some protection up front, and some of his confidence back.

There are a few teams who need a starting quarterback their team can build around for the future, and two of these teams could make great trading partners for the Redskins on draft day or sooner.

Cleveland Browns - I could have called the Johnny Football troubles from miles away. I was on ESPN radio last year before the draft talking prospects, and Manziel's name came up. I called him the biggest bust of the draft, and guessed he'd be out of the NFL in three years. Now, I don't know if this prediction will come true, but I do know that Cleveland needs a young quarterback, and that moving up in the draft for Mariota is probably very unlikely. I'd imagine the Redskins could become very creative in a trade, and package Cousins, and maybe even another player, for picks. I think a second round pick straight up would get the deal done, but the Redskins may be interested in moving another member of the team, say a certain receiver, to get one of Cleveland's first round picks.

Houston Texans - Bill O'Brien likes smart quarterbacks who he can challenge mentally. His offense is complex, and he needs a smart signal caller to run it. He's proven in his time in the NFL and college that he is a sort of Quarterback Whisperer. With Cousins under center, he could focus on building around the fourth year vet, and you can be assured he'd get the most he could out of Kirk. Again, I feel a second round pick could get this done, then O'Brien could stop dreaming about Christian Hackenberg in 2016.

Other teams who could be interested:

TennesseeTitans - questions surround Locker and Mettenberger

St. Louis Rams - the health of Bradford is key here

New York Jets - is new head coach Todd Bowles sold on Smith

Chicago Bears - Cutler's future is up in the air

Why move Cousins now?

Gruden has named Griffin the starter. To avoid any controversy, Cousins should be removed from the picture. The time to trade him is now. If not, he walks the following year, and we get nothing in return. Griffin doesn't need anyone looking over his shoulder. He needs to put his head down and get to work, and eliminating any distractions would be in the teams best interests. Also, on this team lacking in both talent and depth, another high pick could go a long way towards improving our squad.