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Kirk Cousins is holding a paid(proceeds got to the DC Dream Center) Q&A with fans today hosted by 106.7 the FAN’s Grant and Danny. Cousins will answer fan’s questions about his future with the Redskins and in the NFL. When he plans on negotiating with the team. What he looks for in a team, and much more. This post will be updated as the interview happens from 12-2pm today.
The Process:
Cousins wanted "to slow the process down, allow yourself to catch our breath and take your time." #Redskins
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
Sean McVay’s offense:
Cousins says #Redskins 2016 offense belonged to Sean McVay, that’s why he wanted to play out 2017 on one year deal.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 5, 2018
Redskins Wide Receivers:
Cousins calls #Redskins WRs “a work in progress”
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 5, 2018
Want to be in Washington?:
Do you want to remain w/ the #Redskins?
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
Kirk Cousins: "Short answer is, yes (crowd applause). I just feel it's been a very positive six years. ... It's a privilege to play here. I'd be foolish to say I don't want to be here. Obviously it's not that simple, that easy."
Cousins says he feels better about #Redskins long-term now than he did before the season.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 5, 2018
Does Kirk Cousins WANT to be a Redskin?
— NBC Sports Redskins (@NBCSRedskins) January 5, 2018
Hear it from the QB himself. pic.twitter.com/nmXDaFPbOe
Injuries this year:
Cousins: "We're probably going to say the word 'injuries' a few times in the next hour'" Cousins had reservations about McVay leaving in the offseason, but said he was impressed with the job the coaching staff did this season, particularly with the injuries.
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) January 5, 2018
There’s no question to me that the biggest plus in the Redskins favor is this staff. It’s not just Gruden. It’s the whole offensive staff.
— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) January 5, 2018
Personnel is a work in progress, but he seems to think it’s on the right track.
Close to contending:
Despite #Redskins' 7-9 record, Kirk Cousins says, "I do feel like we're closer to" the teams that go to the playoffs
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
Feeling wanted:
Cousins says he feels like the Redskins want him and their belief in him. He just wanted to take his time last offseason to assess the situation.
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) January 5, 2018
Kirk Cousins: "From Day 1 of last offseason I felt like it was total belief from the #Redskins. We want you here and I felt wanted. So I've never felt since then that I need to prove it to them."
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
Week 17 loss vs Giants:
Kirk Cousins on his Week 17 performance vs. #NYG: "It might have been my worst game here in my six years here -- and there have been some bad ones." #Redskins
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
Cousins on Week 17: ‘I was not good the last game of the year, might have been my worst’ pic.twitter.com/YqkSMeC8QL
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 5, 2018
Jay Gruden’s post-season comments about him:
Cousins on Gruden's '7-9 comments' about his play: "I think it's more complicated than that."
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) January 5, 2018
Kirk Cousins said he understood Jay Gruden's lukewarm comments 48hrs after Wk17 game, but adds: "I was surprised by the direct causation between: this is our record. This is our quarterback play. This is what it is." #Redskins
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
"I do believe that Jay (Gruden) believes in me. ...He's given me a great opportunity and I feel very fortunate. ...I don't know that Belichick has always been singing Tom's praises day in and day out." #Redskins
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
Kirk Cousins = A believer in Jay Gruden. pic.twitter.com/BrFYqN8JZj
— NBC Sports Redskins (@NBCSRedskins) January 5, 2018
Bruce Allen:
Cousins says his relationship with Bruce Allen is good, but he didn’t give a lot of specifics. Bit more political. Kinda how he has to answer that. He also was complimentary of how the negotiations went last year despite prior reporting.
— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) January 5, 2018
Redskins offer last offseason:
Cousins says last offseason, when Redskins made their offer, his agent told him, "Kirk, this offer makes it very clear they want you." Delineates he understood that as a starting point to legitimate negotiations.
— Chris Lingebach (@ChrisLingebach) January 5, 2018
Cousins: “Last summer I didn’t feel at peace about committing after this season.” That could change he says
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 5, 2018
Negotiations this year:
.@KirkCousins8: "I do believe the #Redskins are ready to go. And I'm sure between now and mid-March it's going to come down between @MikeMcCartney7 and myself deciding what we're comfortable with it."
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
From what Cousins is saying, seems like the timeline will be based around the NFL tag deadline and free agency in mid-March
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 5, 2018
Cousins: “I see us taking our time” and expects nothing will happen until tag deadline
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 5, 2018
That was an important answer: Kirk indicates he'll make the Redskins decide on a tag (or no tag) before getting into negotiations.
— michael phillips (@michaelpRTD) January 5, 2018
Money isn’t everything:
Cousins makes clear his next move is not only about money. He’s very serious that it’s not “the end all be all.”
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 5, 2018
.@KirkCousins8: "The money is not the driving factor to go another 16 games. ...And shame on me if I feel like just a contract is going to solve my problems. That is broken thinking. And it's going to lead to a dysfunctional life." #Redskins
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
Kirk Cousins: "Life is about balance ... I want to win -- and be well-compensated. And it doesn't have to be extreme one way or the other." #Redskins
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
Dan Snyder:
Kirk Cousins said he does believe the Redskins "are all in" on wanting to sign him here long term. He said owner Dan Snyder has been "phenomenal" communicating his desire to have him around. https://t.co/rkF3Ub7yvR
— John Keim (@john_keim) January 5, 2018
Maximizing opportunities:
Cousins says he's going to maximize his opportunities in terms of seeing what's out there for him this offseason.
— Jake Russell (@_JakeRussell) January 5, 2018
% of cap for a QB:
Asked abt pct of money to QB (with implication big $ undercuts competitiveness), @KirkCousins pts to #Steelers as an NFL team that has pd QB, RB, WR, the C, LT AND has a top-5 defense. "They're still effective; it can be done."
— Liz Clarke (@lizclarketweet) January 5, 2018
Teammates:
Cousins says if he had to move on the toughest thing would be saying bye to his teammates. “They’re just such good people. At the end of the day, it’s about relationships.”
— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) January 5, 2018
Marketability of being Redskins QB:
Interesting from Kirk Cousins: He said his marketing agency pointed out the value of being the #Redskins QB
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 5, 2018
Pierre Garcon:
“Pierre was a war-daddy on 3rd down.”
— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) January 5, 2018
Quote of the day from Cousins on Garçon.
Asked abt key skill of WRs, @KirkCousins8 praised Garcon on 3d down, noted #Skins dropoff on 3d-down in '17 & implies a link. “[Garcon] competed, found ways to get open & catch the football in traffic.”
— Liz Clarke (@lizclarketweet) January 5, 2018
Josh Doctson:
Kirk Cousins said the Redskins need to add speed at wide receiver this offseason, but said Doctson is capable of doing that, too.
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) January 5, 2018
Third franchise tag:
Would Cousins be OK playing under tag? "There's a part of me that would like to get settled, but I haven't really gone there, thought about 'what if?' ...At the end of the day, this league is 1yr deals. ...The team's usually have the ability to get out of them pretty quickly."
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
Kirk Cousins isn't in love with the idea of playing on yet another franchise tag. pic.twitter.com/FPEK7bUPid
— NBC Sports Redskins (@NBCSRedskins) January 5, 2018
QB market:
Cousins says 49ers and Rams having QBs won’t “hinder the market”
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 5, 2018
What team he’d want to play for:
“It goes back to winning. Wherever I go, I’m not going there to increase my portfolio; I’m going there to win. So that’s the factor; that’s what you’ve got to assess in all the options.” - @KirkCousins8, asked by a school-age fan what teams he wants to play for
— Liz Clarke (@lizclarketweet) January 5, 2018
Signing franchise tag:
If tagged, Kirk Cousins says he'll sign. "I need to work, I need to get better. I'm OK with the one-year deal. It doesn't scare me a lot." #Redskins
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
Transition tag market:
If Kirk Cousins gets the transition tag, he said he would talk to other teams to gauge what his value would be. But he necessarily wouldn't bring a contract to the Redskins to match.
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) January 5, 2018
Agent’s advice:
The #Redskins were ready to do a deal late in 2015, Kirk Cousins says, but his agent wanted him to finish out the season and bet on himself. pic.twitter.com/kPOwNRIsgE
— NBC Sports Redskins (@NBCSRedskins) January 5, 2018
Kirk Cousins says #Redskins we’re ready to make a deal late in 2015 season and his agent @MikeMcCartney7 said to bet on himself and play final 4 games out.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 5, 2018
Kirk Cousins said a big factor for him is how much he trusts Mike McCartney. He said there have been times McCartney told him something he didn't want to hear -- and that he was right.
— John Keim (@john_keim) January 5, 2018
Scot McCloughan:
Kirk Cousins says former GM @MccloughanScot was ready to do a deal "from the jump." Redskins approached Cousins' agent before Bears game in December 15 and they weren't satisfied with the offer.
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) January 5, 2018
"They wanted a bargain," Cousins said.
Kirk Cousins: "I've always felt good about @MccloughanScot. I felt like he was a football guy who knew football guys." #Redskins
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
Too much respect?:
Gruden told Cousins in his exit meeting that he gives defenders too much respect.
— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) January 5, 2018
This is absolutely true. He overthinks things. That will get better with even more reps. Cool revelation by Cousins.
Guaranteed money:
Cousins said guarantees will be a "big part" of focus this offseason.
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) January 5, 2018
Cousins said it’s not about a dollar figure, it’s about a percentage of the salary cap and that he wouldn’t want to keep the team from being to sign the players they need to #Redskins
— Diane Chesebrough (@DiChesebrough) January 5, 2018
Patience:
Kirk Cousins: "I don't need to force anybody's hand. ...I can just sit back and be patient." #Redskins
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
Morgan Moses:
Kirk Cousins just said Morgan Moses had torn ligaments. Moses will have surgery on his ankle with Dr. Robert Anderson in the offseason.
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) January 5, 2018
Training to be a professional football player:
Cousins says early in his career, he felt in all kinds of pain, even contemplated retirement. From there he learned to take care of himself in ways that work for him (e.g. all those weird science things he does).
— Chris Lingebach (@ChrisLingebach) January 5, 2018
Strong run game & defense = success:
Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins just said the simplest formula for success is a good defense + run game. #Redskins
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
Thank you:
"We'll take our time. I don't know how it's going to end. Just want to say thank you (to the fans) ... Thank you to the media for covering the team the way you do."
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) January 5, 2018
-- Kirk Cousins, ending his fan event