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May 7, 2014
Watch the bootleg! (Photo by Brian Murphy)
This morning while on my exercise bike I watched as Mike and Mike resurrected the talks about the Cleveland Browns trading their second first round draft pick (#26) to the Washington for Kirk Cousins. Seems like a really splendid plan for Washington, but I can’t say I’m particularly interested from a Browns perspective.
I get why the rumors won’t die. The Cleveland Browns have Cousins’ former offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan. The Cleveland Browns have question marks at quarterback starting with the flashy journeyman performance that Brian Hoyer put on last year in a few games. Combine this with the fact that the Browns have lots of draft picks and Washington doesn’t, and of course the “rumors” are going to fly (or get planted.)
I kind of like Cousins too. I wouldn’t even mind having Kirk Cousins on the Cleveland Browns roster, but let’s pump the brakes just a bit. A first round pick? Number 26 in this draft? Why? Because that’s a pick that the Browns have and Washington would love to have it? That’s not how trade valuation works. What’s the trade market really like for Kirk Cousins? I’m guessing it’s not all that strong and ProFootballTalk wrote just this morning (just a few hours after Mike and Mike went off the air) that “nobody” is calling Washington about him right now.
I’ve continually talked about the Browns playing good poker in the draft. Good poker would not include trading a first round pick for Kirk Cousins. There’s an argument to be made that Cousins very well might be better as a known quantity than the available talent at the bottom of the first round. I’m not saying I agree, but the argument can be made. Even so, it just doesn’t feel to me as if there’s anyone else that would pay anywhere near that price to acquire the services of Kirk Cousins.
The Cleveland Browns cannot ignore the market in a case like this. Maybe I am way off base, but I don’t think the trade market is anywhere near hot enough for Kirk Cousins to justify even a late first round draft pick. Thanks for making my exercise bike ride go faster though, Mike and Mike.
19 Comments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpraJYnbVtE
Consider the source.
It’s insanity to think the Browns would trade the 26th pick for a backup QB with mediocre numbers. The guy was a 3rd round choice and hasn’t played particularly well. Is he worth a 3rd round pick? Maybe. But not a 1st or 2nd.
This must be how people in Portland feel when people in Cleveland say we should trade Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters for LaMarcus Aldridge.
I have no doubt that Washington is the side here that is keeping the rumor alive.
Frankly, I’m not even sure why the Redskins would want to do it. Unless they’re pretty sure #26 would net a better backup QB for the possibly fragile RGIII than Cousins or Colt McCoy. Wait, actually, of course it would.
you watch mike & mike?? disappointing.
I don’t care what anyone says, that right there is damn good television.
Allow me…
“Hey Cleveland, how about Cousins for your #26?”
“Hmmm, think me think about that…No thanks.”
http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view3/1293558/scanners-o.gif
Is that dead enough?
I imagine this is how Bruce Allen looks right after making another call to Mike & Mike and they take the bait:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1vwb9IxON1qa0gpno1_500.gif
Only 26 more hours…
don’t worry, I hear that the yet-to-be-named Cavalier GM is really interested in a yet-to-be-named Lithuanian small forward.
At least wait til AFTER the lottery.
If Shanahan feels that Cousins is better than the QB’s they anticipate being available at 26 or 35, then I’m all for it. They are going to take a QB, it might as well be the one the OC wants to work with.
Not sure where to stick this, so here it goes…
http://www.vox.com/2014/5/7/5683448/how-nfl-teams-ignore-basic-economics-and-draft-players-irrationally
Good read. Thanks.
After one round of SportsCenter, yeah I will watch M&M for a bit while exercising. Have you ever seen how bad NFL AM is? OOF!
Great link.
Is Cousins > Hoyer? No (or not considerably)
sorry if i was snarky, craig. i love your stuff. its just that those two…um….gentlemen…irritate the…um….heck out of me.