Kirk Cousins threw 27 touchdown passes in 2017.Getty
It was a poorly kept secret that there would be major quarterback shakeups in 2018, with several promising quarterbacks entering the NFL draft and after Jimmy Garoppolo was dealt from the New England Patriots to the San Francisco 49ers.
The next shoe dropped Tuesday, when Alex Smith was reportedly traded by the Kansas City Chiefs to the Washington Redskins for a third-round pick and cornerback Kendall Fuller. The deal opens up the Chiefs to start former first-round pick Patrick Mahomes II next season after his impressive performances in the preseason.
The deal also means that Kirk Cousins almost certainly will be moving on from Washington. Potential landing spots for Cousins won't have to now surrender a lot of cap space had he received the franchise or transition tag, but the 29-year-old's next team will likely make him the league's highest-paid player.
The teams that were previously linked to Cousins may be in a tight battle to sign the veteran as he moves on from the nation's capital after March 6.
Kirk Cousins, the only QB ever to receive the franchise tag twice, now will leave Washington. Teams expected to be in QB market include Buffalo, Cleveland, Denver, NY Jets, amongst others.
There are plenty of teams interested in Kirk Cousins.Getty
Buffalo Bills
There is a good chance that Cousins ends up in Buffalo since the Bills have roughly $30 million in cap space and a hole at quarterback. Yet it's possible the Bills, who have the No. 21 and No. 22 overall picks, consider moving up in the draft to land a quarterback.
Expect the Bills to at least make some type of push for Cousins. If they somehow get him, they can use the picks to bolster the rest of their offense.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns have the money (about $110 million in cap space) to add Cousins. The question is, do they want him? Cleveland has the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks in the draft so they will have their choice of Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield at either pick.
Whether the Browns take on Cousins, who is more of a sure thing than any incoming rookie, will depend on their long-term plan. The Browns have 12 draft picks in 2018, but it's unclear if the front office wants to compete for a playoff spot next season or build to become a serious contender in 2019.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos not only have quarterback issues, but also offensive line issues. The Broncos have the No. 5 pick so they might consider taking on Cousins, drafting an offensive lineman and then try to find anyone willing to take one of their backup quarterbacks.
"We need Kirk. I would like to have Kirk. We have great quarterbacks now. Kirk could take us over the edge," linebacker Von Miller said on the Dan Patrick Show.
Miami Dolphins
Jay Cutler was never a long-term solution and there might still be questions about Ryan Tannehill's knee.
But the Dolphins probably don't want to create cap space for Cousins, so it's probably a better bet that they consider giving Tannehill another shot while they also consider drafting a quarterback.
New York Giants
It would probably be a big mistake for the Giants to sign Cousins, even though he knows his way around the NFC East. The Giants seem set to keep Eli Manning and draft a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick.
However, the Giants are a team in transition and have over $23 million in cap space so they might at least want to give Cousins a look. Like the Broncos, the Giants really need at least one offensive lineman, and they may have the option to trade down and could consider dealing Manning after getting new coaches and a new general manager.
New York Jets
Should the Jets draft running back Saquon Barkley with the No. 6 overall pick and sign Cousins, the offense may go from bad (ranked No. 28 in total yards) to very good. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News kept it simple when weighing the Jets' option of signing Cousins: "Pay the man."
The Jets have roughly $100 million in available cap space, so expect them to be major players to add Cousins.
