Who will be the Washington Redskins' QB in 2016?
— -- The Washington Redskins have as many quarterbacks who are assured of being on their 2016 roster as they do playoff victories the past nine seasons: zero.
After committing six draft picks -- including five in high rounds -- as recently as 2012 to acquire Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins, it's stunning the Redskins lack stability at the game's most important position. But with injury-prone Griffin having been benched for poor play three times in as many seasons by two head coaches, and Cousins, despite signs of promise, still striving for consistency, the Redskins find themselves in a quarterback quandary. (Journeyman Colt McCoy is viewed strictly as a backup, people in Washington's football operation say.)
How will the Redskins address this in the offseason? Here are their options:
1. Sign Cousins to a long-term deal.
This idea could gain traction, especially if Cousins racks up a few more fourth-quarter gems. He opened October by directing a 15-play, 90-yard touchdown drive in the final two minutes to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, 23-20, punctuating the victory with a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Pierre Garcon. For his closing act in the month, Cousins led the biggest comeback in franchise history.
With Cousins playing brilliantly in the second half (21-of-25, 3 TDs), the Redskins rallied from a 24-0 second-quarter deficit to stun the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-30. Only 24 seconds remained on the game clock after Cousins and tight end Jordan Reed connected on a 6-yard touchdown pass to cap an 11-play, 80-yard drive.
"He's obviously shown some flashes of being one heck of a quarterback," coach Jay Gruden said of Cousins earlier this week. Long before Gruden announced Cousins would enter the regular season as the starter, Washington's staff had determined Cousins was far ahead of Griffin in operating the Redskins' West Coast offense, people familiar with their thinking say. Cousins continued to show improvement in the short-passing system that's predicated on timing and rhythm, prompting Gruden and general manager Scot McCloughan to bench Griffin despite owner Daniel Snyder's affinity for the NFL's 2012 offensive rookie of the year.
Against the Buccaneers, Cousins went 24-for-26 on passes traveling 5 or fewer yards, including 14-for-15 with three touchdowns in the final two quarters, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He has eight touchdowns on such throws this season, tied for the most in the NFL.
Here's what the numbers mean: Cousins definitely is the best option on the roster to run Gruden's offense. The problem is, Cousins' failure to protect the football remains a problem.
"You, like, scratch your head sometimes," Gruden said.
In four of Washington's seven games, Cousins has thrown two interceptions. Obviously, that's not good. But Cousins has a respectable 58.8 total QBR, ranking 17th in the league. In the final year of his rookie contract, Cousins is a bargain at $660,000.
Gruden has a lot invested in Cousins, who has led the team to a 3-4 mark entering its bye week. When you stand on a table for someone who is not the owner's choice, your guy had better succeed. But McCloughan needs to see more consistency from Cousins to recommend sticking with him.
2. Go back to Griffin.
I know, I know: I just wrote Cousins is the right guy for Gruden, so wouldn't Washington be crazy to recommit to Griffin? But the Redskins do crazy stuff all the time. You don't finish last in the NFC East six of the past seven seasons by making sound decisions.
In another head-scratcher, they exercised Griffin's $16.155 million contract option for 2016 despite his ineffectiveness the past two seasons. The contract is guaranteed only for injury, meaning the team would be on the hook for Griffin's full salary -- and the cap hit -- if he failed a physical at the start of the league year. Considering Griffin's injury history (he has had two knee reconstructions and a severe ankle injury), picking up the option made no sense.
The Redskins have 10 players on the season-ending injured reserve list. As the team's third-string quarterback, Griffin is buried on the bench. Obviously, McCloughan and Gruden would prefer to use Griffin's roster spot, team sources say, on someone who could actually help the team, but Snyder and Redskins president Bruce Allen, who badly mismanaged the roster while he held McCloughan's job, have said Griffin stays put. The fear among Washington's football people is that, if Cousins falters, Snyder and Allen will push for Griffin to start again this season. Early in 2014, Gruden determined Griffin cannot thrive in a traditional pro-style offense, let alone one that requires as much of the quarterback as a true West Coast scheme.
Too often last season, Griffin displayed an alarming lack of pocket presence, made the wrong protection calls and held the ball while receivers ran free. Of course, that leads to a question: Why don't the Redskins go back to the college option-style approach that helped Griffin have the most efficient season for a rookie passer in NFL history? Because Griffin is opposed to playing that way.
Griffin and his father pushed for changes in the offense under former coach Mike Shanahan. After Gruden replaced Shanahan after the 2013 season, the Redskins determined it was best for Griffin to play primarily in the pocket. The thinking was the move would reduce Griffin's risk of injury, potentially enabling the team to recoup its massive investment in the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, who was guaranteed more than $21 million in his rookie deal.
Although Washington's football people are ready to move on from Griffin, he's still on the roster. And as long as Griffin remains with the team, there's a chance he could lead it again.
3. Draft a quarterback.
For Gruden, this would be the worst choice.
Next season will be Gruden's third of a guaranteed five-year contract. Gruden inherited a mess, but he can't fall back on that forever. In the third year of a coach's program, if things are going in the right direction, progress should be evident.
As NFL history tells us, most rookie quarterbacks struggle. Even if Gruden had the backing of management to try to develop another young passer, the fan base might not be as understanding.
Deservedly, Gruden has received poor marks for how he criticized Griffin in public last fall compared with his white-glove treatment of Cousins this season. In 2016, Gruden needs to show clear signs he's the right person for his job. Presumably, having to hold a rookie's hand would make Gruden's job much more difficult.
4. Acquire a veteran quarterback through a trade or free agency.
On one hand, this would only be a stopgap measure -- generally speaking, difference-making signal-callers aren't available in trades or free agency.
On the other hand, bringing in an experienced passer to play the position while McCloughan continues his attempt to rebuild the team's weak roster through the draft might be the best short-term solution to the Redskins' biggest long-term problem. Earlier this week, colleague Mike Sando ran down a list of quarterbacks who could change teams in 2016.
5. A combination of things above.
It could be to keep Cousins and draft a QB. It could be drafting a QB and acquiring one through free agency. It could be to keep Cousins, draft a QB, and add one via free agency or trade, thus setting up a true competition. Ultimately, it could become the most important decision McCloughan makes.
