Washington Redskins 2017 Season Recap
2 years. A change in the Redskins' front office. A change out of primary pass catchers. And what did Washington gain from the Kirk Cousins Saga? 2 middling seasons, an inability to retain their starting quarterback, over $43 million spent on one player... And uncertainty at the QB position in the long term. Given the history of the 'Skins under owner Daniel Snyder, is anyone surprised?
Washington Redskins
2017 Record: 7-9
2016 Record: 8-7-1
Win Differential: -1.5
What Happened: What happened was the worst case scenario for the Redskins if their intention was to make Cousins their franchise quarterback. While Cousins' stats were fine, he did not show team president Bruce Allen enough evidence to justify pulling the trigger on a record setting contract to retain him. Then again, if Cousins intention was to hit the open market regardless of any overtures made by his original team, then his performance for the season (64.3% completion percentage, 4093 yards, 27 TD's, & 13 INT's for a 93.9 passer rating) may have not hurt him, but it didn't scream elite level passer, either. With that, Washington saw Cousins break the bank with Minnesota... And left the 'Skins as a whole in limbo.
What To Expect: Give Allen credit for responding to the imminent departure of Cousins by reaching out to another club whose signal caller quandary turned into an opportunity, as the Redskins made a trade to get veteran Alex Smith from the Kansas City Chiefs. For the immediacy of this season, Smith will be significantly cheaper at $16 million for 2018 while not representing a vast dropoff in skill and talent. But for the long term, Washington has more questions than answers. Smith is entering his 14th pro season, with means he has more yesterdays than tomorrows on the field. That means that in a division with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, the solid Dallas Cowboys, and rebuilding New York Giants, the Redskins find themselves stuck in neutral. This can leave Washington perpetually chasing their rivals for a decade; the Eagles and Cowboys today, the Giants in the future. Allen will need to draft well and spend wisely in free agency if they wish to be competitive entering the next decade. But given the Redskins recent history, there is more pessimism than optimism for that to occur.
