Fansided

Washington Redskins rumors: Team dumping Kirk Cousins in favor of Colt McCoy?

By Dan Zinski

Aug 10, 2014; Richmond, VA, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) throws the ball as Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) and Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy (16) look on during practice on day eighteen of training camp at Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 10, 2014; Richmond, VA, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) throws the ball as Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) and Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy (16) look on during practice on day eighteen of training camp at Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Washington Redskins would seem to be in a good place with their quarterback situation, having franchise QB Robert Griffin III in place as the starter and Kirk Cousins behind him as a very strong backup.

More from NFL

But that’s just the problem for Washington: Cousins might be a little too strong of a backup, and his presence might be creating issues for Robert Griffin III. And that’s why some people think the Redskins want to move on from Cousins and instead keep Colt McCoy as the backup.

Former Redskins tight end and current media member Chris Cooley gathered intel behind-the-scenes at Redskins camp and came to the conclusion that, for many in the organization, it makes sense to keep McCoy and get rid of Cousins (via washingtonpost.com):

"“We signed Colt McCoy for one reason: To be the backup quarterback for the Washington Redskins for an extended period of time behind Robert Griffin III,” Cooley reported.And what does that mean for Cousins, the current backup?“It means Cousins is not going to be here,” Cooley said. “It doesn’t mean Cousins doesn’t want to be here; it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to be the starter here. It just means that with Robert Griffin III here, it’s not going to play out in favor of Kirk Cousins. Now, when they signed McCoy, they were definitely entertaining trading Kirk Cousins, and up until the draft, it was a viable option that they would trade Kirk Cousins; they just didn’t get the offer that they wanted.”"

Cooley indicates that the Redskins will still try to trade Cousins, and if they can’t work out a deal they will hold onto him through the season. But their preference is to get Cousins out of the picture and remove a potential threat to RG3’s confidence:

"“Colt McCoy was the guy out there that you thought he can be here for a long period of time,” Cooley said. “He can help with Robert’s growth, he can help Robert understand the game, he’s gonna be there, he’s gonna be in Robert’s back pocket, and he’s always going to stay in Robert’s back pocket. He’s never going to create a controversy, he’s never going to create an issue. He will be the guy that we have for a period of time.”"

If you want solid depth behind Griffin, a quarterback who has been injury prone, then you keep Cousins. If you’re more concerned about Griffin’s state-of-mind and you think Cousins’ presence might threaten him? You dump Cousins and keep the non-threatening Colt McCoy.

It’s all about making sure RG3 stays happy and healthy.

Like FanSided on Facebook.
Follow Dan Zinski on Twitter
Subscribe to the Fansided Daily Newsletter. Sports news all up in your inbox.

Home/NFL