Kirk Cousins trade rumors: 5 best destinations
By John Buhler
Denver Broncos
AFC, West
The Denver Broncos may not like this, but they are not winning Super Bowls with either Trevor Siemian or Paxton Lynch under center. Siemian played well last year, but he is at the asymptote of his NFL quarterbacking ceiling. Lynch remains very much a work in progress.
With Denver clearly having the worst quarterback situation of the AFC West teams, the Broncos will again have to lean on their defense to win late in the season. New head coach Vance Joseph may have brought with him a strong offensive coordinator in Mike McCoy, but they have to realize that sub-par quarterback play will undermine Denver’s chances at winning a Super Bowl in the coming years.
Denver could trade either Siemian or Lynch plus a defensive starter to the Redskins in a deal for Cousins. Given the strong organizational culture in place with the Broncos, there is almost no way that Cousins wouldn’t sign a long-term deal if traded to Denver. He’s not a fool, as he realizes this is a top-five organization in football.
Cousins won’t be a John Elway or a Peyton Manning under center for the Broncos, but should be better than Brian Griese and Jake Plummer were in the in-between years. His accuracy and willingness to throw the ball down the field will expand Denver’s inconsistent passing game. Cousins’ receiving corps would be on-par with what he had in Washington.
Next: NFL Power Rankings: 30 Best QB of All-Time
The Redskins could be intrigued by Lynch, as he is a raw specimen Gruden could develop. If they want Siemian, they can tread water in the NFC East until they find a suitable long-term replacement. Washington has leverage in this situation, as Denver needs an upgrade at quarterback. Denver would be willing to pay a premium to get better under center.