Whereas it previously seemed to be a matter of when and never if the Cleveland Browns would finally both commerce for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins or signal him shortly after his launch, recent reports have indicated a Browns-Cousins marriage is now both unlikely or off the desk.
Throughout a Thursday look on Cleveland sports activities radio station 92.3 The Fan, Falcons reporter D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Structure defined how being stuck with the contract connected to Deshaun Watson impacts the Browns’ quarterback strikes this offseason.
“Cleveland would not have $40M, extra useless cash to place in on a quarterback once they have Deshaun sitting there,” Ledbetter mentioned, Sports activities Illustrated’s Dan Lyons shared. “They cannot actually commerce for [Cousins]. If the Falcons lower him free, which is what he is asking for, then you may signal him for the minimal…and go from there. That was the hope of the Browns at one level. So far as giving the Falcons one thing for him, I believe that is a non-starter.”
On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Josh Kendall famous that the Falcons haven’t but permitted Cousins to speak to different groups a couple of potential commerce regardless that 2024 first-round draft choose Michael Penix Jr. is now Atlanta’s QB1. With that mentioned, Ledbetter insisted that “the Browns would not give” the Falcons even a single draft choose in return for the 36-year-old who signed a four-year, $180M contract that included $100M assured in March 2024.
It is also believed Cousins “wasn’t interested” in becoming a member of the Browns earlier within the offseason, maybe as a result of it is thought Cleveland will use a high-value draft choose to seize a quarterback later this month. Even when the Browns do not spend the draft’s second general selection on Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, they may take Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart or Louisville’s Tyler Shough later.
“It is messy,” Ledbetter added concerning the Falcons-Cousins challenge. “It is a unhealthy state of affairs. The one clear break is that if they only punt and kick him to the curb, after which he’d be out there to Cleveland and everyone else for a minimal wage.”
There is not any indication such a divorce will happen earlier than the draft begins. In the meantime, the Browns might use the player-selection course of to pivot away from Cousins for good.
