Okay. I didn't see that coming. Rumor has it that a three way trade is potentially brewing where Kirk Cousin's goes to the Niners, The Niners second overall pick goes to the Redskins who then send that pick to the Cowboys for Romo. If the Browns do draft Trubisky first overall, then the Cowboys have Myles Garrett fall into their lap.
This helps to explain the Mitch Trubisky rumor. I'm guessing people in the Niners and Redskins camps are leaking that to let the Cowboys think they can get Garrett by giving up Romo and they'll give up Romo anyway, so it's a no-brainer for the Cowboys. (Aside from that minor little part about trading a hall of fame quarterback to a fierce rival.)
Parts of this make sense. Parts of this make no sense. Let's start with what makes sense. First the Niners get the QB they need for the second overall pick. The Redskns get a competent, likely better, though older and more fragile replacement. The Cowboys get a chance to get Myles Garrett who they covet. All three teams win! Yea!
On to the parts that make no sense. Is Kirk Cousins worth the second overall pick in the draft, knowing you'll have to sign him to a very expensive long term deal immediately after getting him? I don't think so. As much as you can debate if Cousins is worth that second overall pick, I'd be stunned if anyone thought Romo was worth the second overall pick in the draft given his age, injury history and current contract. He would be a very short term, high priced, very fragile, rent-a-quarterback. I don't see any way that anyone in their right mind would give up the second overall pick for a guy the Cowboys will have to cut in a few more weeks..It's just hard to see that happening.
I guess I could see the Redskins trading Cousin's for that second overall pick, but I don't then see the Redskins trading that pick to get Romo. (Bear in mind the Redskins recently got burned trading for a rival's older veteran quarterback in Donovan McNabb who was younger and healthier than Romo and traded for much less value than the second overall pick in the draft.)
I don't doubt that the Cowboys would jump with joy at this potential trade. You give up a guy you've got to cut anyway and get the second overall pick? Sure! We'll be glad to! Where do we sign? Even if Myles Garret goes to the Browns the Cowboys could get a top level player for a guy they'd cut anyway. It's a no-brainer for them.
Would the Redskins trade Cousins for that second overall pick in the draft? I would in a heartbeat if I were them. Negotiations on a long term deal have not gone especially well. Cousins is playing you like a fish on a line, and there's literally nothing you can do about it. He'll likely be gone next year and you're not likely to get anything better than the second overall pick in the draft next year, so bye bye Kirk, hello second overall pick.
Then we hit the roadblocks. FIrst, does San Francisco use the second overall pick on Cousins? I wouldn't. It's not like all they need is a quarterback. They need pretty much everything and they can likely pick up Cousins for free (other than his salary) next year at this time. I might trade that second overall pick for more picks (lots more picks) to help rebuild the team faster, but I wouldn't trade it for Cousins.
The second roadblock is, even if SF does make the trade does Washington trade that second overall pick to Dallas for Tony Romo? Yeah, I don't think so. If you were getting the Tony Romo of say seven years ago, maybe. Now you're getting the guy who's been breaking almost every time he hits the turf. I'm sure the Cowboys would throw in Alfred Morris (who they want to move) but unless they throw in a few of their all pro offensive linemen and maybe Ezekiel Elliott I don't see this deal getting done.
I just don't see a team giving up a lot to get Kirk Cousins from the Redskins. Every team knows that Cousins is gone next year no matter what. The Redskins can't pay him $34 million. All they'd get in compensation if they lose him in free agency is a third round pick. Why offer them much more than that to get him now? Maybe I'd go as high as a second round pick, but the second pick overall in the draft on a largely talentless team? No.
Now the Niners have a naive young GM in John Lynch and a new head coach in Kyle Shanahan, but between them they should have the intelligence ot know how foolish this move is. And unless McCloughan and the Redskins' braintrust is completely brain dead, there's no way you trade that second overall pick to pick up Romo. Could he possibly take you to a playoff berth? Yeah, if, and this is a huge if, you could keep him healthy. His payoff record isn't exactly sterling either. McNabb took the Eagles to the Super Bowl amd multiple playoff wins. Romo, not so much. They got burned on McNabb. Do they make an even bigger mistake this time?
It's an interesting story and gives everyone lots to talk about, but the odds of this happening are insanely slim if the deal is as currently laid out. The values just don't add up. Cousins with his contract situation is maybe worth a second round pick. Romo has very, very little value. (He's going to get cut in a few days/weeks, so why trade anything for him now when you can get him for free then?) That second overall pick is very, very valuable. The combined value of Romo and Cousins might move you up a spot or two in the second round of the draft, but it's not nearly worth the second overall pick in the draft. Lots, and I mean lots, of other players/picks would have to be involved for this to make any real world sense.
Maybe, just maybe there's a chance this deal could work if the Cowboys were trading Dak Prescott to the Redskins instead of Romo. The values start to work out a bit more. The Redskins get the cheap/durable quarterback who's a proven winner. The Cowboys have Romo as their starter again who JJ insists they built the team for. The Niners get their guy in Cousins. The Cowboys likely think they can catch lightning in the bottle again since Prescott wasn't their first, second, or even third choice for a QB last year. He just was who was left when they finally got a chance to pick someone. Chances are they have comparable grades on a third or fourth round guy this year. There's more of a likelihood of that type of trade working for everyone than a trade involving Romo. We'll see what happens.
Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
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