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Breakout or Fakeout: Will Kirk Cousins make the Redskins pay for not locking him up?

Matt Hazlett / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Kirk Cousins made the transition out of the RG3-era rather smooth for the Washington Redskins, throwing for 4,166 yards and 29 touchdowns with the best completion percentage among starting quarterbacks last season.

Without an overwhelming group of weapons, Cousins led his team to its first NFC East title since 2013 and finished with the most single-season passing yards in franchise history.

The Redskins elected not to offer Cousins the mega-deal typically reserved for franchise quarterbacks after the season, instead handing him a $19.95-million one-year franchise tag. Cousins agreed, stating "if I don't play well next season, I don't deserve to be back."

Is he for real?

The case for Cousins

The Redskins might come to regret not signing Cousins to a long-term deal for a reasonable annual value when they had the chance (they reportedly offered $16 million annually, well below high-end quarterback cash).

If Cousins has another strong season in 2016, he will undoubtedly break the bank. With the escalating nature of franchise quarterback contracts, and the absence of any other passers in need of a new deal, Cousins may reasonably demand to be paid near or even above the record-setting $139-million deal the Indianapolis Colts gave Andrew Luck.

If he has another strong season. It's a huge if, but there are plenty of reasons to believe Cousins is capable of it.

Cousins led the NFL in completion percentage last season and finished sandwiched between Tom Brady and Drew Brees in passer rating. And his numbers weren't inflated by check-downs - Cousins was a top-10 passer in yards per attempt.

With even better weapons around him this season, including first-round pick Josh Doctson, and a suspect running game, Cousins has every chance of continuing to pile up big numbers.

Beyond the numbers, Cousins has finally brought stability to a position that has been far too chaotic in Washington for far too long. He's a face the franchise can be proud of, so what are the Redskins waiting for?

By the time the Redskins and Cousins are permitted to re-enter contract talks, the season will be over. By then, there may be no doubt that Cousins must be paid as one of the game's truly elite passers.

- Woods

The case against Cousins

The biggest issue in determining Cousins' viability as a long-term franchise quarterback is his small sample size.

Through his first three seasons, Cousins was in and out and back in again as Washington tried to figure out what to do with Griffin. Cousins didn't get a fair shake as starter until last year.

His numbers through those 16 games appear virtually flawless on the surface. However, with a full season on tape for defensive coordinators to watch, the Redskins' opponents should have plenty of ammo to figure out Cousins' tendencies and Gruden's offense.

He, and his team, also benefited from a weak schedule in 2015, finishing with a 9-7 record without having to defeat anyone with a winning record.

With lowly units in Philadelphia and New York residing in his division and New Orleans also on the schedule, Cousins had the luxury of facing three of the bottom-five pass defenses five times last season. He broke the 300-yard total in seven games, but only one came against a passing defense ranked in the top half of the league.

While both the Eagles and Giants have bulked up their defensive squads, Cousins will be up against eight of the top 16 defenses from the previous season in 2016.

- Sanderson

You decide

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