Redskins' Kirk Cousins: Multi-year contract unlikely before March 1

Cousins and the Redskins aren't expected to reach terms of a multi-year contract prior to the franchise tag deadline on March 1, The Washington Post reports.

Analysis:

For the second consecutive offseason, the Redskins are expected to use their franchise tag on Cousins, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, which would be accompanied by a cap commitment of $23.94 million for the 2017 campaign. Holding leverage over the organization due to a lack of QB talent on their roster, no equivalent options on the upcoming free-agent market, and an underwhelming draft class, Cousins has significant leverage in contract negotiations once the tender is signed. The parties will still have until July 15 to reach an agreement on a long-term deal, with Cousins' representation potentially being able to gauge his value against Tony Romo and Jay Cutler, among other signal-callers, if and when they're in new uniforms.