Why Washington Redskins Must Bring Back Kirk Cousins in 2018

Kirk Cousins and his future doesn't need to be another saga for the Washington Redskins this offseason. The franchise just needs to face facts and give the starting quarterback the long-term deal he deserves.

Cousins deserves a new contract before the 2017 NFL season and has been steadily proving it through eight games. The list of No. 8's new contract-worthy qualities is impressive.

He's led 4th quarter comebacks, adapted successfully to a depleted supporting cast and remained the player the Redskins are built around. How this team is currently built is another strong reason why Cousins needs to stick around for the long haul.

The Redskins are a better team this season than last. Washington's defense is more swarming and talented, while the offense has the potential to be more balanced.

It would make next-to no sense to remove the fulcrum of the roster before this burgeoning team reaches its full potential. A third franchise tag isn't an option, but a lengthy contract is an imperative for Washington.

Read on for a full list of the reasons why the Redskins must bring Cousins back in 2018.

There's a Shortage of Competent Quarterbacks

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The era of John Elway, Dan Marino, Joe Montana and Jim Kelly this isn't. You can throw the names out ad nauseam, but the simple fact remains football's modern era is not overflowing with stellar quarterbacks.

It speaks volumes about the rest when the NFL's premier signal-caller is a 40-year-old Tom Brady. The New England Patriots' starter should be on the verge of hanging up the cleats because his skills are deteriorating, but instead, No. 12 remains the one all of today's other quarterbacks are measured against.

It also says a lot the immediate bracket behind Brady is also getting up there in years. Drew Brees is 38, Philip Rivers is 35, while Eli Manning is 36.

Maybe it's not too accurate to say there's a shortage of competent quarterbacks now. It's perhaps more to the point to say there's a shortage of capable passers coming through.

Where exactly is the next generation of star-level of quarterbacks? Sure, there's Derek Carr of the Oakland Raiders, Deshaun Watson of the Houston Texans and Andrew Luck (when he's healthy) of the Indianapolis Colts, as well as Seattle Seahawks starter Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons and Dak Prescott, he of Washington's least favorite NFC East rivals.

What do all those six have in common? They aren't likely to be starting for the Redskins any time soon.

Fortunately, Cousins guarantees the Redskins don't need them to. He's a Pro Bowler who has set franchise records and proved he has what it takes to lead a team into the playoffs and can reasonably expect to hit his peak years as a quarterback during the next three seasons.

Free Agency Doesn't Offer Up Many Gifts

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The oft-quoted phrase "island of misfit toys" readily applies to recent free-agent classes for quarterbacks. Veteran markets just haven't offered many gifts to those franchises desperately seeking stability under center.

Consider what quarterback-needy teams found this past offseason. Josh McCown was probably the pick of the bunch, even as a then-37-year-old who had spent most of his career as a backup.

The San Francisco 49ers thought they could accelerate their rebuild on the arm of Brian Hoyer. Not surprisingly, the Niners are winless and Hoyer has already been shipped out of town to warm the bench behind Brady.

Somehow, the Miami Dolphins saw Jay Cutler as a potential saviour. It's a decision that makes the 49ers handing the keys to the kingdom to Hoyer look like a smart move.

No fan of the Burgundy and Gold, regardless of their particular view on Cousins, should want to see the Redskins plunged into these murky waters in 2018. It would be a bizarre exercise in masochism for Washington to subject itself to this mess when betting on Cousins is an expensive, but low-risk gamble.

Cousins Has Proved Himself in the Clutch

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The Redskins owe their two biggest wins this season to Cousins and his ability to deliver in the clutch. Washington's quarterback was the difference between winning and losing on the road against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2.

It was late in the fourth quarter when Cousins survived a talented and smothering Rams pass rush to direct a clutch drive ending in Ryan Grant's 11-yard, game-winning catch.

Cousins would have another game-winning drive to his credit if Josh Doctson had kept his hands on a pass in the end zone against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4.

Cousins and Co. did manage to complete the job in Seattle in Week 9. On both occasions, it was Cousins who made key throws at crucial moments.

His 31-yard pass to Brian Quick was a precise strike fitted into a tight window under pressure. Then he went deep to drop a terrific pass over the top for Josh Doctson for 38 yards.

The latter play positioned the Redskins to win the game on Rob Kelley's one-yard touchdown run. Each of those throws showcased some of Cousins' best attributes.

He showed off the ability to hang in the pocket long enough to let vertical routes develop. Cousins also proved he can take a hit and still make an accurate throw when needed.

Arm strength wasn't lacking on either of those fourth-quarter throws, proving Cousins is more than just a so-called chuck-and-duck passer. Yet more than putting air under his passes, Cousins' calmness when it counted said more about why the Redskins should keep him in town, per Thom Loverro of the Washington Times: "That was the greatness of Cousins on Sunday—his poise under pressure. His composure surrounded by chaos."

Words like "greatness" and "poise" are what every team seeks in a starting quarterback. Cousins has those attributes, and the Redskins shouldn't let those traits leave town.

He's Thriving Without Elite Talent Around Him

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There's no underselling possible when assessing the job Cousins is doing without elite talent around him. Consider what he's been without this season.

Four starters were missing from the offensive line in Seattle. Left tackle Trent Williams, left guard Shawn Lauvao, center Spencer Long and right guard Brandon Scherff weren't on hand to deal with the Seahawks' pass rush, one of the most ferocious in the NFL.

A threadbare O-line against Michael Bennett, Sheldon Richardson, Frank Clark and Dwight Freeney should have been a recipe for disaster for Washington. Cousins took six sacks and many, many more hits, but his ability to deliver in the clutch turned a loss into a win.

More to the point, Cousins' ability to thrive with a depleted supporting cast was the true difference. Injuries have decimated the protection in front of him, but the bigger losses for Cousins have involved the reduction of talent in his receiving corps.

The disparity between this season and last is summed up by Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports:

"A season ago, Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson each had more than 1,000 yards receiving, and both players signed elsewhere in the spring. One of the biggest issues facing the Redskins in the lead up to the 2017 season was replacing two of Cousins' favorite targets. The team added quarterback-turned-receiver Terrelle Pryor and Brian Quick, formerly of the Rams. Pryor ranked 50th in total value last season with the Browns and Quick ranked 79th."

Even without DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, Cousins should normally have enough to gash most defenses. Yet even his best remaining targets have been missing, per Loverro:

"Consider this—there were 268 receptions from last season that were not on the field—departed Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, plus injured tight end Jordan Reed and receiver Jamison Crowder. A rushing game that is ranked 22nd in the league, and that is an illusion. That rushing attack gained 51 yards against the Seahawks—2.2 yards per carry."

A quarterback missing this much talent shouldn't be able to beat a defense as fearsome as the one the Seahawks boast.

Any even barely competent passer should be expected to win when surrounded by Pro Bowl wideouts, the support of a dynamic running game and a stout line in front of him. Yet being able to win without meagre talent is the sign of an elite quarterback.

Cousins is making those around him better. It's the stuff franchise quarterbacks are made of.

Ditching Cousins Would Undermine the Improvements Across the Roster

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Injuries and some questionable coaching have the Redskins mired at .500 at the halfway point of this season. Talentwise though, this team is better equipped to win now and in the future than at any other time in recent years.

The reason is simple, Washington has improved in key areas across the roster. Improvements are clear along the offensive line, at least when everybody's healthy.

Defensively, the Redskins are tougher and talented, particularly along the front seven. An offseason spent retooling the line has paid off handsomely.

Jonathan Allen looked every bit worth the 17th-overall pick in this year's draft before a season-ending injury wrecked his rookie year. Free-agent pickups Terrell McClain and Stacy McGee have also had their moments, while inside linebacker Zach Brown is proving a steal on a one-year contract.

Things are even better on the back end, where much-travelled safety D.J. Swearinger is underpinning the secondary with savvy and leadership. Even young players, such as slot cornerback Kendall Fuller and edge-rusher Preston Smith, are rapidly developing into valuable playmakers.

Washington's defense has the potential to be dominant with the right gameday and schematic tweaks and a little more talent in key areas.

The picture isn't quite as rosy on offense, but there are still signs of encouragement. Doctson is slowly but surely emerging as the big-ply threat Cousins needs, while Vernon Davis and a healthy Jordan Reed are the best one-two punch at tight end in the league.

Speaking of the league's best, there aren't many better dual-threat and third-down running backs than Chris Thompson. If Kelley and rookie Samaje Perine can continue to work over defenses between the tackles, the Redskins will finally have the competent ground game they need.

The framework for a regular playoff contender is there. Yet the same structure will fold faster than a house of cards if the Redskins dump the glue holding it all together, namely the game-winning quarterback.

Staring from Scratch at Quarterback Has Already Failed

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Cousins only has the starting job because Washington's last attempt to reboot under center failed and failed spectacularly. In fact, it's thanks to Cousins the Redskins aren't still counting the cost of the ill-fated trade to select Robert Griffin III in the 2012 NFL draft.

The franchise dealt away a deep bounty of first-round draft picks to swap places with the Rams in the draft order. It looked good for a while, as Griffin and his read-option dynamism briefly changed the league and took the Redskins to the playoffs.

Things soon unravelled, though, forcing Cousins to come to the rescue. It's because of his record-breaking and Pro-Bowl seasons the Redskins aren't still counting the cost of the RG3 fiasco.

No matter who was to blame for the Griffin tumult, be it injuries, attitude, a miscalculation of talent or coaching, the Redskins don't need another quarterback-centric drama lurking over the franchise for multiple years.

Thankfully, there is no need to even consider this particular pitfall. Cousins isn't Montana mark II, nor is he merely the pick of a dire bunch.

Instead, No. 8 is the quarterback the Redskins can win with now. Bringing him back in 2018 isn't just advisable, it's a necessity so obvious not doing so should see heads roll at the top of the franchise.