The Facts: Cousins heads into the offseason with leverage that comes from a franchise tag that would cost the team $23.94 million in 2017. The alternative is to sign him to a long-term deal based on his market value. He seems to be intent on figuring out exactly what his market value is, and maximizing it. "[T]here's other quarterbacks that come after you and it would be almost a selfish move to hurt future quarterbacks who get in a position to have a contract," Cousins said on Monday. "And if you don't take a deal that's fair to you, then you're also taking a deal that's not fair to them and you're setting them back as well."

Diehards Line:That’s a far cry from GM Scot McCloughan’s preference that Cousins do a deal that leaves other money for other players, so that the team can thrive. In other words, as PFT's Mike Florio put it, "McCloughan essentially wants Cousins to negotiate like Tom Brady. Instead, Cousins seems to be prepared to negotiate like Peyton Manning. Unfortunately for Washington, Cousins is a long way from playing like either. ..." If Washington won’t be investing $23.94 million in a quarterback whose interception helped doom a playoff run against a Giants team that had nothing to gain or lose, Cousins will find his value in the two-day window before he becomes a free agent. And if Houston’s experience with Brock Osweiler makes another team leery about a proverbial pig in a poke, Cousins will find that his value isn’t what he hoped it would be. No matter how it plays out, the message is clear: Cousins plans to sign a contract that reflects his market value, whatever it may be and whether Washington likes it or not.