Cousins wants ‘chance to compete’ to be starter

It's no secret that Kirk Cousins wants to be a starter. (USATSI)

A lot is being made of Kirk Cousins, the former fourth-round pick who didn't play well in limited duty last season, and whether he will be a starter somewhere in 2014. It's a topic of interest for several reasons, chief among them: The guy ahead of Cousins on the depth chart in Washington, Robert Griffin III, struggled through a forgettable 2013 campaign that eventually landed him on the bench for the final three games.

But new Redskins coach Jay Gruden made it clear that RG3 is his guy moving forward, which means that if Cousins wants to play, he'll likely have to do it elsewhere. For now, though, Cousins seems content with his current situation.

“I think it's a win-win for me, because I really do love it here,” Cousins said on 106.7 The Fan (via Sports Bog). “I love this city, I love the fan base, the tradition of our organization. I love the people in our organization, my teammates. I've really come to love it here; I'm very comfortable here in D.C. So If someone were to say, ‘You're gonna be here for a year or two more years' -- or even longer than that -- I really don't have any worries about that.

“That being said, from the day I was drafted, all I've really wanted is the chance to compete to be a starting quarterback,” Cousins continued. “I think that's what all of us ask for, in whatever profession we have, we want a chance to show what we can do. ...

“And because of the situation I was drafted into in D.C., that obviously isn't in the cards for me. And so my attitude all along has been, if someone wants to give me that opportunity to have that chance to compete, I'd love to go somewhere. But right now in D.C. if I stay, my job is to be a great backup and hopefully one day become a starter.”

Last week, there was a report that the going rate for Cousins was a second-round pick. That's a steep price for someone who in five games (three starts) last season threw for 854 yards, completed 58.4 percent of his passes, and tossed four touchdowns versus seven interceptions.

Of course, a few days later, there was another report that the 'Skins had no plans to move Cousins at all, which means that he'll be RG3's backup heading into next season. And while that scenario may not be ideal, it won't change how Cousins approaches his current job.

“I've signed a four-year contract and I want to honor that contract, so I'm not going to demand anything," he said. "You know, I'm grateful for the opportunity to play in the NFL. I feel like I'm living the dream. So no, I'm not going to demand anything. That's not my thought process. I did want to be proactive and communicate where I'm coming from, and not just sit back and assume that people knew the way I felt. So I wanted to communicate it, go to the right people, tell them how I feel, and then those decision-makers can make the decisions they want to make.

"And I do take it as a compliment if they don't have any interest in trading me. Then maybe that means they see me as a valuable person who can help this team, and in that sense, I'll take it as a compliment.”

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Does size matter? The top 3 quarterback prospects, by the numbers



Height and weight and...hand size?? OH MY!!The NFL Combine kicked off Friday in Indianapolis, and one of the most anticipated pieces of information that NFL talent scouts were waiting for was revealed early in the morning. The top three quarterbacks in this year's draft were measured for height, weight, and the size of their hands. Blake Bortles measured in at 6'5", 232 pounds, and had hands that measured at 9-3/8". Johnny Manziel came in at 5'11", 207 pounds with hands measuring 9-7/8". Teddy Bridgewater measured 6'2-1/8", tipping the scales at 214 pounds, with hands that measured a concerning 9-1/4".Obviously, Bortles height and weight are the best of the three. However, Manziel and Bridgewater posess many of the other intangibles that coaches look for in a franchise quarterback. The biggest piece of information that scouts apparently raised their eyebrows at was how small Bridgewater's hands are. Small hands are an important matter to scouts when looking at a quarterback because that directly impacts the ability to hang on to the ball when hit, scrambling, or in bad weather.



I'm going to demand a chart with all NFL quarterback's hand sizes at all of my high-stakes fantasy drafts this year!!Ok... not really. I'm not sure exactly what to make of this. Russell Wilson measured in at 5'10-1/8" at his combine, fell to the 3rd round of the draft, and promptly led his team to two playoffs, made two pro bowls, and won this game called "The Super Bowl" over some other quarterback named Peyton Manning.Ultimately, it's my opinion that talent is talent. Drew Brees is short. Colin Kaepernick's hands are the same size as Bridgewater's. Tim Tebow is 6'3, 230+ lbs, and has 10-1/8" hands. Let's bring him back to run the Saints or 49ers... ok, stop. Again, talent is talent.Two of fftoolbox's top fantasy players agree:Founder, CEO, and long-time fantasy player, Ian Ritchie says, "Hand size is something cold weather teams pay more attention to, but honestly it's a non-factor."High Stakes specialist Scott Atkins adds, "I put Arm Strength, Accuracy, Mobility, Leadership and Maturity all above Hand Size. The Texans should take Bridgewater and walk to the bank."