Well, it is established in the NFL that after franchising a player the team and player USUALLY agree to a per year average on a longer-term deal that is LESS than the average of the franchise tag.
So, in that respect Mike McCartney is trying to become a Scott Boras-like figure in the NFL by cracking the 'nut' and breaking the bank on salaries for quarterbacks.
Good for him. And good for Cousins.
But bad for the Redskins, if they sign him that is
My vote as stated before is to keep him for 2017, and prepare for his departure in 2018 by drafting a quarterback in a good draft for the position and getting Colt McCoy ready to start the 2018 season and play a certain number of games before transitioning to the rookie.
If that learning process extends into a second year, so be it.
This team still has holes to fill on the DL and depth in the secondary as well as finding long-term solutions at LG and running back before this team is really going to be ready to contend for a championship. And that's assuming Pryor, Brown and some of the other FA on one year deals pan out and the team has the space tor resign them!
If the team can continue to draft well and have those picks and selected free agent moves pan out, this team could be in a position similar to the Steelers in the early 2000's when they put together a good team and THEN drafted Ben Roethlisberger to be the long-term answer at qb.
And while Ben turned into a franchise passer over the years, that first Super Bowl in 2005 was really about the defense and the running game while Ben played more of a complementary role.
Roethlisberger turned out to be the centerpiece of the 2008 and 2010 Super Bowl teams once he matured in the league.