BuffaloRebound

I think best situation for Tyrod is Cleveland. They need to learn to walk before they can run. Tyrod doesn't turn it over, can make some plays, and is a positive in the locker room. He'd be perfect Bridge QB for them. I think McCarron will have more suitors and get more money than Tyrod in open market.

Fair enough but is Jackson the only coach he can play for? Unless McCarron plays like Brady, Jackson will have a hard time not playing the #1 overall pick next year and will absolutely have to play him in 2019.

Why would McCarron go to Cleveland? Unless he's the League MVP next year or happy being a backup, he'll be playing for a new team in a year. Can see the win-now teams like Denver and maybe Jax going after him if they miss out on Cousins or don't want to pay his price tag.

I love Eli and can see the comparisons to Rosen, but think Rosen has the potential to be a more dominant QB than Eli. Rosen is a better passer than Eli.

Obviously this trade is just a rumor right now, but it would make sense for this trade to happen sooner rather than later. Will be tough for Giants to target free agents if there is a real possibility they pick a QB at #2 and move on from Eli.

Maybe the worm has finally started to turn for this franchise. Playoff drought over, now things lining up nicely for a tradeup. If Denver does get Cousins, really only leaves Jets and Arizona as competition for the 2nd QB in draft. Giants will not trade #2 to the Jets under any scenario. Bills have a lot more trade capital than Arizona, are in a different conference, and have good relationship with Giants Front Office.

If Rosen is being leaked as target, real target is probably Darnold. Even though he played at USC, he seems more a culture fit in Buffalo than Rosen. Rosen checks more boxes during the scouting process, but Darnold is the guy you want to go to battle with. I'd be happy with either of them, but I think Darnold is a guy you win with for a long time. Rosen has higher upside but also seems like the type who could retire in 5 years.

Because their owner had a serious case of man-love for RG3. Shanahan preferred Cousins. Shanahan got canned, Front Office reluctantly let go of RG3 after 3 years of showing he couldn't play, then low-balled Cousins after 4 years of openly rooting for RG3 to win the job. Not many QB's would've performed as well as Cousins under those circumstances.

The going rate for QB's is what it is. We'd be foolish to not go after Cousins considering where we are drafting.

I fully understand that paying the guy $23m under the franchise tag to make him prove it for more than 5 games before making him the highest paid player in the game is now considered a slap in the face.

That's some funny stuff. The guy with 7 starts under his belt could've squeezed the 49ers harder than becoming the highest paid player in the NFL. Guy should retire already. Not much more to prove.

Landry is an a-hole but the kind of a-hole you want on your side.

If Darnold lasts to #6 and we don't trade up, I'll be pissed.

That's possible but I don't think it's likely. Trading ahead of Arizona at 15 is only gonna cost you a 2nd rounder and probably gets you your pick if Mayfield, Allen, and Jackson if you feel a lot stronger about 1 of those 3. If Denver gets Cousins, then #5 is where you'd have to trade up for whichever of Darnold/Rosen Cleveland doesn't take.

I don't know. I think Jets or Broncos will break the bank for Cousins. That really only leaves Cleveland, Jets/Broncos, Arizona as 3 teams ahead of us who will more than likely take a QB. If you like Mayfield, Allen, or Jackson, I think 1 and possibly 2 of them are available at 21.

I'd be happy to get McCown and draft a QB in 1st round. McCown is an upgrade over Tyrod and will cost less due to his age.

Because anyone with an ounce of business sense would want to see him do it for more than 5 games before backing up the truck. You can still think he's a franchise QB without making him the highest paid player after 5 good games. Agents will absolutely copy Cousins' stance whether there is acrimony or not. Clearly worked for Garoppolo.

I don't care if you think he's the 2nd coming of Brady, it's not sound business to make him the highest paid player in the NFL after 7 starts. I'm sure their hand was forced since Garoppolo and his agent were promising them the Cousins treatment if he got tagged, but it's still bad business.

Pre- Cousins, it would've been a no brainer to franchise Garropolo and make him prove it for more than 5 games before making him highest paid player in the game. Garropolo probably would've accepted the tag and signed a long term deal if he had a good year. Now, QB's and agents can point to Cousins and say 'if you don't believe in me to pay me now you can franchise me but I'll never sign a long term deal with you and you can watch me walk out the door in 2 years'.

So that's the going rate now for 5 straight wins and 7 starts? SF would be the laughing stock of the league right now if Cousins hadn't shown other QB's how to use the franchise tag to their advantage.

Can you get lucky?... yes. But you're counting on a bunch of QB needy teams in front of you passing. So I'd say it's not a sound strategy to land your guy.

He can thank Cousins for that deal. SF would've franchised him for a year to make him prove it over another season before giving him that kind of money prior to Cousins giving the Skins a big F U for trying the same strategy.

At least the timing was kind of interesting. Doubt SF wouldn't have explored all possible options before committing that kind of money to a guy who's started 7 games in his career.

The agents job is to find out what his clients' market value is. If Cousins or Garropolo take less than that, it makes the agent look bad. Yes, they can take less than market value, but why would you accept less than market value from a team with $110m in cap space? Nobody is that stupid.

Can't put the genie back in the bottle. Cousins blew up the tag strategy at least for QB's. You play 2 years under the tag at top 5 QB average plus 20% and then you're essentially a free agent. His agent won't let him sign for less than market value, which right now looks like $30m per year with $90m in guarantees. The franchise tag doesn't work as a team bargaining chip any more. All it does is set a floor for the player that increases 20% every year.