Redskins Goat Rodeo Continues and Archie Bags Big-Time Recruits

First thing you learn as a sports fan relocating to the DMV is that the Washington Redskins are king of the market.

In a town full of temporary transplants and multiple sports viewing options, the interest in the Redskins is a constant. Throughout the NFL off-season, a D.C. commuter will still get battered by incessant Washington football club chatter while crawling through an hour-long commute. That's because the Wizards, Capitals and Nationals just don't move the dial like the old burgundy and gold.

While the interest in the Washington football club is consistent, area fans have been consistently unhappy with their hometown team since Daniel Snyder became the owner. Monday provided them another opportunity to weep and gnash their teeth. For the second year in a row, Redskins management was unable, or refused, to sign QB Kirk Cousins to a long-term deal.

Washington slapped the franchise tag on Cousins, so he will play in D.C. this year at a salary commensurate with the top five quarterback salaries. In his article from last week, Jon Benne of Bleacher Report does a great job explaining the nuances of the NFL franchise tagging system.

By using the franchise tag, the Redskins limit their options and give future negotiation leverage to Cousins. Combine that with what many feel have been under-market value offers by management and you have an above average quarterback feeling insulted and looking for a better landing spot. It also doesn't help when your team president, Bruce Allen, refers to Kirk Cousins as "Kurt" -- even though Kirk says that isn't an issue for him.

Football media personalities like Chris Cooley of ESPN 980 in D.C. and Adam Schefter of ESPN think the best option the Redskins have now is to trade Cousins, because they will either have to pay him an astronomical amount next year or lose him in free agency following this season. The only way Washington can sign Cousins to a lower-priced long-term contract is if he and the team fail miserably this year.  It is almost like Snyder and Allen are hoping to fail.

For an Indianapolis Colts fan in this market, this is great drama and entertaining.  For long-time Washington football fans, this is another example of Snyder era mismanagement. It makes you wonder, like Ross Tucker of Sports on Earth did, if Redskins fans might eventually give up on the team and this football club loses its preeminence in the DMV.

IU Hoosier basketball recruiting haul

Indiana University basketball coach Archie Miller got off to a late start in recruiting due to his March hire, but he just executed an early surge.

Miller just secured commitments from three highly touted high school players:
  • Race Thompson - Robbinsdale Armstrong (Minneapolis); PF/6'8"/200lbs
  • Jerome Hunter - Pickerington North (Ohio); SF/6'7"/195lbs
  • Damezi Anderson - Riley (South Bend, Ind.); SF/6'6"/175lbs
All three are ranked in the 247Sports.com composite Top 100 for 2018. Thompson will reclassify as a 2017 recruit, however, and enroll this fall.

All three had other Big Ten teams on their short list prior to signing.  Nothing better than improving your team at the expense of your conference rivals.




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