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Kirk Cousins and Tony Romo May Center Around Blockbuster Trade

By Erik Lambert

Dec 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) warms up prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) warms up prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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Three-team trades are an NBA thing. They happen all the time. Not in the NFL. It’s exceedingly rare. Kirk Cousins and Tony Romo might change that.

It’s been reported for weeks that Kirk Cousins, coming off his first Pro Bowl, has continued to rebuff attempts by the Washington Redskins to sign him to a long-term extension. The initial belief is they aren’t willing to meet his demands and he’s more than willing to play under the franchise tag for a second year. This almost ensures he’ll be a free agent in 2018 since the cost of a third tag would be astronomical.

This in turn has led to speculation that the Redskin may consider trading Cousins in exchange for a hefty return of draft picks. Only one team seems able to make such a deal. That being the San Francisco 49ers. They have a head coach in Kyle Shanahan whom Cousins knows and would like to work with again. They also have the necessary cap space to meet his price.

The key problem has been how the Redskins solve their quarterback issue if they let him walk. Amazingly an old nemesis may be prepared to bail them out according to Ian Rapoport.

The scope of such a trade is staggering but the idea is simple enough. San Francisco gets their guy in Cousins to build around. Washington gets a solid temporary fix in Romo and Dallas unloads a big contract for draft picks in return. Figuring out the details will be the difficult part. No doubt Washington will expect more than just a 37-year old quarterback in return for Cousins. Likely multiple high draft choices as well.

Next: 2017 NFL Trade Rumors: 5 Deals That Could Happen Soon

The last notable time a three-team trade took place was in 2010. Philadelphia shipped a 5th round pick to the Denver Broncos. They sent veteran tight end Tony Scheffler and a 7th rounder to the Detroit Lions who in turn delivered linebacker Ernie Sims to the Eagles. Based on scope that deal will be a drop in the pot compared to the flash flood that this potential deal could become.

One thing is for sure. It would drastically alter the status quo of the upcoming NFL draft. Teams would be forced to alter their plans, and that’s just how the league likes it. Madness and mayhem never cease to attract attention. Time will tell if the roadblocks can be cleared in time.

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