The Falcons are trying to squeeze the Browns for a draft pick to release Kirk Cousins to them. The Browns should call their bluff.
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from Day 2 of free agency …
There’s a long-distance stand-off going on between the Browns and Atlanta Falcons over Kirk Cousins. It appears the Falcons are trying to hoodwink the Browns into giving up a draft pick for the broken-down, dome-spoiled, 36-year-old bridge quarterback.
The Falcons are pretending that they are willing to invest another $10 million on top of the $27.5 million already guaranteed Cousins on an outrageous contract they gave to him last spring. The $10 million comes via a bonus triggered on the fifth day of the new business year, which is Monday.
If the Falcons released Cousins before the deadline, Cousins could jump to the Browns for merely the NFL veteran minimum salary of $1.255 million – a la the Russell Wilson gift enjoyed by the Steelers a year ago.
Atlanta still would be on the hook for the $27.5 million. That means they would have paid Cousins $90 million essentially for one bad season of play.
The alleged reasoning for picking up the $10 million roster bonus and keeping him as Michael Penix’s backup is something like this: “We’d rather pay him $100 million over two years than $90 million over one.”
Unless some desperate team comes to their rescue and offers a mid-round draft pick to “release” Cousins to them. In exchange, supposedly the Falcons would cover the bulk of the $37.5 million owed Cousins.
How nice of them.
If the Browns fall for this … shame, shame, shame.
They already gifted Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman a fifth-round pick, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, to take quarterback Kenny Pickett off his hands.
After only one season, Roseman realized Pickett was a square peg in the Eagles’ offense. Imagine, DTR is a much better fit backing up Jalen Hurts than was Pickett (unless he has to play, that is).
As usual, Browns GM Andrew Berry helped out a team with a problem.
He was part of the organization when the Browns bailed out the Houston Texans and took on Brock Osweiler’s $16 million salary for a second-round draft pick (which Sashi Brown-successor John Dorsey then used to select Nick Chubb).
And Berry was the point man in the heist Houston executed in trading disgruntled Deshaun Watson for six draft picks, including three No. 1s.
Berry seems always willing to lend a hand to correct other teams’ foul-ups.
Giving Atlanta anything for Cousins – even the compensatory pick in the seventh round they were awarded on Tuesday – would be another example of Berry’s charity.
He should call the Falcons’ bluff and stand pat – like he did with Myles Garrett – and force them to release Cousins.
Cousins looked wobbly, immobile and old last season in his first year back from Achilles tendon surgery in 2023. He led the league with 16 interceptions. At the Super Bowl, he disclosed that he injured his right elbow and shoulder in Game 10. The Falcons lost four games in a row and Cousins lost his job to Penix.
It’s been seven years since Cousins played for a team based in an outdoor stadium. Six of those years were spent in Minnesota’s fancy dome, where he and Kevin Stefanski worked together for two seasons. Positioning Cousins back outdoors is a risk at his age and shaky health status.
I’m all for Stefanski getting the veteran QB he prefers. It’s likely Cousins in his top choice.
Cousins is a decent fit as a one-year temp for the NFL minimum salary. But it’s not worth wasting even a low draft pick for him. Make the Falcons release him.
If they don’t, there’s always Joe Flacco.
Quarterback update
On Tuesday, the following free agent quarterbacks changed teams:
Jacoby Brissett agreed to terms with the Cardinals.
Daniel Jones agreed to terms with the Colts.
Still unsigned: Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Carson Wentz, Marcus Mariota, Mac Jones, Jameis Winston, Mason Rudolph.
Still looking: Browns, Titans, Steelers, Giants, Vikings.
New Browns edge rusher
The Browns agreed to terms with edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, per reports. Details of the contract were not yet available.
Tryon-Shoyinka, 25, was the 32nd overall pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2021 draft. The Bucs declined to pick up his fifth-year option and Tryon-Shoyinka played out his contract in 2024.
In 45 starts and 66 games over four seasons, Tryon-Shoyinka had 15 sacks, 21 tackles-for-loss, 25 QB hits and one fumble recovery. At 6-5 and 259 pounds, he projects as a situational edge rusher in Jim Schwartz’s defense.
The pickup could spell the end for Ogbo Okoronkwo, who carries a cap number of $5.286 million in 2025. If the Browns designated Okoronkwo a post-June 1 release – they have one available after using one on Dalvin Tomlinson – they would save about $3.3 million after June 1.
More picks
The Browns received draft picks in the sixth and seventh rounds in the league’s annual dispersal of compensatory picks based on net losses in free agency in 2024.
The Browns now own 10 picks in this year’s draft – Nos. 2 overall (first round), 33 (second), 67 (third), 94 (third), 103 (fourth), 181 (sixth), 194 (sixth), 202 (sixth), 216 (sixth) and 254 (seventh).