Former NFL quarterback Danny Kanell has a theory about Kirk Cousins, and if the headline didn’t already give it away, you might want to sit down for what follows.
“I think Kirk Cousins could be the next Drew Brees,” Kanell said Wednesday on ESPN Radio’s “Russillo and Kanell” show. “Tell me why he can’t.”
“Ummm,” co-host Ryen Russillo replied after a long pause. “I don’t know off the top of my head, was Brees as much of a turnover machine as Cousins has been?”
Kanell proceeded to note that Brees was, in fact, as much of a turnover machine as Cousins early in his career. In his first 28 games after the San Diego Chargers selected him in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft, Brees threw 29 touchdowns and 31 interceptions, while completing 58 percent of his passes. Cousins, by comparison, has thrown 34 touchdowns and 29 interceptions, while completing 64 percent of his passes, in 25 games.
Brees blossomed in his fourth pro season, throwing 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions, and leading San Diego to the AFC West title in 2004. Since signing with New Orleans as a free agent in 2006, he’s won a Super Bowl and set several NFL records, including highest completion percentage in a season and the most number of seasons with 5,000 yards passing.
Kanell, who, like Cousins, once made a weekly radio appearance on a local station as a backup quarterback, attempted to explain why he thinks Cousins’s career could follow a similar trajectory.
“I’d go in every morning on Kool 105 in Denver with J.J. and the Coach and we would talk about games,” Kanell said of his days as the Broncos’ backup quarterback with a radio gig in 2003. “We had just played the San Diego Chargers and Drew Brees was the starter and he looked awful. And we’re in there laughing about how bad he was, like, ‘Man, can you believe that guy’s a starter? How does this guy get it done? He’s got no future.’ And I was crushing him. I feel really stupid about it now, but, there’s a growth process and I think you’ve seen enough from Kirk Cousins, the ability to win games and those sort of intangibles that coaches talk about. I think he’s got ’em. Every coach that I’ve talked to, and [Michigan State Coach] Mark Dantonio was one of them, who has spent time with him, has talked about his ability to lead others and raise up the play of the guys around him. And when I look at his skill set, I see a very similar skill set to Drew Brees. Drew Brees was not the most athletic guy, he wasn’t the biggest, prototypical quarterback that you would look at, it just took a guy like [Saints Coach] Sean Payton to believe in him and say, ‘All right, you’re going to be our guy. You’re going to be our franchise.’ ”
Russillo wasn’t convinced.
“If this is who [Cousins] is now, I’m more open to the idea that he can be a guy, but will he be one of the five most efficient, productive QBs for a decade like Brees was?” he asked. “That’s a leap.”
“It’s a leap for sure,” Kanell replied. “But I’m trying to look for potential. I’m willing to go out there and find something, instead of just sitting back and criticizing. I think we criticize way too many young quarterbacks across the board. … He’s winning games, he’s starting to play better. Yeah, if you put him on a team that doesn’t have talent around him, I don’t think he’s the type of quarterback that can lift everybody up at this point in his career, but could he be? Absolutely.”
Well then. If the Redskins think Cousins can become anything close to “the next Drew Brees,” one would think they’ll do whatever it takes to keep him after this season. Otherwise, they run the risk of watching the former Big Ten QB develop into a star with another team, like, you know, Drew Brees.
“I wouldn’t go crazy with him and give him a $100 million deal, but I think he’s absolutely worth investing in,” Kanell said.
“I think Kirk Cousins could be the next Drew Brees,” Kanell said Wednesday on ESPN Radio’s “Russillo and Kanell” show. “Tell me why he can’t.”
“Ummm,” co-host Ryen Russillo replied after a long pause. “I don’t know off the top of my head, was Brees as much of a turnover machine as Cousins has been?”
Kanell proceeded to note that Brees was, in fact, as much of a turnover machine as Cousins early in his career. In his first 28 games after the San Diego Chargers selected him in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft, Brees threw 29 touchdowns and 31 interceptions, while completing 58 percent of his passes. Cousins, by comparison, has thrown 34 touchdowns and 29 interceptions, while completing 64 percent of his passes, in 25 games.
Brees blossomed in his fourth pro season, throwing 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions, and leading San Diego to the AFC West title in 2004. Since signing with New Orleans as a free agent in 2006, he’s won a Super Bowl and set several NFL records, including highest completion percentage in a season and the most number of seasons with 5,000 yards passing.
Kanell, who, like Cousins, once made a weekly radio appearance on a local station as a backup quarterback, attempted to explain why he thinks Cousins’s career could follow a similar trajectory.
“I’d go in every morning on Kool 105 in Denver with J.J. and the Coach and we would talk about games,” Kanell said of his days as the Broncos’ backup quarterback with a radio gig in 2003. “We had just played the San Diego Chargers and Drew Brees was the starter and he looked awful. And we’re in there laughing about how bad he was, like, ‘Man, can you believe that guy’s a starter? How does this guy get it done? He’s got no future.’ And I was crushing him. I feel really stupid about it now, but, there’s a growth process and I think you’ve seen enough from Kirk Cousins, the ability to win games and those sort of intangibles that coaches talk about. I think he’s got ’em. Every coach that I’ve talked to, and [Michigan State Coach] Mark Dantonio was one of them, who has spent time with him, has talked about his ability to lead others and raise up the play of the guys around him. And when I look at his skill set, I see a very similar skill set to Drew Brees. Drew Brees was not the most athletic guy, he wasn’t the biggest, prototypical quarterback that you would look at, it just took a guy like [Saints Coach] Sean Payton to believe in him and say, ‘All right, you’re going to be our guy. You’re going to be our franchise.’ ”
Russillo wasn’t convinced.
“If this is who [Cousins] is now, I’m more open to the idea that he can be a guy, but will he be one of the five most efficient, productive QBs for a decade like Brees was?” he asked. “That’s a leap.”
“It’s a leap for sure,” Kanell replied. “But I’m trying to look for potential. I’m willing to go out there and find something, instead of just sitting back and criticizing. I think we criticize way too many young quarterbacks across the board. … He’s winning games, he’s starting to play better. Yeah, if you put him on a team that doesn’t have talent around him, I don’t think he’s the type of quarterback that can lift everybody up at this point in his career, but could he be? Absolutely.”
Well then. If the Redskins think Cousins can become anything close to “the next Drew Brees,” one would think they’ll do whatever it takes to keep him after this season. Otherwise, they run the risk of watching the former Big Ten QB develop into a star with another team, like, you know, Drew Brees.
“I wouldn’t go crazy with him and give him a $100 million deal, but I think he’s absolutely worth investing in,” Kanell said.
