use that against me. So

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Kirk Cousins‘ time with the Washington Redskins is about to end after they chose not to use the franchise tag on the quarterback as expected.

The Redskins have agreed to acquire Alex Smith from the Kansas City Chiefs P.J. Hall Jersey , effectively pushing Cousins into free agency following a tumultuous six years with the club the drafted him. Cousins will be the top free agent available when the league year opens in mid-March and should have no shortage of suitors.

”Next week is now officially the first time since 2007 that I’ll be choosing where to play football,” Cousins posted on Twitter. ”I’m open to suggestions.”

The 29-year-old Cousins is coming off his third consecutive 4,000-yard passing season. In his time as a full-time NFL starter, he has completed 67 percent of his passes for 81 touchdowns, 36 interceptions and a 97.5 QB rating.

Despite previously saying Washington could win with Cousins, coach Jay Gruden said at the scouting combine that ”it’s time for us to move on” and find some continuity at the position.

The Redskins now seemingly have that in Smith, who will join the Redskins once the trade becomes official March 14 and has agreed to a four-year extension with $71 million guaranteed.

Cousins could easily command more than that on the open market with the New York Jets, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns among the teams interested in upgrading at quarterback.

After becoming the first QB in NFL history to play two consecutive seasons on the franchise tag – making almost $44 million in the process – Cousins is looking for long-term stability in the wake of almost-weekly questions about his future in Washington persisted over the past few years. Agent Mike McCartney declined to comment on the plans of the Cousins camp in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

This is perhaps the first time in Cousins’ football career that he has been No. 1 on any list. He did not have any scholarship offers as a high school senior Cheap Customized Dallas Cowboys Jerseys , was not considered a top prospect after four years at Michigan State and got picked in the fourth round in 2012 by the Redskins – the same draft they traded up to make Robert Griffin III the No. 2 pick.

Only 39-year-old Drew Brees, who’s expected to re-sign with the New Orleans Saints, threw for more yards last season than Cousins, who is the best option available in a crop that includes Case Keenum, Sam Bradford and Josh McCown. Though during the 2017 season it was reported that Cousins could set a record for QB contracts, it’s unclear how close he might come to the $135 million, five-year deal with $92 million guaranteed that Matthew Stafford signed with the Detroit Lions.

NOTE: The Redskins re-signed safety Deshazor Everett to a multiyear deal and waived running backs Dare Ogunbowale and Kenny Hilliard and tackle Kevin Bowen.

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Shane Ray is aiming to keep both his weight and his spirits up as he heads into a fourth surgery on his troublesome left wrist.

”I ain’t been getting down about it. I just need to get it fixed so I can play and be 100” percent, Ray said Tuesday after watching his team’s first minicamp practice.

Ray said he’s optimistic he won’t lose as much weight or strength as he did last year, when he dropped 17 pounds and essentially played one-handed for half the season before opting for a third operation in December so that he could get a jumpstart on his offseason rehab.

Ray dropped to 225 pounds last season, when he posted just 15 tackles and a single sack a year after collecting 48 tackles and eight sacks.

”I’ve already gotten myself up to 247 Authentic Justin Jones Jersey , 250” pounds, Ray said. ”I’m planning on being back in the weight room within two to three weeks. So, it’s not like I’m going to be sidelined as long as I was last year.”

Ray is also switching doctors for Thursday’s operation in Houston. He hopes to return to practice by mid-August and play in the season opener against Seattle on Sept. 9.

Ray broke his left wrist at the start of training camp last year when he got tangled up with offensive lineman Menelik Watson. After surgery to repair both bones and ligaments, he missed the first six games and the final two.

With a jumpstart on his rehab, ”I thought I was out in the clear” by the start of the offseason program two months ago, Ray said. ”But I’d wake up every day and I’m like, `Man, my wrist is still hurting.”’

The soreness didn’t subside and swelling appeared, so he sought medical advice last week when doctors discovered an unhealed, fractured bone and recommended yet another operation.

”It’s frustrating but all I can do is try to keep a positive mind http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-tracy-walker-jersey ,” Ray said. ”I’m more anxious to just get it done and over with so I can start my healing process and get back out here with my team.”

The setback is bad timing for Ray, whose fifth-year option the Broncos declined to exercise last month, denying him a $9.23 million guaranteed salary in 2019. That would have surpassed the four-year, $9.18 million rookie contract he signed in 2015 after winning SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors at Missouri.

Moreover, the Broncos selected North Carolina State pass rusher Bradley Chubb with the fifth pick in this year’s draft. Chubb lined up opposite Von Miller as both a down lineman in a 4-3 scheme and stand-up rusher in the 3-4 Tuesday.

Being sidelined for two to three months heading into a contract year isn’t ideal, but ”I can’t let that stress me out,” Ray said.

”Of course, everybody knows this is my contract year, but most importantly, I can’t go ensure my next contract if I’m not healthy. I don’t want to go out there like I did last year and try to force something and put bad film out there and let that be the judge of who I am as a player. Because a lot of that happened Matt Kemp Jersey ,” Ray said.

”With the injury, I should have sat down. I went out and played. It wasn’t good as it should have been obviously because of the injury. And I feel like a lot of people tried to use that against me. So, this time I’m going to be smart. I’m going to do the best thing for me, which is to make sure I’m 100 percent healthy. And then once I’m 100 percent healthy, I’ll be able to be out here and be the player that my coaches and my teammates know I am.”

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