Follow all of the action from Redskins Training Camp in WTOP’s Live Blog.
RICHMOND, Va. — Just as they were a year ago, all eyes were on Kirk Cousins on the first day of Redskins Training Camp. Cousins enters camp ready to play on another one-year deal after failing to reach a long-term contract in the offseason.
“I feel good,” Cousins told the media Thursday. “I’m ready to go. I’ve been feeling good the last several weeks, and I believe we’ve done a good job communicating between myself and the team. We’re all on the same page. We’ve done everything we possibly can do to get that settled and move forward.”
By not getting a deal done, the perception is that Cousins has elected to bet on himself for a second straight season. He sees it slightly differently.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever bet on myself,” he said. “I think I’ve bet on the system. It has nothing to do with myself. I’m just going out and playing. There’s never been anything but positive feelings.”
Both sides have continued to say the right things about wanting Cousins to be in a Redskins uniform long term. A lot of questions remain unanswered and will continue to be until after the season. For his part, Cousins doesn’t think there will be any distractions playing on a one-year deal for a second straight season.
“I certainly have reps now at playing on a one-year deal,” he said. “I think it was a good season last year — I don’t think [contract issues] played any factor into how I played or how we played.”
Cousins cited that a number of players on this team are on one-year deals as well.
On the field, he will have some new weapons to get used to, especially at the receiver position. While losing Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson will be tough, the Redskins have added some height at the position. Both Josh Doctson and Terrell Pryor are listed at 6’4″ and should help with the issues the Redskins had last year, when they ranked 30th in the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage. Doctson played only two games his rookie year and has recovered from his Achilles injury.
Another position group that will dictate much of Cousins’ success is the offensive line.
“I’m really excited about our offensive line,” he said. “Obviously, you’ve got to stay healthy, but with this group we do feel good. They’ve got a great identity going with the ‘Hogs 2.0’ and the work they do together in the summer, and the experience they’ve built now.”
Regardless of how this situation turns out for Cousins, he’s no stranger to feeling like he has to prove himself.
“I think the lesson I learned was the same lesson I learned as a senior in high school, when I played my high school senior year with zero scholarship offers, and the same thing I learned my senior year of college when I played with wondering if I could go to the NFL. If you win football games, everything else takes care of itself and that’s a beautiful thing. So my focus has never really changed from that standpoint.”
Fans of Cousins’ conversion van have been wondering whether it would return as well. They’ll be happy to know that the van is still around.
“The van continues to live,” he said. This year I did take the van and I think it’s going to last for a long time. We’ll see.”
