Washington Redskins: Could Baker Mayfield be the guy if Cousins departs?

It’s mock draft season and two prominent analysts have already pegged Baker Mayfield going to play for the Washington Redskins.

It’s mock draft season and one of the most popular projections thus far is Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield going to the Washington Redskins at pick No. 13. The godfather of the NFL Draft media, ESPN’s Mel Kiper, released his first mock draft of 2018 and he had Mayfield going to the Redskins.

Earlier in the week, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report, also pegged Mayfield to Washington. Is this feasible?

Yes, on several fronts. First, everything revolves around current quarterback Kirk Cousins. Will the Redskins and Cousins come to terms on a long-term deal this offseason? That’s doubtful. Cousins himself said he would not sign a deal with Washington until he saw whether or not the team would place either the franchise or transition tag on him. At $34 million, the franchise tag isn’t happening. The transition tag, at $28 million, is extremely possible, but it appears doubtful, too.

At this point, it appears both the team and Cousins are content to go in opposite directions. Head coach Jay Gruden has been very candid about his thoughts on Cousins. He obviously likes him, but if he loved him this deal would’ve gotten done a long time ago. Cousins has appeared ready to move on for a while now.

Enter Mayfield.

The Redskins love big names. Owner Daniel Snyder and his chief lackey, team president Bruce Allen, orchestrated the trade for Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III back in 2012. The team reaped the benefits of Griffin’s acquisition, mostly off the field. Griffin’s jersey was a huge hit in 2012 and he was must-see TV. Then, Griffin got hurt and everything fell apart. Yet, Snyder and Allen struggled to turn the page.

They likely see the same thing with Mayfield. The Heisman Trophy winner is brash, fiery and successful. He would serve the purpose of selling hope to an angry and frustrated fan base. And Mayfield, despite some concerns about his size, is a talented prospect. He could be a huge success under offensive-minded head coach Jay Gruden. Gruden, a scrappy former quarterback, likely sees a little of himself in Mayfield.

Washington made an underrated move after the season in keeping quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell on the staff. O’Connell had an opportunity to join Chip Kelly’s staff at UCLA as offensive coordinator, but Gruden saw promise in the young coach and added an extra title — passing game coordinator — to keep him with the Redskins. O’Connell has experience working in the spread and traditional pro-style offense, so his return could be huge if the Redskins do choose someone high in the upcoming draft.

The Senior Bowl is next week and Mayfield will play in the showcase game. Expect Washington coaches to pay close attention to the Heisman winner. It’s way too early to say whether the Redskins are fans of Mayfield.

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But with the possible upcoming departure of Cousins, don’t be surprised if the Redskins, specifically Snyder and Allen, become enamored with the charismatic Mayfield.

It’s going to be fun and wild offseason.