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14	August 2018

ense be aggressive and on

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 Tre'Davious White Jersey Youth , 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, 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 Cole Beasley Jersey Elite , 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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Rodney Hood�s most significant moment in these playoffs came while sitting on the bench.

Well, he�s getting up and getting in the NBA Finals.

Looking for an offensive weapon to negate Golden State�s size and ability to switch assignments on defense, Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said he�ll play Hood in Game 3 on Wednesday night in hopes of cutting into the Warriors� series lead.

Hood, who began this postseason in Cleveland�s starting lineup, has been mostly a non-factor during the Cavs� spring run which included him refusing to check into the final minutes of a blowout win over Toronto in the second round.

That�s not an option now.

�We�re going to give Rodney a chance,� Lue said following practice at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday. �He�ll get a shot and see how he does. He�s been working Mitchell Trubisky Jersey , staying ready. So we�ll see.�

Lue did not specify if Hood will start, when he�ll come in, how much he�ll play or whose minutes will be affected.

Hood promised to be ready for anything.

�I don�t know when it�s going to come or what stage of the game,� Hood said. �I�ve been preparing. I�ve been working hard, so if I get the opportunity, just go out there and play. Just have fun.�

Trailing 2-0, the Cavs are searching for some kind of spark and could find it if the 6-foot-8 Hood can tap into some of the offensive skills that made him attractive to Cleveland at the trading deadline.

He was acquired on Feb. 8 from Utah, and there were more than a few basketball experts who viewed the lean lefty as the best new piece on a day when the Cavs also dealt for guards George Hill, Jordan Clarkson and big man Larry Nance Jr.

Lue didn�t get nearly enough in Games 1 and 2 in Oakland from J.R. Smith (5 of 19) or Kyle Korver (4 points). Korver has been completely neutralized by the Warriors, who are not giving him any room to shoot.

�It�s hard because they switch out on everything,� Lue said. �So all the actions you run for Kyle Ezekiel Elliott Cowboys Jersey , they just switch out to deny and take him away. When they are helping on LeBron�s penetration, the one guy they�re staying at home on is Kyle. They�re not leaving his body.�

Unlike the 37-year-old Korver, Hood is quick enough to beat the Warriors off the dribble, create open space to shoot and maybe get to the rim. Defensively, he�s got length and mobility.

He�s shown flashes. The Cavs now need him to shine steadily.

�He�s very talented,� said forward Kevin Love. �He�s a guy that can step in and fill up a scoreboard. Left-handed. A little bit unorthodox in the way that he plays. Just having that height on him and that wingspan, and the ability to not only make shots, but on the defensive end to switch out. Also play a guy like K.D. (Kevin Durant) at his size and just make it tough on both ends of the floor for their team. That gives all of us a lot of confidence that he can come in and make an impact.�

Hood�s short stay in Cleveland has been nondescript.

He averaged 16.8 points for the Jazz, but the 25-year-old never truly found his rhythm while coming off the bench for the Cavs over the regular season�s final 21 games. Still, he was in Lue�s starting lineup for the series opener against Indiana before Cleveland got beat soundly.

Hood saw spot duty the remainder of that series, and was essentially ineffective in three games against the Raptors before Lue tried to send him into the closing minutes of the clinching win on May 7 as the Cavs completed a sweep of the Eastern Conference�s top-seeded team.

When Hood declined Lawrence Taylor Jersey Youth , it upset a few teammates. Hood insisted he wasn�t protesting his reduced role and explained that there had been a mix-up. He apologized to the Cavs, many of whom laughed off the incident as minimal in a season overflowing with juicier drama.

While waiting for another chance, Hood has received positive support from Cleveland�s coaches and former teammates, including Joe Johnson who could relate to his plight after sitting in Houston.

Hood is confident he�s ready.

�Just going out there and try to help the team, on offense be aggressive and on defense just be physical,� he said.

Hood struggled during a playoff series with Utah against Golden State a year ago, making just 1 of 15 3-pointers and shooting 12 of 38 overall.

Those stats don�t matter now.

The only number that counts is his and will soon be called.

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