Here is what you need to know on this Thursday, February 9, 28 days before the March 9 start of NFL free agency.

Timeline

Days until:



—NFL Franchise tag deadline (3/1) 20

—Redskins offseason workouts start (4/17) 67

—NFL Draft (4/27) 77

—First Sunday of 2017 season (9/10) 213

With the season over, looking ahead

It’s too early for mock drafts but that doesn’t stop writers and self-styled draft gurus from cranking them out to fill the time between the Super Bowl and the NFL Combine. And, just as the mock drafters hope, I saw something interesting in one of them.

More Redskins: Looking for first-round value

Chris Burke of SI.com did a three-round mock, which is a stretch for this time of year but at least he acknowledges that. In the first two rounds he had the Redskins taking defensive linemen, DE Derek Barnett of Tennessee in the first round and DT Jaleel Johnson of Iowa, with their first two picks. That would be a development that would make most fans very happy.

In the third round, he has the Redskins making a pick that could be more controversial, Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya. The former Hurricane is 6-4 and he has a rifle of an arm from the pocket. He also can’t do much when he must move.

But leaving aside the attributes of this particular quarterback, is taking a quarterback in the third a good idea?

Well, it depends. If the Redskins and Kirk Cousins agree on a long-term deal between now and the draft then the third round would be too high to take a quarterback who clearly would be a backup.

RELATED: Position outlook: Looking for playmakers at ILB

But suppose Cousins is on the franchise tag when the draft comes around? Although he could still sign a long-term deal prior to July 15 the Redskins will probably have a good feel for the prospects of getting a deal done. If things aren’t looking good, they would have to proceed as if 2017 will be Cousins’ last year in a Redskins uniform. If they can get a guy who they can groom for a year to step into the starting job in 2018 they need to seriously consider it.

I don’t know if Kaaya would be the right guy or not. But if he can make decisions and get rid of the ball quickly, that’s half the battle in succeeding in Jay Gruden’s offense.

Let’s look at it this way. If they decide the let Cousins walk they must think that it’s fairly easy to find someone who can produce in Gruden’s offense like Cousins does. If they’re right, the proper third-round pick should be able to fill those shoes, no?

Tandler on Facebook

The plan for #49ers coach Kyle Shanahan is to have QB coach Rich Scangarello, run-game guru Mike McDaniel…and coordinate the offense himself — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 8, 2017

May I suggest to Kyle that he should put a phone call into Jay Gruden and have a chat about trying to do too much as a rookie head coach. https://t.co/An7bdGBBaG — Rich Tandler (@TandlerNBCS) February 8, 2017

In case you missed it

Stay up to date on the Redskins! Rich Tandler covers the team 365 days a year. Like his Facebook page Facebook.com/TandlerCSN and follow him on Twitter @Rich_TandlerCSN.