How dare the Washington Redskins not make Kirk Cousins one of the two or three highest-paid quarterbacks in the league?

How dare they?

Isn't that what we've heard the past six months since the 2016 season ended, a cry that's been even louder with the passing of the deadline for the Redskins to give Cousins a long-term, mega-deal last week?

Cousins will play on the franchise tag in 2017 and, barring a third year playing under that tag in 2018, he will be somewhere else next season. CBSSports.com's Joel Corry recently looked at what Cousins stands to make on the open market.

But is Cousins really worth that type of deal? The answer is no.

He's a good quarterback, who shouldn't be getting great quarterback money.

That's partly why he tops my list of the league's most-overrated players heading into the 2017 season.

Yes, he's improved. Yes, he's a top 10-15 quarterback in the league, but when you really break down his game -- numbers included -- is he really worth being considered the highest-paid player in the NFL?

No chance.

Yet the perception is that after his last two seasons -- good ones for sure -- he should be given that monster deal by the Redskins. Let's take a look at those seasons. In 2015-16, he averaged 4,541 yards, 27 touchdown passes and 11.5 interceptions.

To put that in perspective: Carson Palmer, who gets shredded daily by many in the media, averaged 4,452 yards, 30.5 touchdown passes and 12.5 picks. So he's washed up, but Cousins is a top-three quarterback in terms of what he should be paid? OK.

After having six 300-yard-plus passing games in his first 11 games, including two over 400, Cousins had one in the final five games last season as the Redskins pushed for a playoff spot. He had five touchdown passes and five interceptions in those games, going 2-3 as Washington folded.

It wasn't all on him, but that's the point. I don't think he's a quarterback who rises above situations when the team isn't going right.

I am not going to sit here and pan him as a starter. He has proven to be that, and a pretty good one. It's just that the perception is he's much better than that, which is why he's my most overrated player in the NFL in 2017.

Check out my picks for each team's most overrated and underrated player.