Washington Redskins

Cousins remains a long shot to secure a new contract with the Redskins prior to next week's July 17 deadline, ESPN's John Keim reports.

Cousins is currently scheduled to play a second straight year under Washington's franchise tag, which is slated to earn him $23.9 million in guaranteed money this season. Although his representatives and the Redskins have reportedly met at least twice since late March, the parties remain apart on how much guaranteed money Cousins' next contract should include. Without common ground on his annual salary either, there's little optimism Cousins' prolonged contract saga will suddenly be solved by next week. As a result, Cousins could be entering his final season with the Redskins, but the motivation of another big pay day looming should once again drive him to prove his worth. In two seasons as a starter, Cousins has totaled a whopping 9,083 passing yards to go with 63 touchdowns (54 passing, nine rushing) versus 23 interceptions.

Davis led all NFL tight ends last season with 13 missed tackles forced, according to Pro Football Focus.

That statistic, which helps explain his lofty mark of 9.9 yards per target, is made all the more impressive by the fact Davis ranked 26th at the position in targets (59) and 23rd in receptions (44). His excellent work last season helps explain the Redskins' lack of interest in re-signing Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, as the team can always rely on more two-TE formations if Josh Doctson or Terrelle Pryor disappoints. The 33-year-old Davis will enter training camp on the wrong side of fantasy relevance in most formats, but that would change in a hurry if Jordan Reed were to suffer yet another significant injury.

Brown may not have much control over whether he makes the final roster, CSN Mid-Atlantic's Rich Tandler reports.

With Rob Kelley, Chris Thompson and Samaje Perine all locked in, Brown and Keith Marshall figure to compete for the No. 4 spot on a team that may only keep three running backs on its final roster. Brown did at least work ahead of Marshall during the offseason program, but the latter makes for a more intriguing developmental project for the practice squad thanks to his rare size/speed combination. Brown may have narrowed the gap by trimming down to six percent body fat in the offseason, but he still profiles as no better than a middling athlete for the position.

Marshall is a candidate for the practice squad, CSN Mid-Atlantic's Rich Tandler reports.

With Matt Jones likely to be traded or released and Rob Kelley, Samaje Perine and Chris Thompson all locks to make the team, Marshall and Mack Brown will have to compete for a roster spot that may not exist. Marshall was selected in the seventh round of last year's draft and spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve with an elbow injury, but his top-notch athleticism -- he ran a 4.31 40-yard dash at 219 pounds -- makes him an interesting long-term project to keep on the practice squad. While lacking in athletic upside, Brown likely will enter training camp ahead of Marshall on the depth chart, after playing nine games last season and ripping off a 61-yard touchdown on one of his eight carries.

Crowder could take more snaps on the outside this season, Mark Bullock of The Washington Post reports.

Crowder was primarily used out of the slot last season as Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson combined to miss only one game and both drew triple-digit targets (Crowder wasn't far behind with 97). Although he still figures to man the slot in three-wide formations, Crowder may also have a regular job out wide in two-receiver sets, potentially playing ahead of 2016 first-round selection Josh Doctson. Such a role takes on added importance given how well No. 2 tight end Vernon Davis played last season, as the Redskins likely will use a lot of two-TE formations if Davis and Jordan Reed both stay healthy. At 5-foot-8, 182 pounds, Crowder has the physical profile of a pure slot specialist, but last year's marks of 12.6 yards per catch, 8.7 per target and seven touchdowns were more in line with what's expected of an outside receiver. He produced like a slot specialist in terms of catch rate (69 percent), yards after the catch (5.8 per reception) and drops (one), and yet still led the team in red-zone targets (16) and had six catches that went for more than 30 yards. Crowder now has a clear path to improving upon last season's target total and offensive snap percentage (73.7).