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Kirk Cousins to Cleveland? Browns given 5/1 odds to land Washington QB

Cousins will likely hit the market after the Redskins traded

CLEVELAND -- According to multiple reports, the Cleveland Browns attempted to acquire Alex Smith before the Kansas City Chiefs agreed to trade him to the Washington Redskins on Monday evening. That domino, however, may have potentially led Cleveland to its next quarterback in Kirk Cousins.

After having been franchise tagged by Washington in each of the past two offseasons, it now appears Cousins will indeed hit the free agent market, where the QB-needy Browns are expected to be a suitor. But according to at least one betting site, Cleveland isn't the favorite to be Cousins' next home.

Hours after the Smith-to-Washington deal was first reported, Bovada released its odds for Cousins' landing spot in 2018. Per the popular online betting site, the Browns -- at 5/1 -- have the fourth-best odds of acquiring the 2016 Pro Bowl selection, trailing the New York Jets (8/5), Denver Broncos (7/4) and Arizona Cardinals (4/1).

Also listed by Bovada as possibilities for Kirk Cousins' next team are the Buffalo Bills (9/1), New York Giants (14/1), Jacksonville Jaguars (14/1) and Miami Dolphins (20/1).

To put those odds in perspective, the Jets and Broncos appear to have separated themselves in the race for Cousins' services. A $100 bet on the Jets would return $160, while the same bet on Denver would net $175. The jump to the Cardinals ($100 for $400) and Cleveland ($100 for $500) is rather sizable.

From a gambling perspective (for entertainment purposes only, of course), that could make the Browns a nice value bet. Not only is Cleveland in desperate need of a quarterback, but the Browns are projected to possess nearly $110 million in cap space this offseason, according to overthecap.com.

That could put the Browns in a unique spot to pay Cousins more than any other team, especially in a front-loaded deal. Cousins, for his part, has said his impending decision will come down to more than dollar and cents, which could make destinations like New York and Denver more attractive.

Money, however, often times has a way of talking. And if it does, Cousins might not be the only one cashing in on a decision to come to Cleveland.

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