After all the RG3 drama, it was time for Kirk Cousins to put up or shut up in 2015. He didn't have the history of being a great fantasy quarterback, but over the second half of the season he became one of the stronger options available and was even one of the highest scoring players of many fantasy owners championship week. Clearly, his confidence grew as the season progressed and that's a good sign for improvement in 2016.

With the Redskins placing the Franchise Tag on Cousins,  he'll have additional pressure to prove he can be their QB of the future. While a one-year deal can lead to some uncertainty, it also could lead to Cousins playing high quality football in order to maximize his value once he hits free agency.

Looking back on 2015 though, one of the main factors that led to Cousins' success was the strong play of Jordan Reed when he returned from injury. Reed is a matchup nightmare because of his athleticism at tight end that makes him impossible to cover with most linebackers and safeties. As a result, Cousins often targeted him as his go-to receiver. Cousins also had the luxury of having a receiver like DeSean Jackson, whose game-breaking speed led to huge gains and gave him an easy open target across the field. Pierre Garcon's ability to adjust to the ball and attack it in the air also added another strong possession receiver into the mix. The point here is that Cousins has weapons to throw to.

The poor defense and ineffective running game did force the Redskins to have to throw more, so it will be interesting to see how the teams offseason moves will impact Cousins second season as the full time starter. Washington selected TCU Wide Receiver Josh Doctson with the 22nd overall pick in the NFL draft adding another dynamic option to the offense for Cousins. Cousins threw for 4166 yards in 2015 with 29 passing touchdowns and five rushing scores, he should be considered a top 15 QB with top 10 upside. You like that?

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