Why are people feeling sorry for Kirk Cousins? Why do people think his selection by the Washington Redskins was controversial?

The Redskins thought he was a value in the fourth round so they took him. Cousins may be a backup. Or Robert Griffin III could be a flop. Then Washington has a backup plan in place.

Look no further than 1994, the year Washington drafted both Heath Shuler and Gus Frerotte to see that it’s not unheard of for the unheralded guy to end up better than the big shot. Or, as a commenter in a National Football League Post column pointed out, the 1971 draft when the Houston Oilers selected both Dan Pastorini and Lynn Dickey. Both had long careers, but Dickey arguably outperformed Pastorini over the long haul after he got his shot with Green Bay.

They did what I would always be looking to do if I was the general manager of an NFL team: They found a mid-to-late round value at quarterback whom they can develop. If he turns out to be the next Tom Brady, great. The Redskins found a diamond in the rough. If he turns out to be the next Matt Hasselbeck or Mark Brunell or Kevin Kolb, the Redskins drafted themselves a trade chip at the one position you know some team is always going to need.

Unlike Griffin and Andrew Luck, Cousins was not going to be guaranteed a starting job by any team that selected him anyway. His situation is little different now than it would be had he been selected by a team with a veteran starter in place. So his situation has only changed in that the guy he is competing with and “learning” from is the second pick in the draft.

Cousins got drafted in the fourth round by an NFL team. He’s pretty much a lock to make the team, cementing himself a nice paycheck. To his credit, Cousins seems like a smart kid worth rooting for. He is saying the right things, even if he might be confused or frustrated. According to the Detroit News, he emphasized during an interview on the Dan Patrick Show that he is competing with – not against – Griffin for the job. He knows his responsibility is helping Washington win and he also seems to realize that if he deserves it, he’ll get his shot, either with the Redskins or elsewhere.

“I know my opportunity will come sooner or later and the way the NFL works, your window of opportunity is very small, but when you get that opportunity you have to make the most of it,” he told the Dan Patrick Show, according to the Detroit News. “I just gotta be ready be ready when it does.”

In the meantime, Cousins has an opportunity to prepare, watch, learn and impress other teams so if Griffin is as good as expected, he can take advantage of the opportunity when he is either traded or gets an opportunity to sign elsewhere as a free agent.

Nobody needs to feel sorry for Cousins. Sure, it may be an awkward situation. But if he takes advantage of the opportunity, he’ll be just fine.