The Washington Redskins and Kirk Cousins remain at an impasse, with one week left before the deadline for the franchise tag. It’s not exactly a surprising spot, considering the leverage of one side and the clear doubts on the other. And it makes sense for Cousins to stay unsigned.

So says a veteran of NFL front offices, Joe Banner.

He spent 17 seasons as president of the Philadelphia Eagles; two years as the CEO of the Cleveland Browns and two more years as a front office consultant to the Atlanta Falcons. He offers a unique perspective and understands the dilemma facing the Redskins — and Cousins’ unique position.

“If I was the agent, I’d want to see if they tag me before I did anything,” Banner said. “If they don’t tag me, I’d love to hit the open market and if they do tag me, use that as the base to open the negotiations. It’s pointless to negotiate now until the player and agent know whether or not they’re getting tagged.”

Here’s why: If the Redskins somehow let Cousins hit the open market, Banner said it would result in a big payday.

“He’d get a huge deal and would become the highest-paid QB by a moderate amount,” he said.

Cousins’ potential, and just how good he already is, has led to many debates. Banner places Cousins in the good-but-not-great camp. That doesn’t mean his pay would be commensurate.

“We’ve all wondered if a quality quarterback actually hit the market in his 20s where he had six or seven years left to play and total unrestricted free agency, what is his real market value?” Banner said. “We don’t know that. No one has had that opportunity or had the patience to get tagged twice. He’s now very close and in complete control and whether or not that happens, that’s a powerful place to be.”

Banner said the options here are clear. The Redskins can let Cousins walk (which he said he doesn’t believe they’re considering), tag him or do a long-term deal.

And that would lead to a deal that will cost quite a bit.

“The only way you get it done is if you pay him,” Banner said. “You probably have to make him the highest paid, at least to this point. Losing him is a terrible option. Keeping him on a one-year deal is the best under the circumstances, but it’s not a great option and having to overpay with a long-term deal with a huge signing bonus. If you think he’s the answer, it’s a no-brainer. But if you think he’s good but not good enough to carry the team, that’s problematic.”

The question is: If the Redskins tag Cousins, would there be a trade market? Banner said he could see someone wanting to trade for Cousins, but to a point. There will be other choices for teams in need of a quarterback, whether via trade (New England’s Jimmy Garoppolo), free agency (if Buffalo’s Tyrod Taylor, Chicago’s Jay Cutler and San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick become free) or the draft.

The return after almost two full seasons on the sideline wasn’t what Victor Cruz anticipated. He finished with 39 catches for 586 yards and one touchdown, which came in the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

There were games when the ball wasn’t even thrown in Cruz’s direction. There were games when he was merely an afterthought. There were afternoons when he ran 40-plus routes and his only opportunity resulted in a big play downfield. It was up, down and filled with inconsistent production.

There still were positives to take from the season. The comeback after missing almost two years with a torn patellar tendon and then a calf problem was inspiring. A torn patellar tendon has ruined many a career. Cruz at least looked the part of an NFL player when the ball was thrown in his direction.

That is an accomplishment. There are two injuries that players are scared of these days, according to Odell Beckham Jr. They are a torn patellar tendon and a ruptured Achilles. Cruz had the former, followed by a serious calf injury that robbed him of 2015. Just making it back from the injuries was encouraging for Cruz, and so was playing in 16 games (including playoffs) with only a minor ankle sprain keeping him from appearing in every Giants contest this past season.

“Staying healthy is obviously encouraging,” Giants coach Ben McAdoo said after the season.

But this is a business, and Cruz was cut last week. His production and lack of explosion made him expendable with Roger Lewis and Tavarres King, or a potential draft pick or free agent, as his replacement.

Cruz wasn’t an ideal fit on the outside opposite Beckham. After spending most of his career working out of the slot, Cruz was bumped outside to make room for rookie Sterling Shepard. It didn’t maximize his chance to succeed, and contributed to his departure.

Now Cruz is a free agent, a better fit for a team looking for a veteran to play in the slot. Suitors must determine how much he has left in the tank. Cruz says plenty. The other 31 teams will decide.

Free agent file

Victor Cruz

Position: Wide receiver

Age: 30

Experience: 6 years

Projected contract: 1 year, $2.5 million, $1 million guaranteed

(Note: The projected contract was derived from the average of five league sources surveyed. The panel consists of a front-office executive, salary-cap experts and agents.)

Comparable contracts: Anquan Boldin (Lions)

Silence can be golden, but the silence regarding the talks to keep Terrelle Pryor off the free-agent market seem mildly concerning.

Especially for those who want to see Pryor remain with the Cleveland Browns.

The team and Pryor’s camp both have maintained a public silence about the situation, with the only comments from Pryor at the end of the season that he told his agent he wanted to stay in Cleveland, but a deal has to be fair to both sides. That’s a point that has yet to arrive.

As the March 9 date for the start of free agency approaches, the deadline for placing the franchise tag on Pryor gets closer. That’s a move neither the team nor the player wants.

The nuances of the tag are explained here by ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. The bottom line is the tag essentially keeps a player with his team, and pays him very well. The teams don’t like to anger the player, who loses freedom, nor do they like the high salary that goes with the tag. Players don’t like their chance at not being able to decide where they want to play.

The Browns could put one of two tags on Pryor. The first keeps him from seeking offers. The second allows him to sign an offer sheet, and if the Browns don’t match, they receive two first-round draft picks.

The Browns would probably make that trade yesterday. No team is going to sign Pryor to that kind of contract and give up two first-round picks to get him. He simply has not played enough receiver to warrant that consideration.

Franchising Pryor would keep him in Cleveland at a price expected to be near $15.8 million. If he’s franchised, the Browns could continue to negotiate a long-term deal. Pryor also could sign the offer at any time.

Once he signs the franchise offer, he becomes the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, in terms of cash paid in 2017.

The Rams’ Tavon Austin right now is the due to receive $14.977 million in cash and bonuses, according to both ESPN’s Roster Management System and spotrac.com. Next are Dallas’ Dez Bryant ($13 million), Denver’s Demaryius Thomas ($12.5 million), Atlanta’s Julio Jones ($11.5 million) and Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald ($11 million).

Pryor would pass them all, and the Browns would have to swallow the entire salary-cap cost. ?Cleveland, though, is one team for which that cost would not matter. The Browns are projected to have around $108 million in salary-cap room when free agency begins.

As Seifert points out, in the past five years, 47 players were franchised. Twenty-two signed the offer, 24 signed long-term extensions and one signed a modified deal — that was Jason Pierre-Paul, after his fireworks accident.

The advantage for the Browns is clear. They retain their top receiver for at least one year, which is important, given the lack of depth at the position in general. If Pryor leaves, the Browns are suddenly barren at receiver.

The team also gets another year to see Pryor at the position and assess his long-term value. The fact that no deal has been agreed to indicates the team and player disagree about that value.

The Browns have used the tag twice, for place-kicker Phil Dawson. Though Dawson was more than deserving, the fact that the team used it on a kicker speaks to its talent in recent years.