Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan reiterated that he wants quarterback Kirk Cousins around for the long term -- but it’s clear they’re not yet ready to meet his price.

McCloughan said at the owners meetings that talks with Cousins are an “ongoing process.” Redskins president Bruce Allen said earlier this month he anticipated talks resuming once free agency settled down.

“As you guys are well aware, I would love to have Kirk on a long-term deal and he’d love to be on a long-term deal,” McCloughan said at the meetings, via ESPN’s Eric Williams. “This time of year for me it’s always tough to do what you want and how you want. But the money comes into play so much and the terms of the deal. Everyone in that building wants Kirk to be our quarterback for a long time, but right now we don’t have that availability.”

While Cousins would like a long-term deal, he also is content playing under the terms of the franchise tag, receiving $19.95 million this season. McCloughan pointed out, once again, that he’s friends with Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney.

“Kirk is a really good person and he’s not in it just for the money,” McCloughan said via Williams. “He wants to be a Redskin and he wants to understand that it’s his team. He wants to be the quarterback. I respect that so much because I’ve been around players in the past who are just worried about the money. He’s not.”

McCloughan said Cousins’ cap hit did not impact the team's ability to sign free agents this offseason (it’s $3.8 million more than it had budgeted for Robert Griffin III, had he played under the option).

“It didn’t affect it at all,” McCloughan said.

He also said that the deal Brock Osweiler received from Houston has no bearing on the Cousins’ talks. Osweiler’s four-year deal averages $18 million a year.