The hope for improvement on O is with more effective running and year 2 in the system
The hope for improvement on the team comes with a D even reaching middle of the pack
I dont think either is unattainable
Quote: @supafreak84 said:
@ MaroonBells said:
No. Like the world champion Chiefs, whose offense and QB were crap against a handful of teams (like the Bills, Raiders, Colts and especially the Broncos, against whom Mahomes threw 3 picks), the Vikings offense wasn't great in every game. No offense is, especially when the running game isn't particularly effective and can't feed off of an even middling defense.
But how anyone can look at what we did last year and go "hey, gotta fix that QB" is just mind boggling to me.
I agree that the defense was the main issue last season and it turned out to be the exact shit show I told everybody it would be under Donatell. However, that does not preclude the fact that we still have a major decision to make at QB that will affect the entire organization moving forward. If the Vikings are not willing to meet the guaranteed contract demands of Cousins and his agent (which I wouldn't either), then the wise thing to do would be to trade him now (especially if we can get a high draft pick) and just take our lumps this season. The Vikings are so fucking scared to make a move and get off the Cousins hostage train that it has hindered their ability to simply move forward. I think it has everything to do with the expectations of ownership, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news to the Wilf boys, but there is an excellent chance with or without Cousins that we finish behind the Lions and potentially even the Bears next year in the division. They are trending up while the Vikings are trending down and we need an influx of young talent to reboot this operation. The longer we hold on to just being "good" the longer we delay the inevitable.
Sadly, the trade Cousins idea is likely dead on arrival. SF got Darnold, the Raiders got Jimmy, the Texans signed Case, and the Jets probably get Rodgers. Whose left that does not have a high draft pick and will use on a rookie?
I seriously doubt teams even bothered calling Kwesi this offseason because they did not want to pay 30M for one year AND have to negotiate with this dude who only wants guaranteed money.
Quote: @MarkSP18 said:
@ supafreak84 said:
@ MaroonBells said:
No. Like the world champion Chiefs, whose offense and QB were crap against a handful of teams (like the Bills, Raiders, Colts and especially the Broncos, against whom Mahomes threw 3 picks), the Vikings offense wasn't great in every game. No offense is, especially when the running game isn't particularly effective and can't feed off of an even middling defense.
But how anyone can look at what we did last year and go "hey, gotta fix that QB" is just mind boggling to me.
I agree that the defense was the main issue last season and it turned out to be the exact shit show I told everybody it would be under Donatell. However, that does not preclude the fact that we still have a major decision to make at QB that will affect the entire organization moving forward. If the Vikings are not willing to meet the guaranteed contract demands of Cousins and his agent (which I wouldn't either), then the wise thing to do would be to trade him now (especially if we can get a high draft pick) and just take our lumps this season. The Vikings are so fucking scared to make a move and get off the Cousins hostage train that it has hindered their ability to simply move forward. I think it has everything to do with the expectations of ownership, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news to the Wilf boys, but there is an excellent chance with or without Cousins that we finish behind the Lions and potentially even the Bears next year in the division. They are trending up while the Vikings are trending down and we need an influx of young talent to reboot this operation. The longer we hold on to just being "good" the longer we delay the inevitable.
Sadly, the trade Cousins idea is likely dead on arrival. SF got Darnold, the Raiders got Jimmy, the Texans signed Case, and the Jets probably get Rodgers. Whose left that does not have a high draft pick and will use on a rookie?
I seriously doubt teams even bothered calling Kwesi this offseason because they did not want to pay 30M for one year AND have to negotiate with this dude who only wants guaranteed money.
Washington. See my post in the other thread
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
@ JimmyinSD said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ JimmyinSD said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ JimmyinSD said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ JimmyinSD said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ JimmyinSD said:
@ purplefaithful said:
@ medaille said:
I just don’t think it makes sense for the team to address
Cousins contract before the draft. I
think Cousins has a lot of incentive to get locked up long term prior to the
draft and a lot of the urgency is from his camp. I think long term plans become a lot more
solid after we figure out how the draft goes and we can give him an extension
later this offseason if we want to. It
would be negligent for us to not have QB of the future as an option on the
table in the draft, and our plans probably vary based on if we get a QB we feel
like we can work with. I think what
should happen is that if we draft a QB we really like, we should let Kirk ride
his contract out, and if not we should look at giving him another 2 years
guaranteed and 2 years of low salary with incentives to get it higher if he
wants that and we can get out of if we need to.
I just don’t think there’s any way to guarantee him big QB money past 2025
as he’d be 38 in 2026.
If we needed the money to go all in this year, and we needed
to redo his contract to get the money, that’d be one thing, but I just don’t
think we can rebuild this roster that quickly.
I think we probably have to be looking at 2023 as year to build our
foundation on defense and 2024 as the year to be SB competitive.
At the bold, its intuitive and that might very well end-up the case...
We'll see if they shake things up with FA/Draft. I have no idea if that's how KOC/KAM are viewing things.
As Guru points out, the Vikings may be ok with some extension, but for how long may be at odds with what the KC camp wants.
$42mm/year seems about right for him.
42 M per year is right for KC? Josh Allen is only 43, Pat Mahomes is 45, Kirk is no where near the level of player that they are and he is getting old. I would say, assuming you are going to over pay, he is worth no more than the 37.5 avg that Carr is shown as getting, which isnt really even that high since only 60 million is guaranteed so he is essentially playing for about 30 million a year, which is much more inline with what I said the team could justify for the position given the salaries they have to play KCs supporting cast to over come his short comings. No QB is perfect, but the less that they can do on their own ( in Kirks case its his lack of extending plays, or making plays with his legs ) then the better OL, running game, and receivers they need to compete at a high level. Kirks elite passing abilities only go so far when he is a virtual statue otherwise.
He wont play for that little, but the story doesnt change, so if why keep paying him high money if you wont have the team around him to get to the next level, trade him or let him play it out and move on.
Allen entered the NFL in 2018. Same year Cousins came to Minnesota. Over that time....
Josh Allen: 18,397, 138 TDs, 60 INTs, 92.2 Rating, comebacks led by QB=11, game winning drives=15
Kirk Cousins: 20,934, 153 TDs, 50 INTs, 101.6, comebacks led by QB=14, game winning drives=16
Even if you’re nice and throw out Allen’s rookie year because he started slow, Cousins still wins. Allen is younger and a better runner, I'll give you that. But the level to which Viking fans under-appreciate their QB is at a comical level.
you are starting a team tomorrow, for the record, do you take Kirk Cousins @ 42 million, No. Like the world champion Chiefs, whose offense and QB were crap against a handful of teams (like the Bills, Raiders, Colts and especially the Broncos, against whom Mahomes threw 3 picks), the Vikings offense wasn't great in every game. No offense is, especially when the running game isn't particularly effective and can't feed off of an even middling defense.
But how anyone can look at what we did last year and go "hey, gotta fix that QB" is just mind boggling to me.
The only issue with the QB is his contract demands and age. The other things could be worked around if he didn't demand so damn much money. Mind boggling is not seeing that the only quick fixes, and at his age it needs to be quick, would be for him to agree to play for a amount that is commensurate with his skill level to improve the team around him. He refuses to do that so he becomes another problem that needs fixing. If there isn't a quick fix to build around Kirk, then his age says move on now.
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
@ purplefaithful said:
One of the many difficult negotiations facing the Vikings this offseason involves Cousins. He has one year remaining on his contract. In a perfect world, he would agree to a restructured deal that frees up money under the salary cap so the Vikings can try to win big over the next few years with him as their starter.
Cousins could play it the way Tom Brady did in New England, and value winning over maximizing his salary. Given that he's made $201 million in his NFL career, he could afford to do so.
He is also represented by agents, and a member of a union, so it may be unrealistic to expect him to leave any money on the table.
What is certain is that Cousins is the best he's ever been, he's been remarkably durable, the Vikings have no succession plan, and a lot of teams that thought they could win by changing quarterbacks proved that it's not as easy as it looks.
Reminders of this, and more difficulties, were everywhere last fall:
Deshaun Watson stunk.
Aaron Rodgers had his worst season ever.
Russell Wilson embarrassed himself.
Derek Carr got himself cut.
Mac Jones regressed.
Tom Brady eased toward retirement.
Carson Wentz wentzed.
Dak Prescott threw the ball to the other team.
Baker Mayfield continued to interrupt his acting career with bad passes.
Matt Ryan aged like boxed wine.
Matthew Stafford played like a Lion.
Kyler Murray played like a teenager.
Today's question: How many quarterbacks would the Vikings feel good trading Cousins for, one-for-one?
Definitely:
1. Patrick Mahomes, who might be the greatest ever.
2. Joe Burrow. An ideal blend of skill and leadership.
3. Josh Allen. Had his struggles in 2022, but remains a top franchise quarterback.
4. Jalen Hurts. Might have been the NFL MVP had he remained healthy throughout the season.
5. Justin Herbert. Could be the next big thing, if the Chargers can surround him with a quality team.
Maybe:
1. Lamar Jackson is a former league MVP who has carried what has often been a nondescript team, but injuries and stalled negotiations have made him a risk.
2. Trevor Lawrence is beginning to fulfill his promise. A prototype in many ways, he's younger and more talented and might be a good bet.
3. Tua Tagovailoa had a strong statistical showing last season, but is small and hasn't been as durable as Cousins.
4. Rodgers is coming off a bad season, has become reclusive during offseasons, didn't work with his young teammates last summer and makes a massive amount of money. He's one of the greatest to ever play the position, but is there reason to believe he'll regain his form?
Nope:
1. Wentz is a lousy NFL quarterback.
2. Murray isn't trustworthy, as some of his teammates have said or hinted.
3. Jared Goff has played in a Super Bowl and helped elevate the Lions last year, but he's not better than Cousins, at least not at the moment.
4. Prescott damaged his stock with damaging interceptions last year when his team had a chance to make a run.
5. Stafford looked like he was playing for the Lions again last year.
6. Justin Fields may be a wonderful quarterback, but we won't know for sure until his team gives him an offense to work with and stops relying on his remarkable running ability.
7. Brock Purdy and Trey Lance could be great but have much to prove.
If Rodgers leaves the division, the Vikings will have the best quarterback in the NFC North for the first time in decades.
If Rodgers doesn't leave the division, the Vikings still might have the best quarterback in the NFC North. That's how much the league's quarterback rankings have changed in the last seven months.
https://www.startribune.com/kirk-cousins-minnesota-vikings-quarterback-contract-aaron-rodgers-tom-brady-jim-souhan/600258459/
Been thinking a lot about this recently. Remember all those tweets and posts and radio commentary about QBs who were supposedly "better than" Cousins? You can probably take half of them off now. Seems every year another couple drop below...while KIrk remains....steady, consistent, reliable, durable, clutch and cheap (just seeing if Jimmy's paying attention).
Cheaper than Daniel Stephen Dimes III anyway. Cheaper than 17 other QBs in total value. Cheaper than 10 other QBs in avg per season. Let's pay the man and get him up where he belongs.
The NFL's the ultimate team game and not many QBs on that list have been surrounded with as much talent as Cousins has here 
Quote: @medaille said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ purplefaithful said:
One of the many difficult negotiations facing the Vikings this offseason involves Cousins. He has one year remaining on his contract. In a perfect world, he would agree to a restructured deal that frees up money under the salary cap so the Vikings can try to win big over the next few years with him as their starter.
Cousins could play it the way Tom Brady did in New England, and value winning over maximizing his salary. Given that he's made $201 million in his NFL career, he could afford to do so.
He is also represented by agents, and a member of a union, so it may be unrealistic to expect him to leave any money on the table.
What is certain is that Cousins is the best he's ever been, he's been remarkably durable, the Vikings have no succession plan, and a lot of teams that thought they could win by changing quarterbacks proved that it's not as easy as it looks.
Reminders of this, and more difficulties, were everywhere last fall:
Deshaun Watson stunk.
Aaron Rodgers had his worst season ever.
Russell Wilson embarrassed himself.
Derek Carr got himself cut.
Mac Jones regressed.
Tom Brady eased toward retirement.
Carson Wentz wentzed.
Dak Prescott threw the ball to the other team.
Baker Mayfield continued to interrupt his acting career with bad passes.
Matt Ryan aged like boxed wine.
Matthew Stafford played like a Lion.
Kyler Murray played like a teenager.
Today's question: How many quarterbacks would the Vikings feel good trading Cousins for, one-for-one?
Definitely:
1. Patrick Mahomes, who might be the greatest ever.
2. Joe Burrow. An ideal blend of skill and leadership.
3. Josh Allen. Had his struggles in 2022, but remains a top franchise quarterback.
4. Jalen Hurts. Might have been the NFL MVP had he remained healthy throughout the season.
5. Justin Herbert. Could be the next big thing, if the Chargers can surround him with a quality team.
Maybe:
1. Lamar Jackson is a former league MVP who has carried what has often been a nondescript team, but injuries and stalled negotiations have made him a risk.
2. Trevor Lawrence is beginning to fulfill his promise. A prototype in many ways, he's younger and more talented and might be a good bet.
3. Tua Tagovailoa had a strong statistical showing last season, but is small and hasn't been as durable as Cousins.
4. Rodgers is coming off a bad season, has become reclusive during offseasons, didn't work with his young teammates last summer and makes a massive amount of money. He's one of the greatest to ever play the position, but is there reason to believe he'll regain his form?
Nope:
1. Wentz is a lousy NFL quarterback.
2. Murray isn't trustworthy, as some of his teammates have said or hinted.
3. Jared Goff has played in a Super Bowl and helped elevate the Lions last year, but he's not better than Cousins, at least not at the moment.
4. Prescott damaged his stock with damaging interceptions last year when his team had a chance to make a run.
5. Stafford looked like he was playing for the Lions again last year.
6. Justin Fields may be a wonderful quarterback, but we won't know for sure until his team gives him an offense to work with and stops relying on his remarkable running ability.
7. Brock Purdy and Trey Lance could be great but have much to prove.
If Rodgers leaves the division, the Vikings will have the best quarterback in the NFC North for the first time in decades.
If Rodgers doesn't leave the division, the Vikings still might have the best quarterback in the NFC North. That's how much the league's quarterback rankings have changed in the last seven months.
https://www.startribune.com/kirk-cousins-minnesota-vikings-quarterback-contract-aaron-rodgers-tom-brady-jim-souhan/600258459/
Been thinking a lot about this recently. Remember all those tweets and posts and radio commentary about QBs who were supposedly "better than" Cousins? You can probably take half of them off now. Seems every year another couple drop below...while KIrk remains....steady, consistent, reliable, durable, clutch and cheap (just seeing if Jimmy's paying attention).
Cheaper than Daniel Stephen Dimes III anyway. Cheaper than 17 other QBs in total value. Cheaper than 10 other QBs in avg per season. Let's pay the man and get him up where he belongs.
The NFL's the ultimate team game and not many QBs on that list have been surrounded with as much talent as Cousins has here
So we're good at bringing in talent now? So many seem to argue that we're really bad at it. But I agree. We've been better than most. Jefferson was a coup.
But I like to try to imagine what the NFL would think of Jefferson right now if he'd come into the league with a QB like Matt Ryan or Carr or Goff or Heinicke or Darnold or Fields or Dimes or Geno or Winston or Mayfield or....
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
@ medaille said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ purplefaithful said:
One of the many difficult negotiations facing the Vikings this offseason involves Cousins. He has one year remaining on his contract. In a perfect world, he would agree to a restructured deal that frees up money under the salary cap so the Vikings can try to win big over the next few years with him as their starter.
Cousins could play it the way Tom Brady did in New England, and value winning over maximizing his salary. Given that he's made $201 million in his NFL career, he could afford to do so.
He is also represented by agents, and a member of a union, so it may be unrealistic to expect him to leave any money on the table.
What is certain is that Cousins is the best he's ever been, he's been remarkably durable, the Vikings have no succession plan, and a lot of teams that thought they could win by changing quarterbacks proved that it's not as easy as it looks.
Reminders of this, and more difficulties, were everywhere last fall:
Deshaun Watson stunk.
Aaron Rodgers had his worst season ever.
Russell Wilson embarrassed himself.
Derek Carr got himself cut.
Mac Jones regressed.
Tom Brady eased toward retirement.
Carson Wentz wentzed.
Dak Prescott threw the ball to the other team.
Baker Mayfield continued to interrupt his acting career with bad passes.
Matt Ryan aged like boxed wine.
Matthew Stafford played like a Lion.
Kyler Murray played like a teenager.
Today's question: How many quarterbacks would the Vikings feel good trading Cousins for, one-for-one?
Definitely:
1. Patrick Mahomes, who might be the greatest ever.
2. Joe Burrow. An ideal blend of skill and leadership.
3. Josh Allen. Had his struggles in 2022, but remains a top franchise quarterback.
4. Jalen Hurts. Might have been the NFL MVP had he remained healthy throughout the season.
5. Justin Herbert. Could be the next big thing, if the Chargers can surround him with a quality team.
Maybe:
1. Lamar Jackson is a former league MVP who has carried what has often been a nondescript team, but injuries and stalled negotiations have made him a risk.
2. Trevor Lawrence is beginning to fulfill his promise. A prototype in many ways, he's younger and more talented and might be a good bet.
3. Tua Tagovailoa had a strong statistical showing last season, but is small and hasn't been as durable as Cousins.
4. Rodgers is coming off a bad season, has become reclusive during offseasons, didn't work with his young teammates last summer and makes a massive amount of money. He's one of the greatest to ever play the position, but is there reason to believe he'll regain his form?
Nope:
1. Wentz is a lousy NFL quarterback.
2. Murray isn't trustworthy, as some of his teammates have said or hinted.
3. Jared Goff has played in a Super Bowl and helped elevate the Lions last year, but he's not better than Cousins, at least not at the moment.
4. Prescott damaged his stock with damaging interceptions last year when his team had a chance to make a run.
5. Stafford looked like he was playing for the Lions again last year.
6. Justin Fields may be a wonderful quarterback, but we won't know for sure until his team gives him an offense to work with and stops relying on his remarkable running ability.
7. Brock Purdy and Trey Lance could be great but have much to prove.
If Rodgers leaves the division, the Vikings will have the best quarterback in the NFC North for the first time in decades.
If Rodgers doesn't leave the division, the Vikings still might have the best quarterback in the NFC North. That's how much the league's quarterback rankings have changed in the last seven months.
https://www.startribune.com/kirk-cousins-minnesota-vikings-quarterback-contract-aaron-rodgers-tom-brady-jim-souhan/600258459/
Been thinking a lot about this recently. Remember all those tweets and posts and radio commentary about QBs who were supposedly "better than" Cousins? You can probably take half of them off now. Seems every year another couple drop below...while KIrk remains....steady, consistent, reliable, durable, clutch and cheap (just seeing if Jimmy's paying attention).
Cheaper than Daniel Stephen Dimes III anyway. Cheaper than 17 other QBs in total value. Cheaper than 10 other QBs in avg per season. Let's pay the man and get him up where he belongs.
The NFL's the ultimate team game and not many QBs on that list have been surrounded with as much talent as Cousins has here
So we're good at bringing in talent now? So many seem to argue that we're really bad at it. But I agree. We've been better than most. Jefferson was a coup.
But I like to try to imagine what the NFL would think of Jefferson right now if he'd come into the league with a QB like Matt Ryan or Carr or Goff or Heinicke or Darnold or Fields or Dimes or Geno or Winston or Mayfield or....
Maybe they would think differently if they had had a JJ to throw to.
Quote: @JimmyinSD said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ medaille said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ purplefaithful said:
One of the many difficult negotiations facing the Vikings this offseason involves Cousins. He has one year remaining on his contract. In a perfect world, he would agree to a restructured deal that frees up money under the salary cap so the Vikings can try to win big over the next few years with him as their starter.
Cousins could play it the way Tom Brady did in New England, and value winning over maximizing his salary. Given that he's made $201 million in his NFL career, he could afford to do so.
He is also represented by agents, and a member of a union, so it may be unrealistic to expect him to leave any money on the table.
What is certain is that Cousins is the best he's ever been, he's been remarkably durable, the Vikings have no succession plan, and a lot of teams that thought they could win by changing quarterbacks proved that it's not as easy as it looks.
Reminders of this, and more difficulties, were everywhere last fall:
Deshaun Watson stunk.
Aaron Rodgers had his worst season ever.
Russell Wilson embarrassed himself.
Derek Carr got himself cut.
Mac Jones regressed.
Tom Brady eased toward retirement.
Carson Wentz wentzed.
Dak Prescott threw the ball to the other team.
Baker Mayfield continued to interrupt his acting career with bad passes.
Matt Ryan aged like boxed wine.
Matthew Stafford played like a Lion.
Kyler Murray played like a teenager.
Today's question: How many quarterbacks would the Vikings feel good trading Cousins for, one-for-one?
Definitely:
1. Patrick Mahomes, who might be the greatest ever.
2. Joe Burrow. An ideal blend of skill and leadership.
3. Josh Allen. Had his struggles in 2022, but remains a top franchise quarterback.
4. Jalen Hurts. Might have been the NFL MVP had he remained healthy throughout the season.
5. Justin Herbert. Could be the next big thing, if the Chargers can surround him with a quality team.
Maybe:
1. Lamar Jackson is a former league MVP who has carried what has often been a nondescript team, but injuries and stalled negotiations have made him a risk.
2. Trevor Lawrence is beginning to fulfill his promise. A prototype in many ways, he's younger and more talented and might be a good bet.
3. Tua Tagovailoa had a strong statistical showing last season, but is small and hasn't been as durable as Cousins.
4. Rodgers is coming off a bad season, has become reclusive during offseasons, didn't work with his young teammates last summer and makes a massive amount of money. He's one of the greatest to ever play the position, but is there reason to believe he'll regain his form?
Nope:
1. Wentz is a lousy NFL quarterback.
2. Murray isn't trustworthy, as some of his teammates have said or hinted.
3. Jared Goff has played in a Super Bowl and helped elevate the Lions last year, but he's not better than Cousins, at least not at the moment.
4. Prescott damaged his stock with damaging interceptions last year when his team had a chance to make a run.
5. Stafford looked like he was playing for the Lions again last year.
6. Justin Fields may be a wonderful quarterback, but we won't know for sure until his team gives him an offense to work with and stops relying on his remarkable running ability.
7. Brock Purdy and Trey Lance could be great but have much to prove.
If Rodgers leaves the division, the Vikings will have the best quarterback in the NFC North for the first time in decades.
If Rodgers doesn't leave the division, the Vikings still might have the best quarterback in the NFC North. That's how much the league's quarterback rankings have changed in the last seven months.
https://www.startribune.com/kirk-cousins-minnesota-vikings-quarterback-contract-aaron-rodgers-tom-brady-jim-souhan/600258459/
Been thinking a lot about this recently. Remember all those tweets and posts and radio commentary about QBs who were supposedly "better than" Cousins? You can probably take half of them off now. Seems every year another couple drop below...while KIrk remains....steady, consistent, reliable, durable, clutch and cheap (just seeing if Jimmy's paying attention).
Cheaper than Daniel Stephen Dimes III anyway. Cheaper than 17 other QBs in total value. Cheaper than 10 other QBs in avg per season. Let's pay the man and get him up where he belongs.
The NFL's the ultimate team game and not many QBs on that list have been surrounded with as much talent as Cousins has here
So we're good at bringing in talent now? So many seem to argue that we're really bad at it. But I agree. We've been better than most. Jefferson was a coup.
But I like to try to imagine what the NFL would think of Jefferson right now if he'd come into the league with a QB like Matt Ryan or Carr or Goff or Heinicke or Darnold or Fields or Dimes or Geno or Winston or Mayfield or....
Maybe they would think differently if they had had a JJ to throw to.
Poor JJ. If only he had one of those QBs. He could be offensive player of the year or something.
Quote: @MaroonBells said:
@ JimmyinSD said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ medaille said:
@ MaroonBells said:
@ purplefaithful said:
One of the many difficult negotiations facing the Vikings this offseason involves Cousins. He has one year remaining on his contract. In a perfect world, he would agree to a restructured deal that frees up money under the salary cap so the Vikings can try to win big over the next few years with him as their starter.
Cousins could play it the way Tom Brady did in New England, and value winning over maximizing his salary. Given that he's made $201 million in his NFL career, he could afford to do so.
He is also represented by agents, and a member of a union, so it may be unrealistic to expect him to leave any money on the table.
What is certain is that Cousins is the best he's ever been, he's been remarkably durable, the Vikings have no succession plan, and a lot of teams that thought they could win by changing quarterbacks proved that it's not as easy as it looks.
Reminders of this, and more difficulties, were everywhere last fall:
Deshaun Watson stunk.
Aaron Rodgers had his worst season ever.
Russell Wilson embarrassed himself.
Derek Carr got himself cut.
Mac Jones regressed.
Tom Brady eased toward retirement.
Carson Wentz wentzed.
Dak Prescott threw the ball to the other team.
Baker Mayfield continued to interrupt his acting career with bad passes.
Matt Ryan aged like boxed wine.
Matthew Stafford played like a Lion.
Kyler Murray played like a teenager.
Today's question: How many quarterbacks would the Vikings feel good trading Cousins for, one-for-one?
Definitely:
1. Patrick Mahomes, who might be the greatest ever.
2. Joe Burrow. An ideal blend of skill and leadership.
3. Josh Allen. Had his struggles in 2022, but remains a top franchise quarterback.
4. Jalen Hurts. Might have been the NFL MVP had he remained healthy throughout the season.
5. Justin Herbert. Could be the next big thing, if the Chargers can surround him with a quality team.
Maybe:
1. Lamar Jackson is a former league MVP who has carried what has often been a nondescript team, but injuries and stalled negotiations have made him a risk.
2. Trevor Lawrence is beginning to fulfill his promise. A prototype in many ways, he's younger and more talented and might be a good bet.
3. Tua Tagovailoa had a strong statistical showing last season, but is small and hasn't been as durable as Cousins.
4. Rodgers is coming off a bad season, has become reclusive during offseasons, didn't work with his young teammates last summer and makes a massive amount of money. He's one of the greatest to ever play the position, but is there reason to believe he'll regain his form?
Nope:
1. Wentz is a lousy NFL quarterback.
2. Murray isn't trustworthy, as some of his teammates have said or hinted.
3. Jared Goff has played in a Super Bowl and helped elevate the Lions last year, but he's not better than Cousins, at least not at the moment.
4. Prescott damaged his stock with damaging interceptions last year when his team had a chance to make a run.
5. Stafford looked like he was playing for the Lions again last year.
6. Justin Fields may be a wonderful quarterback, but we won't know for sure until his team gives him an offense to work with and stops relying on his remarkable running ability.
7. Brock Purdy and Trey Lance could be great but have much to prove.
If Rodgers leaves the division, the Vikings will have the best quarterback in the NFC North for the first time in decades.
If Rodgers doesn't leave the division, the Vikings still might have the best quarterback in the NFC North. That's how much the league's quarterback rankings have changed in the last seven months.
https://www.startribune.com/kirk-cousins-minnesota-vikings-quarterback-contract-aaron-rodgers-tom-brady-jim-souhan/600258459/
Been thinking a lot about this recently. Remember all those tweets and posts and radio commentary about QBs who were supposedly "better than" Cousins? You can probably take half of them off now. Seems every year another couple drop below...while KIrk remains....steady, consistent, reliable, durable, clutch and cheap (just seeing if Jimmy's paying attention).
Cheaper than Daniel Stephen Dimes III anyway. Cheaper than 17 other QBs in total value. Cheaper than 10 other QBs in avg per season. Let's pay the man and get him up where he belongs.
The NFL's the ultimate team game and not many QBs on that list have been surrounded with as much talent as Cousins has here
So we're good at bringing in talent now? So many seem to argue that we're really bad at it. But I agree. We've been better than most. Jefferson was a coup.
But I like to try to imagine what the NFL would think of Jefferson right now if he'd come into the league with a QB like Matt Ryan or Carr or Goff or Heinicke or Darnold or Fields or Dimes or Geno or Winston or Mayfield or....
Maybe they would think differently if they had had a JJ to throw to.
Poor JJ. If only he had one of those QBs. He could be offensive player of the year or something.
Yep, he's the best in the game, so whats holding Kirk back?
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