Quote: @"Geoff Nichols" said:
@ purplefaithful said:
Be nice if the OP made this a real-world poll vs fantasy...
50% of that poll are unknowns with BIG questions on Bridgewater and Bradford (at least from a fans perspective, maybe coaches know more)
So that leaves Cousins or Case...Dont see Case having to settle for moderate, guaranteed $, so where does that leave our team?
The issue I have with Case is the contract. I don't disagree with him or his agent if they are shopping for a 3 year big money deal ($18+M per year), this business is about utilizing leverage. From how the Vikings have played the situation thus far its hard to see them locking themselves into Case until they can see him repeat what he did in 2017. That gives you two options the franchise tag & transition tag. The franchise tag will be roughly $23.5M and it simply assures the Vikings that Case is their QB entering 2018. The transition tag would save them roughly $2M (20.5M) but allows them to scour the market for other options before fully committing to Case. The risk is that another team could offer him a deal the Vikings do not want to match.
Ultimately I think this will become a game of musical chairs. The Vikings should and will most likely transition tag case for $20.5M heading into the off-season. I'd find it unlikely his camp will sign the tag in hopes of finding a more long-term deal. That gives the Vikings a chance to explore the market for Cousins, Taylor, etc... Ultimately Kirk seems likely to land in either Denver or Minnesota. He should be the first domino to fall. After that domino falls the Vikings can either renounce the transition tag or work out a deal with Case before another team offers him a deal the Vikings do not want to match. Its a risky choice to make, but committing to Case without exploring your other options is just as risky in my opinion.
Where does Teddy fit in the above scenario? (And forgive me if you've already answered that question elsewhere)
Quote: @willbjammin said:
If it were up to you who would you want starting at QBWho is your choice
- A 100% healthy Sam bradford
- A 100% healthy Teddy Bridgewater
- Case Kenneum
- kirk Cousins
But these aren't realistic choices because no one can know if Bradford or Bridgewater are "100% healthy" or going to be for the length of whatever contract they sign. If you include those, you should also include:
Quote:3. Certain to continue winning 76% of all games Case Keenum
4. Definitely throws half as many INTs in MN Kirk Cousins
Quote: @"Geoff Nichols" said:
That gives the Vikings a chance to explore the market for Cousins, Taylor, etc....
Whoa - you kind of slipped in a little alternative contender there. Does the Vikings' front office have interest in Tyrod Taylor (assuming the Bills do release him)? That would probably not excite many fans...but I could see the logic of him in a scheme emphasizing RPO.
Quote: @Jor-El said:
@"Geoff Nichols" said:
That gives the Vikings a chance to explore the market for Cousins, Taylor, etc....
Whoa - you kind of slipped in a little alternative contender there. Does the Vikings' front office have interest in Tyrod Taylor (assuming the Bills do release him)? That would probably not excite many fans...but I could see the logic of him in a scheme emphasizing RPO.
I hope is referring to taylor as a back up QB.
Quote: @JimmyinSD said:
@ Jor-El said:
@"Geoff Nichols" said:
That gives the Vikings a chance to explore the market for Cousins, Taylor, etc....
Whoa - you kind of slipped in a little alternative contender there. Does the Vikings' front office have interest in Tyrod Taylor (assuming the Bills do release him)? That would probably not excite many fans...but I could see the logic of him in a scheme emphasizing RPO.
I hope is referring to taylor as a back up QB.
I don't know, but I would like that idea. No matter which QB we choose, we're going to need a veteran backup. I've looked around the free agent lists and there just aren't a lot of good options.
Geoff, in your opinion, what do you think are realistic salaries for each of the QBs on the open market?
I pick Bridgewater. I
don’t think any of these guys is the currently the complete package that anyone
is hoping for, so I pick Bridgewater because I’m comfortable with his floor and
excited about his potential. He’s the
most likely to become a great QB. He’s
accurate across the vast majority of the field (Higher completion % than
Bradford over their careers). He’s got
the it factor that I think is essential for good QBs. I think his only drawbacks are his deep out
accuracy (which I think he’ll have fixed through hard work, and is probably
already fixed in practice at least) and his knee.
Cousins is the lowest risk, highest cost. I think you’re ultimately paying for his
durability and good production. I
struggle with Cousins because I don’t see the flashes of greatness
anywhere. I’m not sure how he gets his
numbers. I’m not sure if he has the it
factor. I’m not sure his production
leads to wins or is he another goodish QB whose team always ends up around 8-8.
Keenum and Bradford are a tie for me. I think they are polar opposites in terms of
style. Keenum is mobile and has the it
factor. I worry about his accuracy and
decision making. If he’s even marginally
closer to his career history for ints, the season looks way different. He played well this year, but I can’t help
but think that his style clashes with what Zimmer wants in a QB. Bradford makes good decisions but I don’t
think he’s a winner or has that it factor.
I think he’d be a cheaper Cousins if he plays the whole year, but it’s
hard to ignore that he’s been injured for almost half his career.
I should also point out that I trust this team to be playoff good with any of the aforementioned teams.
Quote: @pumpf said:
@"Geoff Nichols" said:
@ purplefaithful said:
Be nice if the OP made this a real-world poll vs fantasy...
50% of that poll are unknowns with BIG questions on Bridgewater and Bradford (at least from a fans perspective, maybe coaches know more)
So that leaves Cousins or Case...Dont see Case having to settle for moderate, guaranteed $, so where does that leave our team?
The issue I have with Case is the contract. I don't disagree with him or his agent if they are shopping for a 3 year big money deal ($18+M per year), this business is about utilizing leverage. From how the Vikings have played the situation thus far its hard to see them locking themselves into Case until they can see him repeat what he did in 2017. That gives you two options the franchise tag & transition tag. The franchise tag will be roughly $23.5M and it simply assures the Vikings that Case is their QB entering 2018. The transition tag would save them roughly $2M (20.5M) but allows them to scour the market for other options before fully committing to Case. The risk is that another team could offer him a deal the Vikings do not want to match.
Ultimately I think this will become a game of musical chairs. The Vikings should and will most likely transition tag case for $20.5M heading into the off-season. I'd find it unlikely his camp will sign the tag in hopes of finding a more long-term deal. That gives the Vikings a chance to explore the market for Cousins, Taylor, etc... Ultimately Kirk seems likely to land in either Denver or Minnesota. He should be the first domino to fall. After that domino falls the Vikings can either renounce the transition tag or work out a deal with Case before another team offers him a deal the Vikings do not want to match. Its a risky choice to make, but committing to Case without exploring your other options is just as risky in my opinion.
Where does Teddy fit in the above scenario? (And forgive me if you've already answered that question elsewhere)
Its tough to say because Bridgewater's preference will become a factor. The Vikings would probably love to have him back, but they won't name him the starter. Will another team make him the incumbent going into camp? Hard to say. But if one did he probably would gravitate in that direction. If other teams are offering him backup contracts his best bet may be to stay in MN due to their continued commitment to him. Ultimately the Vikings aren't going to tag him so he can do whatever he wants. The wildcard is if his contract tolls. That would tie him at the hip to the Vikings.
Quote: @Jor-El said:
@"Geoff Nichols" said:
That gives the Vikings a chance to explore the market for Cousins, Taylor, etc....
Whoa - you kind of slipped in a little alternative contender there. Does the Vikings' front office have interest in Tyrod Taylor (assuming the Bills do release him)? That would probably not excite many fans...but I could see the logic of him in a scheme emphasizing RPO.
I don't know the Vikings interest in Taylor now, but they were interested in him before his stint in Buffalo. So you can kind of connect a few dots. If Case is going to get a long-term deal off the transition tag the Vikings do not match I could see Taylor/Bridgewater as a viable option.
Quote: @BsuZagVike said:
Geoff, in your opinion, what do you think are realistic salaries for each of the QBs on the open market?
Kirk - Anywhere between $27M - $30+M over 5 years seems like the wheelhouse. Guaranteed money will dictate which end of that range the AAV falls into. No matter what, Cousins will have a short stint as the NFL highest paid player. Which is fair considering no top 15 QB's hit the market without strings attached.
Keenum - Without considering the use of the franchise or transition tags, Case and his agent should search for a deal in the range of $20M annually over 3 years. Do they get that? I don't know. But depending on interest that could drop all the way towards $16M or increase into the Alex Smith range $23.5M. If the Vikings keep Keenum it will likely be by using the transition tag and either letting him play out the tag or negotiating a team friendly extension if there isn't a ton of outside interest.
Bradford - If he decides to play next year a team will give him an incentive laden contract that starts in the $7.5M range. Incentives (mainly attached to his health) could drive it upwards. He won't get more than a prove-it deal in my opinion. But its Sam Bradford, people are tantalized by his arm, so who knows.
Bridgewater - This is the real wild card. Its really hard to peg a value on Teddy. An incentive driven $7.5M deal seems right for him as well. But it could be substantially less or more depending on how teams other than the Vikings view his potential.
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