What to do with Cousins
In the sidebar is a story about our options with Cousins. They quote Arif, who probably knows more about this stuff than anyone. He sums it up...
“It’s a contract that the only realistic out is to trade and the only realistic year to trade is next year. If they trade him next year it can be sold as a two-year, $28-million-per-year contract to the acquiring team. Even with his shortcomings, that would be considered pretty reasonable. That would leave the Vikings with a more manageable $20 million in dead money in 2021 and none in 2022. If they wait a year, I’m not sure any team would want a one-year flier for $35 million for Cousins unless he came off a great year.”
It sounds to me like the Vikings have two options...
1. Trade Cousins this offseason described above. 2-year, $28M contract to acquiring team would be a bargain. Vikings swallow $20M dead, but none in '22. Vikings draft QB high or trade for one (Darnold?).
2. Rework contract again.
What would Vikings get in return for Cousins? There have been many veteran QB trades in the NFL (Brad Johnson, Bledsoe, Cutler, Trent Green, etc), but the one that seems most similar to me is when the Bengals traded Carson Palmer at age 31 to the Raiders (Cousins is 32). Bengals got a middle 1st and a conditional, which became a 2nd.
It would be wishful thinking to expect a 1st for Cousins, but it wouldn't be too far off. Who would want him? 49ers? Shanahan loves him and was said to be in "mourning" when 49ers traded for Jimmy G. Broncos, Colts, Bears, Jags, Washington...no shortage of teams who need a QB.
Pretty certain the Vikings would get at least a 2nd rounder for Cousins, probably more. Which, together with three 3rds, three 4ths and three 5ths, Vikings should have plenty of ammo to maneuver into a QB.
“A gentleman is someone who can play the accordion, but doesn't." - Tom Waits
Both Jimmy G and Cousins have no trade clauses. With that said, both QBs would probably agree to trades if Jimmy went back to the Patriots and Cousins went to 49ers.
For a trade to happen, I think it's pretty important for Cousins to play well the rest of the season, and at the same time, the Vikings also need to stay ahead of the 49ers and Patriots in the 2021 draft order (lose more games without it being Cousin's fault).
The only trade scenario that IMO could happen would probably only involve those two teams?? So, the Patriots would need to go after Jimmy G pretty strongly after the season ends??
Contracts numbers can always be reworked if the players and teams involved want to dance and put pen to paper. So I don't have any issues with how Arif packages it. Arif's article, I think, was written before the trade deadline (and of course nobody wanted him then),.. but then again, the 49ers and Patriots looked much more comfortable with their QBs situation then they do now.
With that said, I still wouldn't hold my breath on Vikings trading Cousins this offseason. Spielman and Zimmer will both need to win now in 2021 to save their jobs.
Arif knows way more than me, and maybe I'm too close to the sun, but I don't see this at all.
$28M/yr is not a "bargain" for Kirk by any stretch of the imagination. Moreover, another team trading anything of value and then committing to Kirk for 2+ years is a tough sell to any fanbase.
We have Kirk, and I wager at least 75% of Vikings fans are ready to see the Vikings draft a QB of the future. Why would any other fanbase see things differently?
Personally, the only way I see the Vikings being able to trade Kirk is if we include our own picks to get some tanking team to take him. And I think Rick has too much pride to do that. I know Kirk is a decent QB, better than many in this league, but that contract combined with his perceived baggage ("can't win in primetime," etc) is going to make him difficult to move.
Of course I'd love to be wrong on this. If the Vikings could trade him for anything even close to Maroon's package of a 2nd rounder and then some, they need to pounce on that and not look back.
@"pattersaur" said:Yeah, my bad. I read that wrong. Thought it was 2 years at 14 each, totaling $28. If it's $28M per year that would not at all be a bargain. It would rank 4th in the NFL among cap money going to QB, maybe 6th or 7th by the 2nd year. A cost a QB needy team with mountains of cap space might be willing to swing, but certainly not the bargain I previously thought.Arif knows way more than me, and maybe I'm too close to the sun, but I don't see this at all. $28M/yr is not a "bargain" for Kirk by any stretch of the imagination. Moreover, another team trading anything of value and then committing to Kirk for 2+ years is a tough sell to any fanbase. We have Kirk, and I wager at least 75% of Vikings fans are ready to see the Vikings draft a QB of the future. Why would any other fanbase see things differently? Personally, the only way I see the Vikings being able to trade Kirk is if we include our own picks to get some tanking team to take him. And I think Rick has too much pride to do that. I know Kirk is a decent QB, better than many in this league, but that contract combined with his perceived baggage ("can't win in primetime," etc) is going to make him difficult to move. Of course I'd love to be wrong on this. If the Vikings could trade him for anything even close to Maroon's package of a 2nd rounder and then some, they need to pounce on that and not look back.
Still, I think the two options remain, with keeping Cousins and reworking his contract in the 3rd year a little more likely than the trade.
And in related news....
Will losing today vs Carolina help the Vikings more than a win?
I'd have to say probably yes. That said, I fully expect the Vikings to win.
@"purplefaithful" said: And in related news....Will losing today vs Carolina help the Vikings more than a win?
I'd have to say probably yes. That said, I fully expect the Vikings to win.
I'll keep hoping for wins until we're mathematically out of the playoffs. It's crazy how not hard it would be to make the playoffs at 4-6 in this bizarro year.
I'm all for drafting a real future QB, but I think Cousins is far less of a problem then our young secondary, our inconsistent play on both lines, and specifically our lack of pass rush.
The inconsistent play of this team is mind boggling. I understand some of it is due to the youth but its just really frustrating. I am at a loss for words watching this team
That was the most dismissal third quarter of football I have ever seen in my life...
@"mblack" said: The inconsistent play of this team is mind boggling. I understand some of it is due to the youth but its just really frustrating. I am at a loss for words watching this team
The lack of pass rush and mental mistakes by the defense is crippling.
They are stuck with him because I don't see many trade partners. They need to draft a qb. No confidence in the staff for drafting or developing a qb though.
@"StickyBun" said:@"mblack" said: The inconsistent play of this team is mind boggling. I understand some of it is due to the youth but its just really frustrating. I am at a loss for words watching this team
The lack of pass rush and mental mistakes by the defense is crippling.
The entire team is just nit good enough...
1. Inconsistent special teams
2. Inconsistent defense with mental mistakes
3. Inconsistent offense with lack of big playsThe offense and defense show signs of brilliance every now and then which is why this is just frustrating
@"mblack" said:@"StickyBun" said:@"mblack" said: The inconsistent play of this team is mind boggling. I understand some of it is due to the youth but its just really frustrating. I am at a loss for words watching this team
The lack of pass rush and mental mistakes by the defense is crippling.
The entire team is just nit good enough...
1. Inconsistent special teams
2. Inconsistent defense with mental mistakes
3. Inconsistent offense with lack of big playsThe offense and defense show signs of brilliance every now and then which is why this is just frustrating
And just like that... the special team gives the game away.
I hope many here give Cousins the credit he deserves (irrespective of the final score). Today he showed up
Note: I don't like his contract and what it does to the team and want a qb drafted but today he played well
Great job by Cousins. I have been a big critic but he really came thru today.
@"1VikesFan" said: Great job by Cousins. I have been a big critic but he really came thru today.He's not the problem on this team. Never was.
@"1VikesFan" said: Great job by Cousins. I have been a big critic but he really came thru today.Same. I've been hard on him for a while, but kudos to him. Still not sold that he's the guy that'll take you to a SB win unless everything aligns perfectly for him.
KC is the best QB we've had since Favre...
But he ain't good enough to lift those around him ala Rogers. And his game aint the game a Wilson/Watson/Murray type can bring either.
I think the one thing fans may be united on is get a QB of the future this draft.
How we eventually part with KC will play itself out - and it will most likely be painful.
I think the biggest problem Cousins has is the perception curse. He put up some great stats on a bad Redskins team, so he's a "stat whore than can't get he win"...but, most of the stats happen over the course of whole games. They kinda forget that.
Then, it was his primetime record. Hey, we know about that...and he's now won on Sunday, Thursday, and Monday night games.
He "can't get his team to the Superbowl". Folks, our conservative-as-f**k head coach, our line, and our patchwork defense are far bigger obstacles than Cousins is.
He's a genuinely good QB that plays in an era of some genuinely great ones, and nothing short of a championship will get him credibility with certain people.
@"Zanary" said: Folks, our conservative-as-f**k head coach, our line, and our patchwork defense are far bigger obstacles than Cousins is.
I agree these are all obstacles the Vikings have. But teams with conservative head coaches, or bad OL's, or patchwork defenses, win Super Bowls more often than teams without elite QBs.
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