So the question is: why didn't they resign Cousins?
I mean, if they felt strongly enough about him, they could have done it. Stepped up contactually. Kirko loved it in Minnesota, so did his family. The team loved him. He was an excellent leader and ironman. Good community guy. So why didn't they? Don't say the injury, because that didn't stop Atlanta one iota. Nor his age.
KOC can tell me he loved Kirk all day long.....and I mostly believe him. But its obvious he didn't LOVE love him. Nor did the organization apparently. IMO, it came down to a few items:
- Lack of mobility/average arm strength.
- Kirk's mentality: he was really hard on himself when he messed up and struggled to move past it. We've seen sideline scenarios where KOC and Kirk were testy with each other over letting things go.
- I think both KOC and KAM love the idea of bringing in a rookie they can teach THEIR way. I think they are confident in KOC's ability to mentor up a kid with ability and aptitude fresh from college. They also brought on McCown to be the guy in that rookie's ear, supporting him and building him up.
- I think the organization wants that rookie QB salary window before he gets truly paid to build a strong contending team around that via free agency/draft. KAM has dug the team out of a salary cap hole.
I think it came down to two things why they didn't resign Kirk. Length of contract Atlanta gave him and guaranteed money.
@"Greylock" said: I think it came down to two things why they didn't resign Kirk. Length of contract Atlanta gave him and guaranteed money.I know what he signed.....my point is, if he was well thought of in Minnesota, they would have matched that contract. So that's the basis of my question: why didn't Minnesota resign Cousins? There are reasons obviously besides the contract.
Because the bottom line is results, 12 years s/b an adequate sample size…!
I think it simply boiled down to the Vikings playing the odds and not wanting to guarantee a ton of money or continue to kick the can down the road on a QB on the wrong side of 35 coming off a major injury in which it's long term effects are still to be determined. I don't have a problem with them moving off Cousins, but my problem was a lack of foresight in landing a QBOTF prior and this competitive rebuild sham which got us no draft compensation for either Cousins or Hunter, and kept us just good enough to be out of reach from the top QB prospects without having to give up the farm. It's been a shit philosophy and has landed us exactly where we sit today....basically in no man's land with no direction or assets.
@"StickyBun" said:@"Greylock" said: I think it came down to two things why they didn't resign Kirk. Length of contract Atlanta gave him and guaranteed money. I know what he signed.....my point is, if he was well thought of in Minnesota, they would have matched that contract. So that's the basis of my question: why didn't Minnesota resign Cousins? There are reasons obviously besides the contract.Maybe this helps frame things. Putting aside our feelings on how everything played out. Do you think the team would have signed a 30-32 KC to a 4 year contract? If yes then the thought that the length of contract was the sticking point is the most reasonable answer.
They've had a million different talking heads on the last 3 days so I can't recall who said it on McAfee. But this guy's report was that MN offered an equal AAV as ATL but weren't willing to go the 4 years. If that's the case the willingness to throw that much money at him tells me they wanted him back. But wanted him back to transition to the drafted QB in the next 2-3 years
All conjecture of course but I'm thinking back to KAM's first draft. The one where he famously traded back with Detroit for peanuts.
It was widely speculated leading up to night one that we were looking to move back. The team didn't say this obviously but reading the room and the info that came out afterwards, it seems very much like the Vikings got married to the idea of moving back and were going to do so no matter what, even if they didn't get full value in return.
My point is, for better or worse KAM stuck to his plan that night. And I think he's doing exactly that right now. He planned on drafting a QB to sit under Kirk for a year last April. That didn't happen so his options were stick to his plan and move on from Kirk, or match/beat Atlanta's offer.
I'm not going to go so far as to say Kwesi is inflexible, and I do agree it was about time to move on from Kirk, but the road Kwesi took to get here and the cupboard being as barren as it is right now at the QB position is pretty bad. Maybe not calamitous but, bad.
TLDR- IMO, Kirk isn't here anymore because Kwesi decided a long time ago that Kirk wouldn't be here anymore. Same for Hunter. As for us offering similar money to Atlanta but not similar years-- that's an easy and smart way to save face. Nothing more.
Thank you Minnesota.
— Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) March 13, 2024
Love,
Turner, Cooper, Julie and Kirk pic.twitter.com/DuRrIvDYSl
I think the combination of where we are drafting and this QB rookie class had a lot to do with it and they felt like this was the year they had to go all in on finding the QB of future, get him on a rookie contract and use the money to build the rest of the team. If we could have gotten Kirk on a 1 or 2 year deal, I think they would have done that, but I do really think the contract was a good excuse for them to move on and that is what they really wanted to do.
I mentioned this previously & I'm still convinced that when we draft that QB both KOC & Kwesi will be extended. They both have 2 years remaining on their contracts. They will be given adequate time to develop their QB. If you change regimes, a new HC will likely want to bring in his own QB which means that you've wasted that pick.
The cynic in me thinks that replacing Kirko w/ a rookie QB is a self-preservation maneuver by this regime.
It was part of the plan. I agree with this.
https://www.si.com/fannation/bringmethesports/vikings/matthew-coller-the-vikings-executed-their-plan
I wonder if it was an agreement with the Wilfs to move on. Like initially it was ok let's see what happens with Cousins which they did for 2 years. Then it was the idea of 4 years as far as contract is concerned. And yes it was time to draft a qb. Have we now started the rebuild part of the competitive rebuild because they have been able to free up money and are looking for the QBOTF. I was fine either way with Cousins staying or going but the 2nd half of last season and the injury makes it easier for me to wrap my head around moving on. I know it's a lot to think about but here were are.
BTW I find it curious to hear the day before the move was announced, the Cousins had been shopping for homes in Atlanta. Someone here said they were just doing due diligence!
Just about 3 hours after it was announced Kirk was leaving a KFAN radio show host said the Cousin's Minnesota house was already sold!
Possibly BS. But interesting if not!
Classy guy who is grateful to Minnesota. They made him rich!
@"StickyBun" said:Cousins made it known that he would not be a "Bridge Quarterback"...@"Greylock" said: I think it came down to two things why they didn't resign Kirk. Length of contract Atlanta gave him and guaranteed money. I know what he signed.....my point is, if he was well thought of in Minnesota, they would have matched that contract. So that's the basis of my question: why didn't Minnesota resign Cousins? There are reasons obviously besides the contract.
@"jargomcfargo" said: BTW I find it curious to hear the day before the move was announced, the Cousins had been shopping for homes in Atlanta. Someone here said they were just doing due diligence! Just about 3 hours after it was announced Kirk was leaving a KFAN radio show host said the Cousin's Minnesota house was already sold! Possibly BS. But interesting if not!KOC alluded that there was some illegal tampering going on out there with Cousins. You can bet your ass it was Atlanta, feeling out the parameters of a deal.
@"Vikergirl" said: I wonder if it was an agreement with the Wilfs to move on. Like initially it was ok let's see what happens with Cousins which they did for 2 years. Then it was the idea of 4 years as far as contract is concerned. And yes it was time to draft a qb. Have we now started the rebuild part of the competitive rebuild because they have been able to free up money and are looking for the QBOTF. I was fine either way with Cousins staying or going but the 2nd half of last season and the injury makes it easier for me to wrap my head around moving on. I know it's a lot to think about but here were are.
Agreed. Now that Kirko is gone, the competitive part of the "competitive rebuild" is gone.
@"Knucklehead" said:@"Vikergirl" said: I wonder if it was an agreement with the Wilfs to move on. Like initially it was ok let's see what happens with Cousins which they did for 2 years. Then it was the idea of 4 years as far as contract is concerned. And yes it was time to draft a qb. Have we now started the rebuild part of the competitive rebuild because they have been able to free up money and are looking for the QBOTF. I was fine either way with Cousins staying or going but the 2nd half of last season and the injury makes it easier for me to wrap my head around moving on. I know it's a lot to think about but here were are.Agreed. Now that Kirko is gone, the competitive part of the "competitive rebuild" is gone.
@"jargomcfargo" said:
It was part of the plan. I agree with this.https://www.si.com/fannation/bringmethesports/vikings/matthew-coller-the-vikings-executed-their-plan
If they hit on the QBOTF in the draft, then the timing of the the competetive rebuild worked perfectly. The article found by jargomcfargo explains that point pretty well.If they miss on the QB, then it's no longer competitive at all.
I don’t think it’s too complicated.
I think they have this plan of refreshing the roster and
building around a rookie contract QB and Cousins requirement of having more
years guaranteed dramatically inhibits that plan as you’d be paying Cousins
premium money throughout the majority of the rookies contract and by the time
you were free of Cousins and his void years, you’d be paying the “Rookie QB”
their 5th year option.
Cousins just isn’t good enough / cost-effective enough /
young enough to change that plan back into the “Build around an expensive veteran” plan that
we’ve been running back for the Kirk time period. I think if Cousins was a Mahomes/Rodgers caliber
of QB, they would have figured it out, but he’s still in that middle tier of
QBs that doesn’t have much playoff success.
@"StickyBun" said:We were actively encouraging him to illegally tamper, because the alternative was that we’d be sitting on our thumbs right now as he negotiated with all the other QB needy teams. It was better for us that he did the negotiating earlier rather than later.@"jargomcfargo" said: BTW I find it curious to hear the day before the move was announced, the Cousins had been shopping for homes in Atlanta. Someone here said they were just doing due diligence! Just about 3 hours after it was announced Kirk was leaving a KFAN radio show host said the Cousin's Minnesota house was already sold! Possibly BS. But interesting if not! KOC alluded that there was some illegal tampering going on out there with Cousins. You can bet your ass it was Atlanta, feeling out the parameters of a deal.
not sure if this has been shared yet: Kirk deal broken down by year. essentially it was a 3 year deal for 45M per year w/ 90 million guaranteed, they could get out after year 2 and eat that 25 million in cap hit if they were really wanting to cut ties, but most likely he gets year 3 IMO barring injury, even if its to back up a new kid.
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/kirk-cousins-9915/ (here is the link, the cut and paste is kind of cluttered)
| CONTRACT TERMS:4 yr(s) / $180,000,000 | SIGNING BONUS$50,000,000 | AVERAGE SALARY$45,000,000 | GTD AT SIGN:$90,000,000 | TOTAL GTD:$100,000,000 | FREE AGENT:2028 / UFA |
| BONUS BREAKDOWN | CAP DETAILS | CASH DETAILS | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YEAR | AGE | BASE SALARY | SIGNING | ROSTER | CAP HIT | DEAD CAP | YEARLY CASH | CASH AAV | |||||||
| 2024 |  | 36 | $12,500,000 | $12,500,000 | - | $25,000,000 | $90,000,000 | $62,500,000($62,500,000) | $62,500,000 | ||||||
| 2025 | | 37 | $27,500,000 | $12,500,000 | - | $40,000,000 | $65,000,000 | $27,500,000($90,000,000) | $45,000,000 | ||||||
| 2026 | | 38 | $35,000,000 | $12,500,000 | $10,000,000 | $57,500,000 | $25,000,000 | $45,000,000($135,000,000) | $45,000,000 | ||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| 2027 | | 39 | $35,000,000 | $12,500,000 | $10,000,000 | $57,500,000 | $12,500,000 | $45,000,000($180,000,000) | $45,000,000 | ||||||
| 2028 | | 40 | UFA | ||||||||||||
Contract Notes:
| |||||||||||||||
@"JimmyinSD" said: not sure if this has been shared yet: Kirk deal broken down by year. essentially it was a 3 year deal for 45M per year w/ 90 million guaranteed, they could get out after year 2 and eat that 25 million in cap hit if they were really wanting to cut ties, but most likely he gets year 3 IMO barring injury, even if its to back up a new kid.https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons/kirk-cousins-9915/ (here is the link, the cut and paste is kind of cluttered)
CONTRACT TERMS:4 yr(s) / $180,000,000 SIGNING BONUS$50,000,000 AVERAGE SALARY$45,000,000 GTD AT SIGN:$90,000,000 TOTAL GTD:$100,000,000 FREE AGENT:2028 / UFA
BONUS BREAKDOWN CAP DETAILS CASH DETAILS YEAR AGE BASE SALARY SIGNING ROSTER CAP HIT DEAD CAP YEARLY CASH CASH AAV 2024 36 $12,500,000 $12,500,000 - $25,000,000 $90,000,000 $62,500,000($62,500,000) $62,500,000 2025 37 $27,500,000 $12,500,000 - $40,000,000 $65,000,000 $27,500,000($90,000,000) $45,000,000 2026 38 $35,000,000 $12,500,000 $10,000,000 $57,500,000 $25,000,000 $45,000,000($135,000,000) $45,000,000
POTENTIAL OUT: 2027, 3 YR, $135,000,000; $12,500,000 DEAD CAP 2027 39 $35,000,000 $12,500,000 $10,000,000 $57,500,000 $12,500,000 $45,000,000($180,000,000) $45,000,000 2028 40 UFA
- $90M guaranteed at signing (signing bonus + 2024 salary + 2025 salary)
- 2026 Roster Bonus: $10M (fully guarantees the 5th league day of 2025 (injury guaranteed at signing)
- 2027 Roster Bonus: $10M (5th league day of 2027)
- Full No Trade Clause
For comparison, if we were to match that we'd also have his void years added to the dead cap numbers
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