Cousins to the Vikings already a done deal?

If they commit to that kind of money they better be right and he better be able to elevate the play of those around him.  That isn't the kind of money you give to a guy that needs loads of talent around him to win.  He'll need to be a legit franchise QB not a top 15 QB.  Of course the structure has a big impact on how it works out cap wise but that is a lot of damn money tied up in that one spot.

Of course this could be Kirks agent putting the screws to the Broncos and Jets trying to get them to flinch and do something stupid.

Unless all media outlets are wrong on a massive scale, this Cousins to the Vikings thing looks real. Obviously, the Vikings view this as the best way to go. Moving on from Bridgewater and Keenum is very interesting and telling.

So, the free agent period opens March 14th.   But if we are to believe the media, it opened at the combine in secret.   I probably didn't pay that much attention in past years because we were never in the mix for big $ free agents most years.    Is it just the case that tampering runs rampant in the weeks prior to the actual date that negotiating is allowed?   Is it the case that a team can talk to a player's agent all they want about that player and it's not tampering as long as they don't talk to that player himself?   Just curious.   

For my money every story is b.s., leaked to reporters by agents as quid pro quo for helping to manipulate the process.   I don't believe any of it at this point.   At this point I would actually bet that we are going to re-up Bradford and maybe sign someone like McCown as a backup.  That's based more on interviews with Zimmer and Rick than any "breaking story".

Absolutely nobody on the inside is believable at this point. Coaches and GMs want to disguise their interests to avoid having to compete with other teams for players. Players and agents want to make it appear that the player is fully healthy, in huge demand, and getting promises of huge amounts of money.  

Because of tampering rules, everything involves undisclosed teams and mystery personnel guys and everything has to be fuzzy. Which is great if you are trying to manipulate the process.

As fans, we want to know the real situation and do not want to be manipulated.  But we have only two choices here: put up with the bullshit, recognizing it for what it is, while trying to glean some kernels of truth from the fog of lies; or tune out until the FA period begins in about a week.

@"StickyBun" said: Unless all media outlets are wrong on a massive scale, this Cousins to the Vikings thing looks real. Obviously, the Vikings view this as the best way to go. Moving on from Bridgewater and Keenum is very interesting and telling.

Now they could decide to offer someone a deal right before free agency but that seems strange too.

It does not infer they had much confidence in the player they would sign.

Why wait so long if that is the QB you wanted all along?

Seems to me the Vikings are not really confident in any of the current 3 QBs.

They may have to "settle" for one of them but if they really believed in one of them then it would have been over by now.

At least that is what I think.

So why are we talking about it incessantly?

Because the team, not us, has not made a decision.

I think they will get Cousins without a doubt.

He said he wanted to win and this is the best team.

The money will not be an issue.

@"StickyBun" said: Unless all media outlets are wrong on a massive scale, this Cousins to the Vikings thing looks real. Obviously, the Vikings view this as the best way to go. Moving on from Bridgewater and Keenum is very interesting and telling.

@"purplefaithful" said:

@"StickyBun" said: Unless all media outlets are wrong on a massive scale, this Cousins to the Vikings thing looks real. Obviously, the Vikings view this as the best way to go. Moving on from Bridgewater and Keenum is very interesting and telling.

I'm sure the interest is there...Whether it comes to fruition is a whole other matter...I'm still not convinced Cousins ends up a Viking next week. 

Look -- I'm with Paul Allen on this one. Until Sheftie says it's a done deal? It aint a done deal.

And last I checked, he hasn't said anything near what these kind of reports are saying. 

I wont believe 99.9% of the crap reported this time of year. 

@"StickyBun" said:

@"purplefaithful" said:

@"StickyBun" said: Unless all media outlets are wrong on a massive scale, this Cousins to the Vikings thing looks real. Obviously, the Vikings view this as the best way to go. Moving on from Bridgewater and Keenum is very interesting and telling.

I'm sure the interest is there...Whether it comes to fruition is a whole other matter...I'm still not convinced Cousins ends up a Viking next week. 

I agree, honestly. I put it at 60-40 it happens. But the Jets could go nuts and Cousins might just be looking for a huge contract only. I don't blame the guy in whatever way he goes. Another team could enter late in the game, also.

@"MarkSP18" said:

@"StickyBun" said: Unless all media outlets are wrong on a massive scale, this Cousins to the Vikings thing looks real. Obviously, the Vikings view this as the best way to go. Moving on from Bridgewater and Keenum is very interesting and telling.

I have to agree and the fact that the Vikings have not extended anyone YET is telling.  To me.

Now they could decide to offer someone a deal right before free agency but that seems strange too.

It does not infer they had much confidence in the player they would sign.

Why wait so long if that is the QB you wanted all along?

Seems to me the Vikings are not really confident in any of the current 3 QBs.

They may have to "settle" for one of them but if they really believed in one of them then it would have been over by now.

At least that is what I think.

So why are we talking about it incessantly?

Because the team, not us, has not made a decision.

I think they will get Cousins without a doubt.

He said he wanted to win and this is the best team.

The money will not be an issue.

Latest rumor...Chris Cooley is the former Redskin player:

@"StickyBun" said: Latest rumor...Chris Cooley is the former Redskin player:

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Cooley said an agent told him Vikings offering Cuz 3Y/$91M fully g'teed.

I'm not sure that Cooley adds any more credibility to it, but I would think he may have some reliable sources.  Then again, everyone is lying now.  But it is one more source saying basically the same thing.

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"StickyBun" said: Latest rumor...Chris Cooley is the former Redskin player:

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Cooley said an agent told him Vikings offering Cuz 3Y/$91M fully g'teed.

I have to call bull shit.   its one thing to risk a year of the current "window",  but this would be gambling the whole thing on one player.   this IMO would be grounds for immediate dismissal regardless of how it turns out.  zero outs by playing that hand.

So, the Vikes are leaking contracts offers now to FAs they're interested in?  That really sounds risky and stupid; doesn't sound like how they'd operate.  I call BS.  I think RS holds his cards a little closer to his vest.

@"HappyViking" said: So, the Vikes are leaking contracts offers now to FAs they're interested in?  That really sounds risky and stupid; doesn't sound like how they'd operate.  I call BS.  I think RS holds his cards a little closer to his vest.

Agent: Hey Rick, hows it going? Kirk and I are thinking about a visit to the TC in a couple of weeks.
RS: We'll be there to greet you.
Agent: I know you can't say anything yet, but you guys have a real nice team. We're looking at 3 years and around $90M guaranteed. More from the Jets, of course.
RS: (smiling) We will see you in 2 weeks.

If I'm the agent, that's all I need to say that Cousins will go to the Vikings for 3 years and $90M guaranteed.  

Even if you had recorded that conversation, RS would be guilty of nothing more than being cordial.

@"dadevike" said:

@"HappyViking" said: So, the Vikes are leaking contracts offers now to FAs they're interested in?  That really sounds risky and stupid; doesn't sound like how they'd operate.  I call BS.  I think RS holds his cards a little closer to his vest.

It does not have to be quite like that.  They could run into Cousin's agent in Indy and start talking. 

Agent: Hey Rick, hows it going? Kirk and I are thinking about a visit to the TC in a couple of weeks.
RS: We'll be there to greet you.
Agent: I know you can't say anything yet, but you guys have a real nice team. We're looking at 3 years and around $90M guaranteed. More from the Jets, of course.
RS: (smiling) We will see you in 2 weeks.

If I'm the agent, that's all I need to say that Cousins will go to the Vikings for 3 years and $90M guaranteed.  

Even if you had recorded that conversation, RS would be guilty of nothing more than being cordial.

So the latest, latest BS rumor is that the prior, current BS rumor is, indeed, BS. I guess the Jets are back in play and the Vikes are not committing $91M to Cousins. Unless they are.

It is anybody's guess.

I'll leave it at this. If the Vikings sign Cousins to a fully guaranteed $90+M over 3 years they'll have their credibility questioned by the rest of the league. That would be a 50% increase to Matt Stafford's guaranteed money on a contract that is two years shorter. If Cousins reps are even going to suggest a fully guaranteed contract it's going to be in the range of $25M/yr.