I know teams can't talk with Cousins directly for another week or so, but can they be talking with his agent?
Thanks guys.
Wondering how they could come to the conclusion that it's down to the Vikings and Jets then.
Could be a lot of reasons. Maybe the agent or someone close to him leaked info...maybe simply a vibe...maybe a writer creating a story...maybe assumption that of the teams interested, Vikings can offer money and winning team and Jets can offer a ton of money. Who knows until next week.
The Broncos with Cousins are not contending for a SB in year one, but in year two? If they solve some problems, yes. They are certainly a lot closer than the Jets with a lot of elite defensive players still on the roster and few actual holes.Kirk Cousins free-agency sweepstakes will come down to the Jets and Vikings
Free-agent quarterback will take his time making his final decision
In the end, two teams, at most, will have a true opportunity to land Kirk Cousins.
And based on everything I heard last week at the combine I anticipate those teams being the New York Jets and the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins seems committed to wanting to step foot in his new team headquarters and get a feel for the place before making a six-year, $180M decision (or thereabouts) and given the nature of how this negotiation will transpire, that's going to eliminate some of his potential suitors really before the new league year and full blown free agency even begins.
. . . . By its very nature, the reality of either spending roughly $30M per year on a quarterback will dictate myriad other potential transactions that follow, both for the team paying him and for those still in need of a veteran quarterback when he signs elsewhere, so let's just play this out.
I've talked to numerous people involved in this process on all sides, and while the Cardinals, Broncos, Vikings and Jets have all made it clear they want to be in this thing to the end, no one on any of those teams or close to Cousins believes it makes any sense that he actually makes three or four visits. This is all happening in real time, for the player and those teams, and this is not a negotiating vacuum. At the same time Cousins is making his tour, Case Keenum, who several of these teams also are very high on, will be making his decision and so will less-sought after quarterbacks like AJ McCarron and Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater – all who have the potential to be starting somewhere next season. To say nothing of Tyrod Taylor, who other teams still anticipate the Bills trading or releasing before his $6M roster bonus is due in a few weeks.
. . . .
the Vikings offer the best roster available, the team with the most recent playoff success and the clearest linear path to postseason glory. Never discredit the impact of that in a situation like this as well. Unless they end up landing Keenum previously at their price, I suspect the Vikings see this thing out and their presentation is attractive enough to want to see through from Cousins' standpoint as well. The Cardinals just hired a rookie head coach and face difficult roster decisions at other positions and don't have nearly the cap flexibility as other suitors, and the Broncos may be trending more to a rebuild than contention and came this close to firing their rookie head coach after last season.
Offensively, they need a RT and RG, they need a TE and 3rd WR. So, realistically, they are 4 offensive players and maybe 3 defensive starters away.
But, none of that is much beyond the average turnover in the NFL season to season. Even the Vikings will probably change over some of their roster this off-season. Five or 6 new starters on offense and defense is about normal each year.
So, I don't necessarily believe all these reports. It's more likely that word is filtering out that Elway might not be willing to equal the Jets offer in terms of up front money (reportedly up to $50m).
If that were the case Cousins could have a choice of "do I take the most money or do I accept less money and go to the best team that is ready to win right now?" And those choices would be the Jets versus the Vikings.
If it has to be one of those teams I certainly hope it is the Jets. That way they aren't competing with the Broncos to draft a QB and trying to leap ahead of them in the draft or something.
But, it then means that the Broncos are competing for Case Keenum or Sam Bradford or signing Tyrod Taylor and drafting a QB and sucking for another 2 years.
Yay, Case Keenum, the Rudy Rudeger of the NFL.
#KubiakThangs
We’re screwed!
"Tuning ... into each other ... lift all higher”
“I’m just different!”
Sign Garbage Minshew.
Draft
1st round— Cooper Dejean CB
2nd round— Jack Sawyer OLB
3rd round— Will Shipley RB
4th round— Ricky Pearsall WR
5th round— Ladd McKonkey WR
6th round— Cash Jones RB
7th round— Carson Steele RB
"Tuning ... into each other ... lift all higher”
“I’m just different!”
Sign Garbage Minshew.
Draft
1st round— Cooper Dejean CB
2nd round— Jack Sawyer OLB
3rd round— Will Shipley RB
4th round— Ricky Pearsall WR
5th round— Ladd McKonkey WR
6th round— Cash Jones RB
7th round— Carson Steele RB
"Tuning ... into each other ... lift all higher”
“I’m just different!”
Sign Garbage Minshew.
Draft
1st round— Cooper Dejean CB
2nd round— Jack Sawyer OLB
3rd round— Will Shipley RB
4th round— Ricky Pearsall WR
5th round— Ladd McKonkey WR
6th round— Cash Jones RB
7th round— Carson Steele RB
To be honest if we don't get Cousins I'll be sad. I don't think he is a top 5 QB but he is definitely top 10 and if we want to win now then he should be a no brainer. Draft someone else besides a QB.
With whatever we have left then go get Jimmy Graham at TE. Maybe trade up to get Barkley if the Browns dont take him #1 overall. Obviously this means getting rid of CJ and Talib. But our offense would be on another level.
"Oh I’m sorry, did I break your concentration?”
Jules Winnfield - Pulp Fiction
If I've learned anything in the years I've been following the NFL it's that you can't believe ANYTHING the media or teams are saying at this point. A lot of smoke and mirrors, it's part of the game all teams play by. My personal hope is that we go for AJM over Cousins IF they opt to add a QB in free agency.
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