ESPN’s Bold Kirk Cousins Idea to Fix Vikings
Is the Minnesota Vikings smartest option moving forward with a new general manager and head coach to trade quarterback Kirk Cousins, kickstarting a fresh era with new leadership?
Not according to Bill Barnwell from ESPN.
Barnwell advocates the antithesis of trading Cousins, suggesting an extension for the 33-year-old in an examination of every NFL team and how each can improve for 2022. And the extension isn’t just a means to “kick the can down the road,” as enacted by Rick Spielman in 2020.
The recommendation from Barnwell is a full-scale, honest-to-goodness extension for Cousins – to the tune of five years. Yes, five years. Although Barnwell’s idea allows for an evaluation period after the 2023 season, the deal nevertheless marries Cousins to Minnesota for an additional half-decade.
Barnwell explained:
“The hiring of Kevin O’Connell, who worked with Cousins in the past, suggests that he is likely to stick around. Given the fact that he has a $45 million cap hit in 2022, Minnesota needs to either restructure his deal by adding voidable years or hand him an extension with a signing bonus to reduce his 2022 number. The latter makes more sense to me, even if it means keeping Cousins in the range of $35 million per season. The ideal scenario for the Vikings would be signing him to a five-year pact that they can reexamine after 2023 without having to eat an ungodly amount of money. It might be more realistic to shoot for 2024. Either way, with a team that finished ahead of the Bengals, Titans and Raiders in DVOA in 2021, I’m not sure I would be desperately anxious to blow things up and go in a different direction at quarterback.”
– Bill Barnwell | ESPN
Signing on with Cousins for five more campaigns is bold, rest assured. He’s a divisive player, so about 20% of the Vikings fanbase would sour on Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell – like instantly – if Cousins was inked for five more hurrahs. Yet, these are fresh eyes and minds on the scene. The Wilfs hired who they considered the best and brightest. If the twosome wants to extend Cousins for a long time – or trade him elsewhere – one should probably afford the benefit of the doubt.
Unless the Vikings hit gold in a 2022 NFL Draft renowned for underwhelming quarterback prospects, trading Cousins would mean the 2022 season is a lost cause for playoff contention. The free-agent pool for quarterbacks stinks – unless you enjoy Cam Newton, Mitchell Trubisky, or Marcus Mariota.
Extending Cousins adds up as he consistently delivers. His problem? He is not elite like Patrick Mahomes or Aaron Rodgers – and folks desperately want him to assume that title. So, his delivery of consistent production is about 30 touchdowns per season and 10 interceptions. In some games, he’s tremendous. Others – he’s ho-hum or bad. That’s the deal with Cousins. Such is the case for other quarterbacks, too, but the knives really sharpen for Cousins because he earns $33 million per season. That’s the eighth-most leaguewide, and for some reason, fans want Cousins to perform at a Top 3 level.
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Moreover, Cousins has never experienced competent pass protection with the Vikings. He’s routinely under siege. For a player who does not have great pocket presence, the mix is combustible. Therefore, the new Vikings leadership would be wise to build the trenches, hopefully unlocking Cousins with clean pockets.
While Barnwell’s musings were not a prediction, don’t be surprised if the Vikings remain with Cousins for a few more years before trying the rookie quarterback plan once again. Generally speaking, men who finish a season with a 33-touchdown to seven-INT split aren’t cast out for unknown “figure it out later” nothingness at quarterback.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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