Purple Rumor Mill: Kirk Cousins’ Free Agent Spots, The Lions Thrice, Marcus Davenport
VikingsTerritory’s Purple Rumor Mill is a two-day chronicle each week. All the week’s rumors are lassoed and plopped in two spots — articles on Saturday and Sunday — for review. Today is the December 24th edition.
Purple Rumor Mill: Kirk Cousins’ Free Agent Spots, The Lions Thrice, Marcus Davenport
Remember — rumors are rumors. What you read on weekends in these pieces is what the world is talking about pertaining to the Vikings, not necessarily items that will come to fruition.
Here’s the second batch of the week. Yesterday’s can be read here.
Rumor: ESPN thinks Kirk Cousins could end up with the Broncos or Cardinals.
Cousins could re-sign with the Vikings and embark on a seventh campaign; that is very much in play. But Cousins and the Vikings’ brass couldn’t meet in the middle on a contract extension last offseason, so we shall see if a happy medium can be found in 2024.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell sideways linked the veteran passer to two teams this week in an article detailing 13 quarterback-needy franchises entering the 2024 offseason. And that’s two clubs in addition to the Vikings.
Those teams are the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos, oddly enough.
“Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing worked as a positional coach with the Vikings, including serving as the assistant quarterbacks coach for Cousins in 2018,” Barnwell wrote.
Arizona could also explore a rookie quarterback in April. The class will feature Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, J.J. McCarthy, Quinn Ewers, and Michael Penix Jr, among others. If that draft happened tonight, the Cardinals would choose third.
Barnwell added about the Cardinals’ possible quarterback intentions, “Coach Jonathan Gannon was hired from the Eagles, where he saw Gardner Minshew fill in for an injured Jalen Hurts late last season. Even knowing Murray would be out for an extended period of time, Arizona didn’t appear to pursue Minshew as a bridge starter this past offseason.”
He also mentioned the Broncos.
“General manager George Paton, meanwhile, was the assistant GM with the Vikings when they signed Kirk Cousins,” Barnwell opined.
“It’s difficult to imagine a scenario where the Broncos have the cap space to both shed Wilson’s deal and sign Cousins, but if they want to pursue a Saints-esque cap philosophy, they’ll find a way,” Barnwell added.
Other teams that could be interested in Cousins include the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Arizona and Denver feel like weird fits.
Rumor: Minnesota could play Detroit three times in 20 days.
The Vikings play the Lions on December 24th and January 7th. If they reach the postseason as a Wildcard club, the Lions might be waiting as the division-winning host.
So, yes, Minnesota has a realistic chance to play Detroit three times in 20 days. In fact, you should begin to expect it if you believe the Vikings will reach the postseason.
Otherwise, Minnesota could play at Dallas or Philadelphia.
Rumor: Some question Marcus Davenport’s desire to return to the Vikings in 2023.
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson said on the Mackey and Judd Show this week, “Marcus Davenport — there has been optimism in the building going back weeks that he will be back. He does have incentive to play. He gets paid these bonuses if he’s active, but there still is some desire questions there. Ultimately, it’s the player. The player has to want it. There are questions about the player’s want there.”
That certainly seems to question Davenport’s commitment to excellence.
The man has only played four games this season, and we shall see if he actually returns from the high ankle sprain.
The Other Side of the Story on the Vikings’ 2022 Draft Class
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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