Questions Answered: Will Vikings Re-Sign Jefferson? | Cousins’ Status | Draft Thoughts
Dustin Baker
|
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the February 8th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: Will Vikings Re-Sign Jefferson? | Cousins’ Status | Draft Thoughts
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
Q: What’s the deal? Will the Vikings ever actually re-sign Justin Jefferson?
Answer: Yes.
There should be no anxiety about Jefferson eventually signing on the Vikings’ dotted line for the long haul. In Jefferson’s draft class, the 2020 event, players like CeeDee Lamb and Tristan Wirfs still haven’t received extensions. Like Jefferson, they were both 1st-Rounders.
Sometimes, it takes to this point for the player to maximize his earnings. For example, had Jefferson signed an extension last summer, well, that would’ve netted less money than this offseason. The salary cap always rises, and so do players’ salaries.
At radio row on Wednesday, Jefferson said, “I’m definitely grateful for what Minnesota has done for me. I definitely wouldn’t be in this situation if they didn’t pick me, to be the fifth receiver taken. With everything that has happened and everything I have gave to the organization, of course, I would want to stay.”
He’ll be back. The Vikings will not let him leave. He’s too big of a star, on the field and as a marketing entity.
Q: Do you expect Cousins to get two years and $90 million from the Vikings as everyone says is the price? That sounds like too much.
Answer: $45 million per season is probably too rich for the Vikings blood, a team that has to secure Justin Jefferson for the long haul, sign Danielle Hunter for a few years, pay Christian Darrisaw next offseason, and that is already paying T.J. Hockenson the most money in the history of tight ends.
However, Cousins can probably grab that salary from a team like the Atlanta Falcons or New England Patriots.
If the Vikings re-sign Cousins for a year or two, it will likely be for $40 million per year or less.
Q: I know it’s about three months away, but what’s the Vikings’ top priority in the draft?
A: Quarterback.
No matter Kirk Cousins’ free-agent outcome, the Vikings must plan for the future at quarterback now. They were tempted during the last draft but opted to stick-and-pick Jordan Addison instead. Few objected.
If the Vikings want to re-sign Cousins and draft J.J. McCarthy or Michael Pratt — great. Let’s do it. Otherwise, if Cousins walks to a new team, Minnesota should push their chips into the middle of the table and trade up the board for Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels.
Vikings football is building toward a mighty crescendo involving the quarterback pick. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell must choose the right guy for life after Cousins. Otherwise, a Christian Ponder redux could occur.
Everything about the Vikings boils down to drafting the correct rookie passer in this draft. And if they absolutely must wait until 2025, the same stakes apply.
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.