If I were the Saints, I’d be kicking the tires on Minnesota to see what it would take to get Cousins. I think he’d be perfect for them.
***Official 2021 Vikings***
- Thread starter Aclone
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Anyone is perfect for cousins as long as they are paying for him and not Minnesota!!
Cousins would be an upgrade for probably half the league? Ideally you get two teams interested and we can unload that contract and start fresh.
Too many Vikings fans are scared to collapse if we deal Kirk. He isn't a top 10 QB in the league but severly harms the cap situation for this roster. Jalen Hurts can't hit anyone passing the ball and he lead his team to the playoffs. We have Dalvin, JJ, Theilen. All significant upgrades over the Philly offense. Use Cousins' cap savings to buy interior line help, corner help and other holes.
Draft Pickett or Coral and let's open a 5 year window in 2022. Jefferson is cheap for 2-3 more years. LT is cheap for 4 more years. Dalvin's and Theilen's contract is very team friendly after 2022. Today's NFL also has shown you don't need Cook to have an elite offense.
That leaves a rookie QB with 1 HOF WR (being dramatic, but JJ ion on pace), two bookend tackles, a top 5 RB and elite #2 WR from day 1..
Too many Vikings fans are scared to collapse if we deal Kirk. He isn't a top 10 QB in the league but severly harms the cap situation for this roster. Jalen Hurts can't hit anyone passing the ball and he lead his team to the playoffs. We have Dalvin, JJ, Theilen. All significant upgrades over the Philly offense. Use Cousins' cap savings to buy interior line help, corner help and other holes.
Draft Pickett or Coral and let's open a 5 year window in 2022. Jefferson is cheap for 2-3 more years. LT is cheap for 4 more years. Dalvin's and Theilen's contract is very team friendly after 2022. Today's NFL also has shown you don't need Cook to have an elite offense.
That leaves a rookie QB with 1 HOF WR (being dramatic, but JJ ion on pace), two bookend tackles, a top 5 RB and elite #2 WR from day 1..
I go back and forth with Cousins (Note: I can't type the word KKKirk without adding the extra k's).
Cousins does put up good numbers and he has shown he can bring a team back in the 4th quarter. His biggest downfalls are this: 1) new offensive coordinator every year (not good), 2) A terrible defense that puts pressure on the offense to bail them out, 3) the latest OC is flat out not qualified, 4) having a head coach that never wanted him.... imagine having a boss that despises you.
If Cousins contract was half of what he is getting paid now, I bet the Vikings fans would be fine with keeping him around a while.
That being said, with a new regime coming in, I am sure Cousins will likely be moved.
Cousins does put up good numbers and he has shown he can bring a team back in the 4th quarter. His biggest downfalls are this: 1) new offensive coordinator every year (not good), 2) A terrible defense that puts pressure on the offense to bail them out, 3) the latest OC is flat out not qualified, 4) having a head coach that never wanted him.... imagine having a boss that despises you.
If Cousins contract was half of what he is getting paid now, I bet the Vikings fans would be fine with keeping him around a while.
That being said, with a new regime coming in, I am sure Cousins will likely be moved.
Vikings are 18th in the league in cap spending on offense, and the offense was 12th in the league.
The Vikings were 11th in cap spending on defense, and the defense was 30th in the league.
Lots of hope pinned on Hunter, whose played 7 games in two years. Either he comes back as a top 5 defensive player, or this expensive and bad defense just gets another year older.
This has been my stance (keeping him one more year) up until the recent info coming out. If the new staff feels the need to keep him then I'll trust them, but it seems Cousins just put his head down as Rome burned, so from the outside it seems time to find someone else the team can rally around.
Cousins is a career below .500 starter. Terrible leader, and the leagues largest cap liability...
Unless he restructures for a Tom Brady like contract.. I'm trading him for a bag of honeycrisp apples
Unless he restructures for a Tom Brady like contract.. I'm trading him for a bag of honeycrisp apples
Brady wouldn't be winning many games when his defense gives up 30+ a game. Lots not lose sight of the true problem with the Vikings, apart from coaching, that is.
Vikings are #7 in defense spending, putting nearly $100MM cap dollars towards it, to produce a bottom-5 defense on the field.
I'm less concerned about the defense as Zimmer's schemes IMO are more to blame. As far as the cap situation on defense goes:
Hunter can be either restructured or cut with minimal damage.
Harrison Smith and Michael Pierce contracts are VERY team friendly.
Barr and Peterson are likely out.
That's $30M in potential savings right there
It is easy to blame Cousins for the problems with the Vikings when a lot of the blame lies elsewhere. That said, they should trade him. I honestly think this trend of paying a QB 10% of your entire salary cap is idiotic. Also, you cut Hunter, no question. Let Barr walk. Restructure Thielen. Draft Line early.
I'm not so sure it's just scheme. Injuries plagued this unit all season, and the best players aren't at prime ages. That said, they can't be much worse than they currently are...
As it pertains to Cousins, I think you move him if you can and commit to a full rebuild. I don't see that opportunity arising, though. I'm not sure what direction you go if it doesn't arise.
I'd hope they could at least trade Hunter. When healthy, he is a top 5 end in football.
OK, so there’s cap savings, now who the hell is actually going to play?
That’s funny that you think it’s a schematic issue when Zimmer is widely regarded as a great defensive tactician.
The defense without those guys you are cutting is absolutely horrible. That defense has a few big names that are good players on the wrong side of their prime on big contracts.
Please name players on that defense that are bargains. Basically the good players have big contracts, and the rest are serviceable at best.
Defensive personnel and contracts are a massive problem on this team.
Cam Bynum was AWESOME. 3 more years on the cheap
Cam Dantzler was easily our best corner
Bynum and Dantzler did come on for sure. Not sure if Dantzler can be a #1 corner on a good team, but he has really improved. Also like his willingness to tackle.
But overall not encouraging for the Vikings defense based on PFF. But a lot of posters seem to think this is a good roster losing games because of Cousins, when PFF has him as the Vikings second highest rated player.
The only real hope for the D to me is restructure/cut most of these, including Hunter, yet he comes back and is an DPOY type guy. I highly doubt Hunter is going to restructure. He’s in an in demand position and knows his career could be ending soon due to all these injuries.
The Athletic polled NFL coaches to rank the 8 head coach vacancies and Minnesota came in a close 2nd behind Denver.
It is also interesting how many people are floating that the Vikings could start a new coach/GM era with a Cousins trade. I think it’s most likely that he stays - but you potentially have Pittsburgh, Houston, Denver, WFT, Carolina, and Seattle depending on Russ as places that might want to give up a 1st and take on the Cousins contract.
It is also interesting how many people are floating that the Vikings could start a new coach/GM era with a Cousins trade. I think it’s most likely that he stays - but you potentially have Pittsburgh, Houston, Denver, WFT, Carolina, and Seattle depending on Russ as places that might want to give up a 1st and take on the Cousins contract.
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I think Zim was at one point a very innovative and capable defensive coach. But tactics get stale. That's the way things go. Throw in significant injuries on that side of the ball over the last couple years, and even a competent coach's scheme can look stagnant.
His control of the offense has always been a little suspect. How many offensive coordinators did he go through? Honestly, the offense probably shouldn't have been as good as it has been, these last few years. Hate on his contract all you like, but Cousins and the offense have done their part for the most part. And to emphasize the point you made, how many times did the offense put us in a position to win, only to have the defense buckle down the stretch?
In the end, Zim was not a bad hire. He just got stale. And if the reports out of the locker room are true, a lot of the players felt the same.
I personally don't think they need to blow it up next year, especially if Aaron Rodgers decides to move on from Green Bay.
Adjustments definitely need to be made, but there's talent on the roster and they could definitely be a playoff team next season.
