Expert grades for the Minnesota Vikings signing quarterback Kirk Cousins

What do the experts think of the Minnesota Vikings spending a lot of money to acquire quarterback Kirk Cousins? Here are the grades the experts gave.

When it comes to free agency, there are always some interesting opinions on how each team fared when bringing in players to help compete for a Super Bowl. The Minnesota Vikings weren’t that far away last year, and made a big investment hoping for more success in 2018 and beyond.

Their splash signing this year was acquiring quarterback Kirk Cousins for three years on a fully guaranteed $84 million contract. A multi-year fully-guaranteed contract is something new to the NFL, but Minnesota needed to lock down a quality quarterback in the worst way.

But what did the experts think of this massive signing? What kind of grades have been given out for the Minnesota Vikings signing of Cousins? Here is what the opinions of experts around the league are when it comes to the deal!

Grade A

Bleacher Report – Chris Simms: “The Vikings couldn’t gamble on an injury prone QB. It’s a lot of money for Cousins, but they remain a legit Super Bowl contender.”
NFL Mocks – Erik Lambert: “Cousins was the best quarterback on the market by a considerable margin. The Minnesota Vikings needed a quarterback to become a Super Bowl contender.”
SBNation – Ryan Van Bibber: “This is a win for the Vikings, who upgrade the quarterback position on a team that made it to the NFC Championship last year with Case Keenum behind center.”
Sporting News – Vinnie Iyer: “He fits the Vikings’ new West Coast offense perfectly and will mesh well with offensive skill players Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Kyle Rudolph and Dalvin Cook.”
Draft Season – Matt Falk: “Did the Vikings overpay for him? Yeah. But not as bad as people think. Sure he got a big ole chunk of change, but that is what happens when you have a quarterback of his caliber reach free agency” (Actual grade is A-)

Grade B

ESPN – Bill Barnwell: “Given that the Vikings had no quarterbacks on the roster and should be locking in above-average play at the game’s most important position for years to come, though, it’s a trade-off general manager Rick Spielman simply had to make.” (Actual grade is B+)
Pro Football Focus: “Cousins certainly offers more of a gunslinger mentality to what has been a conservative offense from 2015-2017.”
Sports Illustrated – Conor Orr, MMQB: “There has not been a passer of his caliber to hit the free agent market since Peyton Manning, and even then, Manning was on the downside of his career arc.”
USA Today – Steven Ruiz, FTW: “The Vikings’ Super Bowl window is open now, and, unlike the other conference title game-loser, they’re not going to waste this opportunity by sticking with a mediocre quarterback.”

Grade C

CBS Sports – Pete Prisco: “If he doesn’t win a Super Bowl in the three years, this is a major failure. He’s good, but this money implies great.” (Actual grade is C+)

Other means of grading

Walter Football gave the signing 4 out of 5 stars. “over the past three years, he has thrown for 81 touchdowns and just 36 interceptions, completing 67 percent of his passes in the process.”

Two of the biggest fans of the Kirk Cousins signing appear to be his son Cooper and wife Julie, who shared an adorable video on the official Facebook account of Kirk Cousins!

Cooper’s excited! #Skol

Posted by Kirk Cousins on Friday, March 16, 2018

While the grades surrounding the Kirk Cousins signing have been overwhelmingly positive, it’s hard not to be at least a little concerned about the money spent on obtaining his services. However, if Cousins can bring stability to the quarterback position in Minnesota for at least 3 years, it is well worth the investment.

Next: 5 current Vikings that could be gone by next season

What kind of grade would you give the Minnesota Vikings for signing Kirk Cousins to this massive contract? And which expert gives the best reasoning for their grades? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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