Casserly and Gannon discuss Vikings options after Kirk Cousins contract
By Adam Carlson
The Minnesota Vikings have spent a lot of money to bring in former Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins but can still maintain a solid roster.
No matter how you slice it, $84 million is a lot of money to spend on one player over the course of 3 years. However, locking down a quarterback to start game 1 for three consecutive seasons is something the Minnesota Vikings haven’t been able to do since Daunte Culpepper.
That doesn’t mean that the Vikings are left with no other options as far as the rest of their roster. Thanks to having a young team and an ever-expanding salary camp, Minnesota is able to be contenders for the next few seasons.
Recently, Chris Tomasson from the Twin Cities Pioneer Press spoke with NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly, who is a former NFL executive who won three Super Bowls with Washington.
"“If you pay a quarterback (big money), it’s going to change your team. But Green Bay has been a consistent winner and they’ve had to pay a quarterback (Aaron Rodgers) for quite some time. Atlanta has to pay a quarterback (Matt Ryan) and they’ve had their best years recently. It can be done, but the key is draft well and developing players.’’"
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The Vikings have been hit or miss in the draft lately, but they have been able to get some talented players to develop while on their rookie contracts, including Eric Kendricks, Danielle Hunter, Pat Elflein, and Dalvin Cook.
Spending a lot of money on a quarterback does mean that Minnesota will need to be smart in free agency and the draft as well as make some tough decisions when it comes to players cashing in after their rookie deals.
Despite the need to be a little more frugal going forward, former Vikings quarterback and current CBS analyst Rich Gannon reminds fans that quarterbacks will continue to get paid no matter what as the cost of having a premium passer continues to rise.
"“People can hem and haw all they want. People can say, ‘It’s too much,’ and all that stuff. But the bottom line is if you’re a team that has (a quality quarterback), you’re going to pay some money to keep him and if you’re a team that doesn’t have one, you’re going to pay handsomely to get one.’’"
Next: 4 reasons to be excited about Kirk Cousins
Do you think the Minnesota Vikings will be able to maintain a strong roster for future seasons despite the huge Kirk Cousins contract? And was this a smart move by the team? Let us know what you think of the comments made by Casserly and Gannon below!