3 teams that could trade for Kirk Cousins in the 2021 offseason

New England Patriots

Like the Vikings, the Patriots are coming off of a disappointing 2020 campaign that resulted in the franchise missing out on a spot in the playoffs.

New England finished with a 7-9 record this past season and it’s the first time the team has ended their schedule with a losing record since 2000. It is also the first time since 2008 that the Patriots didn’t win the AFC East or make the postseason.

Contributing to New England’s lack of success in 2020 was the play of their starting quarterback Cam Newton. In 15 appearances, Newton threw for just 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. These certainly weren’t the numbers the Patriots were expecting from the veteran signal-caller when they signed him before the start of the season.

But now Newton is a free agent and to no one’s surprise, New England is not expected to bring him back for the 2021 campaign.

When the new league year begins in March, the Patriots are estimated to have more than $60 million in cap space. So affording the final two seasons of Kirk Cousins’ contract doesn’t seem like it would be much of a problem for New England.

The dealbreaker will be what the Patriots are planning to do this offseason. Are they looking to go young and develop players for the future or are they hoping to just add a few veteran pieces to quickly get back into being a contender in the AFC next season?

New England head coach Bill Belichick has always been very complimentary of Cousins in the past. Will his respect for the quarterback be enough for the Patriots to pursue him in a trade this year?