5 offensive sleepers the Vikings should target in 2021 free agency
By Dean Jones
Joe Flacco – QB
2020 Team: New York Jets
Kirk Cousins‘ status as the alpha on the Vikings is unquestioned at this juncture. For all the team’s faults in 2020, and there were many, the quarterback put together arguably the best stretch of his career following the bye week last season that almost resulted in a shock playoff berth.
This is a solid foundation from which to build moving forward. Minnesota is still loaded with playmakers on offense, and in Cousins, they have a signal-caller who is growing in confidence and slowly ridding himself of the stereotypes that have dogged the Pro Bowler throughout his career.
Cousins is extremely durable, and he rarely misses a game, but the Vikings need a better contingency plan in case things start trending in the wrong direction from a health perspective. Sean Mannion hasn’t shown anything to suggest he could slot in and fill the void with any confidence, so acquiring another veteran on the cheap would be a wise move with the window shortening for this group of players.
Joe Flacco might be a relative afterthought to some, but he’s a Super Bowl winner who appears to be a scheme fit in Klint Kubiak’s system from the outside looking in. There are some obvious limitations, of that there is little doubt. But this is a low-risk pickup that would ensure momentum wouldn’t drop off a great deal in the event Cousins was forced to miss some time.
Hopes of Flacco securing another starting job elsewhere appear slim, especially on the New York Jets, considering they hold the No. 2 overall selection and first refusal of former BYU passing phenom Zach Wilson. Therefore, taking a strong backup role and potentially making the most of it when a top guy gets hurt is the best way to prolong his career.