The Minnesota Vikings have a tough task when it comes to dealing with quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason.
If the Minnesota Vikings trade Kirk Cousins this offseason, the decision will not be an easy one. On the one hand, Kirk is a very good quarterback that can get his team into the playoffs if the rest of the pieces are there. On the other hand, however, he needs the perfect situation around him to have any chance at sniffing playoff success.
For a quarterback to take up $45 million against the cap, he better be able to carry a not-so-great roster into the playoffs. Since he arrived in Minnesota, that has not been the case for Kirk Cousins. He needs to show a lot more in order to justify his cap hit, but it appears he may have run his course with the franchise.
There is no denying that Kirk is a good quarterback – but GOOD isn’t enough for this team. Cousins could never get over the hump of a bad defense and struggling offensive line, something that the best quarterbacks in the league are supposed to do.
When he is making money that is on par with Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Tannehill, and Jimmy Garoppolo, his team better make the playoffs. There are no excuses as to why those three guys can consistently make the playoffs while Kirk and the Vikings cannot.
The easy argument to make would be that Kirk’s contract has kept the Vikings from adding enough pieces to compete defensively, which is pretty much true. The money has been spent on the defense but only for the high-end starters.
Minnesota has spent plenty of money on defensive starters over the years, including big-money extensions to Eric Kendricks, Harrison Smith, and Danielle Hunter. They have also sought expensive free agents in Dalvin Tomlinson and Michael Pierce to clog the front line.
Now, the problem with spending all of your leftover cash on these guys is that they are either aging or battling injuries far too often. None of those players played in all 17 games in 2021. Danielle Hunter played in just seven games after missing the entire 2020 season, while Michael Pierce, who also missed 2020, only played eight times in 2021.
The Vikings lack depth on the defense and even at a few spots offensively. When the biggest excuse for Kirk Cousins has always been his lack of an offensive line, perhaps the money should go towards improving their options at right guard.
Oli Udoh and Mason Cole should not be the best options – and yet they were the ONLY options for the Vikings last season. Moving Kirk’s money would open the door for extra assets to be used at that spot during the offseason.
Finding the right team for Kirk Cousins
There is a good chance that there will be a number of suitors for Kirk Cousins if the Vikings make him available. The Indianapolis Colts seem less than committed to Carson Wentz after the way their season ended at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The issue with Indianapolis, though, is they do not have a first-round pick in 2022 because of the trade that gifted them Wentz, and it would be tough to imagine them giving up another first-rounder for a quarterback with zero winning pedigree.
New Orleans could be an option for Kirk, but they are in the same boat as the Vikings as far as the salary situation is concerned. They would be better off just taking Jameis Winston back on a one-year deal in free agency to save money and ride the defense into the playoffs.
The Giants, Dolphins, and Browns would be more realistic options as they have a need at quarterback and have not been afraid to make splashes in the offseason. With the Giants and Dolphins looking for their next head coach, the next regime may look for a proven veteran who would help Minnesota a ton.
If there were a reasonable guess as to where Kirk lands via trade, the Pittsburgh Steelers should be the answer. The Steelers have roughly $44 million in cap space and have a very good roster in place around the quarterback. If Ben Roethlisberger could get them into the playoffs, Kirk Cousins could as well.
Other teams to keep in mind would include the Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, and Washington Football Team (ironic, I know). The Vikings should not have a problem finding a team that would want Kirk Cousins.
The only issue is finding a team that has the cap space and assets to make a trade possible. From there, the Vikings will have to sort out a plan at quarterback if Cousins is not on the roster. There are still a number of ways they could go, and that should excite some fans.
What would Minnesota’s options be after trading Kirk?
Let’s run through a hypothetical here for a minute. In this scenario, which I think is quite realistic heading into the offseason, the Vikings trade Kirk Cousins to the Pittsburgh Steelers for their first-round pick in 2022 as well as a future second-round selection.
The Steelers’ pick in 2022 is likely going to fall around the 20th overall pick. That would give the Vikings two selections in the top-20 in a class that features a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball. It also opens the door for a trade up into the top 10 to select a quarterback if they fall in love with one of the prospects in 2022.
In this case, the Vikings can take Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth, Jr. with the 12th overall pick to help revamp a declining secondary. With the 20th pick, the Vikings have their choice of a top wide receiver or another defensive stud – but I think they should opt for Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum.
They can spend a second-round pick on one of the quarterbacks left on the board, likely to be either Carson Strong or Malik Willis. To protect those guys early on, the Vikings can seek a free agent quarterback to get them through the 2022 season without completely tanking it.
Minnesota can roll into the next season with Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston at quarterback while the rookie develops. They can also use the cap space that was saved by trading Cousins to help add depth on the defensive side of the ball.
Cornerback Darious Williams would be an excellent addition to the defense after starting opposite Jalen Ramsey in Los Angeles. Takk McKinley, a former first-round pick, is worth a look as the Vikings try to fix their pass rush. Minnesota could also go after some splashes in free agency with safeties Justin Reid and Jessie Bates III set to hit the market.
Offensively, the Vikings should be aggressive to add help for the next quarterback. Guard James Daniels would be a remarkable pickup in free agency if the Bears fail to retain him. Austin Corbett and Trai Turner are both excellent options as well.
Veterans such as Will Fuller V, Sammy Watkins, and Christian Kirk are names to watch as the Vikings look to get help in the wide receiver room. For as good as Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen are, the Vikings need more consistency and depth beyond them.
None of this would be possible or even considerable without trading Kirk Cousins. This may lead to a bit of a down year for the team in 2022, but it would get them going in the right direction for the future.
If next season is truly that bad for the Vikings, they can always look at the 2023 NFL Draft as a way to find a quarterback option. If they were to go after a young star like Bryce Young or CJ Stroud in ’23, they could flip Malik Willis in a trade to a team that missed out on him the first time around.
There is no telling who is going to be atop the draft board a year from now, but the Vikings can really set themselves up for the future by stacking draft picks over the next few years. They don’t even have to immediately try to upgrade from Cousins if they think they will be better off waiting for the 2023 offseason.
That then allows the team to focus their entire 2022 draft on adding pieces that will allow them to compete in 2023 when they find that next quarterback. Spending three top-50 draft picks on immediate-impact players would surely help this team out.
Regardless of what the Vikings do, the decision is sure to upset some folks. This is bound to be a wild offseason, and it all starts with whoever they select as the next General Manager.