Cousins to start against Chicago

[StumpHunter]

Other than that, none of the teams on the list you cited is in a similar position with a prospect on the roster truly worth evaluating.

I think if you talked to those team's fanbases you would hear a different story. Every fanbase with a less than ideal QB believes they have a viable prospect sitting on the bench who they would like to see in a game like Sunday's. Ours is Mond, Carolina's is Walker, Denver's is Rypien, Atlanta's is Rosen, Detroit's is Boyle and Seattle's is Smith. To us those guys are nothing, but to unrealistic fans of those teams they have all the potential in the world. I mean, look at how Vikings fans talk about Sloter, a guy who no GM or HC wants and who realistically has less potential than any of those guys I mentioned above.

[VikingLord]

Other than that, none of the teams on the list you cited is in a similar position with a prospect on the roster truly worth evaluating.

I think if you talked to those team's fanbases you would hear a different story. Every fanbase with a less than ideal QB believes they have a viable prospect sitting on the bench who they would like to see in a game like Sunday's. Ours is Mond, Carolina's is Walker, Denver's is Rypien, Atlanta's is Rosen, Detroit's is Boyle and Seattle's is Smith. To us those guys are nothing, but to unrealistic fans of those teams they have all the potential in the world. I mean, look at how Vikings fans talk about Sloter, a guy who no GM or HC wants and who realistically has less potential than any of those guys I mentioned above.

Mond is an early 3rd round pick the Vikings just drafted last year.

Most of those other guys are undrafted free agents who weren't even initially pursued by their current team.

The level of realism of a given team's fanbase isn't what I was talking about anyway when I responded on this subject.

What I was trying to point out is how the actions of the coach suggest whether he sees a bigger picture and is willing and capable to make decisions in the context of that bigger picture in situations like this. Zimmer clearly doesn't see that, or he doesn't care since he knows Sunday will be his last game as head coach of the Vikings.

Heck, if one buys into Kapp's theory about how Zimmer resented the signing of Cousins, maybe Zimmer knows all of this and he's just turning the screw in Spielman by trotting Cousins out there who is likely to go into his world famous "deer-in-the-headlights" mode as Hicks and Co. collapse the pocket time and time again.

Regardless, the right strategic move, the one that provides the decision-makers with the most information going forward to help them make more informed decisions in the offseason, is to start the early 3rd rounder at QB and see how he handles himself in a real game.

[VikingLord]

Don't we have the same reason to start Cousins as Seattle? Cousins has been pretty bad 4 of the last 5 games and has hurt his trade value considerably, if there was any there to begin with. We need a good game against Chicago out of him or teams will look at the final quarter+ of the season and worry Cousins is on a significant decline.

I hate to break the news to everyone, but Cousins' contract next year is untenable. Nobody is going to trade for him. If I'm wrong about that I'll freely come on here and admit it but it just isn't going to happen. Not for what he brings to the team.

One way the Vikings might force him out would be to just tell him flat-out he's sitting all next year. They'll pay him if he's on the team, but he won't play.

That hurts them financially, but it also motivates him to work with them to reduce his contract and cap hit so that he becomes tradable. And if he's tradable, then everyone can get what they want. Cousins takes a bit less perhaps, but he moves to a team willing to make him their starter and still pay him well, while the Vikings get that cap freed up to make further moves as needed. They can bridge at QB if necessary using FA, or maybe give Mond a go for a year, or even make a move for a QB they like in this upcoming draft if the chips fall right.

Cousins doesn't need to start this upcoming game, and I would go further and suggest that if he does start, he is highly unlikely to improve the perception of himself among other teams or fans. Cousins has never lit up Chicago as a Viking that I can remember. At best he's done the garbage time drill a bit, but the Bears have largely dominated the Vikings offense since Cousins joined the team and I expect that to continue this Sunday.

At least with Mond at QB, there is some chance to surprise the Bears a bit and throw some wrinkles in that they might not be as prepared for. With Cousins, it will be check-down city all game. Lots of 3-and-outs. Lots of exciting Viking punting action.

[StumpHunter]

That hurts them financially, but it also motivates him to work with them to reduce his contract and cap hit so that he becomes tradable.

The Vikings don't even need to ask him to do anything to reduce his salary. They can just convert however much of his salary to signing bonus a team would require to trade for him, and poof, his contract is tradeable.

[VikingLord]

That hurts them financially, but it also motivates him to work with them to reduce his contract and cap hit so that he becomes tradable.

The Vikings don't even need to ask him to do anything to reduce his salary. They can just convert however much of his salary to signing bonus a team would require to trade for him, and poof, his contract is tradeable.

That signing bonus still goes against the Vikings cap for next year, right?

I was driving towards a way to reduce that number for the Vikings. I guess converting some portion of the cap figure is better than paying him to sit, but ideally, they could get him to come down to a more reasonable, fully-tradable, number that leaves the Vikings holding the least amount of baggage from the deal as possible.

[J. Kapp 11]

The Vikings don't even need to ask him to do anything to reduce his salary. They can just convert however much of his salary to signing bonus a team would require to trade for him, and poof, his contract is tradeable.

That signing bonus still goes against the Vikings cap for next year, right?

I was driving towards a way to reduce that number for the Vikings. I guess converting some portion of the cap figure is better than paying him to sit, but ideally, they could get him to come down to a more reasonable, fully-tradable, number that leaves the Vikings holding the least amount of baggage from the deal as possible.

Yes, the bonus would go against the Vikings' cap because it was a signing bonus. If some of it had been a roster bonus, the receiving team could have taken that on, depending on the date of the trade.

Don't kid yourself ... there are plenty of teams out there who would be happy with Kirk Cousins, even with his contract. The Eagles managed to trade away Carson Wentz, even though his contract was pretty onerous. The difference there is that the Eagles had to absorb $33 million in dead cap this year, but none next year. Interestingly enough, both teams are in line to make the playoffs. Wentz was probably more "un-tradable" than Cousins, given his extensive injury history and only one good year of production.

Teams that really want Cousins could do exactly what the Vikings will probably have to do to keep him — sign him to an extension after they trade for him. In fact, I'd say that's the only option that makes sense for most teams.

I've listed several teams that would probably have interest in Cousins, and I wouldn't be surprised if Cleveland moves to the top of that list. The Browns have a very talented roster, an underachieving quarterback who can be dropped prior to June 1 with no cap hit, and $37 million in cap space. And that's before the cap increases for 2022. Pittsburgh has $34 million in cap space and will pick up another $26 million if Big Ben retires.

Moving Cousins can be done.

[StumpHunter]

The Vikings don't even need to ask him to do anything to reduce his salary. They can just convert however much of his salary to signing bonus a team would require to trade for him, and poof, his contract is tradeable.

That signing bonus still goes against the Vikings cap for next year, right?

I was driving towards a way to reduce that number for the Vikings. I guess converting some portion of the cap figure is better than paying him to sit, but ideally, they could get him to come down to a more reasonable, fully-tradable, number that leaves the Vikings holding the least amount of baggage from the deal as possible.

Keenum took a pay cut to allow the trade to WFT, so this isn't unheard of, but Keenum was facing getting cut and not making anymore of his deal. We don't have that leverage, because once again the fully guaranteed nature of Cousins' contract is screwing us.

However, if Cousins is as good as about half the fanbase thinks he is, if a desperate team like NO who doesn't have the cap to take on Cousins' salary needed us to eat 25 million of his salary to make a trade, they would be willing to give us multiple 1sts to do so. Well worth it to eat 25 million in a year where we aren't going to compete.

[VikingLord]

... if a desperate team like NO who doesn't have the cap to take on Cousins' salary needed us to eat 25 million of his salary to make a trade, they would be willing to give us multiple 1sts to do so. Well worth it to eat 25 million in a year where we aren't going to compete.

I agree, especially for multiple 1sts (which I don't think would happen - at best, I could see a team giving up a 1st and maybe a 3rd). Even at that relatively lower level of compensation I might swing the deal. We could always hold out hope that desperation drives this, but I suspect true desperation wouldn't set in until later into the offseason and after the draft.

The draft could change the situation for the Vikings as well. Depending on how things shake out this Sunday the Vikings might be sitting in primo top-tier QB territory. This isn't generally considered a strong QB rookie QB class, but there is some talent there and with the QB position being what it is, the Vikings might either have a shot at a player they like or get a juicy trade offer for a player some other team really likes.

This is shaping up to be one of the more consequential offseasons in Vikings history for a variety of reasons. For those looking for some reason to hope, some reason for optimism, I suspect this offseason is going to provide that in spades for the first time in a long time.

[StumpHunter]

... if a desperate team like NO who doesn't have the cap to take on Cousins' salary needed us to eat 25 million of his salary to make a trade, they would be willing to give us multiple 1sts to do so. Well worth it to eat 25 million in a year where we aren't going to compete.

I agree, especially for multiple 1sts (which I don't think would happen - at best, I could see a team giving up a 1st and maybe a 3rd). Even at that relatively lower level of compensation I might swing the deal. We could always hold out hope that desperation drives this, but I suspect true desperation wouldn't set in until later into the offseason and after the draft.

The draft could change the situation for the Vikings as well. Depending on how things shake out this Sunday the Vikings might be sitting in primo top-tier QB territory. This isn't generally considered a strong QB rookie QB class, but there is some talent there and with the QB position being what it is, the Vikings might either have a shot at a player they like or get a juicy trade offer for a player some other team really likes.

This is shaping up to be one of the more consequential offseasons in Vikings history for a variety of reasons. For those looking for some reason to hope, some reason for optimism, I suspect this offseason is going to provide that in spades for the first time in a long time.

From what I hear about this QB class so far, it isn't that this QB class sucks, it is that scouts don't really know who is the clear #1. It might be one of those drafts where the third QB picked ends up being significantly better than the first, perfect for where we are drafting.

[IIsweet]

This class has talent for sure, but not quite the same as the past couple, imo. Here is the following that may go rd 1 or into rd 2:
Matt Corral - Ole Miss
Kenny Pickett - Pittsburgh
Malik Willis - Liberty (Auburn transfer)
Sam Howell - North Carolina
Carson Strong - Nevada

I like the Willis kid for being so toolsy, and having more of that Mahomes swag in him. Tons of arm talent and the wheels to move the pocket and have some dual threat ability. He looks downfield for the big play often with a lot of arm talent and confidence in that arm talent, which can also lead to head scratching mistakes and INT's !! I would take it though. I think Deshaun Watson upside here.

Pickett is the most seasoned of them all and probably the easiest transition to being an NFL QB. To me, he could be an athletic Cousins and is discussion for best QB of the class.
Corral to me is Tannehill. Every tool you need and want. Concern is system he played in transitioning.
Howell is to me another Stafford or Lock type QB.
Strong is the big armed QB of the class.

[VikingLord]

I agree, especially for multiple 1sts (which I don't think would happen - at best, I could see a team giving up a 1st and maybe a 3rd). Even at that relatively lower level of compensation I might swing the deal. We could always hold out hope that desperation drives this, but I suspect true desperation wouldn't set in until later into the offseason and after the draft.

The draft could change the situation for the Vikings as well. Depending on how things shake out this Sunday the Vikings might be sitting in primo top-tier QB territory. This isn't generally considered a strong QB rookie QB class, but there is some talent there and with the QB position being what it is, the Vikings might either have a shot at a player they like or get a juicy trade offer for a player some other team really likes.

This is shaping up to be one of the more consequential offseasons in Vikings history for a variety of reasons. For those looking for some reason to hope, some reason for optimism, I suspect this offseason is going to provide that in spades for the first time in a long time.

From what I hear about this QB class so far, it isn't that this QB class sucks, it is that scouts don't really know who is the clear #1. It might be one of those drafts where the third QB picked ends up being significantly better than the first, perfect for where we are drafting.

Which just puts an exclamation point behind why the Vikings should take every chance they get to evaluate Mond prior to the draft at this point. You might not know if he's capable of being the unquestioned starter next year based on one late-season game against a bad Chicago team, but you'll know more than you otherwise would if he sits and watches Cousins go through the motions.

Let's say the Vikings are sitting at #10 in this upcoming draft and a QB they like is there. Do they take him? To make that decision they have to have a plan at QB or at least a strong idea of where they want to go at the position. If they're sticking with Cousins, they probably pass and go OL or DL (preferably OL as they need to be able to run effectively for the overall offense to work and with their crappy guard and inconsistent center play that has been far more challenging than it otherwise should be). If they're not sticking with Cousins but think Mond could emerge and handle the starter role next year, they might be even more flexible in terms of players they consider drafting at that spot. But if they're going to move on from Cousins and they're not sold on Mond, then QB might be the move with their first pick.

The best move depends on having the information necessary to make that call, and starting Cousins this Sunday doesn't add any information they don't already have a mountain of evidence for at this point.

[VikingLord]

This class has talent for sure, but not quite the same as the past couple, imo. Here is the following that may go rd 1 or into rd 2:
Matt Corral - Ole Miss
Kenny Pickett - Pittsburgh
Malik Willis - Liberty (Auburn transfer)
Sam Howell - North Carolina
Carson Strong - Nevada

I like the Willis kid for being so toolsy, and having more of that Mahomes swag in him. Tons of arm talent and the wheels to move the pocket and have some dual threat ability. He looks downfield for the big play often with a lot of arm talent and confidence in that arm talent, which can also lead to head scratching mistakes and INT's !! I would take it though. I think Deshaun Watson upside here.

Pickett is the most seasoned of them all and probably the easiest transition to being an NFL QB. To me, he could be an athletic Cousins and is discussion for best QB of the class.
Corral to me is Tannehill. Every tool you need and want. Concern is system he played in transitioning.
Howell is to me another Stafford or Lock type QB.
Strong is the big armed QB of the class.

Of that group I think Willis has the highest ceiling by far, and not just for his on-field play, but for overall potential impact as a leader and motivator. If he wasn't slightly rough around the edges in terms of experience and he was a bit bigger, IMHO he'd be not just the consensus best QB in this QB draft class, he'd be the consensus #1 overall pick in the draft.

The Vikings have gotten extremely lucky in a few drafts catching a falling star. They got Moss way lower than they had any right to get him. Ditto for Adrian Peterson when he came out. Malik Willis is a guy I think might sneak his way down to them this year.

Would be nice if they knew they needed a QB heading into this upcoming draft and what type of player they want at QB, because then the decision is relatively easy should it come to pass that Malik Willis is still on the board when their pick comes up.

I'm not as sold on any of the other prospects at QB for a variety of reasons, although I think a few good ones could emerge from this class. None of them strike me as particularly strong prospects. Willis only stands out because I think if he develops his ceiling is the highest of the bunch and he adds a dynamism under center that the Vikings have not had for a long time, if ever.

[IIsweet]

I feel the same as VikingLord here. To me it is Willis or I pass and maybe take the kid from Western Kentucky in the 3rd. Kid set new passing records this year. His system allowed him to be the NCAA version of Drew Brees this year.

What would be ideal is if Mond showed the skillset physically and mentally to be a very good starting QB. Thus a trade of Cousins and using 2 1st rd picks on immediate defensive starters would be ideal.
We shall see what the offseason brings.
Hopefully, the Wilfs end Zimmer ball and Kubiak ball. Bring in a new offensive minded HC and DC.

[Texas Vike]

This class has talent for sure, but not quite the same as the past couple, imo. Here is the following that may go rd 1 or into rd 2:
Matt Corral - Ole Miss
Kenny Pickett - Pittsburgh
Malik Willis - Liberty (Auburn transfer)
Sam Howell - North Carolina
Carson Strong - Nevada

I like the Willis kid for being so toolsy, and having more of that Mahomes swag in him. Tons of arm talent and the wheels to move the pocket and have some dual threat ability. He looks downfield for the big play often with a lot of arm talent and confidence in that arm talent, which can also lead to head scratching mistakes and INT's !! I would take it though. I think Deshaun Watson upside here.

Pickett is the most seasoned of them all and probably the easiest transition to being an NFL QB. To me, he could be an athletic Cousins and is discussion for best QB of the class.
Corral to me is Tannehill. Every tool you need and want. Concern is system he played in transitioning.
Howell is to me another Stafford or Lock type QB.
Strong is the big armed QB of the class.

I haven't watched highlights for all of these prospects yet, but Pickett looks spectacular. Loved his fake slide. Love his ability to sense pressure, move the pocket, keep his eyes up, run well if he has the space, throw guys open, etc. At 6' 3" 220 he's a specimen and a heck of an athlete too. Watched an interview with him. I like his grit and determination.

[808vikingsfan]

The most Vikings thing that can happen is everything stays status quo. Thinking about it more, for things to truly change, Rick has to go. Drafting for quantity and not quality isn't working.