Coaching search 2022 - Confirmed Interviews and Speculation

[VikingLord]

Jeremy Fowler
@JFowlerESPN
Soon-to-be Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell conveyed a firm belief in Kirk Cousins during the interview process, I'm told. He's high on him. The front office must decide on Cousins' future due to his $45M cap hit, but many coaches interviewing for job liked Cousins, O'Connell included

The real question with Cousins isn't going to be necessarily what happens with him this coming season, but what the Vikings do at QB beyond this season that I'm interested in seeing. The answer to that question will come with what the Vikings do both in terms of Cousins' contract as well as at the QB position in the draft and/or public statements made about Mond's future with the team. If there is no extension for Cousins and we start hearing glowing reports about Mond's offseason progress after mini-camps and the draft, that would suggest that while the Vikings may be content to stick with Cousins for this coming season they will try to move on from him. If they make a move at QB in the upcoming draft, that would indicate they would like to move on from both Cousins and Mond.

Personally, I think they should try to find a true franchise QB if they can. I don't think Cousins is that guy and I don't think KOC is going to fundamentally alter that fact regardless of how great he may be as a head coach. I mean, if KOC can come in here and make Cousins a franchise QB at this stage of his career, then there is no doubt the Vikings made maybe the best hire of this century at head coach.

Even before Zimmer and Spielman were fired I had accepted that Cousins was going to be around for another year. I doubt that would be materially different if Harbaugh were hired as the head coach, either. The Vikings just won't be in a position to win with either Mond or a rookie at QB, so it makes sense to stick with Cousins barring a trade, and I think Cousins will be extremely difficult to trade with his contract as-is.

I will say this though - barring some miraculous change in Cousins' performance under KOC, I hope they move on from him ASAP. He is not the future at QB any more than Zimmer was the future at head coach. If the Vikings are going for a youth movement of untested, untried potential stars at GM and head coach, they should complete the trifecta and go for the same at QB. If it's not Mond, then make a move for one they like in this year's draft. Sitting at #12, they're in position to do that if there is a guy they like, and this is a great year to do it too because the QB class isn't considered great and there are a lot of guys at other positions that are going to be chosen in those first 11 picks. If they don't feel like Mond is the future starter, then this is the perfect time to take a swing at a guy who can be if they decide they like the prospect enough. He can still sit and learn behind Cousins for a year which should help him develop and be ready to take the reins in 2023.

[J. Kapp 11]

Jeremy Fowler
@JFowlerESPN
Soon-to-be Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell conveyed a firm belief in Kirk Cousins during the interview process, I'm told. He's high on him. The front office must decide on Cousins' future due to his $45M cap hit, but many coaches interviewing for job liked Cousins, O'Connell included

The real question with Cousins isn't going to be necessarily what happens with him this coming season, but what the Vikings do at QB beyond this season that I'm interested in seeing. The answer to that question will come with what the Vikings do both in terms of Cousins' contract as well as at the QB position in the draft and/or public statements made about Mond's future with the team. If there is no extension for Cousins and we start hearing glowing reports about Mond's offseason progress after mini-camps and the draft, that would suggest that while the Vikings may be content to stick with Cousins for this coming season they will try to move on from him. If they make a move at QB in the upcoming draft, that would indicate they would like to move on from both Cousins and Mond.

Personally, I think they should try to find a true franchise QB if they can. I don't think Cousins is that guy and I don't think KOC is going to fundamentally alter that fact regardless of how great he may be as a head coach. I mean, if KOC can come in here and make Cousins a franchise QB at this stage of his career, then there is no doubt the Vikings made maybe the best hire of this century at head coach.

Even before Zimmer and Spielman were fired I had accepted that Cousins was going to be around for another year. I doubt that would be materially different if Harbaugh were hired as the head coach, either. The Vikings just won't be in a position to win with either Mond or a rookie at QB, so it makes sense to stick with Cousins barring a trade, and I think Cousins will be extremely difficult to trade with his contract as-is.

I will say this though - barring some miraculous change in Cousins' performance under KOC, I hope they move on from him ASAP. He is not the future at QB any more than Zimmer was the future at head coach. If the Vikings are going for a youth movement of untested, untried potential stars at GM and head coach, they should complete the trifecta and go for the same at QB. If it's not Mond, then make a move for one they like in this year's draft. Sitting at #12, they're in position to do that if there is a guy they like, and this is a great year to do it too because the QB class isn't considered great and there are a lot of guys at other positions that are going to be chosen in those first 11 picks. If they don't feel like Mond is the future starter, then this is the perfect time to take a swing at a guy who can be if they decide they like the prospect enough. He can still sit and learn behind Cousins for a year which should help him develop and be ready to take the reins in 2023.

I wonder if KOC is just saying “all the right things” (publicly).

At this moment, Cousins is a Viking. He’s under contract. So publicly, he’s got to treat things that way. But gosh, with so many teams either having no quarterback or badly needing an upgrade, there’s never been a better seller’s market. I know I sound like an infomercial, but it’s the truth. And I have to believe KAM and KOC know the score. Maybe they’re talking up Cousins to jack up his perceived value.

And besides, do we really think Kirk Cousins is going to take a pay cut so that we don’t end up in this same predicament 2-3 years from now?

[40for60]

The real question with Cousins isn't going to be necessarily what happens with him this coming season, but what the Vikings do at QB beyond this season that I'm interested in seeing. The answer to that question will come with what the Vikings do both in terms of Cousins' contract as well as at the QB position in the draft and/or public statements made about Mond's future with the team. If there is no extension for Cousins and we start hearing glowing reports about Mond's offseason progress after mini-camps and the draft, that would suggest that while the Vikings may be content to stick with Cousins for this coming season they will try to move on from him. If they make a move at QB in the upcoming draft, that would indicate they would like to move on from both Cousins and Mond.

Personally, I think they should try to find a true franchise QB if they can. I don't think Cousins is that guy and I don't think KOC is going to fundamentally alter that fact regardless of how great he may be as a head coach. I mean, if KOC can come in here and make Cousins a franchise QB at this stage of his career, then there is no doubt the Vikings made maybe the best hire of this century at head coach.

Even before Zimmer and Spielman were fired I had accepted that Cousins was going to be around for another year. I doubt that would be materially different if Harbaugh were hired as the head coach, either. The Vikings just won't be in a position to win with either Mond or a rookie at QB, so it makes sense to stick with Cousins barring a trade, and I think Cousins will be extremely difficult to trade with his contract as-is.

I will say this though - barring some miraculous change in Cousins' performance under KOC, I hope they move on from him ASAP. He is not the future at QB any more than Zimmer was the future at head coach. If the Vikings are going for a youth movement of untested, untried potential stars at GM and head coach, they should complete the trifecta and go for the same at QB. If it's not Mond, then make a move for one they like in this year's draft. Sitting at #12, they're in position to do that if there is a guy they like, and this is a great year to do it too because the QB class isn't considered great and there are a lot of guys at other positions that are going to be chosen in those first 11 picks. If they don't feel like Mond is the future starter, then this is the perfect time to take a swing at a guy who can be if they decide they like the prospect enough. He can still sit and learn behind Cousins for a year which should help him develop and be ready to take the reins in 2023.

I wonder if KOC is just saying “all the right things” (publicly).

At this moment, Cousins is a Viking. He’s under contract. So publicly, he’s got to treat things that way. But gosh, with so many teams either having no quarterback or badly needing an upgrade, there’s never been a better seller’s market. I know I sound like an infomercial, but it’s the truth. And I have to believe KAM and KOC know the score. Maybe they’re talking up Cousins to jack up his perceived value.

And besides, do we really think Kirk Cousins is going to take a pay cut so that we don’t end up in this same predicament 2-3 years from now?

As I understand it, a big problem with that $45M is that his contracts were fully guaranteed. I am not sure any of that can go away. I think you can renegotiate to kick the can down the road some more, and maybe he can take less of a salary for future years, but I still think eventually you still need to pay the $45M, be it all this year or spread out over 2-3 years. All of this cap hit stuff is confusing to me, so I might be wrong.

Anyway, I heard another option discussed on a couple of talk shows. Draft the QB of the future this year. Then swallow hard and take the entire cap hit this year. If by chance Cousins has an unbelievable year then you could give him a new more team friendly contract. Otherwise he can hit the road.

A trade would be ideal, but no team is going to take on that entire cap hit. Depending on what you get back from another team, it may not be worth it if you still have to pay a large portion, say $35M of the cap.

[J. Kapp 11]

I wonder if KOC is just saying “all the right things” (publicly).

At this moment, Cousins is a Viking. He’s under contract. So publicly, he’s got to treat things that way. But gosh, with so many teams either having no quarterback or badly needing an upgrade, there’s never been a better seller’s market. I know I sound like an infomercial, but it’s the truth. And I have to believe KAM and KOC know the score. Maybe they’re talking up Cousins to jack up his perceived value.

And besides, do we really think Kirk Cousins is going to take a pay cut so that we don’t end up in this same predicament 2-3 years from now?

As I understand it, a big problem with that $45M is that his contracts were fully guaranteed. I am not sure any of that can go away. I think you can renegotiate to kick the can down the road some more, and maybe he can take less of a salary for future years, but I still think eventually you still need to pay the $45M, be it all this year or spread out over 2-3 years. All of this cap hit stuff is confusing to me, so I might be wrong.

Anyway, I heard another option discussed on a couple of talk shows. Draft the QB of the future this year. Then swallow hard and take the entire cap hit this year. If by chance Cousins has an unbelievable year then you could give him a new more team friendly contract. Otherwise he can hit the road.

A trade would be ideal, but no team is going to take on that entire cap hit. Depending on what you get back from another team, it may not be worth it if you still have to pay a large portion, say $35M of the cap.

There is no chance the Vikings let Cousins play 2022 with a $45 million cap hit. He’ll either be extended or traded. Also, no matter what, Cousins is going to count $10 million against the cap. That’s prorated bonus that can only go on the Vikings’ books. The only question is whether it’ll be dead cap.

And I absolutely, unequivocally disagree that the Vikings can’t find a trade partner. There are at least 8 teams that would consider Cousins a massive upgrade over what they have. Could the Vikings be required to pay some of his $35 million salary? Possibly. But that would also affect compensation in return. Vikings pick up more salary, they get back more in terms of draft position, and vice versa.

I don’t buy for one second that the Vikings are all-in on extending Cousins. That “KOC loves Cousins” info easily could have been leaked by the Vikings to drive up his perceived value.

[40for60]

There is no chance the Vikings let Cousins play 2022 with a $45 million cap hit. He’ll either be extended or traded. Also, no matter what, Cousins is going to count $10 million against the cap. That’s prorated bonus that can only go on the Vikings’ books. The only question is whether it’ll be dead cap.

And I absolutely, unequivocally disagree that the Vikings can’t find a trade partner. There are at least 8 teams that would consider Cousins a massive upgrade over what they have. Could the Vikings be required to pay some of his $35 million salary? Possibly. But that would also affect compensation in return. Vikings pick up more salary, they get back more in terms of draft position, and vice versa.

I don’t buy for one second that the Vikings are all-in on extending Cousins. That “KOC loves Cousins” info easily could have been leaked by the Vikings to drive up his perceived value.

I would never say never. It is a possibility. Not that I'd like it, but I would like it better than extending Cousins unless they can somehow do a much better job of it than in the past.

I agree with you that they can find a trade partner. But like I mentioned, and you did too, that the amount of his cap money the Vikings pay has to be compensated by a returned player and/or draft picks that make it worth it. If they can make it work I'm all for it.

And I also agree that it's not clear that KOC loves Cousins. I think people are putting too much stock into KOC being his QB coach when in Washington. I think that year Cousins had his worst year as a starter. And it wasn't mentioned much, but in that Ben Goessling article I posted elsewhere that gives some insider insight in the HC hiring process is this:

"The day after the Rams beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium, Adofo-Mensah, Vikings co-owner Mark Wilf and executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski boarded a plane from Holman Field to Los Angeles for interviews with O'Connell and Morris. It was there, sources said, where Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell really clicked.

The coach's thoughtful preparation shone through the interview, and experience as quarterback Kirk Cousins' final quarterbacks coach in Washington gave O'Connell special insight into the team's most important offseason decision. The search committee left Los Angeles energized by how it had all gone, as the vision of a 40-year-old GM and 36-year-old coach leading the organization started to take shape."

That, to me, doesn't say anything about whether his insight into Cousins was positive or less than that, but that it gave "special insight into the team's most important offseason decision".

This is an excellent article by the way:

https://www.startribune.com/vikings-coa ... fresh=true

[VikingsVictorious]

The real question with Cousins isn't going to be necessarily what happens with him this coming season, but what the Vikings do at QB beyond this season that I'm interested in seeing. The answer to that question will come with what the Vikings do both in terms of Cousins' contract as well as at the QB position in the draft and/or public statements made about Mond's future with the team. If there is no extension for Cousins and we start hearing glowing reports about Mond's offseason progress after mini-camps and the draft, that would suggest that while the Vikings may be content to stick with Cousins for this coming season they will try to move on from him. If they make a move at QB in the upcoming draft, that would indicate they would like to move on from both Cousins and Mond.

Personally, I think they should try to find a true franchise QB if they can. I don't think Cousins is that guy and I don't think KOC is going to fundamentally alter that fact regardless of how great he may be as a head coach. I mean, if KOC can come in here and make Cousins a franchise QB at this stage of his career, then there is no doubt the Vikings made maybe the best hire of this century at head coach.

Even before Zimmer and Spielman were fired I had accepted that Cousins was going to be around for another year. I doubt that would be materially different if Harbaugh were hired as the head coach, either. The Vikings just won't be in a position to win with either Mond or a rookie at QB, so it makes sense to stick with Cousins barring a trade, and I think Cousins will be extremely difficult to trade with his contract as-is.

I will say this though - barring some miraculous change in Cousins' performance under KOC, I hope they move on from him ASAP. He is not the future at QB any more than Zimmer was the future at head coach. If the Vikings are going for a youth movement of untested, untried potential stars at GM and head coach, they should complete the trifecta and go for the same at QB. If it's not Mond, then make a move for one they like in this year's draft. Sitting at #12, they're in position to do that if there is a guy they like, and this is a great year to do it too because the QB class isn't considered great and there are a lot of guys at other positions that are going to be chosen in those first 11 picks. If they don't feel like Mond is the future starter, then this is the perfect time to take a swing at a guy who can be if they decide they like the prospect enough. He can still sit and learn behind Cousins for a year which should help him develop and be ready to take the reins in 2023.

I wonder if KOC is just saying “all the right things” (publicly).

At this moment, Cousins is a Viking. He’s under contract. So publicly, he’s got to treat things that way. But gosh, with so many teams either having no quarterback or badly needing an upgrade, there’s never been a better seller’s market. I know I sound like an infomercial, but it’s the truth. And I have to believe KAM and KOC know the score. Maybe they’re talking up Cousins to jack up his perceived value.

And besides, do we really think Kirk Cousins is going to take a pay cut so that we don’t end up in this same predicament 2-3 years from now?

I'm the biggest Kirk fan there is, but even I think he needs to take a bit of a pay cut to continue as the Vikings QB and I don't think he will get $35 million or more from anybody else. $30 Million would be just about right.

[J. Kapp 11]

I wonder if KOC is just saying “all the right things” (publicly).

At this moment, Cousins is a Viking. He’s under contract. So publicly, he’s got to treat things that way. But gosh, with so many teams either having no quarterback or badly needing an upgrade, there’s never been a better seller’s market. I know I sound like an infomercial, but it’s the truth. And I have to believe KAM and KOC know the score. Maybe they’re talking up Cousins to jack up his perceived value.

And besides, do we really think Kirk Cousins is going to take a pay cut so that we don’t end up in this same predicament 2-3 years from now?

I'm the biggest Kirk fan there is, but even I think he needs to take a bit of a pay cut to continue as the Vikings QB and I don't think he will get $35 million or more from anybody else. $30 Million would be just about right.

Yes! We agree on something.

Now, set aside your Cousins fandom for just a moment. Think about this next question as only a Vikings fan.

If another team would take $30 million of his contract in a trade and send us a decent draft pick or two in return, say an early second-rounder or better, wouldn’t you have to take that offer seriously?

That takes the Vikings from $11 million over the cap to $19 million under — in just one move. Next, restructure some guys you believe are essential for continuity — maybe Thielen, Kendricks and Hunter — and move on from some others who aren’t — Barr, Pierce, Smith. Maybe free up another $15 million to $20 million. Now you’re pushing $40 million under the cap. That’s going to allow you to shore up some holes … interior O-line, corner, edge.

For short-term QB, pick up a bridge guy like Jameis Winston or even Gardner Minshew and let them mind the store for a year. Meanwhile, use some of that draft capital to get a guy like Malik Willis and develop him in that first year, with an eye on 2023.

I know that means we probably don’t contend in 2022. But do we really think simply running it back with all the same guys who have missed the playoffs 3 of the past 4 years is going to work?

Again, I’m asking you as a Vikings fan … can you see benefit in a plan like that? You don’t have to agree with it. But can you see benefit?

I just don’t think getting Kirk Cousins to drop his AAV by $5 million is going to move the needle. It’s not about what Kirk is worth. It’s about what is financially smart for the Minnesota Vikings to pay him.

Or, here’s another possibility …

If KAM and KOC believe Cousins is their guy, then get him to take a significantly lower AAV, maybe $20 million a year, but over a longer term, say another 5 years. He’d still make another $80 million to $100 million over the lifetime of the deal, plus he’d keep all the money from his previous contract. It also would give him security out to age 39, which no other team is going to give him, and it would take huge pressure off the Vikings’ cap situation. Cousins always wants to do short-term deals, but if he really wants to help the team, that would be a very fair way for him to do it.

What do you think?

[makila]

Thought i posted this last night after the kirk talk.... guess i never hit submit.

They are publicly going to talk Kirk up, no matter what. First and foremost is to pump his value up if you are going to try and trade him. Second is that if you keep him, you want him happy. Lastly doing the opposite of Zimmer and past regime has value right now. Heh.

I am curious how much the guarantee aspect of his contract could be a hindrance in a potential trade. Completely out of my knowledge. If that were to end up being the catch on potentially moving him..Rick deserves a special thanks.

[J. Kapp 11]

Thought i posted this last night after the kirk talk.... guess i never hit submit.

They are publicly going to talk Kirk up, no matter what. First and foremost is to pump his value up if you are going to try and trade him. Second is that if you keep him, you want him happy. Lastly doing the opposite of Zimmer and past regime has value right now. Heh.

I am curious how much the guarantee aspect of his contract could be a hindrance in a potential trade. Completely out of my knowledge. If that were to end up being the catch on potentially moving him..Rick deserves a special thanks.

I've been saying the same thing in my non-message-board circles. As Judd Zulgad says, NFL organizations lie all the time. With that in mind, it's very, very possible that the Vikings leaked the "KOC loves Kirk" information simply to drive up his perceived trade value, just as you said.

As for his contract, he only has one year left, and his $35 million salary became guaranteed last year. So the only hindrance is the amount. The experts say there's going to be a balance ... the more the team getting Cousins has to pay of that $35 million, the less they'll give up in draft capital in return. This is all the more reason to do everything possible to publicly talk up the virtues of Cousins. The Vikings want potential suitors to think he's darned near Tom Brady.

That's sarcasm, for all of you who might otherwise think I'm comparing Kirk Cousins to Tom Brady.

[CharVike]

Jeremy Fowler
@JFowlerESPN
Soon-to-be Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell conveyed a firm belief in Kirk Cousins during the interview process, I'm told. He's high on him. The front office must decide on Cousins' future due to his $45M cap hit, but many coaches interviewing for job liked Cousins, O'Connell included

As well they should. Cousins has always been a better QB than Stafford and Stafford was good enough to get the Rams to the SB this year.

It's great that the new HC believes in Cousins. You need that our your done. He's one of the few good players we have. I also think Cousins is better than Stafford. I've seen Stafford for a long time twice a year. I know what he is and saw it again this year. The Rams beat us but Stafford tried to give the game away. That 45 million is on our old FO. That will get changed but it won't disappear. Too late for that.

[VikingsVictorious]

I'm the biggest Kirk fan there is, but even I think he needs to take a bit of a pay cut to continue as the Vikings QB and I don't think he will get $35 million or more from anybody else. $30 Million would be just about right.

Yes! We agree on something.

Now, set aside your Cousins fandom for just a moment. Think about this next question as only a Vikings fan.

If another team would take $30 million of his contract in a trade and send us a decent draft pick or two in return, say an early second-rounder or better, wouldn’t you have to take that offer seriously?

That takes the Vikings from $11 million over the cap to $19 million under — in just one move. Next, restructure some guys you believe are essential for continuity — maybe Thielen, Kendricks and Hunter — and move on from some others who aren’t — Barr, Pierce, Smith. Maybe free up another $15 million to $20 million. Now you’re pushing $40 million under the cap. That’s going to allow you to shore up some holes … interior O-line, corner, edge.

For short-term QB, pick up a bridge guy like Jameis Winston or even Gardner Minshew and let them mind the store for a year. Meanwhile, use some of that draft capital to get a guy like Malik Willis and develop him in that first year, with an eye on 2023.

I know that means we probably don’t contend in 2022. But do we really think simply running it back with all the same guys who have missed the playoffs 3 of the past 4 years is going to work?

Again, I’m asking you as a Vikings fan … can you see benefit in a plan like that? You don’t have to agree with it. But can you see benefit?

I just don’t think getting Kirk Cousins to drop his AAV by $5 million is going to move the needle. It’s not about what Kirk is worth. It’s about what is financially smart for the Minnesota Vikings to pay him.

Or, here’s another possibility …

If KAM and KOC believe Cousins is their guy, then get him to take a significantly lower AAV, maybe $20 million a year, but over a longer term, say another 5 years. He’d still make another $80 million to $100 million over the lifetime of the deal, plus he’d keep all the money from his previous contract. It also would give him security out to age 39, which no other team is going to give him, and it would take huge pressure off the Vikings’ cap situation. Cousins always wants to do short-term deals, but if he really wants to help the team, that would be a very fair way for him to do it.

What do you think?

If we are going to trade Kirk I don't see why the recipient gets a 5 million discount. They take on the full 35 million. Yes I'd have to consider a first round pick and the full salary coming off the books. I think getting Kirk for 20 million a year is a pipe dream. No way in hell. When we kept Barr at the last second I almost screamed in disappointment. We should have let him go to the Jets. Most of your ideas seem OK to me.

[J. Kapp 11]

Yes! We agree on something.

Now, set aside your Cousins fandom for just a moment. Think about this next question as only a Vikings fan.

If another team would take $30 million of his contract in a trade and send us a decent draft pick or two in return, say an early second-rounder or better, wouldn’t you have to take that offer seriously?

That takes the Vikings from $11 million over the cap to $19 million under — in just one move. Next, restructure some guys you believe are essential for continuity — maybe Thielen, Kendricks and Hunter — and move on from some others who aren’t — Barr, Pierce, Smith. Maybe free up another $15 million to $20 million. Now you’re pushing $40 million under the cap. That’s going to allow you to shore up some holes … interior O-line, corner, edge.

For short-term QB, pick up a bridge guy like Jameis Winston or even Gardner Minshew and let them mind the store for a year. Meanwhile, use some of that draft capital to get a guy like Malik Willis and develop him in that first year, with an eye on 2023.

I know that means we probably don’t contend in 2022. But do we really think simply running it back with all the same guys who have missed the playoffs 3 of the past 4 years is going to work?

Again, I’m asking you as a Vikings fan … can you see benefit in a plan like that? You don’t have to agree with it. But can you see benefit?

I just don’t think getting Kirk Cousins to drop his AAV by $5 million is going to move the needle. It’s not about what Kirk is worth. It’s about what is financially smart for the Minnesota Vikings to pay him.

Or, here’s another possibility …

If KAM and KOC believe Cousins is their guy, then get him to take a significantly lower AAV, maybe $20 million a year, but over a longer term, say another 5 years. He’d still make another $80 million to $100 million over the lifetime of the deal, plus he’d keep all the money from his previous contract. It also would give him security out to age 39, which no other team is going to give him, and it would take huge pressure off the Vikings’ cap situation. Cousins always wants to do short-term deals, but if he really wants to help the team, that would be a very fair way for him to do it.

What do you think?

If we are going to trade Kirk I don't see why the recipient gets a 5 million discount. They take on the full 35 million. Yes I'd have to consider a first round pick and the full salary coming off the books. I think getting Kirk for 20 million a year is a pipe dream. No way in hell. When we kept Barr at the last second I almost screamed in disappointment. We should have let him go to the Jets. Most of your ideas seem OK to me.

Understood.

I would encourage you to look beyond what you believe Cousins is worth. I get that you believe he's worth $30 million a year. I don't agree, but I won't argue the point. This is a tradeoff. Kirk gets more years and more financial security in exchange for a lower average annual value (AAV).

Cousins will be 34 before the 2022 season starts. Truth is, he's never going to command $20 million a year past the age of 35 (unless he's won a Super Bowl, which would change everything). Add the $35 million of this year to 4 years of $20 million per year, and you're actually giving him $115 million over 5 years, which is $23 million per year AAV, all the way through age 38. If he holds the line for this year at $35 million, what assurances after that does he have that he'll make anywhere near $80 million for the rest of his career? In 2023, he'll be 35. No matter how much you like Kirk, nobody is going to pay a 35-year-old non-SB-winning QB $30 million a year. And if the Vikings miss the playoffs in 2022? He might have trouble finding suitors in free agency.

That's what I'm saying. This is about security. I'm not saying Kirk is only worth $20 million a year. I'm saying he's worth $115 million over 5 years out to his age 39 year. That's actually a heck of a good deal for Cousins. I believe it's far better than if he continues on his "bet on myself" path he's taken throughout his career and demanding big contracts. At some point, all players age out of the NFL.

Also, if you convert some of his 2022 salary to bonus, you can pay a lot of it to him right away and spread the cap hit over 5 years. That means for 2022, he'll still be paid a lot. Likely still around $30 million in his pocket, with more security for the future.

I know you probably won't agree, but I hope you see my thought process is not as simple as $20 million a year. It's offering security to Cousins in exchange for cap relief that actually makes a difference.

[VikingsVictorious]

If we are going to trade Kirk I don't see why the recipient gets a 5 million discount. They take on the full 35 million. Yes I'd have to consider a first round pick and the full salary coming off the books. I think getting Kirk for 20 million a year is a pipe dream. No way in hell. When we kept Barr at the last second I almost screamed in disappointment. We should have let him go to the Jets. Most of your ideas seem OK to me.

Understood.

I would encourage you to look beyond what you believe Cousins is worth. I get that you believe he's worth $30 million a year. I don't agree, but I won't argue the point. This is a tradeoff. Kirk gets more years and more financial security in exchange for a lower average annual value (AAV).

Cousins will be 34 before the 2022 season starts. Truth is, he's never going to command $20 million a year past the age of 35 (unless he's won a Super Bowl, which would change everything). Add the $35 million of this year to 4 years of $20 million per year, and you're actually giving him $115 million over 5 years, which is $23 million per year AAV, all the way through age 38. If he holds the line for this year at $35 million, what assurances after that does he have that he'll make anywhere near $80 million for the rest of his career? In 2023, he'll be 35. No matter how much you like Kirk, nobody is going to pay a 35-year-old non-SB-winning QB $30 million a year. And if the Vikings miss the playoffs in 2022? He might have trouble finding suitors in free agency.

That's what I'm saying. This is about security. I'm not saying Kirk is only worth $20 million a year. I'm saying he's worth $115 million over 5 years out to his age 39 year. That's actually a heck of a good deal for Cousins. I believe it's far better than if he continues on his "bet on myself" path he's taken throughout his career and demanding big contracts. At some point, all players age out of the NFL.

Also, if you convert some of his 2022 salary to bonus, you can pay a lot of it to him right away and spread the cap hit over 5 years. That means for 2022, he'll still be paid a lot. Likely still around $30 million in his pocket, with more security for the future.

I know you probably won't agree, but I hope you see my thought process is not as simple as $20 million a year. It's offering security to Cousins in exchange for cap relief that actually makes a difference.

Cousins already has all the security in the world. 38 isn't particularly old for a QB. He should be able to continue playing well until then so we disagree on his future value. If we can get him to agree to it though I'm all for it. We will lock in a very good QB for far below market value.

[VikingLord]

And besides, do we really think Kirk Cousins is going to take a pay cut so that we don’t end up in this same predicament 2-3 years from now?

I don't see Cousins taking a pay cut. Not with the Vikings or any other team if they managed to trade him.

But I also don't see the Vikings moving on from Cousins this coming year now that KOC appears to be the new coach. Even if the Vikings wanted to move on from him this coming season, which I don't think they do, they don't have a better option in the wings and I doubt they'll manage to draft one, so I think Cousins will be the starting QB for the Vikings in 2022 barring some pretty miraculous change in our collective fortunes.

What's far more interesting to me in regards to Cousins is does KAM extend him this offseason? They could argue that extending him gives them more cap room or whatever, but I would see another extension as a sign the KAM-KOC regime carries over the belief of the Spielman-Zimmer regime that the team can compete for a Superbowl paying a QB like Cousins at the level they're paying him while getting the performance they're going to get from him. KAM, being the analytics guy with the Wall Street trader background, would have to run those numbers and come to the conclusion that is something that can be done in the next 3-4 seasons if they extend him again.

While I'm not sure I see how that can be accomplished, I can definitely see a path by which the KAM-KOC brain trust would arrive at that conclusion, especially now that the Rams just won the Superbowl with Stafford at QB. Their success suggests that path to success is possible, and I could see them reasonably taking it, at least from a team construction standpoint.

[halfgiz]

Vikings hire QB coach Former Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson.
I don’t really think they hired him for Cousins. My guess would be a young QB.