Cousins Trade Rumors

[Pondering Her Percy]

You and this contract. The Vikings are a projected $12 million over the cap. Yet you have teams like the Saints who are roughly $112 over the cap (yes you read that correctly). Or the Eagles who are over by 50+ million. I dont understand why you somehow think all this "Cousins cash" is holding us back from signing all these big name FAs. Like when does this team ever overspend in FA? Whether they have boat loads of cap or in the negative, they build through the draft as they should. I already proved to you that your little fantasy scenario that you typed up a few weeks ago has 0 chance of being realistic or even remotely doable. For as much as you complain about his contract, he's yet to cost us much of anything player wise on this team or in terms of incoming FAs.

How would you know if he did. What an absurd statement?

An absurd argument? Yeah because Spielman is known for signing all these big name free agents and not building through the draft Spielman was like that well before Cousins was even a thought. So I dont know why anyone would think any different. This team has had the room WITH Cousins to sign mid level FAs, bargains, etc. However, the high priced ones that are often overpaid would've been a stretch. One of them? No. MULTIPLE, yes. That's what he is referring to. Or at least it's what his fantasy scenario was referring to. Check it out and tell me how drastically unrealistic it is. Do you really think that if Cousins wasnt on this team Spielman would all of the sudden change his philosophy and go on a free agency spending spree? Come on....

[CharVike]

Watson is Mahomes? Mahomes is in his 2nd Super Bowl. Mahomes threw 50 TD passes one year. Watson best is 30. How is that even close? The elite guy just lead his team to 4 wins. Not to much masking there. The elite guy couldn't beat Cousins in his own house. Old man Brady just lead a below 500 team to the show. Before that he carried a team for 20 years. That's elite. If Watson goes to Detroit I guess the Super Bowl is a given. They wouldn't even win the division because they have Rodgers to deal with. If Houston is smart they would trade him for the 1st pick. Guess what that won't get that pick for him. But he's elite. Maybe the Jets would take him for the 2nd pick. That's a dumb team but I doubt they would do it. They should be able to get the Pats pick easily. I don't see that one either. Watson's a dam good QB. His biggest issue IMO is he thinks he's also the GM/HC of the team. Imagine him here and he's told we are a ground first team. He'll start whining and it wouldn't stop. I say no thanks.

If Zimmer had a QB of Watson's caliber he wouldn't need to put such an emphasis on the run and Watson would have his best year with us just like EVERY OTHER QB ZIMMER HAS COACHED.

Zimmer doesn't want to lose. He doesn't want his offense to not score or pick up yards. He just doesn't want his offense to turn the ball over or go 3 and out frequently. Just like every other HC. 9 out of 10 HCs with Cousins as their QB, the Oline that we have, and Cook as their RB would run it as much as Zimmer does, because that is what works best for the personnel we have on the field.

As for Watson versus Mahomes, Mahomes is a better QB, but he is also in a much better spot in KC than what Watson had in Houston. Mahomes is a once in a lifetime QB and Watson is a step below him, but not that big of a step and he would be the 2nd best QB in the NFC once Rodgers starts to decline next year due to his age catching up to him. Watson means division titles and multiple SB appearances over the next decade, even if it means giving up 3 1sts and Hunter.

Zimmer already has a QB of his caliber. Cousins threw 35 TDs last year and Watson threw 30. How is that so much better? I don't see it. Watson current playoff record is 1-2. How is that considered to be great? If Watson is as good as some think the que will be stacked with takers. The Broncs don't have a starter. What are they waiting for? The Super Bowls are there with one trade. I could name team after team in the same boat.

[Pondering Her Percy]

Tell us how good he is. I'm open to learning something if there is objectively something to learn.

Watson's stats are marginally better than Cousins from what I've seen. He's a better runner for sure. The two aren't close there, but passing-wise, they look pretty close and Cousins is better in many categories.

In terms of the overall success of their teams, there too I'm not seeing anything that makes me think Watson is going to save the Vikings and lead them into a glorious future as he hasn't done that for the Texans.

And if you believe he hasn't done that for the Texans because the Texans have poor ownership/GM/coaching, I rest my point unless you think the Vikings have great ownership/GM/coaching and the only thing holding the Vikings back is their overpaid starting QB.

Kirk is also given the luxury of throwing to AT, JJ and Cook. His WR castoff also just led the league in receiving yards and receptions (I think). I am not sure that Watson's stats would be similar if playing with our cornucopia of weapons.

Sure, AT, JJ and Cook are elite. Does it help him? Sure what QB wouldnt it help? What is he suppose to do? Not throw to them? No less you want to talk about pis# poor weapons? Cousins "weapons" in 2017 were Jamison Crowder, Josh Doctson, Terrelle Pryor, Chris Thompson and Semaje Perine. And he still threw for over 4,000 yards and 27 TDs.

[StumpHunter]

If Zimmer had a QB of Watson's caliber he wouldn't need to put such an emphasis on the run and Watson would have his best year with us just like EVERY OTHER QB ZIMMER HAS COACHED.

Zimmer doesn't want to lose. He doesn't want his offense to not score or pick up yards. He just doesn't want his offense to turn the ball over or go 3 and out frequently. Just like every other HC. 9 out of 10 HCs with Cousins as their QB, the Oline that we have, and Cook as their RB would run it as much as Zimmer does, because that is what works best for the personnel we have on the field.

As for Watson versus Mahomes, Mahomes is a better QB, but he is also in a much better spot in KC than what Watson had in Houston. Mahomes is a once in a lifetime QB and Watson is a step below him, but not that big of a step and he would be the 2nd best QB in the NFC once Rodgers starts to decline next year due to his age catching up to him. Watson means division titles and multiple SB appearances over the next decade, even if it means giving up 3 1sts and Hunter.

Zimmer already has a QB of his caliber. Cousins threw 35 TDs last year and Watson threw 30. How is that so much better? I don't see it. Watson current playoff record is 1-2. How is that considered to be great? If Watson is as good as some think the que will be stacked with takers. The Broncs don't have a starter. What are they waiting for? The Super Bowls are there with one trade. I could name team after team in the same boat.

[StumpHunter]

How would you know if he did. What an absurd statement?

An absurd argument? Yeah because Spielman is known for signing all these big name free agents and not building through the draft Spielman was like that well before Cousins was even a thought. So I dont know why anyone would think any different. This team has had the room WITH Cousins to sign mid level FAs, bargains, etc. However, the high priced ones that are often overpaid would've been a stretch. One of them? No. MULTIPLE, yes. That's what he is referring to. Or at least it's what his fantasy scenario was referring to. Check it out and tell me how drastically unrealistic it is. Do you really think that if Cousins wasnt on this team Spielman would all of the sudden change his philosophy and go on a free agency spending spree? Come on....

Prior to 2020 Rick had never lost multiple starters to FAs and cut multiple starters to save cap space either.

What changed I wonder?

It is all about the cap space and when they Vikings have had it they have spent it. 2017 they had cap and spent it on 3 new starters in Remmers, Rieff and Murray.

2018 they had cap and they spent it on Richardson and Cousins.

2019 they had very little cap and what they did have they spent on Barr and giving a mediocre TE a raise.

2020 they were in the red and cut a bunch of players and didn't extend others.

[chicagopurple]

and pretty much every one of those moves were garbage.......Spielman is a dead end

[Pondering Her Percy]

I don't think some of you understand how good Watson is.

Tell us how good he is. I'm open to learning something if there is objectively something to learn.

Watson's stats are marginally better than Cousins from what I've seen. He's a better runner for sure. The two aren't close there, but passing-wise, they look pretty close and Cousins is better in many categories.

In terms of the overall success of their teams, there too I'm not seeing anything that makes me think Watson is going to save the Vikings and lead them into a glorious future as he hasn't done that for the Texans.

And if you believe he hasn't done that for the Texans because the Texans have poor ownership/GM/coaching, I rest my point unless you think the Vikings have great ownership/GM/coaching and the only thing holding the Vikings back is their overpaid starting QB.

Dude I said this same exact thing to my buddy a few days ago.

Look at some of these comparisons:

I'll even put it as "Player A" and "Player B"

Player A's numbers in the last 3 seasons
Games: 47
W-L: 25-22
TD: 85
INT: 28
Sacks taken: 155
Playoff record: 1-2

Player B's numbers in the last 3 seasons
Games: 47
W-L: 25-21
TD: 91
INT: 29
Sacks taken: 107
Playoff record: 1-1

And I will add on by saying it will cost the Vikings roughly 3 first round picks to get player A on this team as well as more money in the long run than player B currently costs.

I think you can now figure out who player A and player B are. Honestly, what is the difference? Because Watson can scramble? Watson has also taken 48 more sacks than Cousins has in the same exact amount of games. FORTY EIGHT MORE! Compared to someone that's much more of a pocket passer and also has a very bad OL as well (particularly the interior which is the worst thing for pcoket QBs)

I'm not trying to sit here and say this guy is better than that guy. What I am asking is where is there a DRASTIC difference? How is player A going to get us over the hump that player B supposedly cant get over?

And guys really want to give up 3 first round picks and more money to player A for nearly the same exact thing? Lets not act like Watson has been playing for the Jets his whole career. In 2018 and 2019 I wouldnt say Houston was any less talented than or more talented than the Vikings were. In 2020 both teams had their issues.

I mean hell lets even look at each of their lone player wins.

-Cousins beat the NFC favorite Saints on the road when the game was on the line in OT.

-Watson beat an average at best Bills team at home by the skin of their teeth.

I'm not going to lie, I'm not a fan of trying to get Watson over what we currently have in Cousins. The only argument anyone could even make with Watson is that he can scramble, but again, he's also taken 48 more sacks than Cousins has in the last 3 years. So really, how valuable is that scrambling ability? Just take some time to factor that in. Lets figure an average of about 7 yards a sack. Times 48. That's 336 MORE yards lost than Kirk Cousins. And Kirk Cousins supposedly has "no pocket presence", is a "statue", "cant scramble", etc.

But Watson is really worth 3 first rounders and more money? I'm not going to lie, I'd much rather keep Cousins and our draft picks than give that away for someone that hasnt proved any more than Cousins has. At least with Cousins it doesnt ruin our future draft. Watson literally demolishes it.

If I'm Houston, they are absolutely crazy NOT to trade Watson. They can literally rape a team with a trade. Matt Stafford just reset the bar for trade value. Watson is going to pull almost double that. Then throw in a pick you can get for JJ Watt. Cut dead weight on your roster like David Johnson and Houston would have a ridiculous amount of capital to play with and have a bare bones start fresh roster.

[StumpHunter]

Tell us how good he is. I'm open to learning something if there is objectively something to learn.

Watson's stats are marginally better than Cousins from what I've seen. He's a better runner for sure. The two aren't close there, but passing-wise, they look pretty close and Cousins is better in many categories.

In terms of the overall success of their teams, there too I'm not seeing anything that makes me think Watson is going to save the Vikings and lead them into a glorious future as he hasn't done that for the Texans.

And if you believe he hasn't done that for the Texans because the Texans have poor ownership/GM/coaching, I rest my point unless you think the Vikings have great ownership/GM/coaching and the only thing holding the Vikings back is their overpaid starting QB.

Dude I said this same exact thing to my buddy a few days ago.

Look at some of these comparisons:

I'll even put it as "Player A" and "Player B"

Player A's numbers in the last 3 seasons
Games: 47
W-L: 25-22
TD: 85
INT: 28
Sacks taken: 155
Playoff record: 1-2

Player B's numbers in the last 3 seasons
Games: 47
W-L: 25-21
TD: 91
INT: 29
Sacks taken: 107
Playoff record: 1-1

And I will add on by saying it will cost the Vikings roughly 3 first round picks to get player A on this team as well as more money in the long run than player B currently costs.

I think you can now figure out who player A and player B are. Honestly, what is the difference? Because Watson can scramble? Watson has also taken 48 more sacks than Cousins has in the same exact amount of games. FORTY EIGHT MORE! Compared to someone that's much more of a pocket passer and also has a very bad OL as well (particularly the interior which is the worst thing for pcoket QBs)

I'm not trying to sit here and say this guy is better than that guy. What I am asking is where is there a DRASTIC difference? How is player A going to get us over the hump that player B supposedly cant get over?

And guys really want to give up 3 first round picks and more money to player A for nearly the same exact thing? Lets not act like Watson has been playing for the Jets his whole career. In 2018 and 2019 I wouldnt say Houston was any less talented than or more talented than the Vikings were. In 2020 both teams had their issues.

I mean hell lets even look at each of their lone player wins.

-Cousins beat the NFC favorite Saints on the road when the game was on the line in OT.

-Watson beat an average at best Bills team at home by the skin of their teeth.

I'm not going to lie, I'm not a fan of trying to get Watson over what we currently have in Cousins. The only argument anyone could even make with Watson is that he can scramble, but again, he's also taken 48 more sacks than Cousins has in the last 3 years. So really, how valuable is that scrambling ability? Just take some time to factor that in. Lets figure an average of about 7 yards a sack. Times 48. That's 336 MORE yards lost than Kirk Cousins. And Kirk Cousins supposedly has "no pocket presence", is a "statue", "cant scramble", etc.

But Watson is really worth 3 first rounders and more money? I'm not going to lie, I'd much rather keep Cousins and our draft picks than give that away for someone that hasnt proved any more than Cousins has. At least with Cousins it doesnt ruin our future draft. Watson literally demolishes it.

If I'm Houston, they are absolutely crazy NOT to trade Watson. They can literally rape a team with a trade. Matt Stafford just reset the bar for trade value. Watson is going to pull almost double that. Then throw in a pick you can get for JJ Watt. Cut dead weight on your roster like David Johnson and Houston would have a ridiculous amount of capital to play with and have a bare bones start fresh roster.

If Watson and Cousins are pretty much the same QB, shouldn't we be trying to do the same thing?

Trade Cousins for a massive haul and rebuild? Or deep down do you know everyone but a few homers in MN know Watson is a massive upgrade over Cousins and worth a lot more?

[CharVike]

Zimmer already has a QB of his caliber. Cousins threw 35 TDs last year and Watson threw 30. How is that so much better? I don't see it. Watson current playoff record is 1-2. How is that considered to be great? If Watson is as good as some think the que will be stacked with takers. The Broncs don't have a starter. What are they waiting for? The Super Bowls are there with one trade. I could name team after team in the same boat.

Deshaun Watson QB - Kirk Cousins QB
Percentage 70.2 67.6
Yards 4,823 4,265
Yds/Att 8.9 8.3
TD 33 35

It's not like Watson is blowing him out of the water. It's dam close. Certainly not worth giving up our top pass rusher and 3 1st rounders.That's not the difference I would look for.

[Pondering Her Percy]

An absurd argument? Yeah because Spielman is known for signing all these big name free agents and not building through the draft Spielman was like that well before Cousins was even a thought. So I dont know why anyone would think any different. This team has had the room WITH Cousins to sign mid level FAs, bargains, etc. However, the high priced ones that are often overpaid would've been a stretch. One of them? No. MULTIPLE, yes. That's what he is referring to. Or at least it's what his fantasy scenario was referring to. Check it out and tell me how drastically unrealistic it is. Do you really think that if Cousins wasnt on this team Spielman would all of the sudden change his philosophy and go on a free agency spending spree? Come on....

Prior to 2020 Rick had never lost multiple starters to FAs and cut multiple starters to save cap space either.

What changed I wonder?

It is all about the cap space and when they Vikings have had it they have spent it. 2017 they had cap and spent it on 3 new starters in Remmers, Rieff and Murray.

2018 they had cap and they spent it on Richardson and Cousins.

2019 they had very little cap and what they did have they spent on Barr and giving a mediocre TE a raise.

2020 they were in the red and cut a bunch of players and didn't extend others.

lol are you really going to play that game dude? I really have to explain all that again?

Let me do it with a series of questions and please answer each....

1.) Would you continue to pay Xavier Rhodes big money with how he was playing last year?

2.) Would you have given Trae Waynes $42 million and make him the leagues 7th highest paid corner?

3.) Would you have continued to pay Linval Joseph big money given he was entering the back half of his career and PASS on signing Michael Pierce instead (which of course you failed to mention to make your argument look better than it actually was)?

4.) Would you have re-signed Mac Alexander when he wanted nothing to do with you given you played him in a meaningless week 17 game which then got him hurt?

5.) Would you have agreed to pay Everson Griffen $13.9 million so he didnt opt out of his contract given he's entering the back end of his career?

6.) Would you have passed on Buffalo's trade offer for Stefon Diggs given he also didnt want to be here?

I'll be very interested to hear your answers


And on a side note: Did you notice that question numbers 1, 4, possibly even 5 and 6 were all largely due to who our coach is? In terms of Xavier Rhodes being a dumpster fire to all of the sudden being a top CB in the league in Indy. Or that Mack was ticked off at Zimmer and took a bag of peanuts from the Bengals just so he was out of here. Or that Diggs wanted out because he was completely unaware and blindsided that they were shifting to a run heavy based scheme (and because he wasnt "the guy")?? Just curious because you've been quite the coaches advocate as of late.

[vikeinmontana]

Dude I said this same exact thing to my buddy a few days ago.

Look at some of these comparisons:

I'll even put it as "Player A" and "Player B"

Player A's numbers in the last 3 seasons
Games: 47
W-L: 25-22
TD: 85
INT: 28
Sacks taken: 155
Playoff record: 1-2

Player B's numbers in the last 3 seasons
Games: 47
W-L: 25-21
TD: 91
INT: 29
Sacks taken: 107
Playoff record: 1-1

And I will add on by saying it will cost the Vikings roughly 3 first round picks to get player A on this team as well as more money in the long run than player B currently costs.

I think you can now figure out who player A and player B are. Honestly, what is the difference? Because Watson can scramble? Watson has also taken 48 more sacks than Cousins has in the same exact amount of games. FORTY EIGHT MORE! Compared to someone that's much more of a pocket passer and also has a very bad OL as well (particularly the interior which is the worst thing for pcoket QBs)

I'm not trying to sit here and say this guy is better than that guy. What I am asking is where is there a DRASTIC difference? How is player A going to get us over the hump that player B supposedly cant get over?

And guys really want to give up 3 first round picks and more money to player A for nearly the same exact thing? Lets not act like Watson has been playing for the Jets his whole career. In 2018 and 2019 I wouldnt say Houston was any less talented than or more talented than the Vikings were. In 2020 both teams had their issues.

I mean hell lets even look at each of their lone player wins.

-Cousins beat the NFC favorite Saints on the road when the game was on the line in OT.

-Watson beat an average at best Bills team at home by the skin of their teeth.

I'm not going to lie, I'm not a fan of trying to get Watson over what we currently have in Cousins. The only argument anyone could even make with Watson is that he can scramble, but again, he's also taken 48 more sacks than Cousins has in the last 3 years. So really, how valuable is that scrambling ability? Just take some time to factor that in. Lets figure an average of about 7 yards a sack. Times 48. That's 336 MORE yards lost than Kirk Cousins. And Kirk Cousins supposedly has "no pocket presence", is a "statue", "cant scramble", etc.

But Watson is really worth 3 first rounders and more money? I'm not going to lie, I'd much rather keep Cousins and our draft picks than give that away for someone that hasnt proved any more than Cousins has. At least with Cousins it doesnt ruin our future draft. Watson literally demolishes it.

If I'm Houston, they are absolutely crazy NOT to trade Watson. They can literally rape a team with a trade. Matt Stafford just reset the bar for trade value. Watson is going to pull almost double that. Then throw in a pick you can get for JJ Watt. Cut dead weight on your roster like David Johnson and Houston would have a ridiculous amount of capital to play with and have a bare bones start fresh roster.

If Watson and Cousins are pretty much the same QB, shouldn't we be trying to do the same thing?

Trade Cousins for a massive haul and rebuild? Or deep down do you know everyone but a few homers in MN know Watson is a massive upgrade over Cousins and worth a lot more?

Good point. We should definitely try to trade him if we're in a position to get several first rounders and more for him. Because that's what they're going to get for Watson.

What a fascinating discussion. Never in a million years did I think I'd see a conversation suggesting Kirk Cousins is the same player that DeShaun Watson is.

[J. Kapp 11]

A 3 win talent team? Based on what?

2015 and 2016 they had a good Oline, WRs, TE, okay RBs and below average, but not terrible scoring defense. 2017 you could argue was a 3 win team with a backup QB, but an average starting QB would win 7 games with a team of that caliber no problem, and in fact Alex Smith won 6 before getting hurt with that team the next year, while his backups won just 1 of the remaining games.

PFF had Washington as the 6th most talented team in 2016 in fact. He won 8 games with that squad. 8. He just doesn't elevate teams. Hasn't his entire career, and that is why you move on, because this team needs some elevating.

I watched every game. Every game. And replays, and all 22. Your stats are what they are. Stats. In this case anyway, they tell nothing of the story. Absolutely nothing. I could go on for hours. Not much point.

I would agree the team needs some elevating. Not going to get that in the QB position. Everyone's new fantasy, Watson won one playoff game with a good team and 4 games on a bad team. Didn't elevate anything despite his fantastic stats. Doesn't mean he is not a really good QB. Sound like anyone we know? But you'll pay him more than Kirk AND wreck the next 3 drafts.

You and Kapp seem in the same boat. Blow it up top to bottom and start again because the current way hasn't done it. That's one approach. Might work, might not. But it will take a long time to recover from that kind of trade. Build on what you have or blow it up, which one will work faster? No way to know really.

It will take a long time to recover?

What do you think people like me have been doing for the past 50 years? I've watched this team lose four Super Bowls and a half dozen NFC Championship Games. Why would I care about taking 2 or 3 years to get competent management and coaching in here and reconstruct a roster? I'd rather see real progress than sit here and delude myself into believe this organization as currently constructed can ever sniff a Super Bowl.

It's a fantasy to think that Kirk Cousins can take any team over the top. Or that Mike Zimmer's "well, it worked in Dallas" 1990s coaching philosophy has a prayer of succeeding beyond the occasional Wild Card win. Or that Rick Spielman's "give me all the late-round picks" approach to the draft is ever going to put the overload of talent around Cousins that he needs to be competent. Or that this team's method of cap management is anything but galactically stupid.

You guys act like Watson had this incredible talent and amazing organization around him in Houston. I've got news for you. Bill O'Brien was one of the worst GMs in the history of the league. Awful. The guy signed MATT KALIL in 2019 to a $7.5 million contract. Was he smoking crack? Then, to fix this blunder, he gave up two first-round picks and a second for Laremy Tunsil. Roughly what I would be willing to give up for Deshaun Watson. And I'm the stupid one?

O'Brien is a guy who, as a coach, openly disliked DeAndre Hopkins so much that he was willing to trade him to Arizona for David Johnson. Think about that for a minute. This is the genius Watson was playing for. And why did O'Brien dislike Hopkins so much? Apparently because he was too black. As it was, Hopkins hated being broken up from Watson, but he also couldn't wait to get out of Houston.

And now they hire a 65-year-old first-time head coach. Why? Apparently because they thought his skin color would make Deshaun Watson happy. Do they honestly think Deshaun Watson is that shallow? Did they honestly believe he'd react any differently than he actually did? The Houston organization epitomizes dysfunction. They're worse than us, and that's saying something.

Yet Watson somehow got them to the playoffs in back-to-back years. Something Kirk Cousins has never done. Something Mike Zimmer has never done. Something Rick Spielman has never done in his GM role. Watson also almost single-handedly won their playoff game against Buffalo, then ran out to a 24-0 lead against the Chiefs until the defense managed to lose the lead by halftime, eventually giving up 51 in the LAST THREE QUARTERS. But yeah, Deshaun Watson isn't all that.

For years, I've been trashed on this board because I'm too optimistic. Because I'm "willing to accept mediocrity." Well, no more. I'm tired of the clown show. Tear it all down and start over. Otherwise neither Deshaun Watson nor anybody else will want to play here.

[vikeinmontana]

https://www.sbnation.com/2021/1/28/2225 ... s-patriots

Here is an opinion of what five teams would likely have to package to land Watson. Obviously just one guys opinion but the overall talk seems to indicate this will be one of the biggest trades we've seen in the NFL.

Do people really believe Cousins would garner this much attention and draft picks? Because they are basically the same?

I guess all of the owners and GM's of these teams must be as dumb as I am because one of these teams is going to give up a ton to land the guy.

I'm not a Cousins hater. But if he's as good as Watson, and we could get a couple firsts, couple 2nd's and maybe even a player or two in return; Spielman is dumber than I thought if he doesn't try to make a move. Personally I don't think Cousins would get anything near what Watson will demand, but hey, they're basically the same!

Come on Rick!

[S197]

https://www.sbnation.com/2021/1/28/2225 ... s-patriots

Here is an opinion of what five teams would likely have to package to land Watson. Obviously just one guys opinion but the overall talk seems to indicate this will be one of the biggest trades we've seen in the NFL.

Do people really believe Cousins would garner this much attention and draft picks? Because they are basically the same?

I guess all of the owners and GM's of these teams must be as dumb as I am because one of these teams is going to give up a ton to land the guy.

I'm not a Cousins hater. But if he's as good as Watson, and we could get a couple firsts, couple 2nd's and maybe even a player or two in return; Spielman is dumber than I thought if he doesn't try to make a move. Personally I don't think Cousins would get anything near what Watson will demand, but hey, they're basically the same!

Come on Rick!

It’s interesting that Minnesota isn’t on there. But I think the reason why is Houston can’t afford to pay for Cousins. Their cap situation is worse than the Vikings so while the Vikings don’t have to eat that much extra dead cap ($10M) the Texans can’t eat their side of the dead cap and pay Cousins. Not without freeing up $25+M in cap if I’m calculating correctly.

Which just illustrates how onerous Cousins’ contract is. He really only makes sense going to a team with a lot of cap but most of these teams are rebuilding and unlikely to take on his last two years.

If I’m the Vikings, I trade Cousins for Jimmy G straight up. Then cut Jimmy G for no cap hit. Basically what you’re doing is trading away Cousins $45M 2022 anchor payment. It would be a huge admission of mistake on Rick and Zimmer’s part, but it would be the best option for this team long term.

[S197]

https://www.sbnation.com/2021/1/28/2225 ... s-patriots

Here is an opinion of what five teams would likely have to package to land Watson. Obviously just one guys opinion but the overall talk seems to indicate this will be one of the biggest trades we've seen in the NFL.

Do people really believe Cousins would garner this much attention and draft picks? Because they are basically the same?

I guess all of the owners and GM's of these teams must be as dumb as I am because one of these teams is going to give up a ton to land the guy.

I'm not a Cousins hater. But if he's as good as Watson, and we could get a couple firsts, couple 2nd's and maybe even a player or two in return; Spielman is dumber than I thought if he doesn't try to make a move. Personally I don't think Cousins would get anything near what Watson will demand, but hey, they're basically the same!

Come on Rick!

It’s interesting that Minnesota isn’t on there. But I think the reason why is Houston can’t afford to pay for Cousins. Their cap situation is worse than the Vikings so while the Vikings don’t have to eat that much extra dead cap ($10M) the Texans can’t eat their side of the dead cap and pay Cousins. Not without freeing up $25+M in cap if I’m calculating correctly.

Which just illustrates how onerous Cousins’ contract is. He really only makes sense going to a team with a lot of cap but most of these teams are rebuilding and unlikely to take on his last two years.

If I’m the Vikings, I trade Cousins for Jimmy G straight up. Then cut Jimmy G for no cap hit. Basically what you’re doing is trading away Cousins $45M 2022 anchor payment. It would be a huge admission of mistake on Rick and Zimmer’s part, but it would be the best option for this team long term.