What the Minnesota Vikings are risking if they go all-in on Kirk Cousins
What are the Minnesota Vikings risking if they go all-in for Kirk Cousins? The repercussions if they do not land him could be significant…
If the Minnesota Vikings decide to go all-in on Kirk Cousins, there is a certain level of risk involved that doesn’t necessarily exist for other teams in the Cousins derby.
The Vikings, unlike most other teams in the market for quarterbacks this offseason, had two or three viable starting options on their roster as of 2017. That list includes Case Keenum, Sam Bradford, and former first round pick Teddy Bridgewater.
All three of those players are unrestricted free agents this offseason, and if the Vikings are going to go all-in on Cousins, it would mean they would have to let all three of those quarterbacks — one that just helped lead them to the NFC Championship game — hit the open market.
Of course, adding Cousins also presents the Vikings with risk for the future, when they will have a lot of in-house free agents on expiring contracts, specifically on the defensive side of the ball.
The Vikings will also have to deal with Stefon Diggs’ contract expiring next offseason, and they may have to tear up Adam Thielen’s contract and give him a new one too if he keeps progressing at the rate he has been.
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Cousins would be a fit in Minnesota, no question. He would be a long-term solution for them and with a great roster around him, it seems like his presence would allow the Vikings to compete for titles rather quickly.
But if he doesn’t pick Minnesota, and they let their other quarterbacks walk away in free agency, what happens to the Vikings then?
There’s a good chance they would be able to get one of their three guys back, but there will be suitors for all of Keenum, Bradford, and Bridgewater on the open market. If Minnesota has to wait for Cousins to make a decision, and he picks a different team, they could be left with less than ideal options.
The Vikings have the cap space this offseason to secure a quarterback for the foreseeable future, but that cap space gets smaller every year hereafter.
This is not meant to predict doom and gloom for the Vikings, but if they want to go after Kirk Cousins, there is risk involved for them unlike other teams that don’t currently have any sort of alternative in place.