The 2017 season isn’t even over yet and the NFL has already seen its first major trade of the 2018 off-season. This came when the Kansas City Chiefs dealt three-time Pro Bowler Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins. This move does many things, but above all else, it signals the likely fate of Kirk Cousins. Speculation now is he’ll hit free agency and be the most coveted name on the market. Normally this wouldn’t be a huge issue for Chicago, but it potentially could be soon. Especially for the Chicago Bears defense.
Speculation is already running rampant about where Cousins could end up. There will be no shortage of suitors. Cleveland has over $100 million in salary cap space and a new GM. The New York Jets have over $70 million and also a new offensive coordinator in Jeremy Bates whom Cousins is a fan of. The favorite though at this juncture is the Denver Broncos. No organization has proven better at maximizing veteran quarterbacks than them.
Most expect them to be the front-runner for Cousins’ services. However, there is a growing undercurrent that another more palatable option could swoop in for the steal should that be their wish.
I would suggest Minnesota and Denver as the likeliest landing spots. https://t.co/r730UUytLX
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) January 31, 2018
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Kirk Cousins to Vikings would be a major headache for Bears defense
Make no mistake. The Minnesota Vikings are a definite threat in these sweepstakes. They have the most palatable roster by a mile with the #1 defense in the NFL and two high-quality wide receivers in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielein waiting for whomever the quarterback is. Most would expect one of the current trio Minnesota already has will be the choice. Then again none of them have done what Cousins has.
Cousins has thrown for over 4,000 yards each of the past three seasons. He also has 81 touchdown passes in that span with a Pro Bowl appearance.
Case Keenum did get them to the NFC championship game. Teddy Bridgewater led them to the playoffs. Sam Bradford had a terrific late run in 2016, completing over 70% of his passes. At the same time, none of them have had near the consistency in production that Cousins has. By that same token Cousins has never played with a defense the caliber of Minnesota’s. In truth, it seems like a perfect match.
Money won’t be the issue either. The Vikings are projected to have over $53 million in cap space this off-season. That’s more than enough meet the lofty demands Cousins will have. They play in a dome which is ideal for quarterbacks. It’s hard to imagine any team having a better pitch than they do. It’s just a matter of whether they decide to throw their hat in the ring. No doubt the Chicago Bears defense would prefer they didn’t.
