Kirk Cousins, Vikings rumors heating up
By Joe Romano
It is rumor season in the NFL and the biggest free agent may already have found a home, with Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings making sense.
The Minnesota Vikings were a game away from the Super Bowl a year ago. This same team will bring back almost everyone on their roster, except for the quarterback. Minnesota has been one of the teams linked to former Washington Redskins’ quarterback and top free agent Kirk Cousins.
According to NFL insider Benjamin Allbright, the rumors are picking up surrounding the pairing.
There are rumors with a handful of teams and Cousins. The Cleveland Browns and New York Jets have massive cap space available. The Jets have been rumored to offer the most money, a whopping $60 million in his first year.
Denver has also thrown their hat in the mix. People see the Broncos as a quarterback away from being a contender. The same theory that connected the dots of Peyton Manning to the Broncos in 2012.
Washington let Cousins walk after trading with the Kansas City Chiefs for Alex Smith earlier this offseason. Cousins played the previous two seasons under the franchise tag for the Redskins after not being able to come to agreement on a long term deal. Rumors linking Minnesota to Cousins have been swirling since the end of the season, including saying Minnesota topped his list of destinations.
Meanwhile the Vikings will need a new quarterback. Last year’s opening day starter Sam Bradford will be a free agent. Case Keenum, who took over for Bradford and had an MVP-caliber year, will also hit the open market. Finally Teddy Bridgewater, now recovered from a brutal knee injury, will likely have to find a new home after his contract dispute is settled.
Minnesota, like Denver, hosts an elite defense that can carry a team. Throw Kirk Cousins into the mix and the Vikings may be NFC favorites. The team will also get back Dalvin Cook who had 111 rushing/receiving yards through four games a year ago.
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Cousins will be the first domino to fall in free agency. Once he signs, likely with the Vikings, the rest of the NFL can start throwing their money around.