3 realistic Kirk Cousins trades the Vikings should make

2. Cousins to Denver

The Denver Broncos seem to be falling out of love with Drew Lock, and if they can replace him with an upgrade they’ll surely do it. They are a possible landing spot for Deshaun Watson, and maybe even one he’d prefer, and they can make an aggressive offer centered on a top-10 pick in April.

The Broncos are well lined up to be aggressive in the quarterback market, with solid cap space ($31.13 million right now, via Over The Cap) to broaden their options. There’s no guarantee their pursuit of Watson actually gets him from the Houston Texans, as maybe the ninth pick in the draft falls down the board of appeal among other offers.

George Paton, Denver’s new general manager, worked in the Vikings’ front office for years as he interviewed for but turned away GM opportunities elsewhere on an annual basis. It’s presumed he had some fingerprints on the decision to sign Cousins back in 2018 and also to give him a contract extension last offseason.

With the offensive weapons they have, the Broncos simply need a quarterback who can be accurate and not turn the ball over left and right. Fumbles are an issue for Cousins, but over his three seasons with the Vikings, his interception rate is below 2.0 percent with a 69 percent completion rate.

If this offer came from the Broncos for Cousins, the Vikings would have to look hard at it.