4 Vikings who could follow Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons
Kirk Cousins made the jump from the Minnesota Vikings to the Atlanta Falcons. Here are four more Vikings who could hypothetically join the quarterback.
By Scott Rogust
It was the worst-kept secret in the NFL that the Atlanta Falcons prioritized signing Kirk Cousins to finally solve their years-long quarterback woes. Sure enough, shortly after informing the Minnesota Vikings that he was hitting the open market, Cousins had agreed to terms on a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons shortly after the free agency negotiation window opened on Monday. With that, the vibes are incredibly high in Atlanta.
This was a crucial first step for Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and new head coach Raheem Morris. The roster is talented enough to make the playoffs in the NFC, but they have severely underperformed in the past three years with the lack of a quality starting quarterback.
As is the case with many free agents, there is the chance they could be talked into reuniting with a former teammate in a new organization. Here are four Vikings who could follow Kirk Cousins to the Falcons.
4. D.J. Wonnum, DE
UPDATE: D.J. Wonnum signed a two-year contract with the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday. The original story can be viewed below:
There is one area of need that the Falcons must address. That is at the edge rusher position.
This past season, the Falcons had Bud Dupree, Arnold Ebiketie, and Lorenzo Carter as their primary edge rushers. This offseason, Dupree is a free agent, while Ebiketie and Carter moved up as starters. If the Falcons want to solidify their hold as favorites in the NFC South, they must add an edge rusher or two. One depth option they could explore is signing former Vikings defensive end D.J. Wonnum.
Wonnum was a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of South Carolina. Throughout his time with the Vikings, he alternated between starter and bench option. This past season, Wonnum was a starting outside linebacker for Minnesota. In 15 games (14 starts), Wonnum recorded 36 tackles, 32 defensive stops, 23 quarterback hurries, nine sacks, and six quarterback hits, per Pro Football Focus.
The Falcons would have to act quickly as Wonnum is scheduled to meet with the Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, and Chicago Bears.