Stability can be good, or bad. It can mean you're set, or stuck. For the Vikings, quarterback stability has meant both. They're set with Kirk Cousins and they're stuck with Kirk Cousins.
Kirk Cousins is the Vikings' quarterback, for better or for worse
By Star Tribune and
Jim Souhan
February 28, 2021 at 6:13AM
The Vikings' commitment to Cousins makes them, in this odd offseason, an NFL outlier.
Carson Wentz, the second pick in the 2016 draft, was traded from Philadelphia to Indianapolis, a deal that will damage the Eagles financially and was made because Wentz and his attitude gave the Eagles little choice but to move him.
The Rams chose Jared Goff one pick before Wentz, and just traded him and a slew of assets to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford, the No. 1 overall pick in 2009.
Deshaun Watson, one of the five best quarterbacks in the game, is trying to force a trade from the Houston Texans, who know that trading a great young player on a team-friendly contract would be sports-management malpractice.
Russell Wilson, another top-five quarterback, is for the first time publicly complaining about the Seahawks offense, highlighting perhaps the most unlikely quarterback-coach rift in the NFL — one between Wilson and Seattle coach Pete Carroll, two of the most positive people in the sport.
The Seahawks are unlikely to trade Wilson, but two weeks ago it was considered unlikely that he would ever conduct an interview questioning his boss.
The Dallas Cowboys continue to ponder a multiyear contract for Dak Prescott but have never committed to him long-term despite his obvious importance to the team.
Last year, Tom Brady left the Patriots for Tampa Bay and won a Super Bowl, bolstering the notion that you can be a mediocre team and yet be one great quarterback away from a title.
Drew Brees is retiring, a handful of teams could spend first-round picks on quarterbacks, and a few contenders — Buffalo, Baltimore and Pittsburgh — have to make big-money decisions on their current starters.
Remember how the Chiefs' half-a-billion-dollar contract for Patrick Mahomes was received? Well, now the Chiefs might be the only team in the NFL with true long-term security at the position.
If the Seahawks and Texans unwisely traded their starters, here are the teams that will or could have new quarterbacks by the fall:
Seattle, San Francisco, the Rams, New Orleans, Carolina, Washington, N.Y. Giants, N.Y. Jets, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Houston, Jacksonville, Miami, New England, Las Vegas, Denver.
That's 18 teams. Realistically, that number might turn out to be closer to 12 or 14, but the potential for widespread change highlights a couple of new factors on the NFL landscape:
• NFL quarterbacks are beginning to understand their power. They're like NBA stars — rare and valuable commodities who can force change.
• Teams understand more than ever that a new quarterback — rookie or veteran — can immediately transform a franchise.
Which brings us to the trade proposed by veteran NFL writer Peter King. King is well-connected. He wrote that a possible deal would send Cousins to the 49ers and Watson to the Vikings while costing them two first-round picks and two second-rounders, plus linebacker Anthony Barr and running back Alexander Mattison.
It's a fun idea that will not happen.
Imagine this conversation: Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman goes to owner Zygi Wilf and says, "You know that quarterback we've spent $150 million on, the one we told you would put us over the top? The guy who played really well the last 10 weeks of the season, causing us to commit to running the same offense under another guy named Kubiak? The guy who would kill us financially if we traded him?
"We're not just going to trade him — we're going to give up four prime draft picks and the linebacker our coach loves so Watson can run around behind an offensive line we can't afford to fix."
A new coach and general manager might be willing to start all over with Watson.
But the Vikings, with Spielman and Zimmer, are set, or stuck, with Cousins for at least one more year.
Jim Souhan's podcast can be heard at TalkNorth.com. On Twitter: @SouhanStrib. jsouhan@startribune.com
Naz Reid led the Wolves with 25 points off the bench, Anthony Edwards added 21, and Minnesota made sure Charlotte didn’t leave Target Center with another victory.
