Post by Purple Pain on Mar 19, 2021 7:57:40 GMT -6
Why the Vikings didn’t trade Kirk Cousins: ‘Our goal is to get to the playoffs’ by Chad Graff
Shortly after a disappointing Minnesota Vikings season ended, questions swirled about the fate of the team’s franchise quarterback. Kirk Cousins had just finished his third season in Minnesota and had only one playoff appearance to show for it. His looming cap hits were massive and his slow start to the 2020 season was a big reason the team dug a hole too big to overcome.
There was a slew of teams around the NFL looking for a new quarterback, including one, the San Francisco 49ers, that is led by a coach that is one of Cousins’ biggest believers. So rumors circulated. Would the Vikings consider trading Cousins?
Today, the entirety of Cousins’ 2022 salary becomes fully guaranteed and the answer to the question above is clear — no, they’re not trading Cousins.
To understand why, it’s important to look at the very top of the organization.
General manager Rick Spielman talks with Vikings ownership, led by Mark Wilf, on a nearly daily basis. Early in the offseason, ownership discussed goals for the season ahead. They are not interested in rebuilding. They want to reach the playoffs in 2021. They view the Pittsburgh Steelers as a model franchise, one that rarely changes coaches and consistently reaches the playoffs. That’s what the Wilfs want with the Vikings.
So the Wilfs’ message when it came to a potential Cousins move was simple: Don’t make us worse at the sport’s most important position. The appetite for a rookie quarterback (or a veteran worse than Cousins) wasn’t there because they still think their window to win the division is open.
In basic terms, Cousins was not traded because ownership would rather try to be good every year than roll the dice on likely being really bad for a few years in hopes that they’d eventually be really good. Before the 2020 season, Wilf outlined that plan.
“You have to balance the fact that you want to have stability in an organization. You want to make sure that the systems are in place, the comfort level is in place, but everybody knows you’re only judged by your wins and losses,” Wilf said last September. “That’s a fine line we judge every day. We took a look in this offseason, and we feel really good about the football organization we have in place, that they can get the job done.
“Right now, that’s where we’re at. Again, as ownership, you balance those things, but (you don’t want) to be knee-jerk and to be too impulsive. Our goal is to get to the playoffs, achieve sustained success and keep knocking at the door, and eventually that door will come down.”
Wilf later added: “You can’t get to that goal unless you’re consistently strong, consistently in the playoffs, consistently winning divisions. Those are our goals to leap off and eventually get to the championship.”
So when viewing the Vikings’ moves in free agency this week, it’s important to view them with that context. Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer know that 2021 is a big year for them, one that could go a long way in determining their futures with the franchise. Their focus is on creating the best team for 2021 that they possibly can.
On offense, that means keeping Cousins. The only quarterbacks available that would have been upgrades were Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, and they haven’t been traded yet for a reason.
On defense, that means an influx of talent curated by Zimmer. If there’s going to be pressure on Zimmer, then he wants to have a hand in building the roster to construct a defense that he feels can yield a playoff berth.
That’s how the Vikings ended up with a run-stuffing defensive tackle as their initial signing in free agency even though they already have a run-stuffing defensive tackle. Zimmer is hopeful that Dalvin Tomlinson and Michael Pierce will fix the team’s woes against the run, ideally setting up plenty of third downs. That, of course, is where Zimmer thrives, consistently producing a scheme that ranks among the best in the NFL on third downs.
Then Minnesota added Patrick Peterson, a much-needed reinforcement for a group of corners that struggled mightily last season. While Peterson’s play has declined in recent years, Zimmer think he’s still a true No. 1 cornerback who will thrive in Minnesota where he’ll have more help from safeties over the top.
Zimmer has always been quite confident in his scheme and ability to coach defense. Given the pressure that is on the Vikings to make the playoffs next season, it’s not a surprise that the two big moves of the offseason have been to bring in talent on defense.
Perhaps a couple of months ago, the thought that the Vikings might enter a true rebuild after a 7-9 season was more prevalent. But the moves of this week — and the lack of moves in Cousins’ case — further underscore the notion that this franchise believes it can make the playoffs in 2021.
There was a slew of teams around the NFL looking for a new quarterback, including one, the San Francisco 49ers, that is led by a coach that is one of Cousins’ biggest believers. So rumors circulated. Would the Vikings consider trading Cousins?
Today, the entirety of Cousins’ 2022 salary becomes fully guaranteed and the answer to the question above is clear — no, they’re not trading Cousins.
To understand why, it’s important to look at the very top of the organization.
General manager Rick Spielman talks with Vikings ownership, led by Mark Wilf, on a nearly daily basis. Early in the offseason, ownership discussed goals for the season ahead. They are not interested in rebuilding. They want to reach the playoffs in 2021. They view the Pittsburgh Steelers as a model franchise, one that rarely changes coaches and consistently reaches the playoffs. That’s what the Wilfs want with the Vikings.
So the Wilfs’ message when it came to a potential Cousins move was simple: Don’t make us worse at the sport’s most important position. The appetite for a rookie quarterback (or a veteran worse than Cousins) wasn’t there because they still think their window to win the division is open.
In basic terms, Cousins was not traded because ownership would rather try to be good every year than roll the dice on likely being really bad for a few years in hopes that they’d eventually be really good. Before the 2020 season, Wilf outlined that plan.
“You have to balance the fact that you want to have stability in an organization. You want to make sure that the systems are in place, the comfort level is in place, but everybody knows you’re only judged by your wins and losses,” Wilf said last September. “That’s a fine line we judge every day. We took a look in this offseason, and we feel really good about the football organization we have in place, that they can get the job done.
“Right now, that’s where we’re at. Again, as ownership, you balance those things, but (you don’t want) to be knee-jerk and to be too impulsive. Our goal is to get to the playoffs, achieve sustained success and keep knocking at the door, and eventually that door will come down.”
Wilf later added: “You can’t get to that goal unless you’re consistently strong, consistently in the playoffs, consistently winning divisions. Those are our goals to leap off and eventually get to the championship.”
So when viewing the Vikings’ moves in free agency this week, it’s important to view them with that context. Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer know that 2021 is a big year for them, one that could go a long way in determining their futures with the franchise. Their focus is on creating the best team for 2021 that they possibly can.
On offense, that means keeping Cousins. The only quarterbacks available that would have been upgrades were Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, and they haven’t been traded yet for a reason.
On defense, that means an influx of talent curated by Zimmer. If there’s going to be pressure on Zimmer, then he wants to have a hand in building the roster to construct a defense that he feels can yield a playoff berth.
That’s how the Vikings ended up with a run-stuffing defensive tackle as their initial signing in free agency even though they already have a run-stuffing defensive tackle. Zimmer is hopeful that Dalvin Tomlinson and Michael Pierce will fix the team’s woes against the run, ideally setting up plenty of third downs. That, of course, is where Zimmer thrives, consistently producing a scheme that ranks among the best in the NFL on third downs.
Then Minnesota added Patrick Peterson, a much-needed reinforcement for a group of corners that struggled mightily last season. While Peterson’s play has declined in recent years, Zimmer think he’s still a true No. 1 cornerback who will thrive in Minnesota where he’ll have more help from safeties over the top.
Zimmer has always been quite confident in his scheme and ability to coach defense. Given the pressure that is on the Vikings to make the playoffs next season, it’s not a surprise that the two big moves of the offseason have been to bring in talent on defense.
Perhaps a couple of months ago, the thought that the Vikings might enter a true rebuild after a 7-9 season was more prevalent. But the moves of this week — and the lack of moves in Cousins’ case — further underscore the notion that this franchise believes it can make the playoffs in 2021.
... and neither is this Chris guy.