2022 QB Options: Supply vs. Demand (Keep Kirk!)

A few things here... a good DE costs $15M+ per year these days, good LB/Gs still go for at least $10M a year. Not to mention that C is a huge weakness with Bradbury being a bust (all this talk of us having a bad OL and we only have one need there?), CB is a big weak spot that needs several additions, including a nickel CB (which is admittedly very cheap to fill).

And also not to mention, the run defense is broken and going by your plan of adding a DE and a LB is not going to fix it - especially since you cut Smith, who is one of the team's better run defenders.


I just don't see our coaching staff being a huge enough improvement in their first year - expecting to be a Super Bowl contender with a newly formed staff seems really presumptuous to me. Not to mention that our defense will be debuting at least 6 new starters under your plan and will have to find a DC who can coach better than Zimmer... and you're also banking on the FAs we sign and the rookies we draft all pan out well. I dunno, this just seems like the absolute best case scenario for the 2022 season, the 1% outcome of what could happen.


How are the Vikings going to stack up against them when they have the better offense (far better OL), much better defense, and also have one of the best coaching staffs in the NFL? They'll also have more FA money to spend once Garoppolo is traded. Trey Lance would have to be pretty bad for them not to be better than us.

Sure, I could see this team win the division and go to the playoffs with how weak the NFC is. But a Super Bowl run? This roster is getting trampled by the better ones in the playoffs, just as how this team has consistently failed to beat > .500 teams the past 4 years.

I think Hunter is a bit different than Cousins in that aspect. He's had some injury issues the last two seasons, but not the type that are chronic either. I'd probably take a stab with him for no other reason than that he's a game changer when he's on the field. Cousins not so much. And that, to me at least, is a big difference when considering who to hand over the large spaces of the cap to. I can understand wanting to part ways to clear space, but Hunter was on his way to an HOF career prior to those injuries. That's not the type of player you give up on or trade away for cheap. Cousins will likely never be in that conversation at all.

I'm not saying he's a bad QB, but he's not good enough either. He is certainly not able on his own to cover the holes on this team that paying him anything close to his salary creates.

to your first point, I think the o-line can improve dramatically with one player.  I would probably improve C but you can get someone on the cheap who is mediocre and solve that problem.  You need some depth but we also haven't seen what Davis can do as of yet.  

I wouldn't cut smith.  Yet.  Smith goes only when you are ready to completely break the team down and start over.  I personally think Bynum can be good enough next to smith without having to spend.  Cam is a good enough second corner.  You need a good one and that's probably where I'd go with our first pick this year.  You can get some additional depth on the cheap.  I probably allocate most of my FA money to an edge.  I think you as far as LB you can draft a pretty good one and get someone in FAcy on the cheap who isn't bad.  

I agree that there are a some significant holes to fill but they were all holes last year as well.  The people making the player personnel decisions just need to do a better job.  We don't need pro bowlers at all of those spots.  Just capable players.  Something the previous regime generally failed to find.  And as bad as that was, the team was still ok.  

I personally feel like it's as much pie in the sky to think we're going to magically find that rock star QB any sooner than we can fill a few defensive positions with decent players. 

Granted, I don't think the odds are great that they solve enough of the teams problems to make them a super bowl contender, but I think there's enough there to try because the alternative is sucking for awhile.  I don't have a problem with pushing that rebuild phase out a couple years. 

And even with a subpar roster and weak performances from the areas that they attempted to improve unsuccessfully last year, the team hung with pretty much everyone.  The Bengals and Rams are the best teams on paper.  A bit of luck and timing is needed to get there. 

I just have a hard time believing that an 8-9 team who lost all but one game by less than one score can't improve.  Especially when their weaknesses to fill aren't because of losing a good player to FAcy.  And they've got some guys with potential from last year's draft.  And they've got this years draft.  And if they work things right, they'll have about the same amount of FA dollars to spend that they did last year. 

It's not an easy task, but it's also not an act of God either.   

Here is a question to ask yourself. Say it is 2018 but Vikings coming off two 8 or 9 win seasons whatever we have last two years. Now based on the roster we have right now, and that doesnt include the 1 year deals we had last year, would we even be thinking about signing Kirk Cousins?? I think that is an easy no. Especially for even 30 million a year. Its just insanity I even have to think about a possible extension. Shouldnt even be a debate.

This quote(and the one where he talked about Joe Burrow) tell me all I need to know about how JJ feels about Kirk. He likes him personally and has a friendly relationship but they’re far from guys that hang out after work. “I wouldn’t mind him being our QB”…yikes. He’s gained incredible fame/future money off of the success he’s had with Kirk but comes across as someone not exactly pounding the table for his QB. If your star receiver ain’t pounding the table for your QB you don’t have the right QB.

How do you actually help someone to have swagger? Here are requirements to put in any contract extension for Cousins:

1) Practice being the coolest guy in a room. This will be a tough room to find: Cousins must attend an actuarial conference followed by a renaissance festival. At these events, a Vikings rep (not a teammate or Cousins wouldn't be the coolest guy in the room) tasers him whenever he stars to enjoy himself.

2) while at the conference and festival, Dwayne Wade and Connor McGregor are given unrestricted access to Cousins wardrobe to replace anything uncool with clothing of their choice. (Anything removed is donated to a homeless shelter) Failure to report to OATs, minicamp, training camp or any game in clothing not approved by Wade or McGregor voids contract garuntees.

3) Cousins gets a haircut at a stylist of Justin Jefferson and Patrick Peterson's choosing. Cousins may have no input on the cut. Style is maintained and updated at the discretion of the stylist. Failure to report to OATs, minicamp, training camp or any game out of compliance with designated style voids contract garuntees.

4) Cousins must smoke weed with a teammate (once).

5) Cousins must not be caught smoking weed with a teammate.

6) Cousins must complete P.R. training to be administered on no less than five (5) occurances by unknown individuals. To pass P.R. training, Cousins must deny all knowledge of or affilation with Pizza Ranch.

7) Cousins' car stereo, online play lists or other audio devices will be curated by a team representative.

8) Cousins must designate 5 teammates to select a nickname for him. (Requires having 5 friends)

9) Cousins must return to original renaissance festival and identify 4 individuals (2 selected by Cousins, 2 selected by now-cool teammates) with the intent of "Hey Kirk! See if you can knock that guy's hat/wig off with a football!"