Extend Cousins or ... ?

Lewis: I will say, on a serious note, it’s only a matter of time. Every member of the Vikings organization has talked openly about wanting to make this happen. Furthermore, Jefferson has accomplished more statistically through three seasons than any wide receiver in the history of football. So for as rare as it may be for wide receivers to receive extensions immediately following their third year, he is deserving of one.

Krawczynski: I will say this about the Vikings under the Wilf regime: When they want to keep a player, they keep a player. And there is no doubt they want to keep Jefferson, so I have no reason to doubt that the two sides will figure something out eventually. I really do believe that Jefferson has a chance to surpass some of the biggest stars this team has ever had. He has a mass appeal that may be just behind Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady and the few NFL players who are truly recognizable to the casual fan. Fun to watch.

Lewis: I think back to something Adofo-Mensah said at the combine. He essentially admitted then that Jefferson’s status warrants the type of communication often afforded to the starting quarterback. Adofo-Mensah said it was his responsibility to keep Jefferson abreast of the team’s long-term plans.

That’s where I find myself returning to the QB position. Maybe one of the most under-the-radar storylines in the NFL this offseason is the fact that Kirk Cousins is destined to become a free agent after this season. That has league-wide ramifications, but it also raises all sorts of questions locally.

I’ll toss a couple out here. If Cousins plays well this season, how difficult will it be to retain him on the open market? If the Vikings move on from Cousins, how capable is Jaren Hall going to be as a potential successor? If not him, then who? Will the team try to move up in the draft? Will they be in a position to make that happen?

Jon, how do you feel about (waves arms wildly) all of this?

Krawczynski: I think Kirk Cousins really wants to finish his career here. I think he likes the organization, loves throwing to Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson and, as weird as it sounds for a QB who has been so polarizing in these parts, he just seems to feel comfortable here.

If you put truth serum in his protein shake, I think he would say he is disappointed the Vikings haven’t been more aggressive in signing him to an extension. He has played the contract game as well as any NFL player has ever played it, but I think if he could sign a long-term extension here that he liked, he would do it in a minute.

For the Vikings, it seems like they’re playing this a bit like the Giants did with Daniel Jones. Let him go into the final year of his deal. If he plays really well, you reward him with a huge contract. Could you lose him to another team? Yes. But would you? I think if he gets what he wants, Minnesota is his preferred destination.

If he doesn’t, you can turn to the future and every Vikings fan will serenade you for it. I would be surprised — but not shocked — if Jaren Hall is that future. You write about him like I write about Ricky Rubio (wait, no one writes about anything like I write about Ricky), and I look forward to seeing him in the preseason. The talent intrigues me, but there’s a reason he was a fifth-round pick.

The guess here is if they bottom out because of injuries or stagnation this fall, they will be picking a lot higher in the draft and maybe have a shot at a QB of their own.

Lewis: You laid it out well. Cousins does love it here. Hall will be fun to follow. And, a major step back could lead to a draft pick that suffices for a high-end quarterback.

I will say, though: I am a bit hung up on the Daniel Jones reference. Not that I think it’s wrong. I just think the metrics shine a more positive light on Cousins. In the last five years, his overall efficiency score, via RDSDM, ranks 10th among 22 qualified quarterbacks, which is better than Matthew Stafford, Justin Herbert, Kyler Murray and Derek Carr over that span. Statistically, Cousins and Jones do not even compare.

Age, of course, is a variable in the long-term calculus. The Vikings will also factor in what another hefty quarterback contract would prohibit them from doing with their overall roster. So … this next calendar year feels monumental in terms of the long-term outlook of the team.