I agree. I will say this though: Aaron Rodgers will be back. The Packers will take the division back if he stays healthy. He is that good. The Lions are better than people think. The Eagles, Cowboys and possibly Giants will fight for playoff spots. The Saints, Panthers, and Falcons are all pretty good. The Rams and Seahawks are for real and I think the 49ers will be the most improved team in the NFL. There is no guarantee the Vikings even make the playoffs if Cousins signs there. Flip over to signing with the Jets in the AFC: The Patriots and Steelers are great, the rest is wide open. And those 2 teams have old QB's and who knows what could happen. Something to consider if I was Kirk.
I don't know, TDK, I think you're overrating a lot of those NFC teams. The Packers have not had a defense in the top 10 in points allowed since 2010, and it hasn't been in the top 20 the last two seasons; even given how great Rodgers is I think they're far from a lock to even make the playoffs. The Lions are 60-65 with Stafford as a starter, and I see no reason to think that that isn't exactly how good they are. The Giants are terrible, and if Prescott is the QB he was last year rather than in 2016 the Cowboys aren't anything special. The Seahawks are clearly on their way down. It's way too soon to say how the Niners will be, especially since defensive coaches now have film on Jimmy G. The biggest reason for Cousins to not sign with the Vikings is that barring catastrophic injuries across the team the only way they don't make the playoffs is if he is a bust. Does he want that kind of pressure? Expectations on the Jets would be vastly lower; all he would have to do is put up the same kinds of numbers he put up in Washington and he would get very little blame from media or the fans, even if 9-7 records were again also the result (it's Macc and Bowles who would get the blame, not him). If he doesn't at least make the NFC Championship game in Minnesota the season will be viewed as a failure, and he'll be the person blamed.
Well there are plenty of reasons for Minny to not offer anywhere near the money and guarantees we're hearing will come from the Jets. Keenam wasn't franchised at 27 mil, not proof they don't want him at 15 or whatever. Then there's the idea that Minny is a SB team waiting to happen. Keenam pulled a few wins out of his ass last season. They don't make the NFCCG, and get blown out, if not for a last season without a last second, miracle, lucky pass vs NO. Those games were all with Shurmer running the perfect O for him. What will the Minny O look like in 2018, how will it perform without Shurmer? Can't assume it will be as good or better than a year ago. And at the end of the day I'd rather be the hero in NY
Yeah agreed with your second paragraph. I could be overrating some of the NFC teams, but no doubt the NFC is tougher than the AFC right now. If Cousins is looking down the line and not just 2018, I think the Jets or Broncos have a great chance to sign him.
You are forgetting that in the AFC as a whole the Jags and Titans saw tremendous improvement.....I mean I don't think KC just wants to beat up on some weak opponents in a weak Division. He wants to "win now" and win BIG e.g. Playoffs and SB So if you are saying he comes here and brings down Brady and Ben R? Especially with the bargain basement Team the Jets are right now?? ? That's hardly a given...he is going to go to teams right on the cusp e.g. Minnesota Like I have posted a few times the CARROT the Jets have is big $$$$ ...that's all folks
I agree that Minny makes sense, at least for the next half decade or so. It's the most complete team that needs a QB and has space to sign him. Great defense, solid O-Line and receivers, plus Cook coming back. Coaching staff looks solid, too. It's an easy choice. To get more specific, if I were Cousins, I'd signs a 3-year deal at 27-30Ms guaranteed for injury (or a 5-year deal wherein the last 2-years allowed me to walk). 3-years is about the length of the open window for the Vikings before they have to start paying all their young talent. Gives him -- wait for it -- the best chance to win. If he wins a SB within those 3-years, he'll be on the market at 33 with a ring OR will have his contract reupped by Minny. Then he can take an Alex Smith deal, retire, or do whatever he wants.
Most people agree Minnesota makes the most sense. They have the best roster, best Head Coach, just got to the NFC Championship Game, and can still pay him a decent amount. I was just trying to point out other factors to show it is not such an easy choice. One of the factors is it will be easier to win and succeed in the AFC, compared to the NFC. He might not care and just embrace that challenge. Who knows?
I still think it's a dead heat...let's be real Keenum is not that far off from cousins if he repeats last year. If they can get Keenum back for 10 million less and fortify other positions i just can't see how it's not being considered. I don't care what anyone says father time will win out soon. Ben's been talking retirement and Brady is OLD. Yea yea he threw for 500 yards in the Superbowl but he will drop off very soon, chinks in his game were showing just last year ....it's inevitable. The changing of the guard in the AFC will be soon...in 1-2 years Kirk could be talked about as a premier QB in the AFC especially within our division. To add....I saw it mentioned somewhere and I don't think it's to crazy they may sign Keenum to a short 1-2 year deal and don't be shocked if they draft a Lamar Jackson or Luke Faulk to develop because they are so stacked very similar to when the Pats drafted Jimmy G in the second.
I agree that you'd THINK this could be a factor in FA decisions, but it's amazing the way elite NBA talent has pooled in the West. The imbalance is ridiculous, and now watch Lebron end up with the Lakers next year.
We all saw how bad Bryce Petty is and if Hack can’t get any playing time over him, that’s really all you need to know about Hack.
You can't begin to compare the NFL, where you need quite a few players to be good...on 3 units and the NBA where you're off to a good start with just two good players.
That’s an assumption. Until he’s gotten the proper preparation for an opponent, an actual game plan for the offense and some real live action to build off of then we don’t know. Sorry if preseason, just winging it reps don’t make my mind up regarding the kid. I’d need to see 4-6 games and some semblance of progression/regression. Games against the same team twice to see what he’s learned and how he attacks them this time. Obviously he’s got to take it if he wants it but his situation has been the best in terms of how you handle 1st or 2nd round QBs.
I feel like you're reinforcing my point. If elite NBA players can make their new teams instant contenders, and yet they don't seem to be influenced by the enormous talent imbalance that currently exists between conferences, then it seems like a NFL player would pay even less attention to such things.
This is a trivial point, but now I'm invested so let me say this in a different way. Imagine some random year in the future. We sit through a full NFL and NBA season. At THAT point, how confident are you of picking the NBA champ two years from THEN? Compare that to the NFL. Relative to the NBA, it could be anyone! Long-shots CAN win it all in the NFL. Huge roster turnover and injuries ensure that. In the NBA, by contrast, you already basically know who's going to be contending two years from any given time. Unless elite free agents move. So if a talent imbalance existed in the NBA conferences, an elite player might try to take advantage of that and get himself onto the soft side of the bracket, because he alone makes his team a contender. But they don't seem to do this. Therefore, in the NFL, where it's a relative crapshoot compared to the NBA given the myriad additional variables involved in building a contender, conference talent imbalance is probably even MORE negligible when it comes to free agents making decisions.
Ask yourself this question? If a team is playing against cousins, does it fear him? If Brady or Rogers has the ball at the end of the game, or at anytime, you know they can beat you at any time. When I answer that question, I say absolutely no to Kirk Cousins. I would rather trade a boatload of draft picks and go for Darnold. Then use our cap space to sign players to help us. After all these years with shit at QB, its time to go for it.
The jets being in the final four means nothing. We are going to be used to drive up the price for the Vikes and Broncos. Bridgewater,first pick and hack is our qb room
It looks like Darnold has fear of his own shadow. Reports from the combine say he didn't throw because he wants to save his performance for his pro day so he can throw to "his guys." Too bad "his guys" won't be with him in the NFL.
