ATLANTA — Quarterback Kirk Cousins hasn’t received many playoff video games in his profession (1-3), however he is carried out properly in touchdown profitable offers.
Cousins’ newest is a four-year, $180 million contract — together with $100 million assured — with the Atlanta Falcons, in accordance with ESPN’s Adam Schefter. After making over $230 million throughout his time with the Minnesota Vikings (2018-23) and Washington (2012-17), he’ll prime $400 million if he performs all 4 years in Atlanta.
It did not take the Falcons lengthy to handle a QB state of affairs that has been in flux since they traded Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in March 2022. Neither Desmond Ridder nor Taylor Heinicke proved to be the reply for a crew that fought for a playoff berth till the ultimate week final season.
Atlanta fired head coach Arthur Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Ragone after ending 7-10 for the third straight season, hiring Raheem Morris as head coach and Zac Robinson as offensive coordinator.
How will Cousins match within the offense? What’s going to the Vikings do at quarterback? And the way does this – in addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers touchdown Russell Wilson – have an effect on the marketplace for Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who is anticipated to be moved to pave the way in which for the Bears to draft USC’s Caleb Williams.
Falcons reporter Michael Rothstein, Vikings reporter Kevin Seifert and Bears reporter Courtney Cronin reply a very powerful questions.
How significantly better will Cousins make Atlanta’s offense?
Rothstein: It could be troublesome to measure the true affect till August or September, as a result of Cousins is coming off a proper Achilles damage, however he instantly turns into the Falcons’ best choice on the place since Ryan was traded.
Cousins is a four-time Professional Bowler with a profession completion proportion of 66.9. Atlanta’s 2022 first-round choose, vast receiver Drake London, ’23 first-rounder, operating again Bijan Robinson, and operating again Tyler Allgeier have by no means performed with a quarterback of Cousins’ caliber. Tight finish Kyle Pitts solely noticed glimpses as a rookie throughout Ryan’s remaining season in 2021.
Cousins has proven he will be clutch, too. Since turning into a starter in 2015, his 27 game-winning drives within the fourth quarter or additional time are tied with Russell Wilson and Matthew Stafford for second within the league, behind Derek Carr’s 33, in accordance with ESPN Stats and Info.
How does Cousins match with first-time offensive coordinator Zac Robinson
Rothstein: Robinson was coy when requested about the kind of offense Atlanta will run, however he has spent his whole teaching profession with the Los Angeles Rams, so there might be clear Sean McVay influences. Final season, the Rams ran 583 passing to 477 operating performs. Determine to have the same steadiness contemplating the Falcons have two robust, younger backs in Robinson and Allgeier and are within the midst of remaking their vast receiver room.
Cousins tried 643 passes in his final full season in 2022, and he tried 311 in eight video games earlier than being injured final 12 months.
The Rams ran play motion about one-fifth of the time they threw the ball, in accordance with ESPN Stats and Info, and that is one in every of Cousins’ strengths. Final season, when utilizing play motion, Cousins accomplished 70.3% of his passes (64 of 91 for 615 yards, 5 touchdowns and no interceptions).
How does this have an effect on the remainder of Atlanta’s QB and free company plans
Rothstein: Bringing in Cousins ought to take Atlanta out of play for a prime quarterback on this 12 months’s draft, particularly contemplating the opposite wants of the franchise. Sitting at No. 8, this might permit the Falcons to snag a high-level edge rusher, cornerback or receiver — three urgent wants.
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The cash concerned with Cousins’ deal, and the precise breakdown for cap functions stays to be seen, may hinder Atlanta from going after too many extra big-time free brokers, however the Falcons can use contract restructures and cap casualty cuts to create more room if mandatory.
Which may begin within the quarterback room. Atlanta has three quarterbacks in the intervening time — Cousins, Heinicke and Ridder. Ridder is within the third 12 months of his rookie deal and would supply just below $1 million in cap financial savings if launched. Heinicke has a cap hit of $8.96 million for 2024, and if he is launched, Atlanta would save $6.96 million in opposition to the cap, in accordance with Roster Administration System. There’s additionally a $1.32 million bonus as a consequence of Heinicke if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the brand new league 12 months (March 18).
Even with the Cousins deal carried out, Atlanta wants to seek out pass-catchers. London is the one vast receiver on the roster who caught a cross for the Falcons final season.
What does this imply for the course of the Vikings
Seifert: This marks an enormous turning level within the Vikings’ “aggressive rebuild,” the time period that normal supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has used to explain his strategy to retooling the roster he inherited when he was employed in early 2022. The thought, he stated on the time, was to proceed to play “significant” video games in December — in different phrases, compete for a playoff spot — whereas buying and growing younger gamers to ultimately promote into important roles.
So long as Cousins was on the roster, the Vikings might credibly declare to be doing each. With out him, and with the chance they will be seeking to draft his alternative in April, it is fairly potential they will take a aggressive step backwards within the quick time period. However this transfer needed to be made at some point, as Cousins approaches his thirty sixth birthday, and Adofo-Mensah wasn’t keen to wager that he would proceed enjoying at a excessive degree for the 2 years the Falcons have been keen to totally assure. They will use the monetary flexibility they acquire to speed up enhancements in different areas of the roster.
Who will fill the QB void in Minnesota?
Seifert: The Vikings have two quarterbacks beneath contract, Nick Mullens and Jaren Corridor. Each struggled at occasions final season after Cousins suffered a season-ending proper Achilles damage. The crew has been concentrating on the 2024 draft for a number of years, in accordance with Adofo-Mensah, because it timed out Cousins’ departure. But when they do not transfer up from their spot at No. 11, it is possible they may miss out on not less than the primary three quarterbacks drafted and probably the highest 5. It is anticipated that they will signal a veteran who might function a bridge starter — maybe Sam Darnold, Joe Flacco or Ryan Tannehill — and provides robust consideration to buying and selling up within the draft as properly.
What does this — and the Steelers touchdown Russell Wilson — imply for Justin Fields’ market?
Cronin: It makes an already tender commerce market seem even much less fertile. A league supply instructed ESPN the Bears initially believed they might get a second-round choose, however that feels extremely unlikely now contemplating what number of QBs have agreed to offers.
Minnesota wants a brand new quarterback, however dealing a younger quarterback to a division rival is dangerous. Las Vegas is in the hunt for a QB, however do the Raiders actually wish to pair Fields together with his former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy after two years of lackluster outcomes? With former Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, who was drafted 4 spots after Fields in 2021, being traded to Jacksonville for a sixth-round choose to again up Trevor Lawrence, the Bears must widen their pool to discover a commerce companion and take what they’ll for Fields, even when it is a Day 3 choose.
That’s, assuming they nonetheless wish to comply with the plan to “do proper” by Fields– as GM Ryan Poles stated on the mix — and never have him reside in limbo. In a great world, Chicago might hold Fields and a rookie quarterback drafted No. 1 general on the roster all through the offseason and commerce the 25-year-old when an damage takes out a starter. The most effective-case state of affairs would mirror what Philadelphia did in 2016 when it traded Sam Bradford to Minnesota after Teddy Bridgewater went down with a knee damage days forward of the season kickoff. The Eagles obtained again a primary and fourth spherical choose for Bradford.
