Minnesota Vikings have identified their “prime” quarterback target at the NFL Trade Deadline
The Minnesota Vikings are in desperate need of a quarterback, and they may have found their answer in a familiar face. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Minnesota has targeted Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins as a prime trade candidate. A midseason quarterback trade would be a major swing for the Vikings, and a reunion […]
The Minnesota Vikings are in desperate need of a quarterback, and they may have found their answer in a familiar face. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Minnesota has targeted Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Kirk Cousins as a prime trade candidate.
A midseason quarterback trade would be a major swing for the Vikings, and a reunion with Cousins carries a lot of meaning for this roster. It touches the passing game, the learning curve in Kevin O’Connell’s offense, and a defense that is carrying the team right now. Here’s what a deal would mean for Minnesota.
Kirk Cousins brings stability the Vikings lack
When you trade for a quarterback during the season, one of the first things you look at is how he fits within the context of what you already have. Cousins checks that box better than almost anyone available.
He has run this offense multiple times, and in stretches, he did a great job of elevating it. There were issues with Cousins as the starter in Minnesota, though, including him being too conservative. Nobody should expect a perfect player, especially a 38-year-old quarterback.
What Cousins brings to the table is stability. He also has a willingness to throw vertically down the field and target the Vikings’ best playmakers, wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
It would be a major step up from what Minnesota is dealing with at quarterback between Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. Considering how well the defense is playing, a steady presence under center is all the Vikings can ask for.
Kevin O’Connell’s offense is already familiar territory
The second piece of this is the system. Because Cousins has already played in head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense, the learning curve shrinks significantly.
That matters more in November than at any other point in the calendar. A quarterback acquired at the trade deadline doesn’t get an offseason program, OTAs, or training camp to learn the terminology. He has to be functional within days.
Cousins will need to pick up some things. He has been away from Minnesota for two and a half years. Still, Cousins is a veteran who has done a little bit of everything in his career. If he can simply run the basics of this offense, this Vikings team could go a long way.
That’s a low bar for a quarterback with his experience, and it’s the kind of bar a contending team should want to set for a midseason addition.
Minnesota’s defense deserves a complement
The third reason might be the most important one. The Vikings’ defense desperately needs an offense that can complement it.
The price for Cousins is still unknown. It would surprise me if it were higher than a third-round pick, and that wouldn’t be too steep a price for Minnesota if it lands the veteran. The higher cost would be wasting what the defense is doing.
This unit is playing at a historically high level. Against the Buffalo Bills, the Vikings’ defense allowed just 4.3 yards per play while staying on the field for 80 snaps. That’s an absurd workload, and the defense still held up.
No defense can sustain that type of usage over the course of a full season. The offense has to sustain drives, put points on the board, and give that side of the ball a chance to rest. Cousins would do that.
What comes next for the Vikings
The Raiders have to decide whether they are willing to move their quarterback, and at what cost. Las Vegas holds the leverage until the Vikings show how aggressive they want to be.
On the Minnesota side, the decision comes down to how much the front office believes in this season. A defense playing at this level doesn’t come around often, and the current quarterback situation isn’t going to maximize it. Cousins isn’t the player he was at his peak, but he understands this offense, he can get the ball to Jefferson and Addison, and he would give the defense the support it has been missing.
Whether the Vikings pull the trigger before 3 p.m. CT will say a lot about how they view their ceiling this season.
