The Falcons have reduced quarterback Matt Ryan’s record cap hit of $48.66 million. The Packers presumably will chop down quarterback Aaron Rodgers’s $46.66 million cap number, once a new contract is “signed.”
Then, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins will be the purple-rinded cheese that stands alone, with a one-year cap number of $45.166 million, via spotrac.com.
Cousins has shown no inclination to extend his contract. The Vikings thus may be showing some inclination to trade him. That would immediately create $35 million in cap space, by virtue of the dumping of his base salary.
The Colts make the most sense, if they’re serious about getting someone better than Jimmy Garoppolo (a/k/a likable Carson Wentz). The Vikings would need to have a strong Plan B, and a trade for Deshaun Watson would be the only true upgrade over Cousins, based on the available options. (Unless Tom Brady would like to play home games in the state where his mother grew up.)
It’s a mess for the Vikings in the first year of a new regime. Although coach Kevin O’Connell has praised Cousins, he’s not good enough to refuse to provide cap relief without potential consequences. With him, the Vikings are a fringe playoff team, at best. Without him, they have $35 million to spend on maintaining their middle-of-the-pack mediocre status.
Watson, like Cousins, has a salary of $35 million. Watson’s cap number will be, post-Rodgers, second in the league at $40.4 million. But Watson presumably would do a new deal with the Vikings aimed at reducing the number. Unless and until Cousins will, the Vikings should be looking to get rid of him. Frankly. With all due respect.
