Yes, the Raiders are only six days away from (barring a major surprise) making quarterback Fernando Mendoza the first overall pick in the draft. The team’s 2024 first-round pick is nevertheless very happy with the veteran quarterback the Raiders recently signed for the very affordable sum (as veteran quarterbacks go) of $11.3 million.
Via Sam Warren of The Athletic, tight end Brock Bowers has high praise for Kirk Cousins.
Bowers said, per Warren, that it seems like Cousins has “been there for years,” because he already seems to know everybody. Bowers also said that Cousins’s leadership, coupled with his experience in coach Klint Kubiak’s system, has brought “calm” to the effort to learn the new playbook.
“It’s definitely helpful to have that presence,” Bowers said.
It’s definitely helpful for the Raiders to have done something that makes the most important player (pre-Mendoza) on their offense happy. Though Bowers has only been on the team for two years, he has to be wondering whether the Raiders will be competitive during his career. The addition of Cousins is something that gives Bowers hope for a turnaround.
Cousins also will set the right example for Mendoza, as he learns the NFL ropes. And that’s the kind of thing that could help restore a level of performance the Raiders have been lacking for most of the past 24 years.
