The Raiders are the expected $118 million quarterback’s “landing spot.”
The Raiders from Las Vegas have made some moves in the offseason, bringing in general manager Tom Telesco to lead the front office and keeping coach Antonio Pierce to oversee things on the field. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions, chief among them being the position of quarterback, particularly on the offensive end of the ball. Still, there might be a simple solution lying around: Kirk Cousins, a free agent.
The Raiders must be competitive in the short term regardless of how the franchise views the long term, whether that means selecting a new signal-caller with the No. 13 pick or giving Aidan O’Connell more time to mature after a hit or miss rookie season. The Raiders’ offensive talent, wide receiver Davante Adams, 31, needs to know that the team has a chance to win the Super Bowl the next season because else, he would push for a move. The defense is simply too strong.
Let’s introduce Cousins. The Raiders are among the teams on quarterback Kirk Cousins’ list of potential destinations, according to a report from Pro Football Focus. Looking at the destinations of Cousins, PFF wrote:
The Raiders have Jimmy Garoppolo on the bench for rookie Aidan O’Connell, and he looks to be on his way out. The team is currently ranked No. 13 overall. Perhaps Antonio Pierce, the new head coach, should aim to create a big impression in order to win over Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers.
Kirk Cousins Would Make Sense in the Raiders
It would be fun to have cousins. A worrying ailment for a guy who will turn 36 in August, he tore his Achilles tendon after just eight games in the previous season. However, these were eight really good games, representing a club that most people thought would be starting a rebuild. With Cousins, Minnesota finished 4–4 and he had the third-best quarterback rating in the NFL (103.8) after throwing for an average of 291.4 yards.
Throughout the season, he passed for 18 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He ranked ninth out of the 38 quarterbacks in the league with a PFF grade of 86.1.
Adding an offensive weapon like Cousins may propel the Raiders into the AFC playoff picture for a squad that improved defensively throughout the course of the previous season.
Is Aidan O’Connell the QB backup?
With Cousins signed, O’Connell could take on a backup position and the Raiders could utilize their first-round choice on something else, like improving the offensive line, which might use some support. When the Raiders make their selection, a few elite blocking prospects ought to be accessible.
Cousins, who PFF projects to sign a two-year, $60 million contract, will have competition. Given that the Raiders have gone through three quarterbacks in the past two years—Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, and O’Connell—such a short-term commitment should be favorably received.
As the Spotrac model indicates, the Raiders would have greater difficulty if Cousins is able to secure a long-term contract. Cousins is expected to sign a three-year contract worth $118 million there.
Regarding Cousins, PFF stated: “An untimely ruptured Achilles caused Cousins to miss out on another excellent season, and he appeared to have numerous suitors in free agency, just like he did in 2018.” Cousins has been as accurate as ever in recent seasons and still possesses the necessary arm strength to throw to all levels of the field.
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