Free-agent frenzy has Cousins landing in Minnesota, Nelson now calling Oakland home
EAGAN, Minn. — The leverage of free agency in his prime brought Kirk Cousins the market-setting contract with Minnesota.
Now the Vikings have their latest franchise quarterback to try to secure that elusive first Super Bowl victory with.
The Vikings wrapped up their welcome party with an $84-million, three-year contract for Cousins on Thursday afternoon, banking big time on the late-blooming former Washington Redskins prospect to finally stabilize a critical position that’s been problematic.
“The contract, it is what it is,” Cousins said. “But what my wife and I are thrilled about is the organization we are walking into.”
The money for Cousins is fully guaranteed, the largest such figure in NFL history — at least until the next mega QB contract comes along — according to figures tracked by spotrac.com.
Cousins’ annual average of $28 million is also, for now, the biggest in the league.
Team owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf were willing to approve the investment, hopeful that Cousins can be the keystone to a championship squad.
“If anybody in this city or this state has a question about their commitment, I think this contract shows that they’re all in,” Cousins said. “It’s a tremendous amount of belief in me as a person and as a player, and I’m humbled and honoured to get the OK on that.”
The guarantee of the full value of the deal is unprecedented in the NFL, where a variety of complex factors have kept players from receiving sure-thing contracts like their professional baseball, basketball and hockey peers.
His agent, Mike McCartney, began talking to Cousins about the potential for such a groundbreaking deal more than two years ago, with the assumption that he’d arrive at free agency because of the noncommittal Redskins.
Cousins will represent the fourth primary quarterback the Vikings have had in as many seasons. As long as he stays healthy throughout the summer, Cousins will also represent the eighth starting QB for a season opener in the past nine years.
Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Bradford and Case Keenum all became free agents this week and signed with other teams, so the Vikings didn’t have much of a backup plan if Cousins balked at their offer.
But as a team with a star-laden defence and plenty of dynamic skill-position players on offence that reached the NFC championship game last season, the Vikings also represented quite the destination for Cousins.
“I came here because of the chance to win,” he said. “I felt like it was probably the best chance.”
Raiders sign WR Jordy Nelson, release Michael Crabtree
ALAMEDA, Calif. — As soon as Jordy Nelson was released by the Green Bay Packers, the Oakland Raiders put on a full-court press to acquire the former Pro Bowler.
His former position coach and co-ordinator in Green Bay, Edgar Bennett, and new Raiders coach Jon Gruden immediately called to bring him out for a free-agent visit. Quarterback Derek Carr picked him up at the airport and gave him a tour of the Bay Area. Then the Raiders offered a two-year deal worth a reported $15 million that persuaded him to cancel his other scheduled visits and sign with Oakland.
The Raiders wasted little time Thursday, releasing receiver Michael Crabtree to make room for Nelson.