DARN’ RIGHT KIRK IS OK!
Cousins isn’t a villain, and Jets got their man in Sam
Time will reveal whether Sam Darnold will lead every green-and-white clad tortured soul to the promised land one day, but it’s foolish to paint Kirk Cousins as a villain.
It’s a comical storyline given that Cousins was the Jets’ quarterback Plan A this offseason for a reason.
He’s a difference-making presence, who has already made a tangible impact on the Vikings. Spoiler alert: Cousins is a franchise quarterback. “He came right in and took charge,” Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said Wednesday. “Every day he comes in here to work. He’s got a good attitude. He’s taken over as a leader.”
The notion that Cousins should be viewed as the bad guy for choosing a team that he felt was better positioned to win the brass ring rather than take the most cash — like most professional athletes would — is ludicrous of myriad levels.
Jets faithful have every right not to kiss the guy’s derriere in the run-up this weekend’s game at MetLife Stadium, but let’s clear up some nonsense.
Cousins’ recent admission on an online documentary chronicling his free agency that the Jets offered him a three-year, $90 million deal was hardly a revelation. The Daily News reported in March that Gang Green offered him $30 million a year — or $6 million more than the Vikings.
I know that some folks on One Jets Drive believed that Cousins simply used them to drive up the price so he could play for the team that he wanted to play for all along. Perhaps that was the case, but this is a $14 billion-dollar cut-throat industry.
Neither teams nor players should ever apologize for maximizing their leverage. Sometimes feelings get hurt, but they better be fleeting. Otherwise, you’re doomed to fail. If Cousins did, in fact, use the Jets, I can promise you this: It wasn’t the first time a player used the Jets… and it absolutely won’t be the last time. Players will use the Vikings in the future too.
The Jets – like every NFL team – use players in free agency every single year as well. They’ll leverage one guy off another comparable one to get the better deal. It’s a part of this big-boy pants world.
Although I’ve made it abundantly clear that I believe Darnold ultimately will be the answer to the franchise’s most vexing issue, I thought Cousins would have been terrific for the organization too.
Consider these two scenarios: Would you rather have 21-year-old Sam Darnold and three free agents, who could be off your roster in 2-3 years OR 30-year-old Kirk Cousins and four cheap, building-block players through the draft?
There’s no clear-cut correct answer right now.
The Jets gave up three second-round picks to move up three spots in the first round of the draft to position themselves for a quarterback, who they believed would be Baker Mayfield after Darnold was off the board at No. 1. If they landed Cousins, they would have added three core players with the No. 6, No. 37 and No. 49 picks . They would have also kept their 2019 second-rounder. (The Colts drafted Auburn guard Braden Smith at No. 37, but he would not have been a good scheme fit for the Jets).
The total contract value for picks 6, 37 and 49 wound up being $36.7 million over the next four years. Those three rookies would have accounted for $6.6 million on the 2018 salary cap. Cousins, of course, would have been a $30 million hit.
The reality wound up being this: Darnold will make $30.2 million over the next four years with a $5.5 million cap hit this season. The money that the Jets saved on Cousins prompted them to sign free agents Trumaine Johnson, Avery Williamson, Spencer Long and Isaiah Crowell.
Long and Crowell signed one-year deals disguised as multi-year pacts, so it’s reasonable to believe that the Jets could have found a way to get those guys even after Cousins was in the fold. (Long’s deal is essentially for one year, $6.6 million, while the Jets can cut bait with Crowell after paying him $4 million this year if they chose).
Johnson hasn’t exactly given the team a good return on their 5-year, $72 million investment yet.
Johnson and Williamson count a combined $16 million on the 2018 cap. Is that more desirable than three rookies (a first-round pick and two second-round picks) counting $6.6 million on the cap?
In 2019, Johnson and Williamson will carry a combined $20 million cap charge. The three second-year players AND the 2019 rookie second-rounder that they would have still had if Cousins was a Jet would be roughly $9.8 million against the 2019 cap. Twice as many players for half the cap charge.
So, it’s disingenuous to suggest that the Jets are in a much better financial position after missing out on Cousins. That’s just sour grapes.
The pertinent issue is what path will yield the Jets to a Lombardi Trophy. Unfortunately, there’s no way of knowing that right now. Perhaps they would have been champions in either scenario. Or maybe they’ll strike out either way.
Cousins has a 5-7-year window to thrive. That’s an eternity in the NFL. Darnold’s window is closer to 15 years, which leaves a much larger room for error/growth.
Cousins chose the team that he believed was closer to winning it all. The Vikings, after all, are a talent-rich group coming off an NFC Championship Game appearance. If he didn’t make a deep playoff run with the Jets, he might not ever get a chance to be a starter anywhere after the next three years.
Cousins has performed every bit like the player the Vikings hoped they were getting. He’s third in completion percentage (71.2), fifth in passing yards (1,921), sixth in touchdown-to-interception ratio (4:1) and ninth in passer rating (102.7) through six weeks.
Cousins made the choice that made sense for him. Thanks to terrific planning, the Jets were smart enough to channel their disappointment into perhaps the most important trade in franchise history. Both sides are happy now. Not every story needs a villain.