Kirk Cousins And The Top 3 Trade Candidates

Are the Bucs a Fit for Kirk Cousins?
Jan 9, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

To start, I don’t think Kirk Cousins will be traded, nor that it’s a good idea. However, a new GM and HC generally means big changes (a.k.a quarterback changes). The other two options are extending him or letting him play with a $45 million cap hit (less likely).

There will be a Top 3 extension/restructure candidates (spoiler alert) and Kirk could be there, but here we can explore his trade value. Another spoiler: Danielle Hunter is also on this list; he could’ve been on the extension one but I want to explore his market, as well. As I said on the players to cut article, I want to trade players that will help alleviate the salary cap stress.

Without further ado, let’s start.

Kirk Cousins, Quarterback

Kirk Cousins is, to say the least, a polarizing player. There are the ones who think he’s one of the best QBs in the league and then those who put all the blame on him. Although I support and defend him, I don’t put myself in either of these groups. Yes, he has some flaws but also produces like a top 10 QB, and that kind of production is hard to replace.

To judge his value I’ll base things on two trades: Carson Wentz to the Colts and Matthew Stafford going to LA. I’ll use them because I think Cousins is between Wentz and Stafford in terms of talent. Yes, the contract situation is different, but the Vikings can adjust salary.

To acquire Wentz, the Colts traded a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional second-rounder (which would be a first if he played 75% of the snaps or 70% and managed a playoff berth).

The Stafford deal was more expensive, costing two first-round picks (2022 and 2023), a third-rounder in 2021, and Jared Goff. Dustin Baker wrote about how Stafford’s success in Los Angeles could mean that Cousins value trade gets higher. Working on top of that, I was thinking on what a fair deal would be. A first-round pick is the minimum to start the conversation. Cousins is a good QB that never gets hurt, and availability is an important ability. To complement the deal, perhaps a conditional third-round pick.

This move will clear a lot of cap space, but also means a rebuild unless Kellen Mond turns out to be a good QB. If he doesn’t, then a QB in the 2023 draft looks like the most logical thing.

Danielle Hunter, Edge Rusher

Hunter’s situation is a tricky one. He restructured his deal last year before training camp, and now he has a $18 million roster bonus. This was done so they would have to redo the deal in 2022 or trade him. And here’s where things get interesting. Hunter was playing like his usual self before tearing his pec in Week 8.

So now a new leadership will take the decision of giving a new contract to someone who played in 6 1/2 games in two years or trade him. He is still one of the best edge rushers when healthy, but this last part has been an issue recently. Either way, this decision will need to be made quickly.

But what would his price tag be? Hunter’s trade value is a more difficult one to assess than Cousins’. For starters, there were only two big edge rushers trades since 2018: Khalil Mack to the Bears and Frank Clark to Kansas. I love Hunter, but Mack was the 2016 DPOY and one of the best overall players in the league. Hunter won’t demand as much.

Clark’s situation is more interesting. He just had his best season, with 13.0 sacks, 3 fumbles, and a pick. The Chiefs gave up a 1st round, a 3rd, and a future 2nd to get him. In terms of talent and production, Hunter’s better, but his injuries lower the value.

Another option is to look at other trades for defensive players. In that route we have Jamal Adams to Seattle, Jalen Ramsey to the Rams, and DeForest Buckner going to Indy. Both Adams and Ramsey cost two first-round choices plus a little something, whilst Buckner’s price was “only” a first.

A trade would free over $18 million in cap space with $7.5 million in dead money, according to Spotrac. If it’s a post June 1st, the move saves $22 million in 2022, with $4 and $3.3 million in dead cap in 2022 and 2023.

Bisi Johnson, Wide Receiver

This isn’t a splashy trade by any means, but Bisi could be on the move. He had an up and down career, being one of the last picks of the 2019 draft, then having a solid rookie season after Thielen’s hamstring injury. When the Vikings drafted Justin Jefferson in 2020, Johnson still started the first two games, but got benched – for obvious reasons. In 2021, he was competing for the WR3 or WR4 spot, but had a torn ACL before the season.

With KJ Osborn showing that he’s a good WR3 and Ihmir Smith-Marsette having some good snaps at the end of the season, Bisi looks like the odd man out here. Plus, there’s always the possibility of adding another receiver through draft or free agency. The deal wouldn’t cost much, probably being a late day 3 pick, like a 6th or 7h rounder. He would clear almost 1 million dollars on the salary cap if traded.

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