Trusted NFL Analysts Dump Cold Water On Cousins Trade Talk

Eagan MN

05 February, 2021

6:20 AM

Description

Press release from purplePTSD: February 3, 2021 Not so fast – say two of the most reputable NFL minds on the theoretical trade of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to the San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco combated a slew of injuries in 2020 – including quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo – en route to a depressing 6-10 record. Head coach Kyle Shanahan's team reached the Super Bowl in 2019 but was upended by Patrick Mahomes' theatrics late in the contest. Like oodles of other Super Bowl runner-ups, the team struggled the proceeding season and missed the postseason. An NFC team has not consecutively traveled to Super Bowl since 2013 and 2014 when the Seattle Seahawks endured run-the-ball-Gate against the New England Patriots. At 7-9, the Vikings didn't fare much better. They, too, were an infirmary for injuries to keynote players like Danielle Hunter, Anthony Barr, Michael Pierce (COVID precaution), Mike Hughes, and Eric Kendricks. The defense struggled profusely for the first time under head coach Mike Zimmer. The offense, on the other hand, was robust. The Vikings finished fourth in the NFL in yards gained and 11th in points scored. Defensively, it was the inverse. Minnesota was 27th in yards allowed and 29th in points surrendered. No playoff football was in the Vikings purview for 2020. So, both teams – the Vikings and 49ers – are reportedly evaluating the quarterback position, a the typical lightning rod for criticism on a roster. How do the teams fix their woes? They should swap their respective signal-callers, according to the allegations by Ross Tucker and Evan Massey earlier this week. Then came the real NFL heads — Ian Rapaport and Adam Schefter. They're not buying it. Rapaport Not Sold Ian Rapaport, a writer-analyst-insider for NFL Network, is the anti-Massey or anti-Tucker on the Cousins trade-talk. Put simply – he does not believe it. On The Pat McAfee Show, Rapaport spewed skepticism on the Cousins-for-Garoppolo chatter: "I would never say anything is impossible. As you guys know, this NFL world basically taught us anyone can be traded. That one I would be really surprised about for a couple of reasons. One, I'm not sure that benefits the Vikings. And I don't know that Cousins is an upgrade over Jimmy G. When they're both healthy and they're both playing, are we sure Cousins is that big of an upgrade for whatever it's going to cost?" Rapaport does two things. First, he douses the trade talks with his verbiage – meaning the hypothetical trade is a longshot. He then mutters some familiar rhetoric about Cousins. Vikings loyalists know all about it. "Is Cousins even really that good?" is the talking point. Rapaport implies that he leans toward the "Cousins is a stat guy" philosophy. Schefter Concurs ESPN insider Adam Schefter is also agnostic on the trade-Cousins hoopla. He speculates that the 49ers interest in Cousins made a splash because San Francisco missed out on the Matthew Stafford Sweepstakes. What can be learned from this nugget? The 49ers are not matrimonial with Garoppolo – at all. San Francisco's brass is evidently exploring names like Stafford and Cousins, men who are pegged as perhaps Top 12 quarterback talents in the business. If Stafford and Cousins are upgrades per the 49ers trade maneuvering, Garoppolo must be lower on their totem pole. On the Haberman and Middlekauff Show, Schefter stated: "Yeah, there's been this Kirk Cousins talk, and I guess something could happen, but I haven't heard that's the case, so I don't know where that's coming from." That does not vivify strong trade-Cousins momentum. It sounds more like 49ers-driven rumpus. Beware of Rumor and Hearsay As each day passes, the Massey and Tucker tweets appear more of the sensationalist variety – designed for engagement rather than credible substance. Perhaps both men heard a list of wants from their sources but nothing tangible or reciprocal. The Vikings have given not one iota of inkling to suggest Cousins is on the trade block. It's all rumor and hearsay. Had Rapaport or Schefter contributed, "Hell, yes, this is real," the narrative would flow with a more accredited fervor. But – they didn't. They did the opposite in fact. Kirk Cousins is not an untradeable asset, but he is a productive quarterback that throws 30 touchdowns – like clockwork – per year. He tossed 26 (instead of 30) in 2019 because the Vikings sat starters during Week 17 of 2019. Garoppolo has tossed more than 10 touchdowns just one time in his seven-year career – the Super Bowl runner-up season. That's a large consistency drop-off from Cousins' biography. And that's why, for now, the trade-Cousins yabbering seems overblown. This press release was produced by purplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author's own.