Mike Freeman, a longtime NFL writer now with Bleacher Report, offered up a pretty hot take on Vikings QB Kirk Cousins after Sunday's 30-20 loss to the Saints, concluding Cousins is a flop and hasn't been close to worth the $28 million per year he's making.
Here's the thing: Freeman is right that there are things about Cousins that are troubling. He makes some risky throws. He has had a league-high 15 passes batted down. His fumbling is a ticking time bomb.
But if the argument is about whether Cousins is worth $84 million guaranteed, the answer is far more nuanced than yes or no. Salaries can't be measured in a vacuum, and value means different things to different franchises at different times.
To me, Cousins — on pace for 5,000 yards — has been everything advertised and more. He's been far from perfect, but so much farther from a flop.
Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.