What if I told you that the Vikings' acquisition of Kirk Cousins would be compared to the Denver Broncos' signing of Peyton Manning after the 2011 season? Because it just was. And no, this is not the start of an ESPN "30 for 30." But it could be some day, if Cousins leads the Vikings to two Super Bowls and a Lombardi Trophy like Manning did in Denver.
"This is an optimal situation for Cousins, with the Minnesota defense and offensive skill players lined up for him perfectly," said Mike Wright of The Fantasy Footballers Podcast. "I can't recall a more perfect free-agent quarterback marriage — other than Peyton Manning to the Denver Broncos. It's crazy to be a free-agent quarterback and slide into a team and immediately everyone is talking about a Super Bowl."
In the Twin Cities as part of a five-city tour for the podcast that started Thursday at Minneapolis' Cedar Cultural Center, Jason Moore said only one of the three free-agent quarterbacks the Vikings let walk would have been comparable to Cousins.
"I do like Kirk Cousins. I see him as an upgrade from Case Keenum," said Moore, one of the podcast's three analysts. "But I'm a Case Keenum truther: I believe he's actually a really good quarterback. … You saw last year he has the ability to lead you with a good team."
Sam Bradford showed the ability, but there was one small problem.
"The odds of him playing a full season are low," said Andy Holloway, another analyst on the show. "Until he does it, that's going to be the expectation for him."
If that changes, Bradford — who ranks as about their No. 28 quarterback — could impress again.
"He has [second-round draft pick] Christian Kirk. He has Larry Fitzgerald. He has David Johnson. So, there's no reason he can't be a middle-to-upper guy, a top-15 quarterback," Holloway said.