Overthecap.com had the Falcons and Vikings listed neck and neck in salary cap room entering Monday’s free agency negotiating period.
The Falcons were 13th with $37.3 million, the Vikings 14th with $35.9 million.
Atlanta woke up and confirmed it no longer can live without Kirk Cousins, pledging $180 million ($100 million guaranteed) to him over four years. The Vikings countered by confirming they’d rather eat $28.5 million in dead money on this year’s cap than pay beyond the $185 million they already invested in a six-year Cousins Era that produced two playoff appearances, one postseason win and a couple of pink slips for Mike Zimmer, who never wanted Cousins, and Rick Spielman, who overruled him.
The Falcons went to work celebrating Cousins’ winning potential, which sounds a tad 2018, eh? The Vikings, meanwhile, quickly began the process of trying not to repeat what has happened to Washington -- six non-winning seasons, three head coaches and zero quality QBs -- since Cousins left D.C. for Minnesota.
The first steps taken Monday were agreeing to terms with veteran quarterback Sam Darnold and three 20-somethings to bolster the defensive front seven, including Jonathan Greenard, a 26-year-old edge rusher on the rise.
Somewhere in Dallas, Zim is enjoying a told-you-so chuckle or two.
What’s next for the Purple also would have pleased Zim back in the day:
Improving the run game, rebuilding the defensive line and, of course, finding one (or two) more cornerback(s) with enough experience, talent and tire tread to unleash even more of defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ creativity and play-calling prowess.