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There are plenty of options available for the Raiders when it comes to adding to the quarterback position this offseason, but if they’re going to go in for anyone, maybe they should just go for the highest-rated guy available—Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
In a video titled, “Kirk Cousins Could Transform the Raiders Offense,” at The 33rd Team, analyst Andy Benoit spoke with NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell about the possibility of dropping Cousins into a Raiders offense in which the only real question mark is the quarterback.
“They could be a different offense for having him,” Benoit said.
Cosell agreed: “Kirk Cousins is a really good player. I think Kirk Cousins is incredibly intelligent, plays the game that way, he’s obviously a pocket quarterback but I think because he sees things so clearly and is really good before the snap of the ball and understanding what he is looking at, the ball gets out. The ball gets to the right receiver. I think he throws it a lot better than people think.”
Raiders Quarterbacks Coach a Link?
Cosell pointed to the hiring of new quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello, who was the 49ers quarterbacks coach in 2021 under coach Kyle Shanahan. The Raiders’ new offensive coordinator, Luke Getsy, also has Shanahan connections, having worked with Shanahan disciple Matt LaFleur in Green Bay.
Shanahan’s connection to Cousins goes back to when he was the offensive coordinator in Washington and advocated for Washington to draft Cousins. It may be a stretch, but it is fair to say that the Raiders could set up a Shanahan-style offense, and Cousins would be the ideal quarterback for it.
“They just hired Rich Scangarello as a quarterbacks coach, he has a background, the Shanahan background, he has been with Kyle, he has been with that group,” Cosell said. “That’s the kind of offense that Kirk Cousins could run effectively. Now, I don’t know if he’d be the one who’s putting in the offense, but the point is, they hired Rich Scangarello for a reason.
“That style of offense would fit Kirk Cousins beautifully. In fact, we know that Kyle Shanahan always loved Kirk Cousins and would have wanted him as his quarterback, we’ll see how that plays out.”
Kirk Cousins Will Not Be Cheap
Signing Cousins won’t be cheap. Cousins is projected by Pro Football Focus to get a two-year, $60 million contract. At Spotrac, Cousins is projected to reap a three-year, $118 million deal.
Also, Cousins is a risk. He only played eight games last year before tearing his Achilles tendon, a concerning injury for a player his age. They were eight very impressive games, playing for a team many assumed would be heading into rebuilding mode. Minnesota went 4-4 with Cousins, and he threw for an average of 291.4 yards with a QB rating of 103.8, third in the NFL.
But he will enter free agency as the No. 2 overall free agent in Pro Football Focus’ rankings, and easily the top quarterback on the market. It is a long way from Cousins at No.2 on the rankings to Ryan Tannehill, the second quarterback on the list, who comes in at No. 68 overall.
As PFF noted on Cousins: “An ill-timed torn Achilles derailed another strong season from Cousins, and he looked set to have a host of suitors in free agency, as he did back in 2018. Cousins still has the requisite arm strength to throw to all levels of the field and has been as accurate as ever in recent seasons.”
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