Kirk Cousins, Deshaun Watson And The Bucs
February 17th, 2022
Lost in shuffle.
So Joe got to thinking yesterday and was surprised many Bucs fans didn’t catch this.
Of course, we learned yesterday that embattled Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson had added the Bucs and the Vikings to his trade wishlist. And like just about every reasonable Bucs fan, Joe was stoked at the thought the Bucs could get one of the better young quarterbacks in the game. Can dreams come true twice in three years and have a quarterback fall out of the sky?
But here is the thing: If Watson winds up with the Vikings, it is not all gloom and doom for Bucs fans. Depressing, yes. But not fatal. Why is that?
Well, that means the Vikings then have two playoff quarterbacks on their hands. If they move a mountain to get Watson, they surely are not going to keep Kirk Cousins.
Joe sort of likes Cousins. No, he’s not Tom Brady, who the hell is? But he’s certainly no Blaine Gabbert.
Cousins, a three-time Pro Bowler, seems to be a bit of a tease. He’s good enough to win you a playoff game but that seems to be his ceiling. Of course, who knows how good he can be if Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bucco Bruce Arians gets his hands on him?
Let’s just say Joe trusts Arians as a quarterback whisperer a little bit more than Mike Zimmer.
If Joe would tell you Dak Prescott is available, you’d jump out of your desk chair, wouldn’t you? Some believe Cousins may be better than Prescott.
OK, this is the best Stephen A/Chris Russo moment yet. Russo says Kirk Cousins is better than Dak Prescott. Stephen A goes ballistic. pic.twitter.com/PlVjHBoiYw
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) February 16, 2022
Enjoy The Recent Ira Kaufman Podcast
February 17th, 2022 at 5:08 am
i sorta like kirk cousins too…sorta…
he can be like a brad johnson type…sorta…
and oddly enough like brad he played for the skins and the vikes
February 17th, 2022 at 5:39 am
Are we going to take on the 35 mil he is supposedly guaranteed for 2022? Results matter, and I don’t like him now!
February 17th, 2022 at 5:41 am
Hard pass
February 17th, 2022 at 5:45 am
He’s no Blaine Gabbert who will be the Bucs opening day starter. Let’s hope when Blaine starts he’s no Kurt Cousins whose team under performed last season, and coach got fired.
February 17th, 2022 at 6:21 am
Retread.
Just another McCown.
February 17th, 2022 at 6:31 am
Cousins is where I see Trasks ceiling
February 17th, 2022 at 6:48 am
Dude Kirk cousins.. the “YOU LIKE THAT?!” guy? Ugh..
February 17th, 2022 at 6:50 am
I’m missing today’s Morning Cup Of Joe?
February 17th, 2022 at 6:53 am
Cousins kills it in garbage time after they’re down 28-6. To be fair though, MN has had one of the worst defenses in the NFL for a while, all the final results can’t be blamed on him
February 17th, 2022 at 7:01 am
Cousins is not better then dak. That is ridiculous
February 17th, 2022 at 7:03 am
Watson would be the only one worth crippling our teams ability to sign other good players. Prescott isn’t worth anywhere near what he makes and Cousins has always been vastly overpaid. Why some teams/people in general get infatuated with above average to good players and want to hand them the world is mind numbing. Watson is special, but Trask has a chance to be better than Dak and Cousins.
February 17th, 2022 at 7:04 am
The road back to SB is Defense now with Brady gone.
February 17th, 2022 at 7:32 am
Affordability……that is the question…….do we really have $30 mil for a QB?
Let’s roll the dice with Trask….maybe bring in Trubisky or Bridgewater for competition…
Pay some other players……Godwin, Cappa, Jensen, Davis, Whitehead, Lenny, perhaps Gronk….
Where will the money be for that?
February 17th, 2022 at 7:33 am
Russell Wilson-make it happen Mr. Greenberg and Bucs are instantly favored to win 2023 Superbowl.
February 17th, 2022 at 7:37 am
D@mn it Joe! Where’s my morning cup of Joe? Enquiring minds wanna know.
February 17th, 2022 at 7:43 am
I’d rather have Kirk than Watson
February 17th, 2022 at 7:46 am
$33 mil salary with a $45mil cap hit. How will the Vikings get rid of him and sign Watson. Why would the Bucs even consider signing Cousins. Makes no financial sense with all of the free agents the Bucs have to try to sign. I would not sign either Watson or Cousins. Like it or not it’s probably going to be Gabbert, Trask, or Lord forbid … Jameis.
February 17th, 2022 at 7:48 am
LOL you need to go outside.
February 17th, 2022 at 7:49 am
HC Grover … ‘The road back to SB is Defense now with Brady gone.’
Yes & No. Yes we desperately need to fix our defense; lots of open holes right now. No Brady isn’t gone, but Yes he is retired.
Tom Brady is signed with the Bucs through 2022. If you look at our current salary CAP numbers, he counts $20.3 mil against our CAP hit this year, with a Dead CAP of $32 mil. My guess? Bucs are keeping him on the roster (for now at least) so they can retain his rights in case he opts to un-retire. He could play for us, or we could trade his rights, whatever.
At some point though (prior to Game 1 is my guess), we’ll need to fish or cut bait. We’ll take a CAP Hit no matter what we do (we owe TB12 money from 2021), but the hit wouldn’t be as bad if we give up the ghost & release him from his 2022 contract (we’d also lose his rights I’d assume).
We’ve got got other ‘sunk costs’ to deal with though. We owe Suh $6.8 mil from last year. We owe Gronk $5.0 mil from last year. We owe Antonio Brown $3.3 mil in Dead CAP money because oh ya, he quit on us (the gift that keeps on giving).
Those ‘sunk costs’ are the result of ‘mortgaging our future’ to chase another SB ring last season. But they’re not the only ones. We restructured several players last season who are still under contract for 2022, which only means that we’ll owe them more this year & next than we would owe them if we hadn’t restructured their contracts.
Bucs right now sit at $202.8 mil for our Top-51 (we’ve only got 47 players under contract however, so that number is low). Leaves us with $6.8 mil of CAP space right now. Those numbers really don’t mean all that much at this point IMO because we’ve got tons of decisions to make which will cause them to change. But the bottom line really doesn’t change: Bucs don’t have enough wiggle room to sign a premier QB for 2023 AND fix all the holes we currently have in our roster. You can only kick the can down the road so far before you run out of road.
February 17th, 2022 at 7:51 am
The problem with Kirk Cousins is that if you look at his statistics for 4th quarter comebacks and game winning drives that number is quite low. In my opinion that is the story of Kirk Cousins’ career. When the chips are down and you need a score to win the game, Kirk isn’t the guy to do it.
February 17th, 2022 at 7:53 am
IF you don’t make a play for an upper tier QB a lot of our FAs will bolt to another team
Bucs have to make a statement about winning now.
Im not sold on Watson because of his off field issues – haven’t we had enough of that crap
Cousins seems like the kind of QB that can win some games for you/or break your heart.
But has he ever played for a team this loaded?
February 17th, 2022 at 8:09 am
Bringing in a salary cap hog — no matter who — is a mistake. This team has good players at every position and a higher number of great players than most teams.
Ravens won with Dilfer. Bucs won with Johnson. Don’t bring in a $35 cap hit like Watson, who has zero character and is a quitter, or Never Done Nothing Cousins. Stick with Trask. Re-Sign Fournette and Godwin and Jensen and Cappa.
February 17th, 2022 at 8:40 am
Cousins is one of many overpaid QBs. However, he’s not a turnover machine. His TD/INT totals were 33 tds to only 7 into last season and h threw for 4221 yards and had a qbr of 103.1. Those are winning stats but I question his leadership and desire to win at all costs.
I think Russell Wilson is a perfect fit. With our O-line and his beautiful deep-ball accuracy, I think he’d really thrive in TB.
Watson would be my second choice (a close second because he’s younger but the legal issues are tough to ignore). I think Wilson is only a season or 2 away from retiring so a long-term answer at QB would be Watson.
Garapolo? Nope. Always hurt and former teammates say he’s a punk. I’d take Teddy Bridgewater over him. Jimmy G plays like he’s only.in it for a paycheck. Easy to see why Brady didn’t care for the guy. Talented, sky-high potential but no heart.
February 17th, 2022 at 9:04 am
TRASK ! STOP LIVING IN A FREE AGENCY QB WORLD
February 17th, 2022 at 9:20 am
Cousins is a better QB than he gets credit for. I think he falls under the radar because he’s not a “sexy” QB on a “sexy” team.
February 17th, 2022 at 9:43 am
@ Defense Rules
Don’t look now… We just lost another $3 million of cap space yesterday.
“Second year in a row, Bucs have three players getting nice bumps in final year of their rookie contracts due to NFL’s Proven Performance Escalator incentive. Sean Murphy-Bunting, Jamel Dean and Mike Edwards each will make $2.54 million, a bump of $1m+ from their original deals.”
We now have @ $3 million of cap space. Yikes.
February 17th, 2022 at 9:58 am
At $15mil over the cap, and with $8mil dead—prolly mostly Cousins—I don’t see a chance in hell of Minn dumping Cousins and taking on Watson.
Man, there;’s a LOT of smoke being blown in the NFL…all Liar’s Poker.
February 17th, 2022 at 10:19 am
Cousins is clearly better than Dak. Carson Wentz on Cowboys this season would’ve done better than Dak. Daks the 15th best QB in the NFL. Aka playoff bubble QB. The Cowboys roster is probably the second most talented in the NFL behind Rams. Their biggest weakness is QB and HC. They stayed with Romo and Dak both mid tier QBs way to long, both whom need a perfect roster to win 1 playoff game and lose in divisional round.
Dak only plays well when they rely on run and make the line earn the yards. He can’t take game over himself if required to win a throwing match.
If the rest of the roster was weak then Daks level of play would be fine, buts he’s like Ryan Tannehill on Tennesse, if Cowboys traded Dak to Bucs or Greenbay for TB12 or AR or Wilson, they would be in the SB in 2023 and could blow out the Rams.
They want Sean Payton, two top coordinators, a top o line, good RBs, multiple high paid weapons, a top defensive LB, a top 5 defense, top 3 facilities and owner support, and still be like why can’t we win a play off game? I’m just shocked Jerry stayed with the two QBs he’s had for 15 years, when so many very good QB were drafted and available. He had a chance to sign TB in 2020 and stayed with a rookie contract Dak? Haha. They would be going for third in three years if they signed Tom in 2020, with that roster.
February 17th, 2022 at 10:20 am
Vikings have Thielen and Justin Jefferson, as well as a decent TE stable. Watson would drool at that, plus playing indoors.
Bucs have so much uncertainty – make Godwin a certainty, get DWat to agree to a major contract restructure, and get Houston to toss in a TE that DWat likes with the trade and maybe we can land him without totally crippling the future.
Naaa who am I kidding?
Bucs are gonna blow on both sides of the ball. A two year oasis in between lost decades.
Thanks, Todd.
February 17th, 2022 at 11:27 am
I looked up “whiny a$$ b!tch”, there was a picture of Swampbuc.
February 17th, 2022 at 11:34 am
Cousins is good but I just don’t know. He’s kind of like Matt Ryan. He can be really good but is he ever going to win the big one?
I don’t know, maybe, with a good O line and defense. There’s been at least two quarterbacks who are worse than him who have won Super Bowls and that is what it is all about
February 17th, 2022 at 11:40 am
Cousins is better than Jimmy G, better than Watson and maybe better than Prescott in this offense but would prob take Prescott in some other offenses .
February 17th, 2022 at 11:45 am
As long as its NOT Winston or Watson….
February 17th, 2022 at 12:31 pm
Jerk in Michigan — very original, that’s a new one. Really. Say, have you made any more astute proclamations about Brady being washed up and over the hill?
No really, I see your point, everything’s great. Todd’s Bowels did nothing that deserves lasting criticism. Really. Even though he’s not come forward to explain what happened, or why he chose to call the whole game, never mind the last 30 seconds of the game, like he did. Why? Because there is no defense — literally, for his actions or for the Bucs.
You just keep saying how washed up Brady is and how great the Bucs are. Be a sheep. You’re kind of cute in wool.
February 17th, 2022 at 12:54 pm
You just can’t get any more spot on than this can you, Jerkin Michigan? And not that it matters, but the tinge of whiny biotch is all over your face.
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Joe in Michigan Says:
March 12th, 2020 at 9:57 am
I’ve had enough “splash moves” in my years as a Bucs fan to last me a lifetime, such as:
Taking Steve Young instead of Reggie White in the 1984 supplemental draft (I’ve always loved pass rushers).
Drafting Vinny Testaverde over Cornelius Bennett, and trading Young off for peanuts.
Trading a 1st Rounder for Chris Chandler because Testaverde got blamed for losses, even though the rest of the team was terrible.
Trading 2 1st Rounders for Keyshawn Johnson, even though it was known he was a locker room cancer.
If signing Brady costs us not being able to sign some of our good players that AREN’T OVER THE HILL LIKE BRADY, this will be another possible “splash move” failure to add to the list.
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Whine much?
February 17th, 2022 at 1:27 pm
Kirk Cousins is much like Jameis Winston; He’ll throw your team in, and out of the same football game on a weekly basis.
February 17th, 2022 at 1:36 pm
Cousins isn’t Brady, but to me he’s an upgrade over the Wentz-Carr-Jimmy G level QB. Talking to a Vikings guy, he says the biggest issue with Cousins is that he’s too conservative and won’t take big shots, which is interesting, since watching him from afar he feels more like a gun slinger, and he’s not. Also Cousins isn’t much of a ‘leader’, but this is a veteran team, so who cares.
February 17th, 2022 at 2:05 pm
Hard pass
February 17th, 2022 at 2:12 pm
cousins is basically one more .500 type season away from being a bridgewater type journeyman qb…
he’s basically at that brink in his career…ok maybe 2 years away…
his salary is what makes you think he is more than that at this point…
salaries can be confusing for qb’s…
also on bridgewater :
ever since he had that one great 5 game “fill in role” for brees in new orleans, he has been touted as this next great thing of some sort…that happened for him yes, but that is looooong over…he is a .500 type journeyman at this point…or a very very good back up on an nfl roster
February 17th, 2022 at 4:57 pm
Who would be depressed missing out on Watson? You should be relieved and happy you avoid trouble and lousy quarterbacking.
As for Cousins. Footwall-wise, he is a perfect fit for the Bucs. Nobody in football is Tom Brady, but Cousins is a decent watered down workmanlike version.
But Cousins would cost, from what I’m seeing, multiple first round picks and mega $. I don’t see the Bucs being in any position to invest in Cousins, who isn’t that much cheaper than Rodgers, Wilson. Not without compromising the roster, and the future.
February 17th, 2022 at 9:11 pm
Some clowns have said that we could’ve won with any qb in 2020 so let’s let Trask have the reigns, do what we can do to resign Fournette, Godwin and Jensen and see what he can do. He went up against some good defense in college and was a td machine so 1 year behind the GOAT of GOATS he might do just fine
February 18th, 2022 at 2:45 am
We need proper southern Christian values, above all, players who will support their families before their team. Players who will quit even though they have a contract, to support their wife to pursue her career. The American Dream!
We need players like this.
And that next player…..your next Bucs QB…….yes, it’s Tim Tebow. He loves Jesus, Jesus loves him, and Jesus will love you if you stop criticizing people who caused the Bucs to be in the state they are right now.
Forgiveness!
Tolerance!
Respect!
Ahh, NFL values.