With the NFL Draft this week, the Falcons and Kirk Cousins could find out if any more landing spots emerge for the veteran quarterback to be traded.
There have been reports that Cousins doesn’t want to be traded until after the draft, so a situation like Michael Penix Jr. being selected a mere weeks after he signed doesn’t happen again.
That makes sense, but it takes two to tango, and it seems the Falcons have quite a high asking price as the situation currently stands. The latest report from ESPN insider Adam Schefter reveals the Falcons are asking interested parties to pick up a hefty portion of Cousins’ guaranteed money.
“Publicly, the Falcons have said they’re not interested in trading quarterback Kirk Cousins. Privately, they have had discussions with teams — and have asked for a lot in return, per sources.
Atlanta has asked for any acquiring team to pay $20 million of the $45 million worth of guarantees left on Cousins’ contract. To date, no has been willing to do that, and no team is expected to be willing to. But what happens this weekend — and which franchises come out of the draft with or without rookie quarterbacks — could influence how much guaranteed money a team might be willing to absorb on Cousins’ contract.”
That seems rather unlikely given the current climate. Perhaps Aaron Rodgers decides to hang up his cleats, which could create a situation where demand exceeds supply, and the Falcons might be able to recoup a decent amount back for Cousins, but if not, there doesn’t seem to be many interested teams.
Schefter continued with what teams might be willing to absorb from Cousins contract, but the insider did note that there will be a give and a take regarding how much a team will be willing to take on in salary compared to the draft capital given up.
“There is a feeling around the league that a team, whether it is the Vikings or Steelers, might be willing to pay down roughly $10 million. How much any team would be willing to pay also would influence the compensation it gives up. The higher the payment, the lower the draft compensation; the lower the payment, the higher the draft compensation. The Falcons and Cousins recognize their future is not together, and how it will play out could very well be influenced by this draft.”
At this point, I’m not sure if the Falcons will be able to trade Kirk Cousins, and I don’t think anyone knows for sure. This week will give us a much more clear picture of potential trade partners.
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Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
