Nate Parker
Kirk Cousins - Elite? Paid to win?
Inside and outside of Minnesota there is a lot of talk about if Kirk Cousins and if he is worth the investment they have made in him. To quote one of my fellow 5 Tool hosts and analysts the QB is paid to win...here's a list of QBs that have won their team a Superbowl in the last 20 years... (*denotes still playing)
*Patrick Mahomes
*Tom Brady
*Nick Foles
Peyton Manning
*Russell Wilson
*Joe Flacco
Eli Manning
*Aaron Rodgers
*Drew Brees
*Ben Roethlisberger
Trent Dilfer
Brad Johnson
By these metrics there are only 7 QBs in the league that are paid appropriately
PFF ranks Kirk Cousins #8 in Quarterbacks in the league. They grade every play with on a scale of -2 to +2 according to what he did on the play.
https://www.pff.com/nfl/grades/position/qb
He's ranks compositely at #8, as a passer he is also #8, and as a runner he is #6.
Here are the Quarterbacks that are ranked ahead of him (* denotes on the previous list):
1: *Aaron Rodgers
2: *Patrick Mahomes
3: Deshaun Watson
4: *Russell WIlson
5: Ryan Tannehill
6: *Tom Brady
7: Josh Allen
Here are some notable QB's behind him:
9: Dak Prescott
10: Derek Carr
11: Matt Ryan
12: Kyler Murray
13: Matthew Stafford
14: Philip Rivers
15: Lamar Jackson
18: Drew Brees
19: Ben Roethlisberger
22: Jared Goff
29: Jimmy Garoppolo
When you grade performances you need context, did the kicker miss kicks, ceding field position, did the receiver drop the ball, how are you evaluating the play of the QB.
It matters, Kirk Cousins is worth every dollar he is paid, he puts the Viking in the best position he can to win. He does his job, he fights for his team, and honestly he's a top 10 QB in the NFL.
He's got an excellent deep ball, and honestly he is supported by the team around him but what QB isn't. You do the best you can with the hand you are dealt.
It's simply not responsible as analysts to not evaluate the full picture when considering where to place your player rank.
The Vikings are all-in on Kirk, and I think it's going to pay off.