Stafford is significantly better.
Signing(s): Kirk Cousins signs with the Falcons (4 years, $180 million)
- Thread starter MMC
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Unholy Diver
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Unless you look at stats and wins and losses, Cousins throws more TD per game and less INT per game, and his teams have a winning record, while Stafford gets 9 yards more per game and his teams have a losing record
Kirk Cousins vs. Matthew Stafford: Head-to-Head Stats Comparison | Stathead.com
David Suzuki
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Reality Check
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After replacing Case Keenum, Kirk Cousins won the same amount of playoff games.
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How many nationally televised game does Atlanta have?
those are guaranteed loses.
those are guaranteed loses.
All of those tv people neglect the part that Balt had the right to match. So, like we see in NHL RFA, who hands out an offersheet and risk having it matched?
You structure a contract that is so favorable to the player, good luck when trying to restructure it to allow your team to manage the salary cap as the player has full and complete leverage later on during the life of the contract. Like Cleveland has to maneuver with Watson to reduce his $60 mill cap charge in 2024. They only took $30 mill of the $90 mill they have paid him so far, thus have pushed $60 mill into 2024 and onwards.
End of the day, it's a 2 year contract. Wait on the details to see when the year 3 money vests.
There are people who think Cousins is good because he puts up good fantasy numbers, but he is not a winner. Want an eight-yard completion on 3rd & 10? Cousins is your man! Want to keep that pass completion percentage high by taking a sack rather than throwing the ball away? Cousins is your man! Want to end the season early by bowing out of the playoffs quickly, or not making the playoffs at all? Cousins is your man!
Bruins4Lifer
Registered User
as a Vikes fan, I wanted them to bring back Kirk. 2yr $85mil, $70mil gtd is what I would have given him. But seeing this deal I don't blame them for letting him walk. It's a ridiculous amount for a guy coming off a major injury.
It's ultimately a 2 year contract. Need to see the exact details. Guess, a portion of year 3 is guaranteed.
I did expect more than Carr's guarantees which ended up being $70 mill over 2 years (realistically), unless NO was going to cut him and eat a 1 year $60 mill contract.
Reported numbers are never the true cash numbers. It's one of the few things I do agree with Mike Florio about.
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
Because they're idiots. Atlanta clearly should have gone after Lamar, even if you have to give up the picks.
Good chart, thanks for posting. Cousins has been a statistically superior QB to Stafford. And with a couple more seasons of starts, it's conceivable Cousins could surpass Stafford in total yardage categories too.
Cousins is a strong QB, and it seems even his critics concede that.. so they always rely on the go-to criticism that he doesn't win enough playoff games.. which is more of a team failure, than an individual flaw of Cousins. And I notice playoff wins is usually a critique of convenience. Dilfer won a bunch of playoff games, but few would argue he was a great individual QB. People recognize those were team playoff wins. But critics see the high level, individual play of Cousins, but selectively view his playoff losses, not as team losses, but Cousins' failure. Cousins had a playoff game with over 300 passing yards.. Between Washington & Minnesota, he's thrown 5 postseason TDs, and only one pick. It is a (dumb) selectively applied standard that Cousins is only as good as his will or luck is in winning playoff games, anything less is his individual failing.
And I get that some of the Cousins criticism has to do with his big $/ultimate value, but..
Big Poppa Puck
HF's Villain
Insane contract and I'm glad the Vikings stood their ground and didn't give him that money or years. Especially at 36 coming off a torn achilles. He really is the GOAT of negotiation.
The guy they end up drafting might end up being a bust, but you have to try and it was time. Cousins was there 6 years and they made the playoffs twice, winning one game (they probably make it this year had he not gotten hurt though). While arguably a top 10-12 QB the franchise had no more success with him than they did with much worse QB such as Tarvaris Jackson/Gus Frerotte, Christian Ponder, Teddy Bridgewater and Case Keenum. Made the playoffs with all of those guys.
You hire Kevin O'Connell to hope he can find and develop that QB this franchise hasn't had done since the 60s. If that doesn't work out then hopefully they bottom out, which the Vikings franchise never seems to do, and the next coach/GM can find that guy.
As for Atlanta, as I said above, it's an insane contract, but Arthur Blank is in his 80s and going full Mike Illitch with the Tigers. I don't think this Falcons team is nearly as good as the Vikings team Kirk joined in 2018 and proceeded to regress by 4 wins and miss the playoffs. They should be a playoff team, but I don't see them as contenders. But then again with the Vikings luck a Super Bowl wouldn't surprise me in the least.
The guy they end up drafting might end up being a bust, but you have to try and it was time. Cousins was there 6 years and they made the playoffs twice, winning one game (they probably make it this year had he not gotten hurt though). While arguably a top 10-12 QB the franchise had no more success with him than they did with much worse QB such as Tarvaris Jackson/Gus Frerotte, Christian Ponder, Teddy Bridgewater and Case Keenum. Made the playoffs with all of those guys.
You hire Kevin O'Connell to hope he can find and develop that QB this franchise hasn't had done since the 60s. If that doesn't work out then hopefully they bottom out, which the Vikings franchise never seems to do, and the next coach/GM can find that guy.
As for Atlanta, as I said above, it's an insane contract, but Arthur Blank is in his 80s and going full Mike Illitch with the Tigers. I don't think this Falcons team is nearly as good as the Vikings team Kirk joined in 2018 and proceeded to regress by 4 wins and miss the playoffs. They should be a playoff team, but I don't see them as contenders. But then again with the Vikings luck a Super Bowl wouldn't surprise me in the least.
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TheAngryHank
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LightningStorm
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I agree with this on the Vikings end. It was a bit of a no man's land situation I'm glad we are out of. Looking forward to seeing who we draft.
Good move on the Falcons end. They have a roster who was a QB away from making the playoffs, and they are in a garbage division, so easy path to the postseason.
Please no. Nix or McCarthy would give me Christian Ponder flashbacks. Williams, Maye, Daniels, and Penix are the only QB's I'd pick in round 1.
From what I have read barring a restructure for 2025,
Cousins gets $62.5 mill in 2024 in real money and is a $25 mill cap hit. SB if $50 mill is allocated to the cap over 4 years this $12.5 mill . Base salary of $12.5 mill in 2025.
Base salary is $27.5 mill in 2025 and with the prorated SB of $12.5 mill is a cap hit of $40 mill. That take him to $90 mill earned. Cap charge of $65 mill to date taken.
But come March 2025 a $10 mill roster bonus for 2026 becomes guaranteed.
So if he’s cut after the 2025 seasons he would leave Atl with $35 mill in dead cap.
His base salary for 2026 is $35 mill
Cousins gets $62.5 mill in 2024 in real money and is a $25 mill cap hit. SB if $50 mill is allocated to the cap over 4 years this $12.5 mill . Base salary of $12.5 mill in 2025.
Base salary is $27.5 mill in 2025 and with the prorated SB of $12.5 mill is a cap hit of $40 mill. That take him to $90 mill earned. Cap charge of $65 mill to date taken.
But come March 2025 a $10 mill roster bonus for 2026 becomes guaranteed.
So if he’s cut after the 2025 seasons he would leave Atl with $35 mill in dead cap.
His base salary for 2026 is $35 mill
AtlantaWhaler
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I get really confused with NFL contracts and cap, but I keep hearing something about a year-3 release would only cost the Falcons $10 million. I guess that's what would hit the cap?
John Price
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David Suzuki
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Thank god they put the games on TV so we can watch with our eyes and not with statistics. Stafford is better than Cousins and I don't know if there's a single NFL evaluator who would think otherwise.
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GKJ
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It’s a good calculated risk, because the rest of their 53 is good and they saw a division rival win a playoff game. You see the turnover in the NFC, there’s a good case made that you get in and get hit, you can be in the Super Bowl. Saints are trying to do the same thing.
My last post breaks it down, from what I found on Spotrac.
After 2 years, the Falcons would have paid Cousins $90 mill but taken cap hits of $25 and then $40 mill for a total of $65 mill. Leaves them $25 mill to account for in dead cap. But, there is also a $10 mill roster bonus which isn't guaranteed right now, but becomes guaranteed in March 2025 before year 2 begins. Thus, if he plays year 2, then that $10 mill is also guaranteed, which adds another $10 mill onto the dead cap of $25 mill, making it $35 mill to account for in 2026/2027 years.
