Top free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins is expected to take visits in free agency. Will the Denver Broncos be on his list of teams?
After the news broke that the Minnesota Vikings would not be franchise tagging Case Keenum, it seemed to become a foregone conclusion that the Denver Broncos would be missing out on Kirk Cousins because apparently, not tagging Keenum means the Vikings have no interest in bringing him back.
I’m not so sure about that, and I’m not so sure that Cousins to the Vikings is a foregone conclusion either.
Cousins will reportedly take at least one visit to a prospective team before signing:
Per source, Kirk Cousins' current plan is to not agree to terms during 2-day negotiating period but to take one or more visits as of March 14.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) February 27, 2018
This is a wise decision on the part of Cousins, and is an indicator that as of right now, there may not be any favorite whatsoever to sign him.
Cousins is rightly going to give himself the opportunity to get to know an organization, the team that will employ him, and possibly some of his new teammates before he signs.
That was something Brock Osweiler infamously did not do before signing with the Houston Texans, and we all saw how that worked out.
Cousins going on a free agent tour means we won’t know anything during the legal tampering window as far as what the Broncos’ quarterback situation will be, but it could also create some additional urgency in the quarterback market that doesn’t involve players in Cousins’ price range.
Those players may not take visits, but work out deals in the legal tampering period with new teams. Players like A.J. McCarron who already have relationships with some around the league (Hue Jackson in Cleveland) can afford to take the most money they can possibly get and sign right away.
For Cousins, it’s about the money, but it’s also not. Teams pursuing Cousins will all be willing to pay roughly the same top dollar amount. No one is expecting to get Cousins on a low-ball offer. Because of this fact, taking visits and finding the best fit is wise.
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If and when Cousins comes to Denver for a visit, their trophy case, rich winning history, roster filled with veteran players who have won a title in the past three seasons, and the city of Denver in general will be in their favor when trying to sign Cousins.
The Broncos can sell Cousins on the fact that they and a lot of their players have proven they can win it all, while other teams in pursuit of him cannot. The Vikings offer an indoor stadium as well as a road game against the Lions for essentially nine indoor games per season, but the Broncos play in exceptional weather conditions the majority of the season.
Even in December, temperatures in Denver average in the mid-40s and often reach the mid-60s. The Broncos also play road games in Los Angeles and Oakland, soon to be Las Vegas. So, that’s 10 games where your game temp is likely to be in the 40s or above, if we’re getting that deep into this.
Regardless, there is plenty the Broncos can sell Cousins on, and hopefully John Elway, Gary Kubiak, Matt Russell, Joe Ellis, and perhaps even a player like Von Miller will get the chance to sell him on the city, the organization, and winning.