It turns out the Vikings contacted the Raiders about a possible trade for quarterback Kirk Cousins before Monday night’s collapse of quarterback Carson Wentz.
But not long before.
Via ESPNFL, the Vikings initially contacted the Raiders during “Monday Lunch,” before Minnesota’s Week 9 game against the Bills. The Vikings told the Raiders they wanted to see how things played out in Monday night’s game before having any further conversations.
Then came Wentz’s 8.9 passer performance in a 23-6 loss, and Minnesota rallied. The Vikings, according to the report, contacted the Raiders on Tuesday before 6:00 a.m. PT and began talks that resulted in a deal being reached.
Raiders general manager John Spytek said in a press conference Tuesday: “I never called Kirk Cousins. And I got a few phone calls. But a real one this morning.”
The Vikings initially offered a fifth-round pick for Cousins, according to the report. The report does not specify the Raiders’ opening position.
Once the Vikings moved up to a third-round pick, the Raiders pounced.
In addition to avoiding the $10 million guaranteed bonus and clearing the way for No. 1 rookie pick Fernando Mendoza (who is mentioned in the article), the Raiders ultimately purchased a third-round pick for $650,000 (which he did not).
This is, in our opinion, the most attractive aspect of the entire transaction. Nearly 10 years ago, the Browns purchased a second-round pick from the Texans by assuming quarterback Brock Osweiler’s $16 million total guarantee for the 2017 season. Any team would sprint for the chance to purchase a third-round pick in the 2027 draft for just $650,000.
In this case, that deal came with nine Cousins starts, four wins, and months of excellent mentorship for Mendoza.
As for the lingering feeling in some circles that the Raiders could have gotten even more for Cousins, they risked trading so hard that the Vikings would have walked away and done a trade with another team.
It was therefore a victory for the Vikings, who got their first choice. It was a victory for the Raiders. And it was definitely a win for Cousins, who went from expecting to be on the bench for Mendoza to nine games as a starter for a contender — plus the strong possibility of the Vikings making the playoffs.
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