The NFL world is impatiently waiting for Mar. 14, which ushers in the start of free agency and the official commencement of the Kirk Cousins sweepstakes.
The former Washington Redskins quarterback, who has put up over 4,000 passing yards in each of the last three seasons, is the crown jewel of this season’s free agency class and will be pursued by a number of teams desperate to acquire a franchise quarterback.
One of those teams is the New York Jets, who have not hidden the fact that they are willing to do anything it takes to get Cousins. Even if that means paying him $60 million in the first year of his contract.
With around $100 million in cap space this offseason, the Jets automatically become a favorite for Cousins’ signature and it was reported that they were one of the two teams the 29-year-old was deciding between along with the Minnesota Vikings. On Wednesday though, Bovada LV released updated odds for Cousins’ landing spot and the Jets were third behind the Vikings and the Denver Broncos.
It’s understandable if Cousins turns down an astronomical amount of money and signs with either Denver or Minnesota considering they are in better positions to win now compared to the rebuilding Jets.
Should that happen, the Jets could try and attain a franchise quarterback with the No. 6 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft or they could scour the market for the next-best option.
One of those could be Teddy Bridgewater, who is set to become a free agent after injuries robbed him of the starting job with the Vikings. After a horrific knee injury during the 2016 preseason, Bridgewater has appeared in just one game over the last two seasons as Minnesota cycled from Sam Bradford to Case Keenum and were still able to make the NFC Championship Game in January.
Despite his deep playoff run, it looks as though Keenum won’t be returning to Minnesota either as the team did not place the franchise tag on the pending free agent. With Bradford also set to hit free agency, it looks as though the Vikings are making Cousins priority No. 1 this offseason.
In his one full year in the NFL in which he started all 16 games, Bridgewater showed flashes of becoming a very good quarterback, completing 65.3-percent of his passes for 3,231 yards and 14 touchdowns during his age 23 season in 2015. That kind of upside could make him a very attractive target.
The Jets are reportedly already considering Bridgewater, per SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, but it is unclear where he lands on the team’s list of desired passers.
Along with Cousins, Bradford and Keenum, Drew Brees, Brock Osweiler and A.J. McCarron are also free-agent quarterback options.
