Trade Comfirm: Vikings best fit for veteran free agent” Still Vikings leave door open for Falcons To….

Last offseason, the Vikings signed free agent cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. to a two-year deal to boost their secondary. As an experienced player who is still in his mid-20s, Murphy fit the mold that GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah likes to target. Will they go back to that well this year? The Vikings could certainly use another starting corner for Brian Flores’ defense. ESPN’s Matt Bowen has them listed as the best team fit for a 26-year-old free agent corner who was drafted six slots behind Murphy in 2019. It’s Sean Murphy-Bunting, the ex-Buccaneer and Titan who ranks 38th in Bowen’s top 50 FAs. I originally had Murphy-Bunting to Arizona here, but I believe the Vikings will be seeking some corners for Brian Flores’ aggressive system, and he’d work well in Minnesota. With his long frame and fluid hips, Murphy-Bunting can challenge on the outside or match in blitz coverage. He has eight interceptions and 22 pass breakups over five pro seasons, with two picks in 2023 in Tennessee. Murphy-Bunting starred at Central Michigan and was drafted 39th overall by Tampa Bay in 2019. He spent his four years with the Buccaneers, starting 36 regular season games and winning a Super Bowl in his second season. During that playoff run, he had an interception in each of the Bucs’ three NFC victories that led them to a matchup with the Chiefs. He then signed a one-year deal with the Titans last year and started 14 games for them. Murphy-Bunting has good length, the versatility to play multiple spots, and plenty of playmaking ability. He’d be a solid pickup for Flores and Minnesota this spring.

READ MORE.

For any team that has a need for a quarterback and wants to compete in 2024, Kirk Cousins is the most attractive offseason target, which should include the Falcons.

Arthur Blank didn’t fire Arthur Smith because he wanted to rebuild. The club’s owner expects to be competitive in 2024, and a rookie quarterback isn’t going to maximize Atlanta’s chances of ending their postseason drought in 2024.

Preferably, the Falcons fill both long-term and short-term needs in the coming months, even if it means double dipping in the quarterback market. Signing a win-now free agent like Cousins while drafting a guy like J.J. McCarthy to sit and learn behind the veteran for the future would be ideal.

The Falcons won’t be alone in their pursuit of Kirk Cousins, though. As I mentioned, every club that has a void at the position and wants to compete will be interested in the 35-year-old, including the Vikings. However, Minnesota may have left the door open for Atlanta to steal him.

According to Sports Illustrated, the Vikings aren’t too keen on handing the veteran signal caller a fully-guaranteed deal, which has been a consistent theme since he arrived in Minnesota six years ago.

Cousins cannot be franchise-tagged, so the Vikings very well could watch the ever-consistent veteran walk in free agency. Spotrac estimates Cousins could be worth a three-year deal that carries an average annual value of $39.3 million.

For a soon-to-be 36-year-old, that’s a lot of change, especially if it’s fully guaranteed. However, before he tore his Achilles in Week 8, Cousins was in the midst of a career year.

Cousins averaged 291.4 passing yards per game, which is his highest mark since 2016, and he threw 18 touchdowns compared to five interceptions. If the Falcons are getting that kind of production, $40 million a year is about right and maybe even a little under-market. Those are top 10 numbers at a price that is outside the top 10 of highest-paid quarterbacks.

If the Falcons aren’t as fixated on the guarantees, they could easily convince Kirk Cousins to come to Atlanta. The NFC South is much more winnable than the NFC North, Cousins’ wife is from the metro area, and the Falcons roster is ripe for a quarterback to help realize its full potential.