Following Derek Carr’s retirement on Saturday, the New Orleans Saints’ quarterback room has become the topic of conversation again. Aaron Rodgers’ name is being connected to the team in free agency, but Carson Wentz’s is also – and CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin deems the latter a better fit than signing the 41-year-old.
Dubin believes both options are better than New Orleans trading for Kirk Cousins, though.
Cousins, as Dubin writes, would cost the Saints assets they shouldn’t be looking to give up, considering the limited ceiling New Orleans would have even after a potential Cousins trade.
“The same rationale as above applies to a trade for Cousins, except it would make even less sense to pursue this option because the Saints would also be forced to surrender draft capital to acquire him. Cousins' $27.5 million base salary is also prohibitive here, as New Orleans only has $27 million in cap room. Barring a restructure (a very bad idea) or Atlanta eating some of the salary as part of the deal (which could raise the price in terms of draft compensation), the financial realities of this type of trade should make it a nonstarter even before we get to the team-building reasons why it doesn't make that much sense,” Dubin wrote.
Cousins is stuck behind Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta. Losing the Falcons’ starting job in the first season of a four-year, $180 million contract, to a rookie, no less, damaged Cousins’ reputation.
Will teams want to trade for a high-priced veteran who isn’t embracing a QB battle?
Especially after shying away from competing with an oft-injured player like Penix?
That’s the big question in Atlanta as the offseason carries on. New Orleans should allow their NFC South rival to answer it without inquiring about their albatross QB contract that’s still to pay $100 million.