Kirk Cousins ​​is seen as “Used Goods” according to recent QB rankings

Drafting Michael Penix, Jr. with the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft after paying former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​$100 million guaranteed is one of the most baffling moves in NFL draft history . However, if the Atlanta Falcons view him the way Scott Kacsmar of 365Score.com does, it might lend a little more credence to the move. In his recent QB rankings, Kacsmar ranks Cousins ​​15th in the NFL, but more importantly places him in the fourth tier of quarterbacks, which he labeled “Used Goods.”

Kacsmar defines the level as follows:

That tier includes several Super Bowl winners who are among the oldest quarterbacks in the league. That’s the problem with this group. Everyone is either past their athletic peak, has been seriously injured recently, or has been accused of folding when the game breaks down and has to work their way out of the system.

But in the right situation, health permitting, you could go far with one of these quarterbacks.

How far can Atlanta go with Cousins? According to Kacsmar, that depends on how the Falcons continue to build this team around the position.

Kirk Cousins ​​is a financial legend in NFL lore as he struck another deal with huge guaranteed money to go to Atlanta. Unfortunately, the Falcons did him no favors by drafting Michael Penix Jr. with the no. 8. That means any late-game interception or turnover will trigger calls for Penix to take over, so Cousins ​​will have that pressure on his back.

But his job should be safe for at least a season or two in Atlanta. He played very well last year for the Vikings and will have weapons at every level in Atlanta. But you could argue that it’s a downgrade from what he had in Minnesota, which was also a pass-friendly system.

However, Cousins ​​has seen it all and knows how to run a passing attack. He will be a big improvement over Desmond Ridder and is in a winnable division. But his habit of staying very close to a .500 record year after year is hard to shake, and how successful that is depends on how well the Falcons build their defense.

It might have been nice to add a top talent like Dallas Turner or another player like Rome Odunze in place of Cousins’ eventual replacement at quarterback.

The opportunity cost of picking a quarterback instead of an instant contributor will be the talk of the season if the Falcons aren’t successful in 2024. And a successful 2024 starts with Cousins ​​playing up to, and likely surpassing, the game that made him a hotshot . cargo last offseason.