Everson Griffen on the Dallas Cowboys ensures they are a playoff team.

Everson Griffen is still waiting to be signed by a new NFL team.

The four-time Pro Bowl defensive end of the Minnesota Vikings spent the 10 years in the Twin Cities, becoming one of the best players on their defense. Griffen put together a Hall of Very Good career in Minneapolis, but will have to suit up for someone else in his early 30s if he wants to achieve Canton enshrinement. One team that should be all-in on him is the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas may already have a Pro Bowl pass-rusher of its own in DeMarcus Lawrence, but America’s Team still needs make up for losing Robert Quinn to the Chicago Bears in his NFL free agency. That’s not to say Dallas hasn’t added plenty of excellent players to its defensive line. It has in the form of Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe, as well as drafting Bradlee Anae and Neville Gallimore.

However, it feels like the Cowboys are banking heavily on Aldon Smith returning to San Francisco 49ers form half-a-decade after the fact. Though we should hope Smith’s troubled past is firmly behind him, we’ve seen Griffen be a more impactful player on a championship-caliber team considerably more recently in Minnesota. Dallas has its shot to land Griffen this offseason.

Here’s why defensive end Everson Griffen needs to be a Dallas Cowboy, baby!

Again, the Cowboys aren’t looking for a cornerstone pass-rusher right now. At his peak, Griffen certainly was that for the Vikings. However, he is simply overqualified to play off Lawrence, rookie Anae and hopefully Smith in the Dallas pass rush. It’ll be a one-year deal, but the Cowboys have roughly $10.5 million to work with this offseason. It’s not a ton of cash, but it’s enough here.

Not only will it be a one-and-done sort of deal with Griffen in Dallas, but the dollar will go further in a state with no income tax. What is the best part of Griffen potentially joining up with the Cowboys is he will be the catalyst to ensure America’s Team will be in the postseason in 2020. His signing would ensure us Dallas will be without question a top-seven team in the NFC.

Though it remains to be seen if the Cowboys are better than the arch rival Philadelphia Eagles, you can theoretically pencil in Dallas as one of three Wild Card teams in the conference. If Dallas can’t beat out the Eagles for divisional supremacy, they’ll be competing with the likes of the Arizona Cardinals, the Atlanta Falcons and the Chicago Bears for that last wild card spot.

Griffen doesn’t need to have a 10-sack campaign to make a signing with the Cowboys worth while. His persistent pressure will open up opportunities for his potential Dallas teammates to make plays. If Dallas has a top-tier pass rush this fall, the roster just might be good enough to orchestrate a deep postseason run in the NFC. Getting to a conference title bout would be sweet.

If Griffen joins the Cowboys, Dallas will be a lock for the NFC playoffs in 2020.

The post Why the Dallas Cowboys signing Everson Griffen would be a total steal appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Kirk Cousins gets a lot of backlash, but this stat from Football Perspective shows he’s a solid quarterback.

Kirk Cousins has had a unique NFL journey. After being a fourth-round pick by the Washington Redskins the same year they took Robert Griffin III No. 2 overall, Cousins eventually unseated RGIII and became the starter in D.C.

From there, it was a battle between him and the organization when it came to getting a long-term deal done and eventually, he was in a position where he could choose where he wanted to sign next.

Cousins was the top quarterback on the free-agent market in 2018 and chose to sign with the Minnesota Vikings, who gave him all $84 million of his contract in guaranteed money (the first time that had ever happened). Cousins followed that up by not getting Minnesota to the playoffs in year one and continuing to falter against top-tier opponents.

In 2019, however, the Vikings made it into the postseason and knocked off the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card round. That was Cousins’ first win in the playoffs, but he still gets a lot of flack for being a middling talent.

Kirk Cousins is better than you think, and here’s why

However, Football Perspective released an incredible stat on Cousins which should hopefully push people to respect him a little more.

For those wondering what ANY/A means, per Pro Football Reference it means “adjusted net yards per passing attempt: “(pass yards + 20*(pass TD) – 45*(interceptions thrown) – sack yards)/(passing attempts + sacks).” 

This means that when Cousins airs the football out, he makes it count.

Kirk Cousins has been above-average since taking over full-time as a starter and one of the biggest things with him has been durability. In 2019, he sat out the season finale because the Vikings were already in the playoffs, but otherwise has started all 16 games dating back to 2015.

It’s easy to discount a lot of Cousins’ career because he hasn’t had signature wins, but the Vikings obviously feel confident in him, as they gave him a two-year extension after his efforts last year.

People might not have Cousins as a top-tier quarterback and that’s fine, but this stat shows he’s not as mediocre as some people think.

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Kirk Cousins takes a lot of criticism, but he’s still a good enough quarterback to lead the Vikings on a lengthy postseason run next year.

Vikings fans hoping for Kirk Cousins to suddenly develop into the best quarterback in the NFL are destined for disappointment. He’s never going to be a transcendent player under center. That does not mean he isn’t capable of leading the Vikings to a great season in 2020.

It’s safe to classify Cousins as a slightly above-average starting quarterback at this point in his career. He isn’t going to massively elevate the players around him, but he can make almost every throw required of a top-flight signal-caller. In other words, he can do a lot of damage with the quality collection of talent the Vikings have amassed on the offensive side of the ball.

It’s easy to criticize Cousins for what he can’t do, but turning your attention to what he is capable of should give Minnesota fans a lot of optimism. Here are five reasons why Cousins can lead the Vikings to the promised land in 2020.

Why the Vikings can win with Kirk Cousins

5. Mike Zimmer knows his strengths and weaknesses

Zimmer may not be an offensive guru, but he certainly knows Cousins inside and out at this point in their relationship. He’s not going to put his quarterback into positions where he can’t be successful.

That might frustrate Vikings fans who want to see the team’s offense opened up, but it will help Cousins play efficient football. Quarterbacks who complete just a shade under 70 percent of their passes with a touchdown to interception ratio of 3:1 have a solid habit of leading their respective teams to lots of wins. Zimmer isn’t going to ask Cousins to go far outside his comfort zone and that’s good news for Minnesota’s chances of winning the NFC North.

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This trade between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers would turn the NFL upside down

Star New York Jets safety Jamal Adams continues to steal headlines, once again letting the organization know he wasn’t to leave for greener pastures.

Adams has come out and requested a trade, with numerous teams being featured on his desired list. It feels like only a matter of time before he’s eventually sent packing to a new city.

But, could there be a surprise team ready to give New York a call to strike up a deal? What about the Minnesota Vikings? Believe it or not, a blockbuster trade featuring both teams makes a ton of sense.

In this scenario, we’re drawing up a deal that would truly flip the NFL upside down: Jamal Adams Le’Veon Bell and a third-round pick to the Vikings in exchange for Dalvin Cook and Anthony Harris. While this might seem like the kind of exchange that belongs in a fantasy football league, both squads would benefit from such a move.

Why Vikings and Jets should trade Jamal Adams for Dalvin Cook

Adams clearly doesn’t want to be in town. Bell has stayed loyal to Jets fans, but he hasn’t lived up to the hype. He could use a change of scenery. As for Cook, he’s getting ready to hold out in Minnesota, with his relationship with the front office getting worse by the day.

Harris is set to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, with it not looking likely he and the Vikes will be able to agree to a big-time extension. There’s drama involving all of these players mentioned. So, why not get them to new teams. A fresh start could benefit everyone, especially Adams and Cook.

Thank you to those who care about me outside of ball…
I appreciate the hell out of you.
Real Luv!

— Jamal Adams (@Prez) June 20, 2020

Only time will tell if Adams is given a new home. While he may want to go to Dallas, a move to Minnesota would get him into a position to compete for an NFC North title and head to the postseason. We’ll see if the respective general managers here decide to pick up the horn and make some magic happen.

The post This Vikings-Jets trade featuring Jamal Adams and Dalvin Cook makes sense appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Who is the better fantasy option: Adam Thielen or JuJu Smith-Schuster?

Once you get past your first pick or two in a fantasy football draft, you will inevitably have some tough decisions to make. Unless you totally bomb your first two picks, which is totally possible, you ultimately win and lose your fantasy season in the middle rounds. Who you pick as your starters go a long way towards how successful of a season you can potentially have.

The Fantasy Footballers did an installment of “Keep, Trade or Cut” on their latest episode. The three players they brought up were a trio of wide receivers in A.J. Brown of the Tennessee Titans, JuJu Smith-Schuster of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Adam Thielen of the Minnesota Vikings. Removing Brown from the equation, who should you draft in 2020: Thielen or Smith-Schuster?

Check out The Fantasy Footballers for all their advice.

The idea from removing Brown from this equation is he offers the most upside in a trade. So you would in theory take him over Smith-Schuster and Thielen in the fourth round of any fantasy football draft. As for Smith-Schuster and Thielen, there are pros and cons to taking either of them off the board first in your league.

Adam Thielen or JuJu Smith-Schuster: Who are you drafting in fantasy?

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Smith-Schuster had a down year with the Steelers for a few reasons. He dealt with injuries, quarterbacking instability and becoming a No. 1 wide receiver option for the first time in his career. Assuming Ben Roethlisberger can play like we know he is capable of, we should expect a bounce-back year out of Smith-Schuster in some capacity with Pittsburgh.

Thielen was more dinged up than Smith-Schuster last year, so that totally cratered his fantasy value entering this season. When healthy, Thielen is viewed as a top-10 wide receiver in the league, even with another capable player as a former teammate in Stefon Diggs. But with Diggs now on the Buffalo Bills, he becomes Kirk Cousins’ undisputed favorite target again in 2020.

So who should you end up taking? Assuming health is comparable, you have to go with Thielen over Smith-Schuster because we can expect a greater level of production out of Cousins than we would with Roethlisberger at this juncture. Cousins has Pro Bowls level in the tank, while Roethlisberger maybe has two years left in the tank period. Choose wisely here, guys.

The post Better in 2020 fantasy: Adam Thielen or JuJu Smith-Schuster? appeared first on Bet Sunday.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer made a statement to his players that other coaches should pay attention to.

As professional sports franchises in America continue to figure out how to navigate the social awakening happening in the country, we are being reminded of the human element behind the conglomerates.

Minneapolis was Ground Zero for the current wave of progress being made because it was the place where George Floyd was slowly killed by a police officer over the course of nine minutes. Minneapolis lit the fuse that sparked the revolution we’re watching spread across America, and those in positions of power are trying their best to help.

Not only help by donating or posting out a black box on social media, but also by listening.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer held a team-wide Zoom call in which he addressed what is happening, gave his support to the players and to the protests, and sent a message of love that instantly resonated with everyone in the locker room.

Ameer Abdullah told the Star Tribune a little of what Zimmer said to the team, which was not only heartfelt but was the type of stuff that will make someone want to run through a wall for the Vikings head coach.

“He said, ‘I don’t understand, and maybe I haven’t given this as much attention, but I love every single one of you guys and I’ll fight for you like you’re my sons.”

It’s a time in our history where actions are truly speaking louder than words, as protests around the country have created change in places we never thought we’d see. The Minneapolis City Council announced last week that the police department would be disbanded and replaced with a community force, NASCAR banned the use of the confederate flag, and reform is starting to happen in cities all over America.

We still have a long way to go, but listening to those who need to be heard and supporting them has never been more important than in the middle of a tide shift like the one we’re seeing.

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The Minnesota Vikings will donate $5 million to social justice causes.

The Minnesota Vikings are setting the bar high for the rest of the NFL to hopefully clear.

According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin who covers the Vikings, “the Wilf family is donating $5 million to various social justice causes.” It was announced by Vikings COO Andrew Miller on Wednesday afternoon.

Just announced by Vikings COO Andrew Miller, the Wilf family is donating $5 million to various social justice causes.

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) June 10, 2020

No metropolis has been more impacted by the Black Lives Matter movement in the last several weeks than the Twin Cities. This comes as a surprise to absolutely no one, as the Minneapolis Police killed George Floyd on camera for the world to see. While we can’t bring Floyd back, it’s good to see the city’s most popular team stepping up and making a difference.

The Minnesota Vikings are giving $5 million to social justice causes.

Since the Wilfs bought the Vikings from former owner Red McCombs back in 2005, they have been one of the most well-run franchises in the NFL. Everything the Wilfs do is first class. Their new U.S. Bank Stadium is state of the art and the Vikings almost always are in playoff contention under their ownership. But some things are bigger than football.

Minneapolis is hurting, as are most major cities in this great country of ours. While we do not know where this $5 million will be allocated, the Wilfs will likely pay it forward wisely. It’s a large sum of money, an amount that will leave a major impact in Minneapolis.

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Nobody is asking every NFL franchise to match the Wilfs, but every majority owner has the ability to positively impact its surrounding community with financial investment. While some owners and teams have paid it forward, others have lagged behind. This is a bandwagon worth hopping on. It’s good to be on the right side of history.

The Vikings do the right thing and donate $5 million to social justice causes in the Twin Cities.

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Dalvin Cook is reportedly considering holding out until he gets an extension, and that decision could create a ripple effect reaching far further than Minnesota.

The Minnesota Vikings offseason took another turn for the dramatic on Monday.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Vikings running back Dalvin Cook isn’t reporting to team facilities until he gets a new contract extension. While Cook’s demands have largely been over-reported, with expectations hovering somewhere between $13-16 million per year, the reverberations felt around the league for other running backs is important to note.

In the same division, the Green Bay Packers are nearing their own dilemma with the emerging Aaron Jones, who rushed for over 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns as a key weapon for Aaron Rodgers in 2019.

Can the Packers afford to lose Aaron Jones?

Jones’ contract is set to expire after the 2020 season, and Cook’s recent demands do beg the question as to whether the 25-year-old will try to cash in while a slew of top running backs around the league are doing the same. Whether the Packers feel the need to keep Jones a “Packer for life,” as he stated as his desire, remains to be seen.

With Jamaal Williams and recently-drafted AJ Dillon in tow, Jones doesn’t have as much leverage as Cook does on the Vikings, even if that is deemed relatively low.

Jones’ contract demands are unlikely to be as high as Cook’s, given his production is slightly lower and the backs Green Bay already has on the roster. Still, the Packers urgency to build a Super Bowl-caliber roster around quarterback Aaron Rodgers at his advanced age depends on bargain buys, especially after investing heavily in their defense last offseason.

An extension for Jones, especially a large one, might be tough. This is why Cook’s influence, should it move up Jones’ timing from next offseason to this summer, may provide an unwanted roadblock for Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.

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With Dalvin Cook set to hold out, Alexander Mattison is now the No. 1 handcuff in fantasy football.

Dalvin Cook had a breakout season in 2019, with 1,135 rushing yards, 53 catches for 519 yards and 13 touchdowns (all rushing). But he also missed two games and was banged up for a few others, which opened up some opportunities for backups Alexander Mattison and Mike Boone.

Cook is entering the final year of of his contract, and absent a new “reasonable” deal he is set to hold out into training camp or beyond. A new CBA makes that decision a less than smart one, as he’d lose an accrued season if he holds out of camp and would not become an unrestricted free agent next March.

Given his injury history, drafting Cook in fantasy this year automatically comes with the notion of drafting his backup as a handcuff. Now, with a long holdout unlikely but possible, the idea has to practically be a priority for those who take Cook in the first round.

How has Dalvin Cook’s backup done in his place?

Cook missed 12 games with a torn ACL as a rookie in 2017. Jerick McKinnon stepped in, and from Week 5-Week 17 he was RB13 in standard fantasy scoring and RB10 in full PPR.

In 2018, when Cook missed five games with a hamstring issue, Latavius Murray got bumped up the depth chart. Narrowing to Week 5-Week 9, the four consecutive games Cook missed and his first game back, Murray had 353 rushing yards (4.8 yards per carry) with five rushing scores and 11 receptions. Over that span, Murray was RB7 in standard and full PPR.

In the two full games Cook missed in 2019 (Week 16 and 17), with Mattison also out with an ankle injury, Boone had 11 carries for 28 yards (Week 16) and 17 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown (Week 17). In a Week 15 blowout win over the Chargers, when Cook injured his shoulder and Mattison was out, Boone had 13 carries for 56 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Entering this year, Mattison is clearly Cook’s backup

A third-round pick out of Boise State in 2019, Mattison averaged 4.6 yards per carry on an even 100 totes as a rookie. He didn’t produce a lot in the passing game, but he did catch 10 of his 12 targets for 82 yards. As Dave Richard of CBS Sports noted, Mattison was comparable to Cook last year in yards per carry (4.6 to 4.5 for Cook) catch rate (83.3 percent to 84.1 percent for Cook) and yards after contact per attempt (3.22 to 3.06 for Cook).

Cook’s ADP may start to edge down, but as of Tuesday morning he’s RB3 (pick 1.04) in full PPR (12 teams). In that same league size and scoring, Mattison is RB43 and pick 9.07. Shift to 12-team standard, and Cook is at the same ADP while Mattison is still RB43 but down to pick 10.05. If that feels backwards in terms of PPR and standard scoring ADP split, you’re not alone.

For those who don’t take the plunge with the Vikings’ lead back, Mattison’s appeal will be best weighed late in a draft against the other available options across multiple positions.

In any case, at least in the short-term, some fantasy steam has fallen off Cook. So the follow-up draft day investment in Mattison as the handcuff is now practically mandatory for those who’ll be on the fence.

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Dalvin Cook is willing to hold out if the Vikings don’t meet his demands, but they could be a bit steep.

The Minnesota Vikings were already having a curious offseason, and then all went AWOL on Monday evening, when ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed Dalvin Cook intends on holding out from training camp if he doesn’t receive an adequate contract extension.

What’s even more unfortunate for the Vikings is the caliber of deal Cook is looking for. At just 24 years old, the Florida State product wants a contract that not only mirrors that of Christian McCaffrey, but exceeds it. To put it simply: That will not fly.

Should the Vikings give in to Dalvin Cook’s contract demands?

Per ESPN’s Vikings reporter Courtney Cronin, Cook wants a deal greater than $16 million per season.

and in time following the draft, the reason for an impasse in negotiations is over the number Cook is looking for. Sources have told me the ideal figure is north of what Christian McCaffrey is making ($16 mill/year), but it does not seem the Vikings want/can be in that ballpark.

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) June 8, 2020

The length of said contract demand is still unknown, but McCaffrey’s deal added four years onto the end of his current financial agreement in Carolina. In a league where it’s becoming less popular to pay running backs long-term, Cook may get a rude awakening as to where his true value lies.

McCaffrey’s argument was simple — he doubled as a wide receiver and is about the only consistent threat on the Panthers offense now that Cam Newton is gone. Unless Cook is trying to make the same claim, which is an idea Kirk Cousins and Adam Thielen would surely disagree with, his odds at receiving the same caliber of contract is unlikely.

Pro-Bowl RB Dalvin Cook no longer will participate in any team-related activities until and unless he receives a “reasonable” deal, a source said Monday.

“He’s out,” a source told ESPN. “Without a reasonable extension, he will not be showing up for camp or beyond.”

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 8, 2020

Cook is a victim of timing, and the Rams’ decision to cut Todd Gurley at age 26 will hurt him. Cook also has an injury history, suffering a torn ACL his rookie season and shoulder and hamstring ailments in college. If Gurley and Melvin Gordon are any indication, the value at the position is decreasing rapidly.

We applaud Cook for trying to cash in, but Rick Spielman isn’t a chump.

Next: What should Dalvin Cook’s new deal look like?

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