Though it’s anticipated that the New England Patriots will select a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, what if they decide to look for their next quarterback through free agency?
In his most recent “free agency mock draft,” Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports made the intriguing suggestion that Kirk Cousins may be a good pick for a New England team hoping to contend immediately in the Bill Belichick era.
After underperforming in his first three years with the organization, Mac Jones is unlikely to be the Patriots’ primary quarterback in 2024, therefore New England will have to search elsewhere for their main man behind the arch.
Depending on who the Washington Commanders choose at number two, they may choose to take either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye with the third overall pick in the 2017 draft. It’s widely believed that the Pats will choose their franchise quarterback in the yearly rookie draft.
Nonetheless, Benjamin noted in his recent piece that the Patriots might want to add a proven quarterback to lead the start of the Jerod Mayo era in New England. With that said, Cousins might be the player they need.
Cousins is still regarded as the finest free agent quarterback in the class despite recovering from an Achilles injury.
This is what Benjamin had to say:
Keep your headgear on. Even while it seems more sensible to choose a quarterback, who’s to say Jerod Mayo, Robert Kraft, and company wouldn’t rather take a more experienced technician if they had the option to “burn some cash” on Cousins? Naturally, Cousins would be reluctant to join a team that is rebuilding, but New England still has a solid defense and a long history.
Naturally, it’s still unclear if Cousins will genuinely desire to play for the Patriots. As previously mentioned, there is simply too much uncertainty surrounding New England’s rebuilding efforts.
However, Cousins might also view it as an opportunity to demonstrate that he still has plenty of gas left in his tank and that he can lead a team.
If the New England Patriots are to make a move for Kirk Cousins, however, they will have to be ready to splurge.
According to the latest projections, Cousins is expected to command at least $51 million per season. His market value at Spotrac is a bit lower at $39.3 million per season, but the point remains: acquiring him will be costly.
