The Facts: GM Rick Spielman made a big splash last offseason when he signed Cousins to a three-year deal, but the team fell short of expectations by missing the playoffs in 2018. That result has led to rough reviews of Cousins’ work during his first season in Minnesota and the QB was one of the topics of discussion during Spielman’s appearance on PFT Live from the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Spielman noted Cousins’ stats while saying he didn’t think the quarterback had a bad season, but agreed that the team’s place in the standings were the ultimate judge of how things played out. He also explained that more time with offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski and the addition of Gary Kubiak to the coaching staff are among the reasons why he believes 2019 will be better.
Diehards Line:“When you look at any free agent, usually coming into their second year is when they take off,” Spielman said. “The other thing that I think will be a huge benefit for Kirk Cousins is bringing in a Kubiak and a Stefanski now working with Kirk for a year. Understanding what his strengths are, what his weaknesses are and let’s design a scheme … that utilizes the things he does well.” As PFT notes, Mike Shanahan said recently that the Vikings need to improve other spots on the offense to get the most out of Cousins. Spielman agrees with that sentiment and said he has to “get better personnel” on the offensive line this offseason to maximize their return on last offseason’s big pickup.