The Raiders are staring at a November 10 trade deadline that could shape the rest of their season, and one name keeps coming up: Kirk Cousins.
Maxx Crosby, at least for now, sounds like he’s staying put. Cousins, though, is the player who suddenly looks like a real trade chip after defying expectations over the first eight weeks of the season. His value has climbed fast, and league insider Tom Pelissero now believes the Raiders may be able to ask for more than the low-round return that once seemed realistic.
Not long ago, a sixth- or seventh-round pick felt like the kind of package Cousins might bring back. Pelissero said this week that the price could be much higher than that, possibly even a day 2 selection. On the Bill Simmons Podcast on Tuesday, he made the case that Las Vegas should not move the quarterback cheaply.
“Well, here’s what it comes down to,” Pelissero said on the Bill Simmons Podcast on Tuesday.
“What are you willing to pay for Kirk Cousins? Are you giving up a second-round pick?
Are you sending a first-round pick for Kirk Cousins? I don’t know why the Raiders would do it for less.”
Pelissero had already laid out why Cousins is drawing attention. A few days earlier, he said the veteran could step into half the league’s offenses right away and explained why the Raiders’ decision would be a tough one.
“Cousins is the one,” Pelissero said.
“Half the league runs a derivative of the offense that he plays in. He’s playing at a really high level and he’s got a $10 million guaranteed roster bonus next March that if the Raiders have the opportunity to offload that money to get a pick for a guy who they’re probably going to end up cutting in March and play the number one pick. It’s hard because you’re in the playoff chase.”
Minnesota is the team that keeps hovering in the background here. The Vikings have put themselves in position to make a Super Bowl run, and the quarterback spot may be the one thing standing between them and that level. That’s why they have to at least consider making a move for Cousins.
Kevin O’Connell’s relationship with Cousins only adds to the speculation, and it’s tough to picture O’Connell being satisfied heading into the playoffs with Kyler Murray at quarterback.
A second-round pick for a 38-year-old quarterback would be a heavy price, but Pelissero suggested the Raiders could still land a third- or fourth-rounder. Either way, Cousins’ market has changed in a hurry.
And with only two more months left in Las Vegas, the bigger question may not be what Cousins is worth - it’s whether John Spytek and the Raiders are willing to cash in early, or keep waiting while Fernando Mendoza sits on the sideline and the season keeps unfolding.
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