MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings have a possible succession plan for the post-Kirk Cousins period after drafting Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond within the third spherical of the NFL draft on Friday evening, however normal supervisor Rick Spielman made clear that Cousins’ job is just not in query for 2021.
“Kirk’s our beginning quarterback,” Spielman stated. “There is not any competitors there. It is simply taking one other participant. It is like, no matter place, if we take a participant within the third spherical or first spherical, I am not calling a participant and saying, ‘Hey, we might take this man right here.’ Our job is to get as many good gamers in right here and let all of them are available and compete.”
Mond, 21, was chosen with the 66th general decide and was the second of three quarterbacks taken inside a four-pick span. He is the primary quarterback ever taken by the Vikings within the third spherical and the best drafted since Teddy Bridgewater was chosen 32nd general in 2014.
Mond completed his profession at Texas A&M because the all-time profession chief in passing yards (9,661), passing touchdowns (71) and complete offense (11,269). His 93 touchdowns answerable for are tied with former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel for essentially the most in class historical past.
Cousins, 32, has been the Vikings’ beginning quarterback since 2018 and is below contract for the following two seasons. His base salaries bounce from $21 million in 2021 to $35 million in 2022, the latter of which comes with a $45 million cap hit.
Minnesota gave Cousins a two-year, $66 million extension months after he led the Vikings to a playoff win within the wild-card spherical in opposition to New Orleans in January 2020. That playoff win was the primary of Cousins’ profession.
Cousins’ former backup, Sean Mannion, has not re-signed with the Vikings since changing into a free agent final month, and it is potential Mond assumes that function in 2021. Spielman stated the timing of including one other quarterback with Cousins’ long-term future up within the air was based mostly on the staff’s potential to take one of many prime gamers out there after they had been on the clock early within the third spherical.
“It gave us a chance to get quarterback — a younger quarterback — to come back in right here,” Spielman stated. “We wished so as to add competitors and depth behind Kirk, and Kellen goes to come back in right here and compete with the opposite younger guys (Jake Browning and Nate Stanley) that now we have on the roster.”
Mond, who performed in two offensive techniques in School Station, first below Kevin Sumlin in an Air-Raid assault and later in Jimbo Fisher’s pro-style offense, stated he seems to be ahead to studying the way to grasp an NFL playbook from his new veteran teammate.
“Clearly, I’ve by no means performed within the NFL so I believe getting in and with the ability to seize some info from a man who has performed with completely different groups and has performed in opposition to the very best guys in the entire whole world, I believe that is going to be enormous for me and only for him to form of be a mentor and be taught from him, I believe it is going to be wonderful for me,” Mond stated. “That is going to be undoubtedly one of many largest issues I search for too: one, studying the brand new playbook, but in addition simply with the ability to be taught from Kirk Cousins. It’ll be wonderful.”
The Vikings spent ample time with Mond in January on the Reese’s Senior Bowl, the place he was named MVP of recreation. The previous No. 1 dual-threat quarterback recruit within the county in 2017 possesses a special skill-set than Cousins, one thing that piqued the Vikings’ curiosity in creating competitors.
“I do know with all our boot-action and play-action passes quarterback with some mobility that may transfer and make performs outdoors the pocket is one thing we wished to take a look at, too,” Spielman stated. “He has a bit completely different skill-set than Kirk, however I do know simply speaking with our offensive coaches that we really feel that the mobility a part of issues might add some worth to him as a quarterback and to this technique.”