Mandatory minicamp starts for 22 teams, according to NFL Media's Kevin Patra, and one of the major storylines takes place in Flowery Branch. Let me know if you've heard the story: The Atlanta Falcons outbid the Minnesota Vikings for the services of quarterback Kirk Cousins to the tune of four years, $180 million with $100 million guaranteed. All in spite of Cousins coming off a major Achilles injury late in his career.
As we get closer to the start of the season, Patra wonders how far along is Cousins' rehab and how he fits into New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson's scheme.
The new quarterback took reps during OTAs, which is an excellent sign eight months post-Achilles injury. This is the time of year clubs pull back on injured players. Cousins' participation indicates that the club isn't as concerned about a setback. How much he'll do during minicamp remains to be seen, but all reps in Zac Robinson's offense are notable as the team gets the 35-year-old up to speed on a new offense with a first-time NFL play-caller. Any indicators of how Robinson's scheme mimics or differs from Sean McVay's system is also worth noting this week.
With the familiarity in language from his former head coach Kevin O'Connell's scheme to Robinson's, the problem won't be with Cousins learning the scheme. What would affect him, if anything, would be his physical ability to execute the plays with the thoughts of that injury lingering.
As we head into training camp, it will be interesting to see how Cousins, who will be 36 by season's end, is able to navigate the rigors of training camp and how he looks at the beginning of the season.
