Kirk Cousins is Mature; More so than Most

Kirk Cousins is mature. And he is a really good quarterback. By now you know the story about how a severe injury ended his time with the Minnesota Vikings and he bounced to the Atlanta Falcons to the tune of 4 years - $180 million. This contract solved two problems. First, it allowed Cousins to continue his career while earning the last massive contract of his career. And, it solved a long standing problem the Falcons have had since Matt Ryan left a few years ago. The Falcons finally have a legitimate starting quarterback.

But then the NFL draft happened.

The Falcons were in the enviable spot of owning the 8th pick in the draft. Certainly they would add much needed talent to the roster and build around Kirk Cousins. Right?

Wrong!

With the 8th pick in the NFL draft the Atlanta Falcons selected... another quarterback! They picked Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington. Hmm. Make mistake about it, we think Penix is really good. But why would the Falcons choose Cousin's replacement before he took his first snap for the Falcons?

Many were confused by the move. Including Kirk Cousins and his agent. Quarterbacks seem to frown upon their teams drafting their replacements. *See Aaron Rodgers. But here is how Kirk Cousins is mature beyond his years. He said it is not helpful to be angry at Penix or the situation. He says he is trying to win a Super Bowl and it's hard enough without any added drama. He said everyone needs to be on the same page to go win the Super Bowl.

Cousins also reached out to Penix on draft night to let him know he will be a resource for the young QB and congratulated him on an awesome college career. There's not a lot of guys that would do all of that in that situation. That's why we think Kirk Cousins is mature beyond most and the Atlanta Falcons are in good hands. If you like these kind of topics and conversation then join Craig Shemon and Company every weekday on ESPN Southwest Florida.

Who are the 5 best pass catching trios in the NFL? The answer to that question is nuanced. How can you judge a receiver corps with Bryce Young throwing the ball versus one with Patrick Mahomes pulling the strings of the offense? The short of it is - you don’t have to. That’s why we’ve created this list of the 5 best pass catching trios in the NFL.

A handful of teams have gotten better with their pass catchers this offseason. I’m talking about the Tennessee Titans and their additions of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd to compliment DeAndre Hopkins. Houston might not have added as many pieces as their division rivals. But do not sleep on Stefon Diggs going to Houston and what that could do for CJ Stroud and the Texans offense. And the Miami Dolphins come to mind after signing Odell Beckham Jr. to put on the field with Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill in obvious passing downs. All of those teams are in the conversation for the 5 best pass catching trios in the NFL.

Then there are your trios that have been together for a couple of seasons now. I’m talking about Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews, and Rashaad Bateman with the Baltimore Ravens. And don’t forget about the San Francisco 49ers. This would not be a discussion if you include either Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle to the duo of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. For this ranking we are not looking at the quarterbacks in the offense and I am also excluding rookies from this list. I think Rome Odunze with the Bears completes a really nice trio with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen whom they acquired from the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason. The fact is there are going to be rookies that went in the first round that don’t produce in season one. Look at the first receiver off the board last year; Quentin Johnston. He only brought in 38 receptions for 431 yards and 2 touchdowns last year. Rookies are just too inconsistent to put on a list of this importance. Here are the 5 best pass catching trios in the NFL.

The trio of DK Mefcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is one of the best pass catching trios in the NFL. DK and Smith-Njigba have all of the physical tools to be a clear cut #1 option in the NFL. Unfortunately DK Metcalf has not been consistent enough to be a true #1 in the league, and Smith-Njigba is only entering the 2nd season of his young career. Tyler Lockett is still a more than viable deep treat option in the NFL. Geno Smith might not be the long term answer in Seattle, but he's got all the weapons to prove himself and return to his 2022 form.

The duo of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith is on the short list of best wide receiver duos in the NFL. Finding a #3 pass catching option is where the Eagles take a slight step down. Dallas Goedert is a very good tight end, but probably not on the level as some of the other #3 options on this list. And to be honest, I had the most difficult time placing the Eagles. They could have fallen anywhere from 2-4 on this list.

The Houston Texans have a phenomenal pass catching trio after the addition of Stefon Diggs this offseason. Nico Collins and Tank Dell were dominating the league last season before an ankle injury ended Tank Dell's rookie season early. With a healthy trio of COllins, Diggs, and Dell, CJ Stroud will have plenty of premier pass catching weapons at his disposal this season.

By far the fastest wide receiver corps in the NFL resides in South Florida. The Miami Dolphins can bludgeon opponents with raw speed. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle might be the best duo in the league, but there is little doubt that they are the fastest duo. Add Odell Beckham Jr. to the mix, and the Fins have a bigger body receiver who can make contested catches. If Odell returns to his form pre-ACL injury, then the Dolphins go to #1 on this list by the end of the season.

For the San Francisco 49ers I chose Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle as the trio. If you want to swap out Kittle for Christian McCaffrey, I won't argue with you. This trio, or quadruplet if you want to include CMC, is the most complete trio in the league. Aiyuk is on the verge of stardom, Deebo is a Swiss army knife that can line up anywhere on the field, and George Kittle is the guy who makes the contested catches and the safety blanket for Brock Purdy. I don't think there is much argument here; the San Francisco 49ers have the best pass catching trio in the NFL, and I don't think it's all that close.