Since turning down a deal on a long-term extension with Kirk Cousins last offseason, the Vikings have positioned themselves to move on from the veteran quarterback — however, a succession plan is not in place with only Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall under contract for next season.

Neither backup quarterback offered any confidence when they played in place of Cousins, who missed the final nine games of the season after a season-ending Achilles injury on October 29.

That creates short- and long-term needs at quarterback for the Vikings, considering they’d ideally want to give a first-round prospect a buffer year behind a veteran starter.

Yes, moving on from Cousins would likely make it difficult to compete in 2024 considering the loss of a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback and the $28.5 million in dead cap the Vikings would have to eat. However, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah admitted he’s not afraid to take a step back to better position the organization for future years.

That makes the prospect of a trade-up more plausible, and Graziano sees the Vikings and the Atlanta Falcons as ideal candidates to trade up to the No. 3 pick (currently held by the New England Patriots.)

“The Patriots also need a quarterback, but there are people around the league who believe they are open to trading the No. 3 selection, moving back in the draft and addressing the quarterback position in free agency,” Graziano wrote. “If the Pats do trade that pick — which could be Daniels or Maye — the two teams I’d keep an eye on are the Falcons (moving from the No. 8 spot) and the Vikings (moving from the No. 11 spot, assuming they don’t bring back Cousins).”

The Vikings would likely still want to sign a veteran quarterback for next season even if they landed Daniels, but at a more affordable price that wouldn’t commit any guarantees against the cap beyond the 2024 season.

Let’s make it clear: the Vikings would like Cousins to return, and Cousins would also like to be back — both sides have expressed that several times in the past year.

However, there are financial reasons a deal was not done before the start of the 2023 season, which sent Cousins into a contract year.

Cousins intends to entertain free agency come March, and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero expects him to command a “strong market” that could outbid the Vikings’ previous terms of an extension.

“(The Vikings) would like to re-sign Kirk Cousins, who is set to become a free agent in March, but my anticipation is Cousins will have a strong market, even at age 35 coming off a torn Achilles.” Pelissero said on NFL Network’s “NFL Gameday” on February 11. “Minnesota is examining all options in the event that Cousins ends up landing elsewhere. If, in fact, the price tag goes too high, the Vikings likely would pursue a more economical veteran.”