Scott Gulbransen
Mike Mayock kept a book on quarterbacks when he ran the Raiders. He still keeps one.
So when the former Las Vegas general manager talks about the Kirk Cousins signing, it’s not hot take territory. It’s pattern recognition from someone who’s lived the quarterback market from the inside. Speaking with Betway Sports this week, Mayock was highly complimentary of what John Spytek is doing in the desert.
“The quarterback movement every offseason is really the most important thing in it,” Mayock said. “We don’t have 32 really good starting quarterbacks in the NFL, so that’s one reason they get overpaid, aside from the fact that it’s the hardest position in all sports to play.”
Once Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray and Malik Willis came off the board, two names were left: Cousins and Aaron Rodgers. Mayock had already figured out where Cousins fit best.
“If you assume that Aaron goes back to Pittsburgh, then I thought the ideal landing spot for Cousins would be the Raiders,” he said.
That’s not a hedge. That’s a conviction.
Kirk Cousins Knows What He’s Walking Into
The Atlanta situation gets brought up every time Cousins’ name comes up. Fair enough. But Mayock draws a clear line between then and now.
In Atlanta, Cousins signed before the Falcons drafted Michael Penix at No. 8. He was blindsided. Mayock didn’t exactly sympathize.
“They’re paying you $50 million a year, go compete,” he said. “I have zero problem with that attitude.”
But Las Vegas is a different situation entirely. Cousins signed knowing Fernando Mendoza is the guy they’re building around. Eyes wide open.
“He knows exactly what he’s stepping into, and he’s going to earn whatever playing time he gets,” Mayock said.
And Mayock sees Cousins’ frustration in Atlanta as a feature, not a bug.
“I liked it because it shows me he doesn’t want to just sit and get paid $50 million to not play,” he said. “He wants to go play. So I think he’ll challenge Mendoza in a good way.”
Mayock: What Actually Happens in the QB Room
Here’s where Mayock gets into something most people don’t talk about — what a veteran quarterback actually does for a young one during the week. It’s not mentorship in any soft sense of the word. It’s functional.
He recalled Matt Ryan texting him during a draft after Atlanta took a late-round quarterback. Ryan’s first question: can I trust this kid?
That’s the mindset. Cousins will have Mendoza doing film work, running assignments, helping him get ready on Sundays. And what that does — without anyone making a big deal of it — is force Mendoza to prepare like a starter every single week.
“Kirk Cousins is probably going to say, ‘here’s what I need you to do to help me get ready this week,'” Mayock said. “And I love that, because it forces him to prepare and learn how to prepare like he’s a starting quarterback.”
That’s not a bridge quarterback situation. That’s a quarterback education.
On Raiders First Overall Pick: Don’t Even Think About Trading It
Mayock was asked whether any trade package could pull the Raiders off the No. 1 overall pick. His answer was essentially: don’t bother.
“There’s no guarantee, no matter what draft compensation you get, that you’re going to get a quarterback next year,” he said.
He pointed to the Jets, who’ll have three first-round picks next offseason and still need a quarterback. The market won’t be any cleaner than it is right now. Why would Las Vegas surrender the cleanest path to their guy?
“I don’t think there’s a package of picks and players out there that would persuade the Raiders, unless something stupid came along, which I don’t see for Mendoza,” Mayock said.
The offseason, start to finish, adds up for Mayock. Free agency spending was real. The quarterback room now has structure. The draft is set.
“I love the Cousins acquisition, I think they’ve done a nice job in free agency, and now it sets the table for the draft,” he said.
From a guy who used to build those tables for a living, that carries some weight.
