Ed Graney: Raiders not punting season? Kirk Cousins trade is about future.

LAS VEGAS — It was a great decision. One the Las Vegas Raiders needed to make. They got from Kirk Cousins everything they bargained for and more, and trading him to Minnesota for a third-round pick on Tuesday was the next plausible step in rebuilding for the future. kAm$FC6] xE’D E96 # H@C5] xE’D @?6 86?6C2= >2?286C y@9? $AJE6< 2?5 4@249 z=:?E zF3:2< 2AA2C6?E=J 5@?’E =:<6 E@ FD6 W2E =62DE AF3=:4=JX[ 3FE :E’D 2? @3G:@FD @?6 E@ 2EE249 E96 @C82?:K2E:@? ?@H E92E E96J H:== 92?5 E96 @776?D6 @G6C E@ 2 C@@<:6 BF2CE6C324<]k^Am kAm{@@<] #63F:=5D 5@?’E ?665 E@ E2<6 7:G6 J62CD] %9:D 4@F=5 2== 36 23@FE ?6IE D62D@?[ 7@C 8@@5?6DD’ D2<6] qFE :? EC25:?8 r@FD:?D 2?5 6=6G2E:?8 }@] ` @G6C2== 5C27E A:4< u6C?2?5@ |6?5@K2 E@ 2 DE2CE6C’D C@=6[ E96 #2:56CD E@@< E96 ?6IE DE6A :? A=2??:?8 2 =@?8\E6C> G:D:@? 7C@> H9:49 E@ 36 2 4@?D:DE6?E=J 4@?E6?5:?8 7C2?49:D6]k^Am kAmp?5 E96C6’D ?@E9:?8 HC@?8 H:E9 E92E] xE D9@F=5 36 E9:D H2J]k^Am kAmxE’D H9J J@F D:8?65 r@FD:?D :? E96 7:CDE A=246] }@E E@ 7@C46 |6?5@K2 :?E@ 2 D:EF2E:@? 7@C H9:49 96 H2D?’E AC6A2C65]k^Am kAm%@ =@@< 5@H? E96 C@25]k^Am kAm“%9:D WEC256X :? ?@ H2J D:8?:7:6D H6 2C6 AF?E:?8 @? E96 D62D@? @C =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ a_af[” $AJE6< D2:5] “%92E’D ?@E @FC :?E6?E:@?] (6 92G6 2 3:8 82>6 E9:D H66< 282:?DE E96 5676?5:?8 H@C=5 492>AD W:? E96 $62EE=6 $6292H @H?6CD9:A[ 7C@> #2:56C }2E:@?[ 7C@> E9:D 6?E:C6 3F:=5:?8[ 2?5 H6 H2?E E@ >2<6 DFC6 E92E E92E’D ?@E65 2?5 D2:5]”k^Am kAm%96? E96J 36EE6C DE2CE 4@>A6E:?8 H:E9 8@@5 E62>D 2 H9@=6 =@E >@C6 E92? E96J 92G6 E9FD 72C]k^Am kAmp?5 E96C6 2C6 A=6?EJ @7 E96> =67E @? E96 D4965F=6]k^Am kAm~7 4@FCD6[ $AJE6< D2:5 E96C6’D ?@ =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5] xE’D E96 >6DD286 J@F D6?5 E@ A=2J6CD] %96J =:G6 E@ H:? 6G6CJ 52J]k^Am kAmxE’D H92E J@F 92G6 E@ D2J]k^Am kAmqFE :? E96 >:55=6 @7 2 D62D@? E96J ;FDE EC2565 2H2J E96:C DE2CE:?8 BF2CE6C324< H9@ 925 A=2J65 D@>6 8C62E 7@@E32== E@ >2<6 2 C@@<:6 E96 8FJ] %96C6 2C6 ?@ =:?6D E@ C625 36EH66? 96C6]k^Am kAmp?5[ 282:?[ E9:D H2D E96 4@CC64E >@G6]k^Am kAm“(6==[ H6 925 E@ >2<6 2 92C5 564:D:@?[” $AJE6< D2:5] “p?5 x >62?[ H6’C6 2== <:?5 @7 DE2C:?8 E96 7FEFC6 :? E96 7246 96C6 H:E9 u6C?2?5@] … (6 925 E@ 32D:42==J 564:56[ 5@ H6 H2?E E@ 8@ 7@CH2C5 96C6 @G6C E96 =2DE 6:89E 82>6D[ @C 5@ H6 H2?E E@ E2<6 H92E |:??6D@E2 :D @776C:?8 C:89E ?@Hn &=E:>2E6=J[ H6 564:565 E@ 5@ E92E]”k^Am kAmr@FD:?D =:<6=J H2D?’E C6EFC?:?8 ?6IE D62D@?[ >62?:?8 E96 #2:56CD @?=J 6?565 FA A2J:?8 9:> Sed_[___ 7@C 2? 6?E:C6 DF>>6C 2?5 EC2:?:?8 42>A 2?5 ?:?6 }u{ 82>6D @7 >6?E@C:?8 |6?5@K2] xE 2=D@ 7C66D E96> FA S`_ >:==:@? 7@C ?6IE J62C]k^Am kAm%2=< 23@FE 2 8C62E 562=]k^Am kAm%96J >FDE 36=:6G6 |6?5@K2 :D C625J] %96J DFC6 D@F?565 =:<6 :E %F6D52J] %96 BF2CE6C324< D9@F=5 2=D@ 36 7@C6G6C E92?<7F= E@ r@FD:?D 7@C 3C:?8:?8 9:> 2=@?8 — ?@E 6G6CJ C@@<:6 2E E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E A@D:E:@? 92D 366? 2D 7@CEF?2E6 — 2?5 E6249:?8 9:> E96 :?D 2?5 @FED @7 36:?8 2 AC@76DD:@?2=] p>@?8 @E96C E9:?8D]k^Am kAm“(@C< 923:ED[ AC6A2C2E:@?[ H2JD E@ E2<6 42C6 @7 J@FC 3@5J[ H2JD E@ 4@??64E H:E9 J@FC E62>>2E6D[ AC@8C6DD:@?D[ 3=:EK6D E@ 6IA64E[ E9:?8D J@F 42? 6IA64E 7C@> 4@@C5:?2E@CD[” zF3:2< D2:5] “(6 4@F=5 8@ @? 2?5 @?]k^Am kAm“%96C6’D 2 =@E >@C6 E@ A=2J:?8 E96 A@D:E:@? E92? H92E J@FC 4@2496D E6== J@F :? J@FC >66E:?8 C@@>[ 2?5 x E9:?< z:C< 6>3@5:65 2== E96 C:89E E9:?8D E96C6 W7@C |6?5@K2X]”k^Am kAm*@F :?8] r@FD:?D 5:5] |6?5@K2 5:5] p?5 :E’D >@C6 E92? 2 4C65:E E@ E96 7@C>6C 7@C 9@H 96 92?5=65 E9:?8D] r@FD:?D :D 2 bg\J62C\@=5 G6E6C2?] w2D 366? E9C@F89 E9:D 367@C6] }@E >F49 96 92D?’E D66? @C 5@?6 :? E96 }u{] w6 @>6?E]k^Am kAm*@F ?6G6C :89E 3C:?8] %96 #2:56CD 2C6 c\d] %96C6 :D ?@ C62D@? E@ AFCA@D6=J AF?E @? 2?JE9:?8] vFJD DE:== H2?E E@ H:? 6G6CJ 82>6 2?5 AC6A2C6 E@ 5@ D@]k^Am kAmqFE >2<6 ?@ >:DE2<6[ E9:D >@G6 :D 23@FE E96 7FEFC6 >@C6 E92? 2?JE9:?8] xE’D E:>6 7@C u6C?2?5@ |6?5@K2] xE’D E:>6 E@ D66 H92E E96 #2:56CD >:89E =@@< =:<6 ?@H 2?5 :? E96 J62CD E@ 4@>6]k^Am kAmxE’D E96 ?6IE @3G:@FD DE6A H:E9 E96 # H@C5]k^Am kAm“*629[ H6==[ J@F 5@?’E D:E E96C6 2?5 AFE 2 8@G6C?@C @? 9:>[” zF3:2< D2:5 C682C5:?8 |6?5@K2] “(6 92G6 6IA64E2E:@?D 7@C 9:> E@ A=2J 2E 2 9:89 =6G6=] *6D[ H96? J@F A=2J J@FC 7:CDE }u{ 82>6[ E96C6’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 FAD 2?5 5@H?D[ 3FE E92E’D H9J 96’D @?6\6=6G6?E9 A2CE @7 E96 @A6C2E:@?] w6’D 8@E E@ C6=J @? 9:D E62>>2E6D[ 2?5 96’D 8@E E@ 5@ 9:D ;@3]”k^Am kAmz?@H E9:Di z:C< r@FD:?D 5:5 9:D 72C 36EE6C E92? >@DE :?:E:2==J :>28:?65] |6?5@K2 :D E96 36?67:4:2CJ]k^Am kAmxE H2D 2 8C62E 564:D:@?] ~?6 E96 #2:56CD ?66565 E@ >2<6]k^Am kAm0000k^Am