What a flashy 3rd-round pick that is, Vegas.

The Minnesota Vikings have reunited with quarterback Kirk Cousins, doing so after a trade Tuesday with the Las Vegas Raiders, shipping a 2027 third-round draft selection out West.

As a result of the trade, 2026 No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is now set to take over the starting quarterback role for the Raiders, beginning this week in a home contest against the Seattle Seahawks. Mendoza's backup QB will be Aidan O'Connell.

According to Las Vegas general manager John Spytek, the Raiders and Vikings didn't spark up trade conversations until Tuesday. He said the franchise wasn't actively seeking to make a deal for Cousins.

Spytek stated that he got a number of phone calls regarding Cousins before ultimately receiving one from Minnesota GM Nolan Teasley. Both executives talked to each other on the phone for some time, working on a deal where both sides benefited.

But from where I'm sitting, Vegas fleeced the hell out of the Vikings.

The Raiders brought in Kirk Cousins to teach Fernando Mendoza the ropes of the NFL, and then when that was done, they turned Cousins into a third-round pick and set up Mendoza to take over the team.

If that's not a fleece, I don't know what is.