The sweepstakes to sign top free agent Kirk Cousins is down to four teams, and we're days away from finding out his decision. What could the quarterback's contract with the Vikings, Jets, Cardinals or Broncos look like? And what happens next for the teams that miss out on Cousins?

We asked NFL Nation reporters to make their best offer -- on behalf of the teams they cover -- to Cousins, updating the terms and value from the exercise we performed late last month. We wanted specifics and perspective, so the offers below are based on what each reporter believes their team's front office will do, and how said team views free agents and quarterbacks.

We're also including potential fallback plans, draft needs and prospect fits (with some help from ESPN NFL draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay) for each team, including the Browns and Bills, who are out of the Cousins sweepstakes but are still likely to draft a quarterback on Day 1.

ESPN NFL Insider Mike Sando is back to take on the role of Cousins' agent and pick the best offer for his client -- he picked the Jaguars' offer last time, but Jacksonville is now out of the race. Go here to see which offer he picked this time.

Go to each offer:

Vikings | Jets | Cardinals | Broncos

Go to other QB-needy teams:

Browns | Bills

Minnesota Vikings' offer

Total years and value: Five for $142 million (team option after Year 3)

Average per year: $28.4 million

Full guarantee at signing: $70 million

Total guarantee: $87 million

Three-year payout: $45 million after Year 1, $60 million after Year 2, $87 million after Year 3.

So, the word is Cousins wants a short-term deal, with all guaranteed money, and the chance to potentially hit free agency again in three to four years. It could be the first fully guaranteed multiyear contract in NFL history.

If Minnesota wants to land Cousins, it will have to make him the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history. But that doesn't mean the Vikings have to tip their hand entirely in his favor. There's no benefit for the Vikings to give him a three-year contract of all guaranteed money and the option for Cousins to hit the market as a free agent again when he's 32. In order for this to work, the Vikings need some protection on the back end of this deal.

The easiest way to do this is to give Cousins a boatload of cash up front and guarantee the money at the front of the contract. Of all Cousins' suitors, Minnesota can argue it puts the quarterback in the best spot to win now and with a Super Bowl window that extends for two to three years. The Vikings might have to guarantee a lot to land Cousins, but they wouldn't have to guarantee anything in the final two years of his contract -- something the Jets, Broncos and Cardinals wouldn't be able to avoid. The best deal here would be a five-year contract with the first three years guaranteed. If things go well during the early years of Cousins' tenure, Minnesota can decide to hang onto him for the final two years of his deal.

With $54 million in cap space in 2018 and that number expected to climb if they can restructure deals for Latavius Murray, Brian Robison and Jarius Wright, the Vikings can still keep Cousins at around 10 to 11 percent of the total cap in those early years. An important caveat would be extending the contracts of Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks this offseason, taking care of Danielle Hunter and Stefon Diggs, and picking up Trae Waynes' fifth-year option ahead of free agency next year.

Mike Zimmer cautioned that the Vikings shouldn't "go crazy" when signing a quarterback in free agency. It might appear that they're not heeding that advice on the front end of Cousins' deal, but after the guaranteed money is paid out, Cousins' concession to the Vikings for all the guarantees would be those final two years of his contract where Minnesota has the upper hand. -- Courtney Cronin, ESPN Vikings reporter

Could the Vikings turn to Sam Bradford if they miss out on Kirk Cousins? AP Photo/Bob Leverone

What if the Vikings can't get Cousins? They have contingency plans. The first of those plans centers on their three free-agent quarterbacks: Case Keenum, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater. Even with more than $54 million in cap space, I'm not certain the Vikings will want to make a long-term investment in Keenum for upward of $20 million. I'd expect the Broncos or Cardinals to start a bidding war over Keenum while the Vikings use what they know about Bridgewater and Bradford's knees to determine whom they sign. I doubt they'll be able to re-sign both, but Bradford might be the most reasonable option financially -- if he can stay healthy. Bridgewater hasn't scratched the surface of how good the Vikings expect him to be, which might indicate Minnesota would rather test out his ability than let him walk in free agency. -- Cronin

How likely are the Vikings to draft a QB? 55 percent. It all depends on whom they sign in free agency. Going after someone such as Lamar Jackson at No. 30 overall could solve their long-term issue. Minnesota could sign Bridgewater or Bradford to a short-term deal and bring in a rookie to fill out the quarterback room along with Kyle Sloter. The Vikings know depth at this position is important, so drafting a QB for the sake of having options if Bridgewater or Bradford doesn't pan out should be a priority. -- Cronin

Top draft needs: Outside of a starting quarterback (which should be solved in free agency), this isn't a roster with many holes. Riley Reiff stepped in and solved the left tackle issue, but right tackle (or guard) is an area to address. Drafting one would allow Minnesota to move Mike Remmers inside. Defensive tackle is another area of potential need, with Sharrif Floyd potentially out of football and Tom Johnson and Shamar Stephen about to hit free agency. -- McShay

Best prospect fits: Ohio State guard/center Billy Price, UTEP guard Will Hernandez and Texas guard/tackle Connor Williams could fit along the offensive line for Minnesota, which picks near the end of the first round. If the Vikings target a defensive tackle, Florida's Taven Bryan would work -- if he lasts to Minnesota's pick.-- McShay

New York Jets' offer

Total years and value: Five for $150 million

Average per year: $30 million

Full guarantee at signing: $72 million

Total guarantee: $90 million

Three-year payout: $52 million after Year 1, $72 million after Year 2, $90 million after Year 3.

This contract would set new benchmarks for average per year, full guarantee at signing and three-year payout. The Jets, cognizant that it probably will take more than money to lure Cousins, will try to sell their vision for building a championship team.

They have a war chest of salary-cap room for 2018 and 2019, which will allow them to be aggressive in free agency. It also means they won't have to dump salary; they can keep building what they started last year. They have five of the first 107 picks in the upcoming draft; they haven't had that many since 2006. They have a bright offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in Jeremy Bates, whose mentor was Cousins' first NFL coach -- Mike Shanahan. It means they speak the same language and see the game the same way.

The Jets also can play the family card. The area surrounding the team's facility is a nice place to raise kids, with good schools. Don't think the Jets won't try to sell that. When they were recruiting LaDainian Tomlinson in 2010, they sent a baby basket to Tomlinson's pregnant wife. That, he said, clinched the deal. Coincidentally, the other team bidding for Tomlinson was the Vikings, believed to be the favorite for Cousins.

Lastly, the Jets can emphasize solidarity within the organization. General manager Mike Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles, both of whom received two-year contract extensions after the season, are philosophically aligned. That should appeal to Cousins, who is coming from a dysfunctional organization. -- Rich Cimini, ESPN Jets reporter

Kirk Cousins is about to become the highest-paid player in NFL history, and we should know his decision in days. Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

What if the Jets can't get Cousins? They will have $90 million in cap room to address the quarterback position and other needs. At quarterback, they would look to double down with two veterans who would compete for the job. Two of their targets are Josh McCown and Teddy Bridgewater. They're both short-term solutions, although Bridgewater has long-term upside if he can rebound from his devastating knee injury. Others on their radar are running back Dion Lewis, center Weston Richburg and cornerback Malcolm Butler. -- Cimini

How likely are the Jets to draft a QB? 99.9 percent. With the sixth pick, the Jets probably would be in position to draft one of the top four quarterbacks. They also could look to trade up. If they miss out on Cousins and the top four prospects, it'll be a bitter defeat for this Jets regime. -- Cimini

Top draft needs: The Jets have one of the worst top-to-bottom rosters in the NFL, with needs all over on both sides of the ball. If they land Cousins and don't pick a quarterback at No. 6 overall, they should take the best player on the board. Cornerback, pass-rusher and offensive line -- yes, the entire O-line -- are their biggest needs. -- Kiper

Best prospect fits: Versatile Alabama cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick would be a great fit as New York's No. 1 cornerback, as the Jets took safeties with their top two picks in 2017. But if NC State's Bradley Chubb, the best edge rusher in this class, makes it to No. 6, Maccagnan & Co. should run to the podium to make the pick. If the Jets land Cousins and want to help protect him with pick No. 6, Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson is the draft's best offensive lineman. -- Kiper

Arizona Cardinals' offer

Total years and value: Five for $140 million

Average per year: $28 million

Full guarantee at signing: $101 million

Total guarantee: $125 million

Three-year payout: $45 million after Year 1, $68 million after Year 2, $91 million after Year 3.

The Cardinals are shooting for the moon -- and the future -- with their historic offer to make Cousins the NFL's highest-paid quarterback while working around their salary-cap limitations. With the Cardinals' cap number around $22 million for 2018, Arizona will have to back-load its offer while still trying to entice Cousins to sign.

Arizona's five-year offer worth $140 million with $101 million fully guaranteed at signing shows a long-term commitment to Cousins.

To make their intentions clear, the Cardinals would give Cousins a $5 million base salary with a $35 million signing bonus and a $5 million roster bonus, all of which is guaranteed at signing. That way, Cousins will get $45 million lump sum immediately.

The rest of Cousins' contract is worth $95 million, including $56 million guaranteed. And because the Cardinals have plenty of cap space to work with starting in 2019, they can afford to make Cousins' cap number more than $30 million in three of the next four seasons. -- Josh Weinfuss, ESPN Cardinals reporter