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Then there were four. Eventually there will be one. And one of the four thinks the one will be the Vikings.

Ralph Vacchiano of SNY reports that the Jets are taking the Minnesota threat seriously “after some informal, preliminary talks with his camp this week.”

Yes, informal, preliminary talks technically are prohibited. But they happen, every year involving every team. Any team that isn’t doing it has put itself at a competitive disadvantage. So if the Jets have had informal, preliminary talks with the Cousins camp, the Vikings have, too, and the planets are starting to align as to the quarterback’s future.

The Jets, per Vacchiano, have heard enough to move on to “Plans B and C and, if possibly D” at quarterback. Although the Jets believe, per Vacchiano, that they can offer more money and a better structure to Cousins, the Jets fear that Cousins would take less to go to Minnesota for a better chance to win.

In a Super Bowl week visit to PFT Live, Cousins spoke about the balance between taking less to win and getting full and fair franchise quarterback compensation.

The Vikings continue to be the ultimate wild card in the coming quarterback chase. With three of their own unrestricted free agents on the roster and multiple other options elsewhere (Cousins, A.J. McCarron, and theoretically Drew Brees), the Vikings have plenty of choices. The problem is that they eventually choose one, at the exclusion of all others.

Vikings G.M. Rick Spielman recently joined PFT Live to discuss the situation. Watch the interview and search for clues. For example, when Spielman says they plan to make a decision by March 14, does that mean they’re leaning toward re-signing one of their own? Or would they do a Brock Osweiler-style sight-unseen deal with someone they don’t know?

Spielman regards the situation as more blessing than curse, but there could be plenty of cursing if they pick the wrong guy — and if the guys they don’t pick end up thriving elsewhere.