Questions Answered: Vikings Players Who Could Be Traded, Next up for Playing Time, Ross Blacklock
Dustin Baker
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The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the October 21st edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
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Q: Which player(s) are most likely to be traded by the Vikings before the trade deadline?
A: We’ll say Chris Reed.
Reed is a fine offensive lineman whose only job at the moment is sitting on the bench, waiting to play if Ezra Cleveland or Ed Ingram get hurt. The former Indianapolis Colt isn’t a Pro Bowler, but he’s a startable guard in the league.
Right about now is the time contending teams scour the market for offensive line fortification, and Reed could be precisely that for a Super Bowl team.
If the Vikings opt not to trade Reed — there is no indication it’s on their radar — he’d merely be a neat insurance policy.
Q: What player(s) do you expect to see more playing time after the bye week?
A: Brian Asamoah.
Minnesota already stated the rookie linebacker would be intermixed in the defense in the coming weeks, as Asamoah experienced bits and pieces of action versus the Bears and Dolphins.
Asamoah is also the next man up if something happens to Eric Kendricks or Jordan Hicks, and it would actually be a little odd if both played all 17 games. The Vikings have big plans for Asamoah and his freakish skillset. He should see more and more of the field in the next 11 weeks.
Q: Do you expect Ross Blacklock to take over Jonathan Bullard’s starting job on the defensive line?
A: Not imminently, no.
Bullard has a 60.2 Pro Football Focus grade, which isn’t fantastic but also not bad. Blacklock is younger, and Minnesota specifically traded for him a couple of months ago. For now, however, we believe Bullard will remain the starter, with Blacklock as the backup.
If Bullard struggles, that’s a different story. So far, Bullard is basically decent, and it’s unclear if Blacklock would be any better.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).