Could 2023 Bring Another Active Trade Deadline for the Vikings?
Despite a relatively short tenure as the Vikings general manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah already has a long list of trades to his name.
Last year at the trade deadline, Adofo-Mensah swung a huge move to bring in T.J. Hockenson, giving Kirk Cousins another pass-catching option that helped propel the Vikings into the playoffs.
This season, the Vikings are at a bit of an impasse with a 1-3 record. If they lose games against the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers to ensure that they have a losing record at the deadline, they could quickly become sellers. However, if they pull off a couple upsets and get back into the playoff race, they may become buyers.
Regardless of where the Vikings stand on October 31st, Minnesota could see another active trade deadline. Here are a few potential players that the Vikings could either buy or sell at the deadline this year.
Buy: WR Hunter Renfrow
The Vikings have an opportunity to buy low on a talented veteran receiver this fall. Hunter Renfrow had a very strong season in 2021, catching 103 passes for 1038 yards and 9 TDs. However, since Josh McDaniels came in as head coach of the Raiders, Renfrow’s production has fallen off a cliff.
In 2022, he caught 36 passes for 330 yards and 2 TDs, and so far in 2023, he has just five catches through four games. Renfrow is still under contract through the 2024 season, and with K.J. Osborn entering free agency at the end of the year, the Raiders WR could be a temporary replacement solution while also giving the Vikings more depth at the position for the rest of the 2023 season.
Sell: OLB Danielle Hunter
Should the Vikings continue their losing ways in 2023, one of the first names that teams will come calling for is Danielle Hunter. After a short hold-in during training camp, the pass-rusher agreed to a new one-year deal worth $17 million.
So far in 2023, he has fully lived up to that price tag by recording a league-leading 8 tackles for loss through four games along with 5 sacks. The Vikings could snatch a pretty lofty price tag if they opted to trade Hunter. Potential suitors could include the Jacksonville Jaguars or even the Houston Texans, who have been one of the biggest surprises so far this season.
Buy: DT D.J. Jones
The Denver Broncos have been a disaster so far this season. This could be leading to a fire-sale at the trade deadline, and one of the names who could be moved is defensive tackle D.J. Jones.
Jones started his career with the San Francisco 49ers after being selected in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. After working his way into the rotation for a couple years, he really hit his stride from 2019-2021 when he recorded a total of 21 tackles for loss over the three-year stretch.
Then, Jones signed with the Denver Broncos in 2022, and of course, production has gone downhill since just like virtually every other player in that organization.
Minnesota has not gotten a ton of production from the interior of their defensive line so far this year, and another veteran presence in the group could help turn things around both in the run defense and pass-rush. Jones should be a target if the Vikings turn into buyers at the deadline.
Sell: LG Ezra Cleveland
A potential trade of Cleveland could come for a couple reasons. Firstly, he is set to hit free agency next spring, so the Vikings could be on the verge of losing him for nothing. The left guard has been putting together one of his best career seasons for the Vikings, particularly in pass protection.
Considering he also played left tackle during his years at Boise State, the Vikings may be able to talk a team into paying a tackle’s price tag for him, or at least get close to it.
Additionally, the Vikings have a replacement plan in place with the addition of Dalton Risner a couple weeks ago. Risner was one of the best pass-blocking left guards in the NFL during his first four NFL seasons with the Broncos, so he seems like a seamless fit for Minnesota if they were to move on from their 2020 second-round pick.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
