Purple Headlines of the Week: A Big Win in Week 7, Luiji Vilain on the Move, Are the Vikings Buyers at the Trade Deadline?
The Minnesota Vikings have been on a bit of a topsy-turvy ride through the opening portion of the 2023 NFL season.
They began the year 1-4, but after two straight wins, they are all of a sudden back in the playoff race in the NFC.
With a Week 8 matchup against the Green Bay Packers looming, here is a look at a few of the purple headlines from the past couple weeks, including some of the rumors ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
A Big Week 7 Win and What it Means for the Vikings Moving Forward
The Vikings got their week started with a huge win on Monday night over the San Francisco 49ers. Not only did it move Minnesota to 3-4, but with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ loss on Thursday night, the Vikings have vaulted from one of the bottom teams in the NFC all the way to the No. 7 seed in the NFC.
Now, Minnesota has a very important three-game stretch against NFC teams that stand in a very similar position to them. It all starts on Sunday when the Vikings take on the Green Bay Packers, who currently sit at 2-4. The Vikings have an opportunity to create distance between themselves and their division rivals heading into the second half of the year.
Then, they have games against the 4-3 Atlanta Falcons and 3-4 New Orleans Saints. Both teams have been borderline playoff teams all season long, and the Vikings have a chance to firmly place themselves in the NFC Wild Card with wins over these teams.
Panthers Scoop Up Vikings EDGE Luiji Vilain
The Minnesota Vikings have had a couple promising pass rushers on their roster over the past couple years. One such name in 2022 UDFA Luiji Vilain, who actually made the final 53-man roster last year. However, it seems Vilain’s time with the Vikings has come to an end as the Carolina Panthers scooped up the pass rusher this week.
Vilain was one of the Vikings roster cuts following this summer’s training camp, but Minnesota managed to retain him on the practice squad heading into the season. He finally got his first action of the season on Monday against the 49ers, playing 14 snaps with the special teams before Carolina signed him off the practice squad.
Now, Vilain joins the 0-6 Panthers, who house pass rushers like Brian Burns, Justin Houston, DJ Johnson, and Amare Barno on the 53-man roster.
What Will the Vikings Do at the Trade Deadline?
After starting 1-4, the Minnesota Vikings seemed destined to be sellers at the trade deadline. Now, though, with the deadline just a couple days away, it seems that they could go in a number of different directions.
They are 3-4, and considering they are back in the playoff hunt, there is a much higher likelihood that they could be back to being buyers.
One thing that seems certain, though, is that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will make some sort of move. If the Vikings do become buyers at the deadline, here is a look at a few of the names that could be on the list of targets for Minnesota’s GM.
3 Storylines for Packers-Vikings
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.