A Trade That Could Raise the Vikings’ Defensive Ceiling in 2023
Josh Frey
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Over the past few days, training camps across the NFL have been getting started. However, while teams step onto the field for the first time in weeks, there are star players holding out across the league.
One of those holdouts involves star defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs, Chris Jones. The holdout has taken place because Jones, who recorded 15.5 sacks for the Chiefs last year, has not secured a new contract extension.
According to the linked report by Adam Schefter, the two sides remain “far apart” in their negotiations. So, should Kwesi Adofo-Mensah reach back into his bag of tricks and try to swing yet another trade in his young general managing career to raise the Vikings defensive ceiling?
Obviously, Jones would bring improvement to just about any NFL defense. The Minnesota Vikings, though, are in a particularly interesting spot with their defensive line situation. They lost Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency, thus opening up a spot in the starting lineup.
Minnesota signed Dean Lowry this spring, and he is likely to take over a starting position alongside Harrison Phillips. However, that third spot on the interior of the Vikings defensive line remains rather up for grabs heading into training camp. Khyiris Tonga may be the favorite after a strong close to the 2022 season, but it is hard to say anything for certain with competition from players like Calvin Avery, Jonathan Bullard, Sheldon Day, and Jaquelin Roy.
Regardless, it would be preposterous not to consider Jones an upgrade over any of these players currently on Minnesota’s defensive line. Jones is the real deal, and he could provide an excellent pass-rushing presence in the middle of the Vikings defense to complement Marcus Davenport and Danielle Hunter.
Of course, there is the matter of the contract extension, though. Nate Taylor of The Athletic reported that Jones is seeking an extension of $30+ million per year in annual value. This is an exorbitant amount of money, and admittedly, the Vikings may have a tough time filling that desire, especially with extensions for both Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw looming.
However, what about a one-year rental of the defensive tackle? It would track with the Vikings timeline, especially considering Kirk Cousins’ contract is set to expire after the end of the season. Contract talks popped up again at training camp this week, but Cousins has already stated that he doesn’t expect a new contract (if he were to get one from the Vikings at all) until next March.
This move would be the Vikings “all-in” on going at a Super Bowl one more time with Cousins at QB before they begin focusing on their future at the position. Jaren Hall was drafted as a developmental QB this spring, but with the 2024 Draft expected to be one of the deepest classes at the position in recent memory, Minnesota could take another stab at one with a high-end pick next year.
There is also the matter of Minnesota needing to clear up another $10 million to bring Jones in at his current cap number of $28 million, but they do have a Brian O’Neill restructure in their back pockets that, according to Over the Cap’s calculations, would save Minnesota just over $10 million. Cutting D.J. Wonnum from the roster saves the Vikings an additional $2.7 million, giving them a bit of wiggle room heading into 2023.
Minnesota could also attempt to have the Chiefs take on some of Jones’ money for 2023, but that would require even more draft capital in the trade.
Ultimately, the trade would be very high-risk, high-reward. Minnesota could create a fearsome pass-rush with the addition of Jones that could turn them into a Super Bowl contender, but it would run the risk of not having the means to bring in many replacement players throughout the season if they were to run into any injuries.
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.