The Calm Before the Storm? Vikings GM Takes a Subdued Approach to Trades
In a bit more than a week, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pulled off four trades.
On August 22, 2022, Adofo-Mensah got Nick Mullens from Las Vegas to Minnesota. The GM pried away Ross Blacklock from the Texans on August 30th, 2022 (who has since been cut). On the same day he offloaded Jesse Davis, an ill-fated FA signing who was shipped to Pittsburgh. Finally, the young executive brought Jalen Reagor to town for a 5th and a 7th, a move that proved misguided and has since resulted in the WR/PR being cut.
The Vikings are moving ahead with an initial 53-man roster that is already undergoing change. RB Myles Gaskin and OT David Quessenberry are recent signings, proving that the work of an NFL general is never truly done. What happens next is anyone’s guess, but one wonders about the possibility of more swaps.
The Vikings GM Takes a Subdued Approach to Trading
(So Far, At Least)
On the most recent episode of Notes from the North, Sizzlin’ Sam and I spend a few moments unpacking trade activity in the NFL. Generally speaking, there are three periods when trading is particularly prominent: the NFL draft, the end of the preseason (a.k.a. right now), and the trade deadline. So far, Adofo-Mensah has joined the fun in every opportunity he has had.
He been through a pair of drafts, led the team through a pair of preseasons, and been the man in charge of a single trade deadline. In each instance, Adofo-Mensah has jumped into the trade market.
The most recent deal involved shipping backup OT Vederian Lowe to the New England Patriots for a 6th-round selection. Minnesota gets the benefit of recouping draft capital for someone who may not have made the team while New England gets the benefit of a sophomore OT who could develop into a quality player for years to come.
What’s been more surprising than the deal involving Lowe is the deals that aren’t happening.
Currently, the team only has four corners capable of stepping in for the Brian Flores defense: Byron Murphy, Akayleb Evans, Mekhi Blackmon, and Andrew Booth. There’s very little reason to have confidence in Booth, Blackmon is a rookie, and the top pair are both coming off a year with plenty of injury troubles (which is to say nothing of Booth’s injury history).
Clearly, another corner or two would be a welcome sight for the Vikings, even with the tremendous depth at safety.
At the beginning of August, I put together a list of 10 players who were worth keeping in mind as potential trade targets. A pair of those players — Isaiah Simmons and Noah Igbinoghene — have been shipped out of town, but not to Minnesota. One wonders if any of the other candidates could be in play for Minnesota, especially since the team is sitting on 8 draft picks in 2024, north of $10 million in cap space, and some positions that are aching for reinforcements.
Someone like Derek Barnett is, ironically, available for a trade. Pulling off a deal for him would qualify as a medium-sized move given his draft slot and the position he plays.
Maybe the strikeouts with Reagor and Blacklock are prompting the GM to think twice about going in on another underperforming player. Or, maybe, the team is content to scour free agency for improvements; doing so allows them to retain all of that draft capital at a time when moving up for a QB will be tempting.
Betting against a Kwesi trade seems foolish given what we know about his history. The man will consider all possibilities when it comes to improving his team. So far, though, Minnesota’s front office has been a touch more subdued.
We’ll see if that continues as the season inches closer.
