One Vikings Trade Theory Seems to Have Died
Josh Frey
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If the Minnesota Vikings are going to pull off a trade in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, they are going to need to do so very soon.
The big questions regarding such a trade into the top 10 revolve around which prospect they will trade up for as well as the team that will become the Vikings’ trade partner. Well, it appears that one Vikings trade theory has run its course and is no longer possible.
A Vikings Trade Theory Is Dead
Evidently, the Washington Commanders are no longer interested in moving down, and instead, they will simply stay put at No. 2 and select a quarterback.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweeted Tuesday, “Teams trying to move up for QB and calling Washington are being told they are not moving. Washington’s GM Adam Peters has publicly stated the Commanders feel great about staying at No. 2 and picking their QB.”
For awhile, it seemed like the Commanders were flirting with the idea of sliding down in the draft, grabbing some extra draft picks along the way, and filling out some of the remaining holes on their roster rather than pursuing a QB.
Back in March, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network reported that he believed it was more likely for the Commanders to move down than the New England Patriots. Jeremiah said at the time, “When you have Kliff Kingsbury, he could say, ‘You give me a huge haul of picks, I can make it work with McCarthy, Bo Nix or Penix – like these guys are point guards, and let’s build up the rest of the roster.’ So, between those two – Washington, New England – it feels to me like Washington would be the one that maybe would at least listen to what these offers are.”
Of course, much of Washington’s situation at the quarterback position changed when they traded away Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks. Howell started all 17 games for the Commanders last season and threw for 3946 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions.
As of now, the only quarterbacks on the Commanders’ roster are Marcus Mariota, Jeff Driskel, and Jake Fromm. Mariota can serve as a bit of a bridge option (much like how the Vikings are expected to utilize Sam Darnold), but they do need to find a solution at the quarterback position for the long-term.
With Washington supposedly content with sitting at No. 2 and taking the best quarterback available (likely every player other than Caleb Williams), it appears that Minnesota will need to find a different trade partner in order to move up the board.
The New England Patriots have been, in de facto GM Eliot Wolf’s words, “open for business” regarding a trade, but they too could simply stick and pick a quarterback with the third overall pick. Other trade options include the Arizona Cardinals (No. 4) and the Los Angeles Chargers (No. 5).
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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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.