A Pair of Vikings Trade Targets to Bolster the Trenches Ahead of the Deadline
Is another Vikings trade on the way? If so, the clock is ticking. There are mere hours between now and when the NFL deadline hits at 3 p.m. CT.
Minnesota has already been active on the trade market. Running back Cam Akers got added a few weeks ago and has since risen up the depth chart to take over as the RB2. Last week, left tackle Cam Robinson got added to replace the injured Christian Darrisaw. Does Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pull off another move in what appears to be a buyer’s market?
2 Vikings Trade Targets
Trade Option #1 — Calais Campbell, Defensive Line
Toss over some credit to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. She mentions Mr. Campbell’s name as someone who has been generating interest (for good reason).
Standing at 6’8″ and weighing 307 pounds, Campbell looks huge even among NFL players. He has been in the NFL since getting drafted at No. 50 back in the 2008 NFL Draft (the same event when Kevin O’Connell was drafted). He has since been to the Pro Bowl six times, been a first-team All Pro, and made it as a second-team All Pro a pair of times.
Even more important, the man is still playing football at a high level. PFF gives him an excellent 83.4 grade, suggesting that he’s been making an impact for the Dolphins. Wouldn’t he look good beside Harrison Phillips? The interior of the defensive line would be a handful, putting teams in a bit of a no-win scenario as they seek to contend with Flores’ front.
Miami is sitting on a 2-6 record. Calais Campbell is operating on a single-season deal that’s carrying a cap hit of just $3,125,000, a number that would be much lower if Minnesota were to acquire the player.
Trade Option #2 — Brandon Scherff, Right Guard
Not too long ago, PurplePTSD considered the fit between Mr. Scherff and the Vikings (with an assist from Over the Cap for their helpful list of players on expiring deals playing on poor teams). Even better, the aforementioned Russini piece mentions Scherff, as well.
The 32-year-old Scherff was picked at No. 5 back in 2015 and has had a wonderful NFL career. He’s playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars — a team sitting at 2-7 — and has an illustrious resume that includes making the Pro Bowl five times and the All Pro team a single time. He hasn’t allowed a sack all season in 526 snaps at right guard and has an impressive 71.5 pass-blocking grade.
At the time of publication for the OTC piece, a projected cap cost for onboarding Scherff was expected to be $1,361,111. Keep in mind that Minnesota did business with Jacksonville at last year’s deadline by trading away left guard Ezra Cleveland. Oh, and there was also the more recent deal involving Mr. Robinson — here’s to you, Mr. Robinson — so there’s a well-worn path between Jacksonville and Minnesota when it comes to trading o-linemen.
The cherry on top? Kevin O’Connell overlapped with him in Washington. The pair will know each other. Don’t discount the possibility of a trade for Brandon Scherff.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.