New Name Floated as Vikings Trade Target Before NFL Deadline Arrives

NFL: New England Patriots at Las Vegas Raiders
Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Chad Graff finds himself in a unique position to comment on a potential Vikings trade. Currently, he’s the Patriots beat writer for The Athletic. Not too long ago, though, he was covering the Vikings, giving him a unique vantage point.

In a recent piece, Graff proposed some names to watch of potential trade candidates on New England’s roster. After all, the 2024 season is looking pretty rough, so selling off some players in exchange for added draft picks makes some sense. One of the names he mentions even gets connected to the Vikings.

Chad Graff & A Vikings Trade Target

The Vikings’ corners aren’t playing well enough.

Lately, teams have been completing passes with ease. A major part of the issue is that the pass rush has struggled — Matthew Stafford didn’t get sacked a single time on Thursday Night Football — but the coverage needs to be stickier. To that end, a corner addition may help (see a TVG discussion on D.J. Reed).

Jan 17, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; A New England Patriots helmet sits on a table at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Mr. Graff therefore sees a fit between Minnesota and New England.

His preamble involves praising DC Brian Flores as someone who “consistently mix[es] up his play calls and us[es] exotic blitzes.” Shortly thereafter, Graff gets into the meat and potatoes of the proposed trade fit. Take a look:

But the Vikings could use depth at cornerback, and Flores has already added one former Patriot cornerback, signing Stephon Gilmore earlier this year. Perhaps Jones could be the next to go play for the former assistant who spent 15 seasons in New England.

Jones has quietly played well this season and is still one of the fastest players on the team at 31. He’s a free agent after this season, so the Pats might want to get something for him before he has a chance to leave with little compensation in return.

NFL: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
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Some background on Mr. Jones.

At 31, the 5’10” corner who weighs 185 pounds is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He entered the NFL in 2016 with New England and hasn’t played anywhere else. The defender has been involved in 123 games while starting 64. For his career, Jones has 11 interceptions and 54 passes defended.

The current season has involved 70.8% of passes into his coverage being completed, but that number was down below 60% in both 2022 and 2023. He has mostly played along the outside in 2024, soaking up 255 snaps out wide. Keep in mind, though, that he has been in the slot for 39 and in the box for 32.

Plus, his career reveals an ability to play both in the slot and along the outside, making the fit in Minnesota more plausible. He has 2,079 career snaps out wide and 2,015 snaps in the slot. Keep in mind that more recent seasons have involved playing along the outside with greater frequency.

NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
Oct 15, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches his team play against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

In the same piece, Graff suggests that edge rusher Josh Uche could get traded (something that has since happened). There’s also a mention of former Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn getting shipped out.

Prior to the Graff piece in The Athletic, Vikings Territory‘s Josh Frey mentioned Jonathan Jones as a potential trade candidate for the Vikings.

The NFL trade deadline arrives on Tuesday, November 5th. OTC suggests that Minnesota is working with $9.4 million in open cap space, but the deal to acquire the Jaguars’ Cam Robinson is going to change the numbers.

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.


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.