NFL Insider Uplifts League Trade Targets While Quashing Speculation on Others
Think that D.J. Reed would look good in a purple uniform (read more here & here)? If so, you may need to wait until the offseason for a chance at seeing it come to fruition.
The Jets’ talented corner isn’t going to be moved, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. The NFL insider peeled back the curtain a bit in a recent piece, uplifting some names to monitor ahead of the trade deadline while suggesting that other players are off the table.
NFL Insider Dianna Russini on the Trade Deadline
Already, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has joined the fun.
The former stock trader is now one of the NFL’s leading traders. He has picked up running back Cam Akers and left tackle Cam Robinson to help bolster Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Does Brian Flores get a bit of help for his side of the operation? Or, perhaps, will there be yet another addition to help on offense?
It’s worth noting that Russini doesn’t give a lot of attention to the Vikings, if any at all. Toward the beginning of her piece, Russini says that she’s mostly focusing on the Lions, Bengals, Titans, Cardinals, Panthers, and Patriots. Some basic knowledge of the standings will offer a hint about whether the listed teams are expected to be buyers or sellers.
When it comes to Reed becoming a Viking — a topic she doesn’t explicitly address apart from discussing Reed in a general sense — Russini explains that the Jets have “received calls” about the talented corner. The issue rests in what she foresees: “I don’t expect New York to move [him].”
Someone to keep tucked in the back of your mind is a player currently calling Miami home. Check out the word: “Teams have called the Miami Dolphins to check in on Calais Campbell.” Any chance Minnesota would want in on the tremendous veteran? He has a pair of sacks and 7 TFLs so far to stand alongside a sizzling 83.4 PFF grade, 4th best among the 117 who are considered.
Of note for the Vikings, the Lions are looking for help at pass rusher. Russini name drops Za’Darius Smith as a someone to watch.
Another tidbit to remember is that the Jaguars are said to be open to moving Brandon Scherff. Previously, I connected the talented right guard to Minnesota given the ongoing struggles from Ed Ingram and the connection between player and head coach. Mr. Scherff was with Washington when Kevin O’Connell was employed in DC, so it’s possible a fit would make sense.
Finally, don’t forget that Minnesota could actually move out a player. Linebacker Brian Asamoah has become a total afterthought for the Vikings while Ty Chandler has been demoted. Do either get shipped out prior to the deadline? Does anyone else make sense to trade away?
Readers looking for more insight about what’s to come (potentially) at the NFL trade deadline can read the piece from Dianna Russini. Therein, there’s a ton of talk about various teams and players who are involved in the behind-the-scenes trade chatter.
The trade deadline arrives tomorrow. Minnesota is sitting on roughly $7.9 million in cap space.
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.
