Vikings Rumors: 70% and Dwindling, Pass Rushers Up for Grabs, and Corner Help Leaving Town
Since we’re officially into the portion of the year when Vikings rumors are ramping up, we’ll be highlighting some of the purple rumblings.
The “Vikings Rumor Wrangle” is a series that keeps readers informed on what’s being whispered about in Vikings Land. In this iteration, we discuss the draft class being down to 70%, the NFL offering several pass rushers, and corner help leaving without a deal.
Vikings Rumors: 08.14.2024
Rumor #1 — The Vikings’ 2022 Draft Class is Down to 70% of the Total
That’s true.
Ten players were welcomed in that inaugural draft class for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Three have since moved on. Defensive end Esezi Otomewo got cut, offensive tackle Vederian Lowe got traded, and corner Andrew Booth Jr. was traded. So, that leaves Adofo-Mensah with just seven players from that crew and quite a bit of skepticism about who remains.
Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom. Ty Chandler inspires a decent bit of optimism as the RB2. So, too, does Jalen Nailor look like he’ll play quite well as the WR3. Until notified otherwise, Ed Ingram will be the RG1 (though Dalton Risner is lurking as the main backup). Plus, Akayleb Evans remains as the CB3.
One wonders, though, if Lewis Cine will soon find a new home. The safety is, at best, the sixth option. His sixth-place finish, though, appears to be under threat given that Bobby McCain “flashed.” Is another trade upcoming?
Rumor #2 — The NFL is Offering Several Pass Rushers via Trade
Well, there are rumors.
Start off with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. He relays the word about Matthew Judon, who is currently a Patriot: “Multiple teams have inquired about trading for pass rusher Matthew Judon amid his contract stalemate with the #Patriots, per sources. Judon is due $6.5M in the final year of his deal. New England made a contract offer to Judon this summer, which Judon did not accept.”
Note: Brian Flores has not overlapped with Judon. Nevertheless, the 6’3″, 270-pound defender is someone to keep in the back of your mind. He was down to 4 sacks last season, but he had 15.5 in 2022 and 12.5 in 2021.
And then Jordan Schultz has passed along that Haason Reddick isn’t interested in continuing his relationship with the Jets: “BREAKING: #Jets All-Pro pass rusher Haason Reddick, who is holding out, has informed the team he wants to be traded, per multiple sources.”
Reddick has been tremendously productive in recent seasons. Consider the sack output from 2020 through to 2023: 12.5 in 2020, 11.0 in 2021, 16.0 in 2022, and 11.0 in 2023. Keep in mind that he has done this damage as a Cardinal, Panther, and Eagle. Apparently, Reddick can produce in different situations. ESPN’s Adam Schefter has relayed that the Jets aren’t interested in trading away the pass rusher.
Right now, the Vikings appear to be all set at pass rusher. Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner appear to from an excellent EDGE crew, especially since youngsters like Gabriel Murphy and Bo Richter have been showing off some promise. A move from Minnesota isn’t necessarily likely, but there’s no such thing as too many pass rushers.
Rumor #3 — The Corner Came to Minnesota Before Leaving Without a Deal
Credit to Josina Anderson. She broke the news last week: “NEWS: Free agent CB Stephon Gilmore tells me he’s flying out on Sunday to visit with the #Vikings on Monday.” Ian Rapoport confirmed the interest from Minnesota: “Minnesota has maintained interest in the veteran CB for some time. This makes sense.”
For a little while, Vikings onlookers have been pushing for Gilmore to put on a purple and gold uniform. The former Defensive Player of the Year is older, yes, but is still a capable player. The simple fact that he could offer strong play from the corner spot is reason alone to be intrigued given all of the turmoil at that spot for Minnesota.
On Monday night, Kevin O’Connell met with the media. He was asked about Gilmore’s visit and how things went. “Had a great visit with him,” O’Connell notes, before describing some “good dialogue.” The head coach goes on to praise the building and culture — “a sneak [peak, little preview] of what they may be joining if all things work out” — before concluding by saying “it was a really positive visit.”
So, no deal. At least not yet.
If Gilmore doesn’t get added, the Vikings will roll with Byron Murphy Jr., Akayleb Evans, and Shaq Griffin as the top trio at corner. An injury to one of those three could lead to the situation deteriorating in a hurry.
Minnesota has roughly $19 million in cap space. Bringing Gilmore aboard would likely involve taking a decent bite out of that cap space. Last season, Gilmore was carrying a cap charge flirting with $11 million. He’s unlikely to approach those heights, but the mere fact that he’s still a free agent suggests that there’s a standard for the contract he’s willing to accept.
Stay tuned.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference 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 and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.