At 6-2, The Vikings’ Focus Shifts to the NFL Trade Deadline
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is going to do his due diligence.
Already, the Vikings’ focus has been on some trading. Running back Cam Akers got brought in and so, too, did left tackle Cam Robinson (both of whom played a critical role in the Sunday Night Football win). Does the GM have any other tricks up his sleeve?
The team finds itself fully within the race for the NFC playoffs and, indeed, the division. Yes, the Detroit Lions look like a juggernaut, not missing a beat despite losing star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Even still, the basic fact is that Detroit is sitting on a 7-1 record while the Vikings are sitting on a 6-2 record. A game behind with half a season to play is far from insurmountable.
Even more promising is that Minnesota is going into an easier stretch in their schedule. The upcoming three-straight road opponents is tricky, but the games take place against the Jaguars, Titans, and Bears. Even going 2-1 in that a stretch would mean an 8-3 record as the season hits its stretch run. So, time to load up with one more trade?
The Vikings’ Focus Shifting to the NFL Trade Deadline
The simple fact that’s pushing Minnesota toward another trade is that it’s a buyer’s market.
Consider, for instance, what the Kansas City Chiefs have done. Andy Reid’s team has picked up receiver DeAndre Hopkins and edge rusher Josh Uche. Certainly, those are two notable names at two notable positions. Probably cost a pretty penny, right? Wrong.
Snagging Mr. Hopkins meant shipping out a 5th that could morph into a 4th (source). Meanwhile, Uche got snagged for a mere 6th (source). So, two players at premium positions for just Day 3 selections. Not bad, right?
Bring things a little closer to home.
Cam Akers offered a real spark for Minnesota’s offense last night. The RB3-turned-RB2 saw his 6 carries go for 46 yards, good for a 7.7 yards-per-carry average. The cost was a mere pick swap, moving out a 6th in exchange for the RB and a 7th (with conditions on those picks).
Snagging a starting left tackle is definitely more costly. Or, at the very least, it should be. Even still, Minnesota only needed to send over a 5th that could turn into a 4th. At most, a Day 3 selection. Oh, and Robinson brought a conditional 7th in his back pocket. The wild thing is that Jacksonville even took on a major portion of the offensive lineman’s salary cap hit to get the trade across the finish line.
The evidence we’re seeing, then, is of an NFL that’s a buyer’s market. If someone is looking to load up on a player or two to help with the playoff push, then there are deals that can be made. Even better, the cost doesn’t appear to be prohibitively high in a lot of instances.
Minnesota’s roster has proven to be difficult to overcome but far from perfect. Snagging a penetrating defensive tackle would be a boost and one could make the case for adding some help at corner. So, too, could an upgrade at right guard be helpful, but maybe that comes in the form of a healthy Dalton Risher.
Minnesota is sitting on roughly $7.9 million in cap space.
Editor’s Note: Information from 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.