The Vikings’ Top Trade Target Just Did Business Against Minnesota
In less than a month, the NFL’s trade deadline will arrive. Does Kwesi Adofo-Mensah end up pulling off yet another deal? The GM is sitting on 34 trades in his time with the Vikings.
If so, then one wonders if corner Denzel Ward will be among the Vikings’ top trade targets. Or, perhaps, is the veteran defender the top option out there? Minnesota’s corner tandem — Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers — have played well. Where there could be some need for an upgrade rests at that CB3 spot, the job currently held by Jeff Okudah (with Dwight McGlothern at CB4). Seeing Adofo-Mensah call his old employer about acquiring a corner may make some sense.
The Vikings’ Top Trade Target: CB Denzel Ward
Part of me wonders if the Week 7 outcome ends up being a crucial factor.
At U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings will take on the Eagles. The contest is going to favor Philadelphia. If, however, Minnesota finds a way of winning — especially if the game involves J.J. McCarthy playing well — then the move could be to enhance the roster. Even a Carson Wentz win may spur action since achieving victory is going to require multiple facets of strong football.
Let’s proceed with the understanding that Minnesota wants to be buyers. Does adding a corner make sense? If so, what of Mr. Ward?
The Browns defender has spent his entire career in Cleveland. Originally, he was drafted at No. 4 in the 2018 NFL Draft. Standing at 5’11” and 190 pounds, Ward isn’t the world’s most imposing corner — closer to Byron Murphy than Xavier Rhodes — but he has proven to be a strong player.
In fact, Ward’s career has involved being sent to four Pro Bowls, the most recent of which arriving in 2023 and 2024. His career has featured 18 interceptions alongside a whopping 99 passes defended. There has never been a season in Ward’s career where he hasn’t had multiple interceptions (he currently has a single INT in 2025) alongside a minimum of 10 passes defended (he currently has 4).
So, the veteran has some ball skills.
Primarily a boundary corner, Denzel Ward has been shuffled around a bit while working as a Brown. He has 4,863 snaps out wide, easily proving to be his most common area on the field. He has, however, been kicked into the box for 454 snaps while being a slot corner for 195 snaps in his career.
Coming over to Minnesota would very likely mean being stretched in this area, especially as he digested the Brian Flores defense.
From a cap perspective, the numbers would work. The Vikings are sitting on a hair below $15.6 million in open room, per the estimate from Over the Cap.
Denzel Ward is currently carrying a $14,783,706 cap charge. Do note, though, that a very large portion of the cap hit would stick around in Cleveland. After all, a great bulk of the current season’s number is accounted for with a signing bonus, something Cleveland has committed to on its cap. Minnesota would therefore be taking on a lesser cap charge, preserving some of the current year’s financial flexibility.
Where there could be some pain rests in what’s ahead. Denzel Ward’s contract continues into 2026 and 2027, times when the Vikings’ open cap room is in short supply. A crucial detail is that the guaranteed money has run out on Ward’s contract, so the Vikings could likely wiggle out of the contract if there was a need to do so.
Of course, a trade is a classic situation of needing two to tango. Cleveland is a disaster of a team, one that’s worse than the 1-4 record indicates. Moving out a veteran makes some sense as the Browns try to move away from what was perhaps the worst trade in NFL history when onboarding Deshaun Watson.
Anything more than a 3rd or 4th would be an overpay for Denzel Ward. But, in all likelihood, the cost could be even cheaper. PFF is slotting Ward down at 136th among 167 corners with a very poor 48.8 grade. Going to a better situation may lead to the veteran turning back the clock, recapturing some previous magic in the process (he has previously graded in the high 60s and into the 70s on PFF).
The 28-year-old corner ran a blistering 4.32 forty leading into the draft. Ward likely doesn’t have those wheels anymore — Isaiah Rodgers certainly does — but he’s a good player capable of playing good football.
His nickname, The Warden, would be a nice addition to the pile.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
