Vikings Trade Idea Goes Up in Smoke
Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has not been afraid of pulling the trade trigger in his tenure as Minnesota’s top executive. One of his first major moves was a trade-down in the 2022 draft to secure more draft capital; he also acquired T.J. Hockenson, Cam Akers, Joshua Dobbs, and Cam Robinson in recent years.
Vikings Trade Idea Goes Up in Smoke
Well, someone he didn’t trade for, but who was linked to the Vikings various times, is cornerback Greg Newsome, formerly of the Cleveland Browns. He’s now an employee of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ironically, his last game with the Browns was against the Vikings last Sunday.
ESPN’s Michael DiRocco explained Wednesday’s cornerback swap: “The Jaguars and Browns swapped cornerbacks Tyson Campbell and Greg Newsome, along with draft picks, in a Wednesday night trade. The Jaguars sent Campbell and a 2026 seventh-round draft pick they previously acquired from the Eagles to the Browns for Newsome and a 2026 sixth-round selection they had acquired from the Jets.”
Newsome heads to Jacksonville, Campbell to Cleveland.
“Newsome spent his rookie season as an outside cornerback but moved to the nickel after Cleveland drafted Martin Emerson Jr. in 2022,” DiRocco added. “Newsome struggled last season, but Emerson’s season-ending Achilles injury in training camp opened the door for him to return outside, where he has expressed more comfort.”
The Vikings re-signed Pro Bowler Byron Murphy in the offseason and added Isaiah Rodgers in free agency. Rodgers has been a superstar for the Vikings, and he belongs right on the list of free agency homeruns with Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, and even Sam Darnold. Finding steals in free agency has been Kwesi’s best work.
However, the cornerback group has still raised some questions all year. With Jeff Okudah, the Vikings put trust into a player who had never earned it, and his play throughout the season has featured the expected issues. The remaining depth is sophomore Dwight McGlothern. Former third-rounder Mekhi Blackmon was surprisingly shipped to Indianapolis in August.
In June, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin suggested that the Vikings should enter the Newsome sweepstakes.
Benjamin wrote: “Why it makes sense: Minnesota spent big to address both trenches this offseason, but the one non-quarterback spot that lacks top-end answers is the secondary, now sans veteran starters like Stephon Gilmore and Camryn Bynum. Forward-thinking general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was in the Browns’ front office when Cleveland spent a first-rounder on Newsome in 2021, and at just 25, the former Northwestern standout has the upside to become a longer-term option for Brian Flores’ defense.”
That idea is now kaput.
The good news is that the cornerback position hasn’t been problematic at all for the purple squad. Sure, Okudah hasn’t been great whatsoever with a team-low PFF score of 40.5, but his role is pretty much playing a third or a fourth of the defensive snaps in any given week, and it would potentially be a waste to spend big-time resources for that job.
Rodgers and Murphy, meanwhile, can be considered one of the better cornerback duos in the NFL.
If the Vikings still want to get their hands on a once-promising cornerback that can offer some youth and could be on the trade market, they should call the Seahawks and inquire about Riq Woolen.
They could also look to add some offensive line depth, considering the injuries up front.
Regardless, Newsome, 25, now joins former Vikings Nick Mullens, Johnny Mundt, and coach Grant Udinski in Jacksonville. One of his final moments with the Browns was a Justin Jefferson catch.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.