The Unconventional Mac Jones Trade Offer that Could Leave Vikings and 49ers Happy
Look around online and there won’t be much issue finding some who have spilled digital ink on the idea of Mac Jones becoming a Vikings passer. The great issue? Just that Minnesota may be reluctant to part with high-end draft picks (which is to say nothing of the quibbles in San Francisco about moving out its talented QB2).
So, how could both sides still get the deal across the finish line?
The Vikings, quite possibly, could be interested in moving on from receiver Jordan Addison. He doesn’t lack for on-field ability, but he has sometimes given the organization pause when it comes to wisdom off the field. San Francisco needs an infusion of talent at receiver and runs a scheme that possesses overlap with Minnesota’s. Could this be an instance of a player-for-player swap that leaves both teams better?
Mac Jones, Jordan Addison, & The Possible SF/MIN Trade
Not long ago, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired. He’s now working in San Francisco.
Adofo-Mensah publicly defended Addison prior to the front office shuffle. Per the former GM, the young receiver is a fantastic person who makes the correct decision the overwhelming majority of the time. Occasionally, there are gaffes that lead to problems and repercussions. The GM sounded like someone who was committed to working alongside the ultra talented receiver.
Maybe he can do so while earning his pay as an executive in The Bay Area.
Bringing Mac Jones to town would be an exciting development. Very little would be guaranteed as it relates to future success, but there would at least be ample reason to pay attention (as a side note, when are the Vikings ever boring?).
On a basic level, Jones offers a lot to like. The 27-year-old quarterback comes in at 6’3″ and 220 pounds. He was the No. 15 selection back in the 2021 NFL Draft, starting his career in New England before working in Jacksonville and now in San Francisco.
The Alabama alumnus recently led his 49ers to a 5-3 record while filling in for Brock Purdy. The passing percentage finished off at a sizzling 69.6%. He climbed up to 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions.
Jones’s career completion rate comes in at 66.5%, a great number that would make Kevin O’Connell a happy play caller. J.J. McCarthy’s inability to consistently complete passes was a thorn in the Vikings’ side. Listen to Coach O’Connell talk and the ideas about the NFL being a completion league will come up eventually. He’ll even explain away some of his unwillingness to run by describing certain short throws as an extension of the run game, a long hand off.
O’Connell’s offense cannot function without there being some basic competence at completing passes. O’Connell needs accuracy like a fish needs water. Without it, things get stinky pretty quick.
Generally speaking, hockey is a sport that more easily lends itself to trading a player(s) for a player(s). Same for basketball, a league that knows a thing or two about massive trades. Football presents some issues with that approach, but the offseason does clear away debris since there’s a long runway for incoming talent to pickup the new scheme.
In Mac Jones and Jordan Addison, the 49ers and Vikings each have a valuable player at valuable positions but who nevertheless inspire some reason to suspect that a trade could be upcoming. Seeing the two NFC teams do business wouldn’t be the most shocking development within a league that’s familiar with the unexpected.
Sometimes, the dot connecting with plausible fictions ends up being precisely how things work out.
