The Vikings can Trade for a Veteran Wide Receiver Before the Draft

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Apr 1, 2019

On Thursday, the Chicago Bears traded away running back Jordan Howard to the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. A cheap price for a young back who has proven he can play well when asked to. However, Jordan’s role in Chicago diminished with head coach Matt Nagy’s successful offensive scheme. Rather than have him play out the last year of his contract, the Bears were willing to flip him to the Eagles to free up a roster spot and around $2 million in cap space.

NFL teams face these situations often. Players are signed to long-term contracts while the franchise finds new coaches, new schemes, and new philosophies by the time their deal expires. Teams on the other side can find these one-year players available for cheap, and essentially use them as a one-year rental or play on a trial period. Despite starting Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, the Vikings are at a clear disadvantage when they use a third wide receiver. After three years, it is time to call Laquon Treadwell a bust and look for another player. So, why not look for a Howard-esque trade option to try out a new wide receiver for the season?

There are several players in the last year of their deals who can be traded, and perhaps extended, for under market value. While it is a perfectly viable option for the Vikings to find a playmaker high in the draft, they also have the option to trade away a low-round pick for a veteran player while using those higher picks to fill other needs. Here are some players in the last year of their deal who could be traded for a day three draft pick as their teams drift away from them.

Rashard Higgins – Cleveland Browns

Rashard Higgins is a former fifth-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns, and is in the last year of his rookie deal. The 25 year old will be playing for his next deal in 2019, and has plenty in the tank to play out several years in the league. Last year Higgins played as the third receiver behind Jarvis Landry and Antonio Callaway. In that role he had 572 receiving yards and four touchdowns, which outpaces Treadwell’s career numbers.

Despite this production, it is hard to see the Browns retaining Higgins in 2020 with so much already invested in wide receiver. They will likely want to keep Callaway on the field in his second year to develop him into a star wide receiver. At the same time, they have Jarvis Landry on the second year of a 5 year, $75.5 million contract and are unlikely to move on from him any time soon. Lastly, the Browns just made a blockbuster trade for their presumed number one receiver – Odell Beckham Jr.

Higgins could come to Minnesota and immediately upgrade the wide receiver position. Because the Browns are unlikely to use him this year or resign him in the future, they could be open to trading him away for a cheap price. Higgins would essentially be a one year trial for the team. If he performs well, the Vikings will be able to sign him to a contract in 2020 in order to keep him on the team long term.

Allen Hurns – Dallas Cowboys

Allen Hurns (17) stands next to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4)

Despite several good seasons in Jacksonville, including a 1031-yard and 10-touchdown campaign in 2015, Allen Hurns failed to make a significant impact in Dallas. He was overtaken by Cole Beasley (now in Buffalo), rookie Michael Gallup, and Amari Cooper – who the Cowboys traded for early in the season. In total Hurns only played in a starting role for seven games, despite being healthy all season. Surely this is a disappointment considering the contract he signed the prior offseason, and perhaps Dallas’ move for Amari Cooper is partly due to a failure of Hurns to fully take the top receiver role. The Cowboys have also signed wide receiver Randall Cobb this offseason. Between Cooper, Gallup, and Cobb, Hurns’ time in Dallas looks limited after a 295-yard, 2 touchdown year.

Trading for Hurns should be easy. After trading away a first round draft pick for Cooper, the Cowboys only have six selections in the NFL Draft. They should be looking to gain a little extra draft capital, even if any trade would only net them a late round pick. Rather, a trade for Hurns would be difficult because of his contract. Relative to his production last year, Hurns’ cap hit of $6.25 million is rather high. The Vikings already have cap space issues, and cannot afford this contract. However, Hurns only has one year left on his deal with $1.25m guaranteed. The Vikings could restructure Hurns’ contract immediately after trading for him, offering him a longer deal with guaranteed money in future years in exchange for a reduced salary in 2019. Playing at the age of 28 this season, the Vikings shouldn’t be too concerned about Hurns’ age. If they trade for him, the vikings should sign the receiver to a new two or three year deal.

Torrey Smith – Carolina Panthers

Compared to Higgins and Hurns, Torrey Smith is not the most exciting wide receiver option. He is the oldest having turned 30 this January. It has been a long time since Smith played like a true number one option. Still, he has had some somewhat successful seasons recently as a third wide receiver. In 2016 he played in San Francisco behind Jeremy Kerley and Quinton Patton in a 267-yard, three touchdown year. Then he recorded 430 yards and 2 touchdowns with the Eagles behind Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor. But after joining the Panthers, Smith was quickly buried behind a stable of young pass-catchers; Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Devin Funchess (now with the Colts), and Curtis Samuel – all under the age of 25.

Torrey Smith played as a wide receiver for the Super Bowl Champions in 2017.

On top of being older and having declining production, Smith’s contract is not the best. His cap hit for this season is $5 million, higher than the three pass-catchers ahead of him on the Panthers’ current roster. But none of this money is guaranteed. Like Hurns, Smith could potentially be convinced to take a lower salary with more guaranteed money. But, unlike Hurns, the fact that he has no preexisting guaranteed could motivate him to alter his deal without an extension. The Vikings shouldn’t give a declining 30-year old receiver a multi-year deal. This trade-and-restructure deal would surely be a one-year rental, with no future plans for Smith on the roster. Still, if Smith is able to recreate his season with the Eagles he would be an improvement over Laquon Treadwell.  At the same time Smith would get a little extra security with some guaranteed money on a renegotiated deal, making sure he gets paid without the threat of being cut.

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