By admin 
What was once a picturesque beginning of the Minnesota Vikings season when they were sitting atop the NFC North and the conference standings at 5-0 have now suddenly taken a turn for the worse. After their first loss of the year in a heartbreaker against the rival Lions that gave Detroit the division lead, they came out of the short week and fell to the Rams. not without some controversy.
Now at 5-2 on the season, the Vikings are still well within the playoffs, but the division could be slipping away. Detroit looks like a juggernaut with the win over Minnesota sandwiched between a pair of 38-point victories over the Cowboys and Titans, respectively. With the NFL Trade Deadline just over a week away, the Vikings need to be buyers and make the right moves.
They almost certainly won’t be able to make every move on their wish list, but the Vikings’ trade targets should look something like this as they look to recapture the NFC North and make a run in the playoffs. These players would certainly contribute to that if Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can get them to Minnesota despite the organization’s relatively limited draft capital.
The loss of Christian Darrisaw for the season cannot be understated for how critical a blow it is to the Vikings. He was one of the best offensive tackles in the league and one of the true stalwarts of his position group in the league. David Quessenberry is a capable veteran backup, but tackling the line should be of utmost importance for Minnesota now.
And someone like Carolina Panthers lineman Brady Christensen would make perfect sense given the Vikings’ situation. Carolina isn’t going anywhere anytime soon this season and is expected to be a huge seller at the deadline. A player like Christensen, who at age 28 is in the final year of his rookie deal, could be the right marriage of low cost and effectiveness for the Vikings.
Christensen’s best attribute is his versatility, as he has spent time at tackle, guard and center during his tenure with the Panthers. If Kevin O’Connell and the staff are confident that Quessenberry will step in on the left side to replace Darrisaw, Christensen could serve as an extremely valuable depth piece that can be shuffled based on need, which is exactly what the Vikings would can use in the aftermath of the injury.
Over the past few seasons, we’ve seen Minnesota’s front office make a concerted effort to improve the secondary with veteran additions like Stephon Gilmore, Byron Murphy Jr. and even Shaq Griffin. And the corner room led by Brian Flores has had one of its better years. Against the Rams, however, we saw how much a lack of depth could hurt the Vikings’ defense down the stretch.
Therefore, looking for a low signing for a player like Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II would be the perfect move for this organization. Newsome is in the fourth year of his rookie contract and Cleveland has already picked up the former 26th overall pick’s fifth-year option. But even with a win in Week 8, the Browns should remain in selling mode to try to rebuild the franchise from the Deshaun Watson debacle. Trading Newsome could be part of that.
His 2025 cap number would make him an interesting commodity, as the Browns could seek a lower price for draft capital if the Vikings were to take his money, or they could choose to eat some of that salary. In either case, Adofo-Mensah would have the flexibility to negotiate and add a player who, despite being in the midst of a down year, has generally performed at a high enough level to be considered a valuable asset in a increasingly better coached level. defense in Minnesota.
The veteran construction of the Vikings’ defensive line was a genius budget move this season. Jerry Tillery, Harrison Phillips and Jonathan Bullard aren’t the type of players we’ll tell our grandchildren about when we bounce them off our knees years and years later, but they’ve been a solid force up front.
As with the secondary, the problems arise when you look at the depth Minnesota has on the roster. Rookie seventh-round pick Levi Drake Rodriguez and UDFA Taki Taimani are currently the only depth players on the defensive line, so it would be worth targeting veteran Calais Campbell, even at 38 years old.
Despite his age, Campbell is still a monstrous presence on the defensive front. According to PFF, he is the fourth-highest rated interior defender in the league entering Week 8, still generating pressure as a pass rusher and still stopping the run. With the Dolphins season seemingly over at this point, the Vikings could take advantage of a team that doesn’t really need the veteran and find an elite rotation piece at a reasonable trade price.
Especially with Jordan Addison’s potential misfortune (who knows what his cryptic social media post of “Free 3” actually meant), the Vikings could use another running mate for their star pass-catcher, Justin Jefferson. The impending return of TJ Hockenson will certainly help immensely, and Addison will almost certainly ease his concerns. But even with that, another complementary option for Sam Darnold could help elevate the offense.
So why not see a reunion with veteran Adam Thielen? The 34-year-old, like Christensen, is currently languishing on the Panthers’ roster, spending the twilight of his career with a team that will only continue to suffer losses. It has been reported that Carolina could sell parts quite aggressively and Thielen is one of the most sensible options to move considering his age.
That said, he is coming off a 2023 season in which he caught 103 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. He still has plenty left in the tank and could be quite cost-effective in any trade, especially after being held off in Week 8 due to a hamstring injury. But having previously spent nine seasons with the Vikings, he could come in and immediately diversify the passing game in a way that Kevin O’Connell would drool over given the possibilities it could open up.
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