Will the Vikings trade Trae Waynes or Kyle Rudolph?
Another sign of aggression that could be made by Spielman is by making a deal to not only acquire a draft pick, but also clear some much-needed cap space. As of now, the two most tradeable assets on the team appear to be cornerback Trae Waynes and tight end Kyle Rudolph.
In a league that is dominated by high-scoring passing offenses, Waynes would certainly appeal to a team looking for help in its secondary.
While the 2014 first-round pick of the Vikings has made a steady improvement over the course of his career, he will likely be looking for a raise on his $9 million cap hit in 2019. Despite the wizardry of Rob Brzezinski, it’s likely that raise will be coming from somewhere outside of Minnesota next season.
Rudolph is a more curious case considering his standing with the team. As one of the leaders in the locker room and a strong presence in the community, it would be tough from a PR standpoint to trade the 30-year-old.
However, his stats have shown signs of decline over the past couple years and with a $7.625 million cap hit next season, he may be shopped around — especially if the Vikings use an early pick on a tight end.
With Minnesota having a little over $1.7 million in cap room currently, one would assume that a move will be made. It will possibly just be a matter of who the knife will fall on.