Trae Waynes could still be traded before the regular season

The Ringer’s Robert Mays listed the Minnesota Vikings starting cornerback as a player who could still get traded before the start of the 2019 season.

Heading into the 2019 season, cornerback is arguably the deepest position group for the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings currently have five corners in Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, Mike Hughes, and Holton Hill who could likely start for any team around the NFL.

Minnesota’s depth at cornerback was a big reason for why Rhodes and Waynes were included in a bunch of trade rumors this offseason. Nothing ever came of these rumors, but now there’s at least one person who thinks that Waynes could still be moved before the start of the 2019 season.

The Ringer’s Robert Mays recently listed a number of players from around the league who he believes could be traded before Week 1 and the Vikings’ No. 2 corner was among those included.

"“Waynes has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason, and it makes sense. The former first-round pick will carry a $9.1 million base salary on his fifth-year option this season, the Vikings are trying to squeeze all they can out of their remaining cap space (they currently have just $5.2 million available, according to OTC, ahead of only the Steelers), and with three highly drafted cornerbacks (Xavier Rhodes, Mike Hughes, and Mackensie Alexander) already on the roster, Waynes is no longer a necessary component.”"

As a possible destination for Waynes this summer, Mays lists the Kansas City Chiefs. The Minnesota corner was also one of only six players included on the list that were categorized as “Realistic Targets”.

Of all the cornerbacks on the Vikings’ current roster, Waynes seems like the best candidate to be traded. That’s not to say that he will be, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone if Minnesota is able to work out a deal with another team before the start of the season.

What are the realistic chances of Waynes getting traded over the next few weeks though? Unless a top player from another position group on the Vikings’ roster gets hurt during camp or the preseason, bet on the 26-year-old corner remaining with the team in 2019.

The Mike Zimmer factor also has to be considered in this scenario too. Zimmer adores the group of corners he’s put together in Minnesota and convincing him to let the team trade away one of his starters would be like asking him to sell one of his kids.

So hold the brakes on Waynes getting traded before the regular season for now. But a lot can change in a short period of time too, so it still remains a possibility.