3 reasons the Vikings trading Yannick Ngakoue makes no sense
By Dean Jones
Trading away Yannick Ngakoue after just six games makes no sense at all for the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings dropped a bombshell on Thursday by announcing they were trading defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens. This ends a short agreement between the player and the organization after he was acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this season and might be a sign of things to come from the front office before the November 3 trade deadline.
This is a head-scratcher whichever way one looks at it. The Vikings brought Ngakoue into the fold for a second-round pick and a 2022 fifth-rounder, but they are reportedly getting a third-round selection and a conditional fifth in return after the dominant figure spent just six games with the franchise.
It is also the clearest sign yet that Minnesota has all-but given up on the 2020 season at their bye week.
Getting rid of a player with the talent of Ngakoue isn’t even going to send the right message, no matter what we hear from the Vikings in the coming days. Things might get worse before they get better and it would be a huge surprise if the organization wasn’t trying to offload more veteran contracts with big money attached to them as we speak.
Ngakoue now finds himself on a team with a legitimate chance of securing a Super Bowl this season. He further adds to a defense that is notoriously difficult to overcome and also pairs the player once again with Calais Campbell, his partner in crime during the Jags’ trip to the AFC Championship game.
The Vikings do not have these sorts of ambitions after a dismal start that sees them at 1-5. Here are four reasons why their decision to trade Ngakoue makes no sense whatsoever.