Even at 6-1 heading into Week 9, will the Minnesota Vikings make a deal before the NFL’s 2022 trade deadline on Tuesday afternoon?
With a 6-1 record after their first seven games, some might think the Minnesota Vikings don’t need to make a move before Tuesday’s trade deadline. However, if the Vikings want to be serious about competing for a championship this season, adding another weapon on offense or defense could help them get to the top.
We’ve already seen a few deals happen around the NFL during the last few weeks. The undefeated Philadelphia Eagles recently made a trade with the Chicago Bears to acquire defensive end Robert Quinn, the Bears also dealt linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, and the Kansas City Chiefs decided to trade with the New York Giants last week for second-year wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
Traditionally, the NFL trade deadline doesn’t have a ton of action on the final day in which teams are allowed to make a deal. Could that change on Tuesday?
Well, before the deadline arrives at 3 p.m. CST on Tuesday, let’s go over some of the latest trade speculation and rumors related to Minnesota.
Will the Vikings trade for a Receiver?
Obviously, Minnesota doesn’t need a No. 1 receiver this season with Justin Jefferson on their roster. But the Vikings might want to add a pass-catcher who can stretch the field and take some of the attention off of Jefferson each week.
Who are some of the receivers that Minnesota has been linked to in trade rumors during the last few weeks?
Brandin Cooks (Houston Texans): Brandin Cooks would be a great option for the Vikings to trade for if not for his reported asking price. According to KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson, the Texans are looking for “significant draft capital” in exchange for Cooks.
Wilson also added that Minnesota is one of the teams that have contacted the Texans recently about a potential deal for Cooks, with the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Rams being the others to talk to Houston about their veteran receiver.
Cooks just turned 29-years-old in September and he’s not exactly regarded as one of the league’s elite wide receivers. So would it be wise for the Vikings to give up any Day 1 or Day 2 draft picks from 2023 in order to acquire the Texans pass catcher?
Chase Claypool (Pittsburgh Steelers): According to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson, Minnesota has recently gotten in touch with the Steelers about a potential deal for Chase Claypool.
The third-year receiver is having decent season with Pittsburgh currently, but his performance has been significantly impacted by the lack of talent his team has at the quarterback position this year. Still, Claypool has a ton of potential left at just 24-years-old to go with his unique combination of speed and size (6-foot-4, 238 pounds).
What would it take for the Vikings to acquire the young receiver from the Steelers? Well, according to theScore’s Jordan Schultz, Pittsburgh is looking for a second-round draft pick in return for Claypool.
Jerry Jeudy (Denver Broncos): Minnesota’s former assistant general manager and current Broncos general manager, George Paton, has reportedly been listening to teams that are interested in trading for Jeudy. However, Denver is reportedly looking for a lucrative return package in exchange for the receiver that includes high draft picks.
The Vikings have not been linked to Jeudy by any legitimate reporters or insiders, but the connection to Paton still makes Jeudy someone to keep an eye for the purple and gold.
Will the Vikings trade for a tight end?
During Minnesota’s win over the Arizona Cardinals this past Sunday, Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain that could result in him missing the team’s next few games according to multiple reports.
Following this news, some felt that the chances of Minnesota making a deal for a tight end before Tuesday’s trade deadline went up. However, it still seems unlikely that the Vikings would be willing to make a trade for any of the notable tight ends that have recently been involved in the rumor mill.
Mike Gesicki (Miami Dolphins): Mike Gesicki is a name that seems to come up frequently when possible Minnesota trade targets are mentioned. But Gesicki has a cap hit of over $10 million this season and the Vikings currently have less than $1 million in cap space.
Minnesota can shuffle some contracts around to create a few million dollars in additional cap space if needed, but creating more than $10 million in cap space seems nearly impossible.
Albert Okwuegbunam (Denver Broncos): Albert Okwuegbunam is reportedly available, and given the Vikings’ connection to Denver general manager George Paton, this might be a better route for Minnesota to take if they’re looking to trade for a tight end. Plus, the price to land Okwuegbunam in a deal isn’t expected to be too high.
In five games this year, Okwuegbunam has caught seven passes for 50 yards. Last season, he finished with 33 catches for 330 yards and two touchdowns in 14 appearances.
T.J. Hockenson (Detroit Lions): The Lions reportedly haven’t received any calls recently from teams wanting to trade for tight end T.J. Hockenson, but that hasn’t stopped people from speculating about him potentially being shipped out of Detroit before Tuesday’s deadline.
Even Hockenson knows there’s a chance that he could be dealt before this year’s deadline, given the nature of business in the NFL. But even if the Vikings want to trade for the Lions tight end, they would likely be required to give up more in a deal than another team since they are an NFC North rival.
*Update: The Vikings have acquired Hockenson, a 2023 fourth-round draft pick, and a conditional 2024 fourth-round selection in exchange for a 2023 second-round draft pick and a 2024 third-round selection, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Will the Vikings trade for a defensive back?
Against the run this season, Minnesota’s defense has been outstanding. Heading into Week 9, the Vikings rank eighth in the NFL in rushing yards allowed and ninth in rushing yards allowed per carry.
When it comes to stopping an opposing team’s passing attack, however, this is where Minnesota’s defense has struggled this season. Currently, the Vikings rank 29th in the league in passing yards allowed and 29th in net yards allowed per pass attempt.
If there was one area of their roster that Minnesota could afford to improve before Tuesday’s trade deadline, it would be their secondary, and more specifically, their cornerback group.
Sidney Jones (Seattle Seahawks): Despite being PFF’s 27th-best graded corner in the NFL in 2021, Sidney Jones has struggled to find the field with the Seahawks this season.
Jones has appeared in just three games this year and he’s only been on the field for 45 defensive snaps. Seattle has preferred to play some of their younger corners this season and it’s resulted in Jones watching from the sidelines.
The Seahawks are reportedly looking to trade Jones before Tuesday’s deadline, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Could the Vikings be a potential landing spot for him?
Greedy Willams (Cleveland Browns): The Browns have reportedly “received multiple calls” about possible deals for cornerback Greedy Williams before this year’s trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Willams, a former college teammate of Justin Jefferson’s, has only appeared in two games for Cleveland this season after starting eight times in 16 total appearances for them last year. In 2021, he allowed a completion rate to his coverage of just 55.2 percent, and opposing passers only had a rating of 74.0 when targeting him.
Given that Minnesota general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spent 2021 and 2020 in the Browns’ front office, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Vikings wound up with Williams before Tuesday’s deadline.
Sean Murphy-Bunting (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Chandon Sullivan has been terrible for Minnesota in the slot this season and Sean Murphy-Bunting could be someone the Vikings might look to add as their new nickel corner.
Murphy-Bunting appeared in at least 74 percent of the Bucs’ defensive snaps in 2020 and 2021, but this season, he’s only been on the field for 12 percent of their defensive snaps. Tampa Bay clearly doesn’t believe he has a role on their team anymore.
If Minnesota is looking to add a new slot corner before Tuesday’s deadline instead of sticking with Sullivan for the rest of the season, Murphy Bunting could be someone that draws their interest.