The Minnesota Vikings have a handful of players under contract that may benefit from a trade during the pending offseason.
This offseason will be a busy one for the Minnesota Vikings, especially as they work to create room under the salary cap for another playoff run. There will certainly be some contract restructures and cap casualties which can open some money but will also create massive holes on the roster.
The easiest way to gain value while shedding salaries is to trade for other assets, whether they be draft picks or other players that either fit the new scheme or provide a younger option than the outgoing veteran. The early candidates to be traded have been Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, and Danielle Hunter.
While there is an avenue in which those guys are moved at some point, their contracts will be considerable factors in holding up any such move. However, Minnesota has plenty of other contracts on the roster that could return some value in a trade over the next few months.
Without a boatload of draft picks like the franchise has been accustomed to, they could look to unload some veterans to pick up extra selections in April’s draft to help fill out the roster. With so many questions lingering over their young general manager, who could the Vikings actually look to trade?
Cam Dantzler – CB
After spending three years in Minnesota, Cam Dantzler would probably benefit from a new home in 2023. Despite a new regime taking over last season, the young defensive back could not stay in the lineup and seemed to be in somewhat of a doghouse once again last season.
Even with major questions at the position for Minnesota next season, Dantzler could be traded to make room for his replacement. He is set to make just under $3 million next season and has plenty of starting experience under his belt. A contending team should be willing to bring him in as their second or third cornerback.
All signs point to the Vikings taking a cornerback in the early stages of the 2023 NFL Draft, which would likely give them two young starters on the perimeter with Andrew Booth Jr. set to return. They also have Akayleb Evans in the mix and he’s a player that resembles Dantlzer quite a bit.
The Denver Broncos come to mind as a team that could go all in and try to add more to the defense. George Paton has the Minnesota connections and the arrival of Sean Payton has Denver looking back toward a playoff run.
K’Waun Williams will be 32 next season but could be a veteran starter in the slot for Minnesota in a player swap with Dantzler. If the Vikings truly want to try to win next year, this is a small move that makes a ton of sense.
Another team, although not much of a contender, would be the Houston Texans. They have Desmond King just sitting right there to be the next punt returner and nickel defender for Minnesota in exchange for a young corner that can pair with Derek Stingley.
Troy Dye – ILB
Even with an overhaul coming to the linebackers ahead of him, Troy Dye has not worked out for the Vikings. He’s been fine on special teams but his limited impact on defense could force his way out of Minnesota before his rookie deal ends.
Dye is a slender linebacker that thrives in coverage, which is something that has become more desirable across the NFL. Personally, I would prefer the Vikings to go out and find his replacement in the draft and run a combination of a rookie and Brian Asamoah in the middle of the defense moving forward.
While Dye probably has a home somewhere in the NFL, the Vikings likely should not invest much in him or really even expect much back in a return. He is not going to fetch more than a Day 3 pick, which is probably going to be later on Day 3 in all reality, but Brian Asamoah has proven to be a better player and needs the reps.
Taking any sort of draft compensation for Dye would be a win. That should be attainable given his minuscule cap hit next season. If a team comes calling, the Vikings should not hesitate to answer and just move on.
D.J. Wonnum – OLB
D.J. Wonnum has been a sporadic pass rusher that has failed to find any sort of constant footing in the NFL. Aside from a couple of big games in his three seasons, Wonnum has been an underwhelming rusher regardless of his role.
Wonnum took a step back last season with Za’Darius Smith taking over the starting job but still, there were better players in the rotation. Patrick Jones II made tremendous strides in his second NFL season and found a way to make plays whenever he was given a chance.
The time has come for Jones II to take over the primary rotational job as the Vikings figure things out on defense. Wonnum has had his moments but it is time to find him a place to start over while giving ample opportunities to Patrick Jones II heading into his third season.
There is an argument for keeping Wonnum. This draft class is not particularly deep at his position and the money simply isn’t there for a big signing in free agency. Still, there will probably be value to replace him at some point in the offseason.
The free agency group of pass rushers has quite the depth and could be in play if Minnesota prefers that route. Brian Flores has connections around the league and players should want to join him next season.