The Minnesota Vikings haven’t committed to Kirk Cousins beyond the 2023 season. Some mock drafts have the team drafting a quarterback early. In fact, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah had Minnesota taking Tennessee product Hendon Hooker with the No. 23 overall pick.
The idea of investing in a young QB is enticing for a Vikings fan base that’s grown tired of the Cousins experiment. Former 49ers No. 3 overall pick and Marshall, Minn. native Trey Lance fits the bill of a young signal caller with an athletic profile and high ceiling.
The general media has pegged the Vikings as a potential destination for Lance, who seems to have fallen out of favor in San Francisco after seventh-round rookie Brock Purdy led the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game and the team signed Sam Darnold to a one-year deal as extra insurance.
The 49ers gave up the farm for Lance, but GM John Lynch might be ready to give up on waiting for the North Dakota State star to come around.
With all of this in mind, Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson recently disclosed Lance could be had for as little as a second-round pick.
Yahoo’s NFL Reporter Charles Robinson reported in January that the #49ers confidence level in Trey Lance is “very low right now” and he recently said on a podcast that compensation in a trade for Trey would likely be a 2nd round pick…..The Texans, who may wind up with a brass of… pic.twitter.com/t26Ztlj6I4
— Larry Krueger (@sportslarryk) April 13, 2023
This Vikings-49ers trade package for Trey Lance would work
The big caveat here is the Vikings don’t have a 2023 second-round pick. That shouldn’t matter to San Francisco, however, which unloaded a 2023 second-round pick, a 2023 third-rounder, a 2023 fourth-rounder and a 2024 fifth-round pick for Christian McCaffrey in the middle of last season.
Between that trade and trading three firsts for the rights to Lance, the 49ers don’t have a pick until the third round this year (No. 99 overall).
If they can recoup a 2024 second-round pick for a quarterback who’s played eight games (four starts) in two seasons and is coming off a devastating ankle injury that required two surgeries, Lynch and Kyle Shanahan might have to cut their losses and accept Minnesota’s offer.
Vikings fans might think a second-round pick is too much to give up for Lance, but that might be what it takes to win the 49ers over.
It’s time for San Francisco 49ers fans to let go of some fantasies and embrace reality: Barring a seismic jump by Trey Lance — and a shocking regression by Brock Purdy, or an unfortunate injury — Purdy is the team’s starter in 2023. @MikeSilverhttps://t.co/4CCblkzd5v
— Sporting Green (@SportingGreenSF) January 20, 2023
Longtime NFL reporter Mike Silver, who also writes for the San Francisco Chronicle reported the following on Lance’s market in January.
"“Even if the Niners are receptive to potential trade offers for Lance after the season, they won’t come close to recouping that haul. Based on my conversations with several teams’ general managers (and other high- ranking front-office executives), Lance would be unlikely to net much more than a third- round selection, though it’s possible there’s a team out there motivated to give more.”"
Silver also noted the supposed competition between Purdy, Lance and Darnold is Purdy’s to lose. Barring a meltdown of epic proportions, Purdy will return as the starter, which makes Lance even more expendable.
What say you, Vikings fans? Would you send a 2024 second-round pick to the west coast for the team’s potential next franchise QB?
It continues to sound like Kirk Cousins won’t be a Viking in 2024
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