As the Minnesota Vikings emerge from what looks to be a well-timed bye week on the health front, they will welcome the reeling Indianapolis Colts to town on Sunday.
After a Week 6 loss to the Tennessee Titans, the Colts fired long-time general manager Chris Ballard. With that move, the general vibe is that they are, or should be, open for business.
The 5-0 Vikings are absolutely a trade deadline buyer, and they have a unique opportunity to see any Colts players who may interest them up close. And multiple players, on some level, should be of interest to them before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
The Vikings won't be the only team with potential interest in Colts' players like running back Jonathan Taylor and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
During "The Pat McAfee Show" on Friday, amid reports that multiple teams are interested, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport talked about the possibility of the Colts trading Taylor.
Assistant general manager Ed Dodds, who is overseeing the Colts' personnel department for the rest of the season after the dismissal of Ballard, worked in Seattle from 2017 to 2026.
That gives Dodds a tie to Seahawks general manager John Schneider and his "tree", as Rapoport called it, which of course includes Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley.
Nolan Teasley's overalap in Seattle with Ed Dodds could foster a trade between the Vikings and Colts
Dodds and Teasley overlapped in Seattle for three years (2013 to 2016). Dobbs' last year as an area scout, his one year as a national scout, and his two years as a senior personnel executive were Teasley's year as an intern and three years as a pro scout.
The strength of the relationship between Teasley and Dodds is unknown. But shared front office roots, via both jobs and being in the same organization under the same general manager, may yield similar views of football and the evaluation of assets.
Those things can matter a lot when it comes to getting trades done.
Dodds' primary task, as things begin to align that way, is getting the best return he can in any trades as he makes his case to be named the permanent Colts' general manager after the season. A proactive call to Teasley, maybe best done after Sunday's game, could be in order then.
Ahead of sharing the field on Sunday, the Vikings and Colts look like a perfect match of trade deadline buyer and seller.
Shared history between Teasley and Dodds could be something that gives the Vikings an advantage over other trade suitors, while also being something that gets a deal over the top if talks get serious.
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