A Flurry of Trades are Upcoming; Will The Vikings Join In?
K. Joudry
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We can say with a reasonable degree of confidence that trades are right around the corner. In fact, there’s good reason to believe that there will be a flurry of action. As training camp transitions into the preaseason, teams begin cutting players. Teams need to be at 53 players by August 30th. As a result, we can expect teams to move players as the deadline draws near. Why lose a player for nothing when one could trade that same player for a draft pick?
On Spotrac, there is the option to bring their trade tracker back to 2021. The end of August was very busy for trades. Heck, the Vikings even pulled off one of these trades, getting Chris Herndon from the Jets on a deal that was done on August 31. If my math is correct – never a sure thing – there were 7 trades on just August 31st, 2021. There were 3 trades on the 30th, 1 on the 29th, 2 on the 28th, and 6 more in the rests of the 20s.
Taken together, I feel reasonably confident in declaring the we’ll see some players moved as the end of the month nears.
Complicating matters is the finances. Currently, the team has just over $8.7 million in cap space, per Spotrac. That’s a number that could grow depending on who is cut and if someone is traded. Anyone being brought in would need to fit within the budget. If not, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would need to approach one of his vets about a restructured deal, a move that could allow for some wiggle room in the immediate.
The positions with the most uncertainty are tight end, center, backup QB, and slot corner. Bringing in someone to help solidify the depth at any of these spots would be a positive, as long as the cost isn’t huge. Of course, Minnesota isn’t compelled to do anything, though the option exists.
We need to also remember that the Vikings were involved in one of 2021’s earlier trades by bringing Mason Cole over from Arizona. The center/guard ended up being a nice addition, starting several games when Garrett Bradbury missed time. He even held onto the starting position until getting hurt. At times, the overlooked offseason trades have a positive impact.
A GM and head coach need to be constantly interested in improving their team. The Vikings may therefore find themselves at a point where making a trade makes sense. Keep an eye on things as the month nears its end.
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