Vikings Trade Deadline Winners and Losers
The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and it would be a stretch calling it anything close to exciting. After the biggest names were reportedly dangled to opposing teams, the Vikings will be keeping everyone in Minnesota.
Adam Thielen, Harrison Smith, Kyle Rudolph, and Anthony Harris were all said to be involved in trade discussions, and there is a lot of fallout from the decisions and indecisions made within the organization today. Let’s get into the winners and losers from the snooze fest that was the 2020 NFL trade deadline.
Losers
Every NFL fan
NFL Logo on Goal Post (Photo by Rick Osentoski / AP file_
This trade deadline sucked. Many tabbed it as being a chance for the rich to get richer, but most rumors dried up as the 3 p.m. deadline came and went.
Rest In Peace to all those rumors that have given false hope to NFL fans across the league hoping to push their team’s agenda.
Browns and Vikings rumors
image courtesy of Vikings.com
There was a ton of talk that Cleveland would be the team that struck a deal with the Vikings. It seemed like a decent destination for one of our stars considering the ties to Kevin Stefanski, and the positions the Browns needed help at. Andrew Sendejo will continue to struggle and the void left behind by Odell Beckham Jr. could haunt them. That’s why they’re big losers.
It seemed that Anthony Harris would be a perfect fit considering his expiring contract. Rumors have been swirling since last offseason that Harris could end up being a Brown. Those rumors never came into fruition and Cleveland gets no help in their secondary.
Vikings cap situation
Rick Spielman is in a tough spot when it comes to the Vikings salary cap situation. He could have helped himself out by dealing some of the heftier contracts left on this roster. Instead he kept the expiring contract of Harris and continues to be bogged down by the bigger contracts on the team.
Things will definitely get interesting this upcoming offseason as the Vikings have their backs up against the wall when it comes to their money situation. Many experts believe that there is a chance at a reduced salary cap. If this occurs, the Vikings could be handcuffed by their own errors.
Vikings fans hoping to tank
After a surprising win last weekend in Green Bay, this team looks like it has the chance to win more games than previously thought. If this offense can be consistent enough, and the defense improves the Vikings could be in jeopardy of losing a top pick in the draft.
This trade deadline was a chance for the Vikings to unload some of their veterans to teams that were buyers in hopes of losing more games. It’s tough to tank in the NFL and get away with it, but moving on from a Harrison Smith type of player would reduce their chances to win games drastically. If you’re the fan that wanted to blow it up and look towards a brighter 2021, you may not have enjoyed today’s inactivity.
Winners
Adam Thielen’s Legacy
Get used to A LOT of this
Adam Thielen was born to be a Minnesota Viking, and it would be a shame to watch him leave for a few draft picks. He has consistently been a pillar of this organization and seeing him get traded would have been a low blow to his legacy as a Viking.
Thielen will continue to serve as a mentor to his fellow wideout Justin Jefferson. Something that will be talked about as a big reason why Jefferson has fared as well as he has.
Mike Zimmer
Mike Zimmer gets to keep all of his veteran players and his dignity after this trade deadline. It would have been difficult to stay competitive while trading away the players he’s come to rely on. His job stays as secure as ever as the Vikings shy away from shedding their talent.
The next Vikings quarterback
It’s clear at this point that the Vikings might be looking to move on from Kirk Cousins after this season. At the very least, they should look to provide some sort of competition in the form of a future draft pick or free agent. Next year’s draft has a lot of QB prospects that would look good in purple.
Keeping this core together should provide more of a win-now scenario when 2021 rolls around. Replacing Anothony Harris could be tough, but keeping Thielen and Harrison Smith proves we will have the talent to win next season with improved play from the defense and better quarterback performance.
You must be logged in to post a comment.