3 Trades Minnesota Should Explore This Offseason

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell: Picture Via: Star Tribune.

The Minnesota Vikings are currently $16 million over the 2022 NFL salary cap and will need to find a way to get under by March 16, which is the start of the new league year. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has a lot of work ahead of him, and adjusting Minnesota’s roster to get over the cap will be no easy task.

Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter will be two names continuously brought up within the next month because combined, they will take up 33% of the team’s salary cap for the 2022 season. Cousins has a cap hit of $45 million, and Hunter has a cap hit of $26.1 million. It’s hard to imagine that both players will be returning with their current cap number. Minnesota will likely approach them about a restructure or a possible extension to lower their cap hits for the upcoming season. 

Another possibility is Minnesota could look to shop both Cousins and Danielle Hunter since the new regime has no loyalty to either player. Anyone besides Justin Jefferson is fair game and could be on the move. Kwesi Adofo-Menah will need to explore every possibility to improve this roster heading into the 2022 season and beyond.

Kirk Cousins: Denver Broncos

Kirk Cousins Tests Positive for Covid-19 - The New York Times
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Trade Package

Denver Broncos Recieve: QB Kirk Cousins

Minnesota Vikings Recieve: QB Drew Lock, 2022 Second Round Pick (40th Overall) and 2023 Second Round Pick

If Minnesota decides to hit the reset button, Cousins will be the first domino to fall. He is scheduled to make $35 million fully guaranteed this upcoming season. Minnesota went 13-3 and made the NFC Championship game in 2017, and they’re just a quarterback away. 

They signed Cousins with the expectation that he would take them to the next level. Unfortunately, since Cousins arrived, Minnesota has missed the playoffs three of the last four seasons, and both Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer have been fired. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has no loyalty to Cousins. He didn’t sign him so he could be made available. 

According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, Cousins and his agent are considering forcing Minnesota’s hand “by not wanting to go back to the negotiating table just yet,” leading him to either “play out his expensive contract or force the team to trade him.” Reports have also come out in recent days that Cousins wants an extension that will pay him $40-$45 million per year annually. 

Due to Minnesota’s current cap situation, they can not afford to commit to Cousins long-term and make him one of the league’s highest-paid quarterbacks. If they can’t restructure and lower his 2022 cap hit, a trade is possible, and Denver should be Mensah’s first call if and when they decide to shop Cousins.

Kirk Cousins to the Denver Broncos has been a popular rumor for months, especially since general manager George Paton and quarterback coach/pass game coordinator Klint Kubiak have a prior relationship with him. Denver might have to settle for Cousins if they miss out Watson, Wilson, or Rodgers because they are in desperate need of an upgrade over Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock.

Minnesota also will need to pay close to $15 million of Cousins’ $35 million base salary to get significant draft capital in return. Denver has the sixth most cap space at around $38 million, and acquiring Kirk Cousins on his current base salary is an impossible task for any team in the league. 

If Minnesota eats a significant chunk of it, Denver could potentially be convinced and find it reasonable to trade for Cousins, especially if they only have to pay him around $20 million for the upcoming season. Minnesota shouldn’t expect to receive a first-round pick in return for Cousins due to his mediocre play over the recent years, but two second-round picks seem reasonable for a team like Denver that’s under pressure to win right now. 

Drew Lock could have some potential still, he hasn’t had the best start to his career, and it’s not all his fault. Minnesota could try to acquire Lock to compete with Kellen Mond for the starting job. It’s a low-risk, high reward for them. 

Lock, 25, still might have some potential left, and he’s well worth the risk for Minnesota, considering 2022 could be a reset season if Cousins is indeed dealt. Lock could be their bridge quarterback for the upcoming season, and if it turns out to be a rough season, they could look to move up and draft Ohio State’s CJ Stroud or Alabama’s Bryce Young in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Danielle Hunter: New York Giants

Will Danielle Hunter return to Vikings in 2021? Don't bank on it unless he  gets big payday – SKOR North
Picture Via: ANDY CLAYTON-KING

Trade Package

New York Giants Receive: DE Danielle Hunter and 2022 First Round Pick (12th Overall)

Minnesota Vikings Receive: 2022 First Round Pick (7th Overall), 2022 Second Round Pick (36th Overall) and 2023 Second Round Pick

The Danielle Hunter situation is an interesting one. He’s due an $18 million roster bonus on March 20, which is four days after the new league year begins. Hunter has only played seven the past two seasons and has a cap hit of $26.1 million. He seems like a logical trade candidate, but should Minnesota deal him?

Danielle Hunter is a star, and he was on track to becoming a future Hall of Famer before his neck injury in 2020 that ended his season. He has just over 60 sacks during his seven-year career and is entering his prime at age 27. 

Former head coach Mike Zimmer helped develop Hunter and really unlocked his raw skillset, but with Spielman, Zimmer, and Hunter’s father figure in defensive line coach Andre Patterson being let go, the new regime has no loyalty or ties to Hunter.

The new regime could potentially move Danielle Hunter, especially if they decide to extend Kirk Cousins to a multi-year contract extension. Something to monitor is the departure of Andre Patterson. He and Hunter were extremely close, and Patterson was described as a father figure for Hunter in the NFL.

Something else to note, during last week’s press conference, Kevin O’Connell talked about the defensive pieces that are in place, and he failed to mention Danielle Hunter. He mentioned Harrison Smith, Eric Kendricks, and even Anthony Barr, who’s not expected to be back. Or is he?

Minnesota could potentially look to trade Hunter and re-sign Anthony Barr for potentially $20 million less and use him and a 3-4 outside pass rusher, which many have speculated he would be best at. Barr’s value over the years has dropped due to his struggle in a 4-3 defense and being forced to play zone coverage. If O’Connell decides to use him primarily as a pass rusher, he could surprise some people and have a 10 plus sack season.

Nobody really has any knowledge or idea what new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is thinking, but he did come from Cleveland. He saw firsthand what having an elite all-pro pass rusher looks like in Myles Garrett. Hard to imagine his first move is trading away Hunter, 27, who’s just now entering his prime.

If Hunter is unhappy about the departure of Patterson and it ends up becoming a big deal, the new regime could explore the possibilities of a Hunter trade. The New York Giants come to mind. They are expected to target an edge rusher with pick five or seven. They own two top 10 picks and, as of recently, hired Andre Patterson as the defensive line coach.

Minnesota will need a significant return for Danielle Hunter, they shouldn’t shop him, but they should pick up the phone and at least listen. New York makes a lot of sense, especially if pick seven is on the table. Trading away Hunter and pick 12 to move up five spots and acquire pick seven and two second-round picks should be enough to justify a Hunter trade. 

In this scenario, trading Hunter will set them up to draft a top player, especially a cornerback like Cincinnati’s Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner or LSU’s Derek Stingly Jr., both of whom expected to be off the board by pick 12. Another top prospect they could potentially target is Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, if he slips out of the top five. Minnesota also would free up close to $15 million in cap space with a trade.

This is just a hypothetical trade that Minnesota should consider if Hunter is unhappy and requests a trade to get out of Minnesota. He should ultimately be untouchable. They should prioritize building the defense around him and explore an extension that could lower his 2022 cap hit.

Dalvin Cook: Miami Dolphins

Ex-girlfriend of Dalvin Cook files lawsuit alleging assault, imprisonment;  agent says Vikings RB was victim - CBSSports.com
Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Trade Package

Miami Dolphins Receive: RB Dalvin Cook

Minnesota Vikings Receive: CB Noah Igbinoghene, 2022 Second Round Pick (50th Overall) and 2023 Second Round Pick

The Minnesota Vikings could explore the possibility of trading Dalvin Cook, but out of the three, this is the least likely trade. Kevin O’Connell is coming from the Los Angeles Rams, and they just won the Super Bowl using the running back by committee approach that featured Cam Akers, Sony Michel, and Darrell Henderson. 

Dalvin Cook also has never played an entire 16 game season, and he’s suffered two devastating season-ending knee injuries throughout his football career dating back to Florida State and, recently, the Minnesota Vikings.  

Cook, 27, making close to $12 million per season, might not be in the best plans of the Vikings going forward as they head in a new direction towards the future. There has never been a Super Bowl team to win while paying a running back $10 million-plus per season. If Minnesota decided to move on from Cook, statistically, Alexander Mattison could fill his production role for far less money financially.

Alexander Mattison filled in as the starter for three games last season. He finished with 73 rushes for 315 yards (4.3 YPC) and a touchdown to go along with 16 receptions, 133 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. He showed if needed, he could be a workhorse, and he would cost about $5 million less per season.

In recent years, when running backs hit age 27 to 30, they start to decline and see a drop in production. Minnesota could look to move Cook before the regression hits and potentially get a really solid return. Sending Cook to Miami could make some sense. He’s from there, and this would send him home. 

Miami recently hired former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel as head coach. He was known for Shanahan’s run game coordinator and designing the league’s best rushing attack for years. Adding Dalvin Cook would give Tua Tagovailoa a heavy run game to rely on and take the pressure on him as he continues to develop as a passer in the league. McDaniel would rely on Cook heavily, and teaming up with Jaylen Waddle is intriguing from a Miami standpoint.

Does this make more sense in Minnesota? Hard to say. Nobody knows what direction they are headed in. It comes down to what happens with Kirk Cousins. If they move on from Cousins and enter a reset, Cook should be shopped, and receiving CB Noah Igbinoghene, 2022 Second Round Pick (50th Overall), and a 2023 Second Round Pick for an aging Dalvin Cook seems like a justifiable return.

Noah Igbinoghene, 22, has been buried deep down in the depth chart for Miami and could use a change of scenery. He would likely be Minnesota’s starting nickel corner, and the Vikings have arguably the worst secondary in the league. Also, receiving two second-round picks in the deal would be tough to pass up if you’re Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

This is just a hypothetical trade for now, but if they believe in Matteson long-term, they could look to shop Dalvin Cook and extend Mattison. They also would more than likely turn into a pass-heavy offense. Paying running backs big-time money hasn’t panned for many franchises over the years. Todd Gurley comes to mind as of late. It will be interesting to see what route Kevin O’Connell decides to take with the offense as they head into the 2022 NFL season.

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