Bleacher Report Cooks up Berserk Vikings Trade Theory
Want to know how to really kickstart enthusiasm for the Minnesota Vikings and lean into general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s competitive rebuild?
Trade Justin Jefferson.
Bleacher Report Cooks up Berserk Vikings Trade Theory
It’s that simple, according to Bleacher Report.
Trade Jefferson and prosper is the recommendation from BR’s Matt Holder, an off-the-wall theory, as Jefferson is considered the NFL’s best wideout and one of the top players overall.
Holder published a handful of wild ideas, including the Atlanta Falcons holding a fire sale in an effort to swing the draft picks needed for North Carolina’s Drake Maye next April. He almost claimed the Cincinnati Bengals should get rid of wide receiver Tee Higgins.
And on a Jefferson trade, he explained, “The Minnesota Vikings are 2-4 with one-possession wins over the 0-6 Panthers and 1-5 Bears heading into Week 7. Returning to the postseason feels like an afterthought, and they have several key players from last season’s playoff team who are impending free agents like Kirk Cousins, Danielle Hunter and Ezra Cleveland. In other words, it might make sense for the Vikings to hit the reset button and rebuild this offseason.”
Jefferson is eligible for a mammoth contract extension, although his representation and the Vikings front office did not finalize a deal before the start of the regular season. Talks on the agreement will reportedly resume in the offseason, and no one within the Vikings organization has ever hinted anything other than a Jefferson extension.
“The list of potential trade partners should be very long, seeing as just about any team would undoubtedly love to have the reigning Offensive Player of the Year on their roster. Of course, wide receiver-needy clubs would be willing to give up the most, making the Cardinals, Steelers and Ravens, among others, potential suitors for Jefferson,” Holder added about possible Jefferson destinations.
Offloading Jefferson in the next eight days would mimic the Randy Moss trade in 2005 and arguably inflame the fanbase even more, as Jefferson hasn’t even grazed his prime yet. He’s 24.
Holder concluded, “Green Bay received first- and second-round picks from Las Vegas for Davante Adams, and Kansas City got that plus two fourth-rounders and a sixth-round pick from Miami for Tyreek Hill. Minnesota can expect to receive similar compensation for Jefferson, and maybe even a little more since he’s younger than both Adams and Hill when those two were dealt. Adding at least two top-64 picks would be huge for a team that’s about to start a rebuild, especially if the Vikings aren’t going to be able to retain Jefferson beyond next season anyway.”
Vikings boss Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said about Jefferson at the 2023 NFL Combine, “I don’t want to be the Vikings’ GM without that guy on our team.”
Most would consider that message a “we won’t trade him” declaration.
But with the trade deadline about a week away, it wouldn’t be the trade deadline without spicy ideas.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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