Dumb Vikings Debate Ignites on Social Media
Dustin Baker
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You’ve reached the point of the offseason when some media and fans debate the pros and cons of trading Justin Jefferson.
We’d like to say it was inevitable, considering the Minnesota Vikings are on a six-week break before training camp, but in reality, the debate was probably avoidable.
Dumb Vikings Debate Ignites on Social Media
Still, the zany conversation appeared to originate on SKOR North Sunday from a fan’s question, as the show’s hosts discussed the notion of trading Jefferson for the 1st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Minnesota sports media entity tweeted the following question, accompanied by a video clip, “If it guaranteed the Vikings the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, would you trade Justin Jefferson? ?”
Jefferson leads the NFL in receiving yards since turning pro in 2020 and is the league’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year. The phenom wideout is expected to bank a contract extension sometime this summer in the ballpark of $30-$35 million per season.
Unbelievably, without batting an eye, all three hosts of SKOR North‘s Purple Daily program would trade Jefferson for the draft’s first pick next April. SKOR’s Phil Mackey pounced on the idea and commented, “It’s an instant yes for me, and I love Justin Jefferson, a Hall of Famer in the future — but Caleb Williams in next level. I would do this.”
Williams is widely predicted to go No. 1 in next year’s draft unless he encounters a poor 2023 season or an injury.
SKOR’s Judd Zulgad agreed with Mackey, “I think so. I think you have to, don’t you?” So did Declan Goff on the panel, “I think ya gotta. I think you have to.”
While the notion of adding Williams is indeed irresistible, the ‘debate’ boils down to one philosophical question — should a team trade a future Hall of Famer, a sure thing, in Jefferson for a maybe-he’ll-be-good quarterback?
Everybody assumes each quarterback drafted No. 1 overall will become the next big thing, and when that man doesn’t pan out, folks shrug their shoulders and move on. Baker Mayfield enthusiasts know the drill. Williams feels like a surer thing than most quarterback draft prospects, but he’s still a risk — one that would cost the Vikings a Jeffersonian pricetag if Minnesota mind-bogglingly shipped Jefferson to the team for the 1st overall pick.
The Vikings have never hinted any interest in trading Jefferson, so the talker from SKOR North is merely offseason fodder to stir the pot.
VikingsTerritory would not trade Justin Jefferson for a draft pick. Stick with the guy possessing a surefire Hall of Fame trajectory rather than a hopeful maybe.
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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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