Vikings Miss Out on Sweepstakes for All-Pro Defender
There’s no way to know with certainty if it mattered, but the Minnesota Vikings’ back-to-back losses almost assuredly ruled the franchise out of the Shaquille Leonard sweepstakes.
The Vikings have lost to the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears in the last couple of weeks, dropping their record from a tempting and frisky 6-4 to 6-6.
Vikings Miss Out on Sweepstakes for All-Pro Defender
Leonard — unsurprisingly — joined the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted, “Sources: The Eagles and former Colts All-Pro LB Shaq Leonard have agreed to terms on a 1-year deal after he took a visit to Philly last week. A potential big addition for the stretch run. Leonard also visited the Cowboys, but Philly was always the preferred spot.”
And the Vikings’ alleged interest wasn’t just a fan-driven theory. Some fans, of course, thought adding Leonard would be intriguing, especially when Minnesota held a 6-4 record. But Minnesota reportedly inquired about Leonard. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini tweeted on Thanksgiving, “Multiple teams are discussing adding Shaq Leonard, including the Cowboys, Eagles, Vikings, and more. I was told Leonard is going to take his time making a decision as to where he wants to play.”
Leonard then cleared waivers after the Indianapolis Colts mind-bogglingly released the defender, and teams were reluctant to get on the hook for his contract’s remainder. So, Leonard hit the open market and wound up in Philadelphia.
In October, Minnesota pursuing someone like Leonard — and expecting the plan to work — would’ve been laughable. The Vikings were 1-4 after Week 5, sending the team’s fans to mock draftboards and discussions about trade fire sales.
No fire sales materialized as Minnesota began winning games — five in a row, in fact — and suddenly held a 78% of reaching the postseason after Week 11, according to ESPN. Due to its driver’s seat playoff positioning, albeit the wildcard, the Vikings could’ve reasonably had conversations about men like Leonard and expected them to listen.
Now, however, after the Vikings’ recent losses, the playoff probability has plunged to 51% per the same metric.
Leonard is a four-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler, making his waiver from Indianapolis all the more confusing. Upper-echelon veterans, particularly four-time All-Pros, are rarely dropped unceremoniously in November outside of scandal.
Here’s the Eagles’ linebacking corps after the Leonard move:
- Zach Cunningham
- Nicholas Morrow
- Christian Elliss
- Ben VanSumeren
If the Vikings were truly interested in Leonard, via the Russini reporting, they’ll likely be able to pursue him in free agency (three months from now).
The Eagles have a +600 moneyline to win the Super Bowl after the Leonard add, third-best in the NFL behind the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs.
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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