For Vikings Trades, Some Say the Unthinkable Is Possible.
Dustin Baker
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If the Minnesota Vikings lose on Sunday at the Chicago Bears, calls for an asset sale will reach a sonorous pitch.
Minnesota is favored to defeat Chicago by three points — even without Justin Jefferson — so perhaps a season salvage can begin in Week 6.
For Vikings Trades, Some Say the Unthinkable Is Possible.
And while the usual suspects like Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter twist in the NFL’s pyretic rumor mill, another beloved Viking has quietly been whispered, too.
He’s Harrison Smith, a man whose resume in Minnesota spans 12 seasons. According to some, not only are Cousins and Hunter possibly on deck to find new teams, but Smith could also venture elsewhere.
SI.com‘s Albert Breer wrote about a potential Smith trade on Friday, “If Harrison Smith is open to leaving after signing a reduced deal to stay, he could be of interest to another team.”
Breer also — predictably — mentioned Cousins and Hunter, flavors of the month for any and all Vikings trade theories. Before that, in September, VikingsWire advanced a Smith trade theory when the season began to break bad.
“Harrison Smith is the first guy that would be a likely trade candidate. Smith doesn’t seem likely that he returns to the team, especially after he was asked to take a paycut this season. He is 34 years old and still playing at a high level. He could come into your defense and make an impact right away,” VikingsWire‘s Tyler Forness opined.
Smith took a paycut in the offseason to remain in purple and is the longest-tenured Viking on the roster.
FanSided got in on the trade-Smith fun, too, on October 5th. Alicia de Artola explained, “If Harrison recreates that performance and leads the Vikings to a few more wins than expected over the next month, then he’ll have played his way into staying in Minnesota. But the more likely outcome is a trade opportunity materializing while the Vikings get a head start on preparing the roster for 2024.”
Smith authored a commanding performance in Week 4 at the Carolina Panthers, registering 14 tackles, 3 sacks, 3 QB hits, 2 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. It was vintage Hitman and almost singlehandedly secured the Vikings only win of the season to date.
On the whole, Smith is unlikely to be traded, as he seems like the type of player who’d remain with the club until the bitter end, even if the 2023 campaign fully goes off the rails. He’s also 34 years old, and any inquiring club probably wouldn’t donate the draft capital to make a swap worthwhile.
A player like Danielle Hunter, though, is a different story. He turns 29 in two weeks, and NFL teams love to add pass-rushing beef before the NFL’s trade deadline.
The Vikings must decide all players’ trade fates by Halloween.
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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