PFF Has Alternative Veteran WR2 in Mind for Vikings
Dustin Baker
|
Somebody must replace Adam Thielen on the 2023 Minnesota Vikings roster. The longtime Viking left for the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, and if Minnesota does not promote from within using K.J. Osborn, a new WR2 is heading to the Vikings between now and April 27th.
The popular theories are a 1st-Round rookies like Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State), Quentin Johnston (TCU), Zay Flowers (Boston College), or Jordan Addison (USC) — or free agents like Odell Beckham, D.J. Chark, or Mecole Hardman.
PFF Has Alternative Veteran WR2 in Mind for Vikings
But Pro Football Focus has a different theory — utilizing a trade with the Denver Broncos for Alabama alumnus Jerry Jeudy.
On March 15th, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported, “Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy’s name has continued to come up in trade conversations, per source, but Denver’s price has remained high. Sounds like they’re assessing his value before proceeding. [..] The Broncos’ asking price on Jeudy has been at least a first-round pick, per sources.”
Then, Broncos reporter Benjamin Allbright tweeted last week about a Broncos WR trade, “And there ARE teams calling. There’s a possibility neither Jeudy or Sutton are Broncos next season.”
Sean Payton took over as Denver’s new head coach in January, and in possibly trading Jeudy (or Sutton), he’d get to sculpt the offense as his own. In that vein, trading Jeudy checks out. Moreover, since the Howe and Allbright assertions, Jeudy’s price has slightly reduced, in the “high second-round pick plus a player” range.
Fast forward to this week, and Pro Football Focus mentioned the Vikings as a potential landing spot for Jeudy, a product of the 2020 NFL Draft, seven picks before Justin Jefferson. PFF’s Sam Monson wrote about Jeudy’s impending trade status, “Jeudy has been an elite separator in the NFL, excelling against man coverage, but has yet to fully realize his potential within a struggling offense. He may be limited to a No. 2 type of role in the NFL, but he can be an exceptionally effective receiver as part of a receiving corps in a more functional passing offense.”
“Several teams would love to have him as a complement to their already established No. 1 option,” Monson concluded.
The problem for the Vikings, at least for now, is they have no 2nd-Round pick in 2022. That draft capital was flipped to The Motor City for T.J. Hockenson last November, a trade universally accepted by Vikings fans as delectable. If the Vikings want Jeudy and Denver demands a 2nd-Rounder, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would have to dip into the 2024 bucket, plus add pass rusher Za’Darius Smith or running back Dalvin Cook to the trade bill of lading.
Monson also mentioned the New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers, and Houston Texans and theorized trade partners for Jeudy.
The other problem? Like Justin Jefferson, Jeudy is starting to near talks for his second contract, and he won’t be cheap. Finding the next WR2 alongside Jefferson might be better suited for the NFL draft, where a rookie can be found for cheap on a four- or five-year deal.
Still, Jeudy as a Viking is turning heads as a possibility for some.
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,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.