4 Players Vikings Could Acquire via Trade before Oct. 31 Deadline
Dustin Baker
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If the Minnesota Vikings win one or both games in the next two weeks versus the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers, they could morph into buyers — not sellers — by the NFL’s trade deadline on October 31st.
4 Players Vikings Could Acquire via Trade before Oct. 31 Deadline
Last year, Minnesota acquired T.J. Hockenson at the deadline and later extended the playmaker for the long haul.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah adores trades, so if Minnesota is active in the buying market within the next 10 days, these could be the candidates. They’re listed in alphabetical order.
1. Brian Burns (OLB)
A two-time Pro Bowler, Brian Burns’ has 4 sacks in 6 games this season, the final on his rookie contract. He will command a fat contract in five short months, and that probably won’t be from the Panthers.
Carolina may look to ship him elsewhere for a draft pick(s), and then his new team will have forged a relationship for the extension.
With or without a Vikings successful season, Burns would enhance the team’s future. The kicker? It will likely cost a 1st- or 2nd-Rounder.
2. Courtland Sutton (WR)
Current Vikings WR K.J. Osborn is likely playing his final 11 games with the purple team, on deck for free agency in March. The moment the Vikings drafted Jordan Addison, Osborn’s days were numbered in Minnesota.
Sutton’s guaranteed money runs out in 2023, and he will likely request a new one this offseason, although his contract formally spans through the end of 2025.
If the Vikings want to spend a 3rd- or 4th-Rounder on a productive wideout now and not wait for March or April, Sutton can be that guy. The 28-year-old is on pace for over 700 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns this season.
Minnesota could also inquire about Jerry Jeudy, another Broncos wideout.
3. Leonard Williams (DL)
No, that’s not Tim Duncan in the picture. It’s Leonard Williams, and he may be gettable via trade.
The New York Giants are oddly going nowhere fast, just months removed from nominating Daniel Jones as the quarterback of the future and hoping to capitalize on a 2022 playoff triumph over the — you guessed it — Vikings.
The Giants may offload Williams to the highest bidder, and his deal expires after 2023. Minnesota hasn’t stuffed the middle of the defensive line with talent over the years, usually leaving the job Williams would field for players like Jonathan Bullard, Armon Watts, Sheldon Richardson, etc.
Big Cat is 29 years old, and for the price of a mid-round draft pick, perhaps the Vikings swing a trade and allow Williams to craft his third NFL chapter in Minnesota.
4. Chase Young (DE)
This would be the granddaddy of them all for Vikings 2023 trades approaching the deadline.
Last year, Adofo-Mensah finagled a deal for the aforementioned Hockenson, and he could use the same deal structure for Young — a 2nd- and 3rd-Round pick for Young and a 4th-Rounder.
Young has 3 sacks in 5 games this season and is one of the most popular names on the trade block, at least in theory. The Vikings could add Young, extend Hunter next March, and the team’s EDGEs would be set for the next four years or so.
Remember — Adofo-Mensah loves former high-round draft picks, evidenced by trades for Hockenson, Jalen Reagor, Cam Akers, and Ross Blacklock.
Former Viking Continues NFL Try Out Tour
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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