These 3 Vikings Are Trade Candidates
In the time between the final preseason games and the roster cutdowns on Tuesday, NFL teams will be busy trying to get something in return for players who will not make the team from other organizations that want to secure the rights of the player without having to deal with the risk of losing them in the waiver process or during the free agency negotiations.
These 3 Vikings Are Trade Candidates
That is where the trade market is useful. The Vikings traded for Jalen Reagor, Nick Mullens, and Ross Blacklock last year while sending away Jesse Davis to the Steelers. Who are the candidates to go the Davis route this year?
D.J. Wonnum
Edge rusher D.J. Wonnum has been a solid player for the purple team since he was selected in the fourth round in the 2020 draft. From the get-go, he was a good pass-rusher and recorded 15 sacks in three seasons.
He could be on the chopping block for multiple reasons. The defender is in the final deal of his rookie contract, and the Vikings could get something from a pass-rush-needy team for him instead of letting him walk for nothing in the next offseason.
Depth-wise, that is not a problem because the franchise also employs Patrick Jones and Luiji Vilain, both having a good summer and seeming ready for more snaps. Still, Wonnum keeps them off the field despite not performing at a significantly higher level, if at all.
The defense can roll with those two as backups for Danielle Hunter and Marcus Davenport, and the roster spot could go to Andre Carter, a talented undrafted rookie who needs time to develop, but stashing him on the practice squad is too risky because a different team could poach him.
Jalen Reagor
Adofo-Mensah traded for him, hoping his coaches could unlock that first-round potential and have a solid punt returner. He was a below-average punt returner and could lose that job to Brandon Powell this year, putting his roster spot in jeopardy.
The receiving corps will be five or six players deep, with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, K.J. Osborn, and Jalen Nailor probably securing spots, and in the case of Powell beating him out as punt returner, that puts the group to five, the same number of receivers the team carried last season.
The Vikings could find a team with the same vision for Reagor as they had a year ago, someone who banks on the first-round potential and needs a punt returner, although the trade compensations would surely be lower than what the Vikes gave up. It is still better to get something in return than losing him for nothing.
Oli Udoh
The offensive lineman has been a solid depth piece for the Vikings for years, but it might be time to move on for a few reasons. Brian O’Neill is healthy, and the Vikings don’t need Udoh to start. They moved Blake Brandel to offensive guard, and left tackle Vederian Lowe has looked promising. The two players can be the top backups across the line on both guard and tackle spots, making Udoh expendable.
Udoh appeared in 41 career games and logged 17 starts, most at right guard. While he struggled at guard, he has been a reasonably solid tackle in a couple of spot starts during O’Neill’s absence. His second preseason game has certainly dropped the price, but offensive line help is always sought after in the NFL, and someone could view Udoh as a potential starter at right tackle or a swing backup with guard flexibility.
Not many players on the market have his experience and versatility. Although he is far from a perfect solution, he is still only 26 years old.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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