Forget 1 Vikings Trade Idea
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been busy this offseason, completely overhauling the roster. Some moves were obviously intentional, while he was forced to make others, especially at the quarterback position. Kirk Cousins’ exit directly led to the signing of free agent Sam Darnold. On the defensive side of the ball, Danielle Hunter was replaced by the additions of the duo Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel.
Forget 1 Vikings Trade Idea
The GM made some massive changes, primarily defensively. Blake Cashman is Jordan Hicks’ successor, veterans Jerry Tillery and Jonah Williams were added to the defensive line, and former Pro Bowler Shaquill Griffin is competing for a starting gig in the young cornerback group.
Besides Griffin, there have not been any changes, as the whole CB room will return for another season. One trade theory included L’Jarius Sneed, the star cornerback of the Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs. He was available for a trade, and Minnesota was commonly linked to the 27-year-old. However, he has since been acquired by the Tennessee Titans and will not suit up in purple in 2024 and beyond.
After his rookie contract expired, the Chiefs used the franchise tag to prevent him from departing for no compensation in free agency. They lacked the money to pay him a fair salary, which is why he was on the trade block.
Adam Schefter broke the news on Friday night: “Trade: Chiefs are finalizing a deal to send franchise CB L’Jarius Snead to the Titans, per league sources. Chiefs are expected to receive a 2025 3rd-round pick, in addition to a 2024 7th-round pick flop, while Snead will sign a new contract. Trade is pending physical for Sneed.”
The new contract reportedly costs $19 million per season for four campaigns. It can only be speculated whether the Vikings didn’t pull the trigger because they couldn’t fit the salary into their financial plans or didn’t want to afford the trade compensation. Draft picks are a valuable asset in Minnesota as they will likely ship a bunch of selections to another franchise to secure the QB of the future in the draft on April 25.
As the top CBs are off the board and the Vikings are unlikely to use high draft capital on one, the current group should be expected to include the contributing players already. Last year’s signing, Byron Murphy, will continue to have one starting job while there will be competition on the other side.
That battle will be held between 2023 rookie Mekhi Blackmon, who showed flashes, and 2022 rookie Akayleb Evans, who started last year. Still, his performances were up and down. Entering his third year is Andrew Booth, a player who looked much more comfortable in his second season. Of course, new arrival Griffin will compete for that job as well. Depending on how much he has left in his tank and how well the young players improve, he might have a decent shot at the CB2 job.
Adofo-Mensah has never been too shy to participate in trade talks, but he didn’t complete the transaction this time. His next big move will arrive on April 25, when he is in a prime position to trade up to land a QB.
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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