Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings fans celebrates after the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
The NFL trade deadline is officially less than a week away.
The Minnesota Vikings have already made a move to bring in LT Cam Robinson to replace the injured Christian Darrisaw, However, could the Vikings also end up being sellers when the deadline rolls around? Here are three Vikings who hypothetically could be traded away in the next week.
Camryn Bynum has turned into one of the more valuable Vikings defenders after being drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. However, Bynum is now in the final year of his contract and likely will command a large contract in free agency; one that the Vikings may not be willing to spend on a safety.
With that in mind, along with some of the fantastic depth that the Vikings have acquired at the position over the years, Bynum could be a name to watch over the next few days. Seeing as the Vikings only hold three draft picks in 2025, they could try to recoup some of those losses while promoting Theo Jackson or perhaps bringing back veteran Bobby McCain.
Following the 2023 campaign, Pat Jones seemed like a player who could be on the chopping block when the Vikings formulated their 53-man roster in 2024. That became even more of a possibility when Minnesota brought in Jonathan Greenard, Dallas Turner, and Andrew Van Ginkel along with a few other depth pieces for their pass rush.
However, Jones not only made the final roster, but he saw a resurgence to begin 2024, piling up six tackles for loss and five sacks in the first four games of the season. Since then, though, Jones has recorded no sacks, no tackles for loss, and not even a single QB pressure over the past three games.
Jones, a third-round pick in 2021, is in the final year of his contract, just like fellow draft mate Bynum. With Turner waiting to get an opportunity in Minnesota’s defense, perhaps now is the time to move on from the veteran.
This might be far-fetched and likely wouldn’t happen unless the Vikings suffer a really bad loss to the Indianapolis Colts. However, if the Vikings lose a third consecutive game and head into a three-game road trip immediately afterwards, it may be time to start reining in some of the expectations that were heaped upon this team during their 5-0 start.
Byron Murphy arguably has been the best cornerback on this team all year, and he is another player entering free agency at the end of the season. Murphy will turn 27 years old in January, and he still has plenty of strong football in front of him. The Vikings likely could pick up a solid draft pick by sending the veteran to a contender, but again, we will have to wait and see what happens on Sunday.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference.