Questions Answered: JJets Trade Theories, Underrated Roster Position, Brian Asamoah

Per PFF, the Vikings Top Players from Best to Worst: After Week 1
Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.

The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the May 31st edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].

Questions Answered: JJets Trade Theories, Underrated Roster Position, Brian Asamoah

Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.

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Q: There was a full-blow article published about Justin Jefferson trade scenarios. Will he actually be traded?

JJets
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

Answer: Nope.

Here is that [rather detailed] article. The Vikings will soon extend Jefferson, rendering all of the trade theories bogus. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah simply won’t trade the team’s best player the moment it drafts a rookie quarterback. You don’t open a pizza joint and announce the ban on all dough and crust.

We understand that the NFL-themed media market cannot resist Jefferson trade theories, but they’re a waste of time.

Q: People talk a lot about underrated Vikings players. But what about the most underrated position?

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Answer: Cornerback.

This is the group at the start of June:

CB1: Byron Murphy
CB2: Akayleb Evans
CB3: Mekhi Blackmon
CB4: Shaquill Griffin
CB5: Andrew Booth
CB6: Khyree Jackson
CB7: NaJee Thompson
CB8: Jaylin Williams
CB9: A.J. Green III
CB10: Dwight McGlothern

Folks sometimes label this spot a roster weakness because there are no superstars. However, Mekhi Blackmon played wonderfully as a rookie in 2023, and then about five other players could see a regular season field this September.

The sheer number of capable corners will generate competition, and the best three will win starters’ jobs. It would be sweet to employ a lockdown cornerback, indeed, but this spot on the depth chart is quietly pretty deep.

Q: Will Brian Asamoah get cut at the end of the summer?

Defender on the Road
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

A: We say no.

After Ivan Pace Jr. and Blake Cashman on the roster at off-ball linebacker, the options are Kamu Grugier-Hill … and Brian Asamoah. If Asamoah is shown the door, Minnesota would be left with undrafted free agents as linebacking depth.

Injuries hobbled Asamoah a bit in 2023, and Pace Jr. took his job. Those circumstances were unfortunate for him, but that doesn’t mean he has to live on the roster bubble. The case could be different if Minnesota had several veteran LBs on the depth. They don’t.

Asamoah is a Kwesi Adofo-Mensah draft pick and will make the team in September.


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 MIN 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.