Questions Answered: Trading a Player during Draft, Wacky Rick Spielman, Vikings Top 30 Visits

Bad News Gets Even
Feb 4, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Minnesota Vikings tackle Brian O'Neill (75) during NFC practice at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.

The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the April 9th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].

Questions Answered: Trading a Player during Draft, Wacky Rick Spielman, Top 30 Visits

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.

Oct 10, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A general view of a Minnesota Vikings fans during the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports.

Q: If the Vikings end up trading an existing player in the draft, who will it be?

A Vikings Stalwart
Oct 10, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (75) warms up before the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

Answer: We don’t think they’ll include a player in a trade up the draftboard, but if they must, we’d say Brian O’Neill.

Trades involving Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth, for example, are possible, but those men likely wouldn’t be the selling point of a 1st-Round trade. However, if some team — like the New England Patriots — needs a right tackle, attaching O’Neill might be doable to finalize a trade. The Vikings don’t really gain any financial freedom by offloading O’Neill, so this should be considered “break in case of emergency.”

We believe Minnesota’s trade up the board will involve draft picks — and picks only.

Q: Why is Rick Spielman saying all this crazy about trading Justin Jefferson or three 1st-Rounders for one pick? What’s the matter with him?

Rick Spielman and John Lynch
Aug 27, 2017; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman talks with San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch prior to the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Answer: He’s an analyst now who has apparently mastered the art of hot takes.

Spielman is trying to illuminate the stakes of this draft and explain how other teams might gouge Minnesota. He may not be wrong. We don’t believe the Vikings will trade Justin Jefferson, but Spielman was the man who oversaw trades involving Percy Harvin and Stefon Diggs. He knows the value.

The man also said Minnesota’s trade on draft night could cost three 1st-Rounders, and that’s just wild. Let’s hope he’s wrong.

The short answer is that Spielman is now paid to advance analysis and offseason talkers. He’s doing precisely that at The 33rd Team and on various podcasts.

Q: With the Vikings hosting all these Top 30 players with defensive personnel, do you still think there’s a good chance that they choose a defensive player with their first pick?

Dec 2, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Dallas Turner (15) celebrates after a sack in the second quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports.

A: No.

This is just diligence. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah must be prepared for everything in this draft, including striking out on a trade for a rookie quarterback. For instance, if Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy flew off the board before Minnesota even picked, and Adofo-Mensah told his staff, “Crap, we didn’t scout anybody else,” that would be a fireable offense.

Hosting Top 30 visits with an array of players is just the way it goes.


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.

avatar
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His debut thriller, The Motor Route , is out now. He ... More about Dustin Baker