Questions Answered: Travis Etienne on the Brain, Best Vikings Moment So Far, Dallas Turner
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the October 9th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: Travis Etienne on the Brain, Best Vikings Moment So Far, Dallas Turner
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.
Q: Is it realistic to think the Vikings could swing a trade for Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne?
Answer: Semi-realistic, yes.
Black & Teal’s Carlos Sanchez wrote last week, “Etienne’s contract runs through 2025 after Jacksonville exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. If he stays in Jacksonville, he’ll make $6.1 million, but the Jags could trade him, free up cap space, and acquire extra assets along the way.”
Various Jaguars-themed websites have acknowledged the realism of an Etienne trade, too. Tank Bigsby has burst onto the scene as of late, perhaps rendering Etienne expendable.
Of course, Minnesota would have to donate a 4th-Rounder or so for his services, meaning general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would have to dip into the 2026 draft basket.
On the whole, though, an Etienne trade for the Vikings isn’t terribly silly. Especially if Aaron Jones’ injury lingers.
Q: What’s the best Vikings moment of 2024 so far?
Answer: It has to be Justin Jefferson’s 97-yard touchdown courtesy of Sam Darnold.
This Darnold throw proved to onlookers he had the juice to open the Vikings offense, and if he could connect with Jefferson like this from his own endzone, the sky could be the limit on offense. This was also the second-longest Vikings offensive touchdown in team history.
Otherwise, Andrew Van Ginkel’s two pick-sixes were pretty fantastic. So was Stephon Gilmore’s game-sealing interception last weekend.
Q: Why aren’t the Vikings playing Dallas Turner all that much?
Answer: They’re taking it easy with Turner after the Week 2 knee injury.
These are Turner’s snap counts through five games, with the caveat he missed Week 3 versus the Houston Texans with a knee injury:
- at Giants = 36 Snaps
- vs. 49ers = 18 Snaps
- vs. Texans = 0 Snaps
- at Packers = 11 Snaps
- vs. Jets = 13 Snaps
He played the most in Week 1, evidence to suggest the knee injury in Week 2 lightened his workload. And with Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, Patrick Jones II, and Jihad Ward thriving, there’s really no rush for Turner.
His snap load will increase in the next several weeks. No need to panic.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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