The Price of the Vikings’ NEXT Trade …

Dustin Baker   |  

Mar 17, 2024

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The Minnesota Vikings are now in position to fire off one more trade and be within inches of drafting a quarterback to lead the charge during life after Kirk Cousins.

The Price of the Vikings’ NEXT Trade …

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wasted no time after Cousins’ departure, shipping two 2nd-Round picks to the Houston Texans for Houston’s 2024 1st-Rounder (Pick No. 23) and a future late-round pick swap on Friday.

The move was bold, and that’s evidently the new way of business following six years with Cousins as QB1. Following the swap with Houston, Vikings fans wonder about the price of the next trade — the one that will drag the club into the draft’s top four spots for the quarterback of the future.

Here’s the lay of the land, complete with hypothetical prices.

A Deal with CHI — Pick No. 1

The granddaddy of them all, this trade would feature and require a big fat NFC North tax, payable to the Bears simply for existing in the same division. In theory, if Minnesota is absolutely enamored with Williams — and him only — Adofo-Mensah could “trade everything” to a hated rival.

This would leave the Bears “stuck” with Michael Penix Jr., for example, as the quarterback of their future, but who knows, perhaps Chicago likes Penix Jr.? Stranger things have happened.

A Deal with WAS — Pick No. 2

Sportsbooks believe Daniels to Washington is close to a done deal, but could new general manager Adam Peters turn down three 1st-Rounders? Like Chicago above, Washington could draft Penix Jr. or Bo Nix and kick off the Dan Quinn era with one of those men, plus two more 1st-Round picks.

Also remember: Peters and Adofo-Mensah were coworkers in the San Francisco 49ers’ front office for a few years. Those ties matter in sports, especially via trade talks.

A Deal with NE — Pick No. 3

Perhaps the likeliest of them all — mainly because Maye would fit so beautifully in Kevin O’Connell’s offense — the Patriots could build out a roster with holes using fruit from the Vikings. New England reportedly doesn’t love Maye, making this outcome among the most probable.

Not for nothin’, this is the one most Vikings fans are cheering for as of mid-March.

A Deal with ARI — Pick No. 4

Seemingly small potatoes compared to the rest of the trades, Minnesota would conduct a fairly straightforward deal here: the two 1st-Rounders currently in its possession, plus a late-rounder out of respect.

The cool part about this one? It wouldn’t mortgage the purple team’s future much at all.

Also Read:
Vikings’ Huge Draft Plan Takes Shape

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.