There’s Another Wild Vikings QB Trade Theory
One week ago, the Minnesota Vikings conducted a trade with the Houston Texans, obtaining an extra 1st-Round pick (No. 23) for two 2nd-Rounders and a late-round pick swap.
There’s Another Wild Vikings QB Trade Theory
The move signaled to, well, everybody that the Vikings were plotting a trade coup to select a quarterback for the future after Kirk Cousins departed for the Atlanta Falcons nine days ago.
But the plan isn’t obvious to everyone. Fox Sports’ Nick Wright advanced a wild theory this week, connecting Minnesota to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, presumably for the price of the Vikings’ two 1st-Round picks.
Wright said on First Things First, “If I were advising the Dolphins, you know what I would tell them? You know how Minnesota acquired an extra 1st-Round pick? They have the 23rd pick because they want a quarterback. I would call them and see what they think of Tua Tagovailoa.”
If the trade happened — it probably won’t — Minnesota would have to turn around and pay Tagovailoa more money than it declined to offer Cousins.
“You could have stability at the quarterback position and maybe quiet Justin Jefferson’s fears,” Wright added.
His theory was more Dolphins-heavy than Vikings-focused, emphasizing that Miami shouldn’t pay Tagovailia, mainly because he isn’t that good or $55 million, a number Wright cherry-picked, was too expensive. So, the idea would go like this: Tagovailoa is too expensive and not productive enough for the Dolphins — but not too spendy for the Vikings, a team that could evidently unlock him with Jefferson and friends.
Believe it or not, this isn’t the first time that Tagovailoa has been whispered as the Vikings’ next starting quarterback this offseason. Quoting an anonymous NFL executive, The Athletic’s Mike Sando wrote in January, “Your upside with Tua certainly seems limited. So let’s say you can trade him. I would be exploring, ‘OK, Tua, we can win games with, probably not winning a championship with. Kirk Cousins, we can win games with, probably not winning a championship with. But our resources are better spent on Cousins plus draft picks than they are on just Tua.”
Sando also mentioned, “Put Tagovailoa on the Falcons and Atlanta could have the best quarterback in the division. The Vikings would need a quarterback if Cousins departed. Could the Rams be interested if Matthew Stafford retired? Trading Tagovailoa for Stafford would be even better if the right set of circumstances made it feasible.”
Tagovailoa’s rookie deal runs out in 2024 after Miami exercised the coveted fifth-year option. He’ll earn about $23 million in 2024, and his next deal should fetch between $40-$60 million annually. Tagovailoa in Minnesota would assuredly excite some Vikings fans — he’s only 26 — and folks would just have to hope he turned the corner with Kevin O’Connell’s tutelage.
Like most offseason quarterback theories, however, Tagovailoa to the Vikings is unlikely to materialize. Meanwhile, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and Tagovailoa reportedly didn’t share a spotless relationship in Miami with Flores as head coach, so a reunion in that vein would also be strange as well.
The Vikings are significantly more likely to draft a rookie quarterback in five weeks — probably Drake Maye or J.J. McCarthy — than to take a bizarre flyer on Tagovailoa.
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.
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