Bleacher Report Recommends Splashy Trade for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings’ cornerback performance through four games has been quite decent, and the team is undefeated with a 4-0 record.
Bleacher Report Recommends Splashy Trade for Vikings
Accordingly, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could morph into a buyer at the NFL’s trade deadline — which is actually Election Day on November 5th — and Bleacher Report claims the purple team should go cornerback shopping.
The target? Buffalo Bills CB Kaiir Elam, a former 1st-Round pick from the 2022 NFL Draft.
BR sized up a trade each team should ponder before the deadline, and Elam got the nod for the Vikings. “Byron Murphy Jr. hasn’t been playing well this season as he allowed 16 completions on 22 targets (72.7 percent) and a passer rating of 117.4 heading into this weekend, according to Pro Football Focus. Murphy is also in a contract year, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring in a young corner who can help right away and be a potential long-term solution,” BR’s collective staff explained.
Minnesota’s defense ranks first in the NFL per DVOA and first in EPA/Play. So, outwardly, it doesn’t need too much help on defense. However, more injuries will likely arise, especially at cornerback, as no starters have missed games through four weeks. CB injuries are generally unavoidable.
BR added, “The third-year pro may not be the proven commodity the organization is hoping for, but that’s primarily because he’s been stuck behind Christian Benford. The 2022 first-round pick has plenty of talent to potentially be an immediate contributor, though.”
Elam is currently used as a backup corner in Buffalo, and if Minnesota obliged BR’s trade theory, he’d likely assume the same role in the Twin Cities. These are the Vikings’ cornerbacks at the moment:
- CB1: Stephon Gilmore
- CB2: Byron Murphy
- CB3: Shaquill Griffin
- CB4: Fabian Moreau
- CB5: Akayleb Evans
- CB6: Dwight McGlothern
BR did not list a price for Elam’s services via trade, but he can probably be obtained for a 6th-Rounder or so.
Here’s Elam’s Pro Football Focus resume to date:
- 2024 = 93.6 (23 plays)
- 2023 = 58.8
- 2022 = 56.7
Elam has played 20 career games in the NFL, starting eight. He’s also dealt with a foot injury he suffered in the 2023 preseason and wasn’t activated until late in the regular season last year.
The Vikings put their undefeated streak on the line this weekend in London versus the New York Jets. Minnesota is also undefeated in London throughout franchise history.
Elam is just 23 years old.
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 Vikings 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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