Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
The NFL’s trade deadline expired on November 5th, but not before the Minnesota Vikings made deals for running back Cam Akers and left tackle Cam Robinson.
Some onlookers expected Minnesota to conduct one more deal on Tuesday, either adding an impact player or shipping an existing player elsewhere for draft capital.
Neither scenario occurred, but it was due to a lack of trying, according to ESPN. The Vikings actively shopped linebacker Brian Asamoah, to no avail. “A few former Day 2 picks from the 2022 draft class who were on my radar but didn’t get traded were Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich and Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah II,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler explained this week.
Asamoah is a third-year linebacker stuck behind men like Ivan Pace Jr., Blake Cashman, and Kamu Grugier-Hill on Minnesota’s depth chart.
Fowler added, “Both teams had trade discussions on the players, who are not in the mix for playing time. And there was interest, which deepened the intrigue on deadline day. But both teams decided to stand pat.”
In reality, had Asamoah received trade papers, the Vikings likely would’ve received a conditional 7th-Round draft pick or something similar. Therefore, it might’ve been more valuable to retain the young defender just in case injuries continue to affect the aforementioned Pace Jr. and Cashman, the team’s starters.
Since Pace Jr. emerged as a total stud in 2023, Asamoah hit the backburner, serving as a special teams asset — and that only. In 2024, Asamoah has played 13 snaps on defense, and last year, he saw the field just 36 times as a linebacker.
Last year, when former Viking Jordan Hicks battled compartment syndrome and missed a month, Minnesota did everything in its power not to get Asamoah on the field, subbing in Troy Dye and signing Anthony Barr. Asamoah may not be part of the Vikings’ plan for the future. If he is, they’ve slow-rolled his development to a snail’s pace.
Asamoah is an alumnus of the Vikings’ semi-infamous 2022 draft class. Last month, VikingsTerritory’s Adam New wrote, “The Vikings GM has taken a lot of criticism for this draft. The only regular starter it has produced is Ed Ingram and the RG has underwhelmed and his position appears under threat. Jalen Nailor is showing promise as the WR3 this season and may end up as the best player to come out of this draft class.”
The Vikings take on the Jacksonville Jaguars this weekend — Asamoah will likely play special teams during the contest — and are favored to win by four.
Other possible outgoing Vikings trade candidates, such as Patrick Jones II (OLB) and Akayleb Evans (CB), also stayed put at the deadline.
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.