Bleacher Report Floats Bold Trade Idea for Vikings
The NFL’s trade deadline is about five weeks away, and according to Bleacher Report, the Minnesota Vikings should swing a deal with the New York Giants for offensive tackle Evan Neal.
The Minnesota Vikings may be involved in the NFL’s trade deadline before too long, and according to Bleacher Report, they should pull the trigger.
Injuries have rocked Minnesota’s offensive line through four weeks of the regular season, and Neal could evidently hedge the bet with depth.
Evan Neal Is the Latest and Greatest Trade Theory for the Vikings
The price would be quite low, according to BR.
Bleacher Report Recommends Vikings Trade for OT Evan Neal
BR’s Alex Kay published six trade ideas around the NFL this week, and regarding Evan Neal, Minnesota got the nod.
Kay wrote, “The Vikings’ makeshift offensive line continued to implode in Week 4 when right tackle Brian O’Neill and center Ryan Kelly went down with injuries. The unit was already featuring backups at three starting spots and could hardly afford to lose more talent within the offensive trenches.”
“While the team has a chance to get healthier heading into a much-needed bye following a 24-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, Minnesota’s brass should also use the downtime to work the phones and find some O-line help. Considering O’Neill’s injury is an MCL issue that will reportedly keep him out for ‘some time,’ per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Vikings will need to unearth a replacement in short order.”
Vikings fans will see the Kay proposal and generally approve. Why? He claimed the price to land Neal would only cost Minnesota a 7th-Round pick, which is basically nothing.
Crisis Averted on Brian O’Neill
The Neal theory would’ve hit a fever pitch by now if Brian O’Neill had been lost for the season to a torn MCL. Instead, O’Neill and the Vikings dodged a bullet, revealing this week that O’Neill has a sprain, with an unknown timetable for recovery.
O’Neill could be out until Week 7, after the team’s bye — or he could be missing until December or so. An MCL sprain comes with levels: mild, moderate, and severe. Minnesota has not revealed the extent just yet, so O’Neill is a bit of a mystery in early October.
The team did not, though, put O’Neill on injured reserve, where he would’ve been forced to stay for at least four games. That evidence suggests he could be back on the field by the end of the month.
The Justin Skule Show Otherwise
Sans O’Neill, at least for a game, Minnesota will nominate veteran Justin Skule for right tackle duty this weekend against the Cleveland Browns. The Vikings signed Skule in March after last year’s primary backup tackle, David Quessenbery, departed in free agency for the Los Angeles Rams.
Skule, filling in for Christian Darrisaw, struggled in Weeks 1 and 2, but seemed to find his footing last Sunday in Ireland against the Pittsburgh Steelers, posting a 66.7 grade from Pro Football Focus.
No O’Neill. Certainly no Neal. It’s the Skule Show again in London.
Disappointing Career to Date for Neal
Neal’s career to date is mostly a trainwreck, especially for a former 1st-Rounder.
His PFF scorecard is actually worse — much worse — than the aforementioned Skule’s:
- 2025: n/a
- 2024: 61.2
- 2023: 39.8
- 2022: 41.8
Neal, in fact, was demoted during the offseason and hasn’t played a single offensive snap for the Giants this season. The team even lists him as an offensive guard on the depth chart. New York drafted Neal in 2022 to be its left tackle of the future. No luck.
More from Kay on the Neal Trade
Kay also noted on the trade suggestion, “Evan Neal may be the perfect answer, even though he’s yet to see the field for the New York Giants in 2025. He was relegated to backup guard work this season despite making 27 starts since the G-Men drafted him at No. 7 overall in 2022. He’s most experienced at the tackle positions and could slot in to replace O’Neill immediately, becoming the latest reclamation project in the Twin Cities under head coach Kevin O’Connell.”
“While Neal has been a draft bust for Big Blue, he’s playing out the final year of his rookie deal and is certain to exit New York after the 2025 campaign. Rather than lose him for nothing after the season, the Giants should be open to trading him Minnesota’s way for a Day 3 pick—a move that will help both clubs.”
If Kay has the price right — just a 7th-Rounder — of course adding Neal would make sense. It’s just unclear if New York would be willing to mail it in on Neal for such a low return.
Neal turned 25 last month and will presumably become a free agent in March.
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