Another Chunky Trade Theory Hits the Vikings Radar
After NBA general managers finalized an unprecedented seven-team trade earlier this week, NFL heads have flocked to trade calculators for likeminded NFL examples.
Another thick trade theory for the Vikings is circulating, involving Minnesota in yet another offseason speculation tidbit. Here’s a peek at the fat deal.
One monster theoretical deal from CBS Sports even involved Justin Jefferson.
But one smaller-scale option popped up this week, courtesy of A to Z Sports, and it involved the Minnesota Vikings landing young cornerback JuJu Brents for the price of a 5th-Round pick.
Here’s a look at the details.
JuJu Brents to Minnesota Is the Latest and Greatest Theory
The Vikings, in theory, would be a cog in a seven-team trade.
Another NBA-Style Trade Proposal Involving the Vikings
For starters, the hypothetical deal is humongous.
Here’s what A to Z had in mind:
Lions get: Edge Tyree Wilson
Cowboys get: NT DJ Reader
Vikings get: CB JuJu Brents and a 2026 7th-round pick from the Colts
Giants get: WR Romeo Doubs and a 2026 5th-round pick from the Vikings
Colts get: 2026 6th-round pick from the Raiders
Packers get: CB Trevon Diggs
Raiders get: Edge Kayvon Thibodeaux
Minnesota would basically grab Brents, a 25-year-old, for a 5th-Rounder.
Tyler Forness explained, “This is a really interesting move for the Minnesota Vikings. They have a ‘perceived need’ at cornerback with a lot of questions after their top guy, Byron Murphy Jr. The one thing they don’t have is size on the outside.”
“That’s where this trade comes in, as the Vikings get a high-upside cornerback with elite size and athleticism in JuJu Brents from the Indianapolis Colts. Brents has 34″ arms at a shade under 6’3 and 200 lbs, and that kind of length can provide the Vikings a major advantage in coverage.”
Minnesota already employs about six or seven cornerbacks seriously vying for 53-man roster spots this summer, so Brents would assuredly thicken the plot.
Forness continued, “It’s something that they don’t have as well, with their top three cornerbacks all being shorter than 6′ and under. The other major concern is that Brents has major injury concerns with multiple injuries that have hindered his development, with just 11 games played in his first two seasons.”
“The Vikings have continued to make calculated bets on players who have often been injured, with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah believing his medical staff is a major advantage over other teams. With just a late-round pick swap being the only price to pay for a high-upside player, this has Adofo-Mensah written all over it.”
More CB Beef
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores employs these noteworthy corners at the moment: Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Mekhi Blackmon, Jeff Okudah, Dwight McGlothern, and Ambry Thomas. Veteran Tavierre Thomas, too, could make the active roster as a special teams gunner.
Brents, in theory, would nestle in the middle of the group and probably nudge a man like Dwight McGlothern or Ambry Thomas onto the practice squad.
And that’s if the deal were real at all. It’s just fan fiction for now.
JuJu Brents Bio
Here’s Brent’s Pro Football Focus bio through two seasons:
2024: 55.6
2023: 63.2
And his passer-rating-against:
2024: 99.1
2023: 109.7
Brents has played 564 defensive snaps in his career — mostly in 2023 as a rookie.
A Fun Myth
Like most trade theories, the A to Z one isn’t really rooted in reality. It’s more of a myth symbolizing what could happen if NFL general managers took a page from the NBA’s book.
If Minnesota pulls off a swap for a cornerback this summer, popular other theories include Greg Newsome II (Cleveland Browns), Tariq Woolen (Seattle Seahawks), and Trevon Diggs (Dallas Cowboys), to name a few prominent examples.
Cornerbacks like Asante Samuel Jr., Mike Hilton, Jack Jones, Rasul Douglas, and Stephon Gilmore remain gettable on the free-agent market, too.
More on Brents
SB Nation’s Jon Spradley wrote about Brents this week, “After missing the first two games to start 2023, Brents flashed some potential. It was looking like the storm had passed. Unfortunately, a quadriceps injury caused him to miss additional action. To top it all off, another hamstring injury occurred in week 18.”
“It was a brutal start to a career, yet somehow his sophomore season went even worse. It only took a portion of one game to sustain a knee injury that cost him the rest of the season minus week 18. The hand wringing over his future is impossible to avoid, but if Brents can stay healthy he has a wonderful opportunity to earn a starting role opposite Ward. There will be competition, and Chris Ballard has said he openly welcomes just that this year.”
Brents would essentially become a reclamation project for Brian Flores.
Spradley added, “Any playing time will have to be earned. If Brents can get on and stay on the field, the feeling is he will shine and show why he was a second-round pick. Fans are in JuJu Brent’s corner. Hometown kid or not, watching a young player struggle through injuries makes for a story and player that anyone can get behind.”
“Brents could be the key to things clicking in the secondary. Pairing him with the current slotted starters would make this secondary formidable. With so much time between now and the start of the season, all fans can do is wish Brents good health and good luck.”
The Vikings’ CB room will take shape in 16 days when training camp gets underway.
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