Lingering Vikings Trade Theory Remains Realistic
The Minnesota Vikings embark on a monumental summer next week, kicking off organized team activities (OTAs) and preparing the depth chart for the J.J. McCarthy era.
One Vikings trade idea still applies, and before too long, it wouldn’t be weird one bit for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to swing a deal for Jalen Ramsey.
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is never afraid to unleash trades in the interest of improving his roster, and this summer may be no different.
And about a month ago, seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey hit the trade rumor mill, and some connected his soon-to-be trade fate to the Vikings.
Ramsey has not yet been traded, but the theory still applies as June nears.
The Jalen Ramsey Trade Theory Hasn’t Gone Anywhere
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said last week that “there’s more interest in Jalen Ramsey than people realize” around the league. Ramsey isn’t an over-the-hill commodity who can’t garner trade interest. There are players like that, rest assured, but Ramsey isn’t one of them.
SI.com’s Jared Feinberg wrote about Ramsey’s status last week, “If Ramsey is traded before June 1, the Dolphins would lose over $8.5 million in cap space and bestow a dead money penalty of $25.2 million. If moved after June 1, the dead money penalty would only be $6.7 million while saving almost $10 million on the cap, hence Schefter’s note in the report.”
“Ramsey is a former three-time All-Pro defensive back who was once among the best non-quarterbacks in the NFL. He would eliminate entire portions and halves of the field due to his awesome coverage prowess, ball skills, tackling ability, and spatial awareness. His time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Rams and Dolphins and a return to the City of Angeles is very much on the table.”
So, read between the lines: after June 1st, the Ramsey trade will likely bubble to the surface — to some team, not necessarily the Vikings.
Mainly Applicable Because of Kevin O’Connell Rams Ties
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and Ramsey crossed paths in Los Angeles with the Rams five years ago. The two won a Super Bowl together in 2021, and because of that achievement, O’Connell later accepted the top job in the Twin Cities.
Often — and this is not exaggerated — player-coach former ties become meaningful in free agency and in trade dealings. For example, if Ramsey and O’Connell had not worked together in Los Angeles, perhaps this article would never have been written.
But they did, and that link is tangible when a player of Ramsey’s caliber is on the trade market.
The Vikings’ Would-Be Trade Price for Jalen Ramsey
Ramsey isn’t young. He’ll turn 31 in October.
But due to that advanced NFL age, Ramsey can probably be obtained for a mid-round pick. That is — if the Vikings donated a 2026 3rd-Rounder to the Miami Dolphins, they might get Ramsey in return, along with a 6th- or 7th-Rounder to balance the trade ledger.
Whichever team onboards Ramsey will receive the perk of a tremendously productive corner who isn’t wildly expensive because he’s elderly by NFL standards.
What the CB Room Would Like
In theory, if the Ramsey trade came to fruition, the Vikings’ cornerback room might look like this in September:
CB1: Jalen Ramsey
CB2: Byron Murphy Jr.
CB3: Isaiah Rodgers
CB4: Mekhi Blackmon
CB5: Jeff Okudah
CB6: Dwight McGlothern
PurplePTSD’s Take
Kyle Joudry, at our partner site, opined on a Ramsey trade last month: “Begin with a basic reality: the Vikings don’t have someone like Mr. Ramsey. The top-tier corner offers excellent size at 6’1″ and 208 pounds. Jeff Okudah and Dwight McGlothern offer similar size, but neither has the résumé of the Dolphin. Since getting picked at No. 5 back in 2016, Ramsey has won a Super Bowl, been a first-team All Pro three times, a Pro Bowler seven times, and finished as the runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year.”
“Ramsey, in short, has lived up to his draft status, unquestionably one of the great corners of his generation. About that Super Bowl win: it arrived with the 2021 Rams, the same team that had Kevin O’Connell as the offensive coordinator (and Wes Phillips on staff, too).”
Most fans would relish a Ramsey trade, considering it the chef’s kiss on the glorious offseason’s lips.
Joudry added, “Consider, as well, that Ramsey has proven to be a versatile player over the course of his career. For the most part, the corner has played along the outside, soaking up 6,387 snaps in the spot. However, he has also moved into the slot with some regularity, picking up 1,235 snaps in that spot. The cherry on top is his 660 snaps in the box (again, he has good size), his 125 snaps as a free safety, and his 124 snaps along the d-line.”
“Adding Jalen Ramsey would mean that the corner room would be led by him at CB1, Byron Murphy Jr. as an excellent CB2, and then Isaiah Rodgers as an upside CB3. Tossing a young corner into the mix from the draft would further solidify the secondary, raising the ceiling even higher.”
Ramsey will be traded somewhere. That’s not mysterious. Until the swap, folks will wonder if the Vikings are in play.
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