3 Moves That Might Follow the Vikings Latest Trade
On Wednesday evening, out of the blue, the Minnesota Vikings traded team captain DT Harrison Phillips and a 7th-Round pick to the New York Jets for two 6th-Round selections.
The Minnesota Vikings’ trade of Harrison Phillips shocked folks, but it may not be the last move. Here are three possible next steps Minnesota could take.
It was not strange that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah fired off a trade late in the summer — he does that — but bartering Phillips was not on many people’s radar.
Most assume that the deal is the first part of two or more, so here’s what realistically may come next, ranked from bottom to top (No. 1 = most plausible next transaction).
What the Vikings Could Do After Trading Harrison Phillips
Minnesota stunningly offloaded Phillips to the New York Jets.
3. Nothing — Just Use the Picks in the Draft
This one must be mentioned for full disclosure. There’s a slight chance — very minuscule — that Minnesota had planned to release Phillips next week, and shipping him to the Jets represented a last-gasp effort to extract something from his impending departure.
Few foreshadowed a Phillips release, though, even if Minnesota’s defensive tackle depth is suddenly top-notch.
Here, the Vikings perhaps banked on keeping DTs Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Elijah Williams, and Taki Taimani for the 53-man roster, behind starters Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, and determined that trading Phillips made the most sense.
And then in a straightforward way, the club may just hold onto the draft capital and choose rookies next year.
2. Additional Trade for a CB
Minnesota appears content with using Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and Jeff Okudah as its main cornerback staff this season. Fans have talked themselves into that trio doing the trick, but if one is honest, that group is one of the league’s most suspect among Super Bowl-contending teams.
Those optimistic about the threesome merely hope that Rodgers and Okudah break into stardom, unlike before. Rodgers and Okudah have never consistently thrived as starters. The working theory is that they’ll start now.
But what if they don’t?
Adofo-Mensah may know his CB room needs some love and could target an established starter to plop into Okudah’s spot.
A trade target list might resemble this or something similar:
- Jamel Dean (TB)
- Trevon Diggs (DAL)
- Jaylon Jones (IND)
- Damarri Mathis (DEN)
- Zyon McCollum (TB)
- Clark Phillips (ATL)
- Jaylen Watson (KC)
This theory may be unlikely, as Minnesota did not appear to have trade interest in Jalen Ramsey months ago. Nor did it sign Jaire Aleander when he was available to 31 teams.
1. Trade for a WR
Probably why you clicked the article in the first place, most onlookers surmise that Minnesota is gearing up to add a wide receiver.
Why? Easy — Jordan Addison will miss the first three games of the regular season. Rondale Moore is out for the year with a knee injury. Jalen Nailor has a bad hand, at least for a while. Justin Jefferson didn’t participate at training camp. And the rest of the team’s WRs are rookies or undrafted free agents.
Therefore, Adofo-Mensah could use his shiny new 6th-Rounders to wheel and deal for a wideout, with the regular season 2.5 weeks away.
That target list might include some of these names:
- Calvin Austin III (PIT)
- Javon Baker (NE)
- Kendrick Bourne (NE)
- Kayshon Boutte (NE)
- Jermaine Burton (CIN)
- Romeo Doubs (GB)
- Tyreek Hill (MIA)
- Van Jefferson (TEN)
- Jauan Jennings (SF)
- Quentin Johnston (LAC)
- Allen Lazard (NYJ)
- Terry McLaurin (WAS)
- Jakobi Meyers (LV)
- Chris Olave (NO)
- Trey Palmer (TB)
- Alec Pierce (IND)
- Ja’Lynn Polk (NE)
- Curtis Samuel (BUF)
- JuJu Smith-Schuster (KC)
- Adam Thielen (CAR)
- Jalen Tolbert (DAL)
- Jordan Whittington (LAR)
- Roman Wilson (PIT)
Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio wrote Wednesday about Minnesota’s WR situation: “Jordan Addison is suspended for the first three games of the year, Rondale Moore will miss the entire season with a knee injury, and Jalen Nailor is considered week-to-week after suffering a hand injury. That state of affairs could lead them to look outside the organization for some help at the position.”
“Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that the Vikings are exploring veteran wideouts who may be available in trades leading up to next Tuesday’s deadline to set 53-man rosters around the league. No deal is believed to be imminent, but talks could pick up as the deadline draws closer and teams begin making final decisions about the players they want to bring into the regular season.”
Our Janik Eckardt also noted this week, “J.J. McCarthy needs a second NFL-caliber target on the outside in his first career start, and none of those guys (Jefferson aside) has caught a pass in the league. On the bright side, at least T.J. Hockenson is a full-go this year. Don’t expect the trade rumors to stop anytime soon. The Vikings are short-staffed and need another body or two in that room.”
A follow-up transaction could happen at any minute or linger through roster cutdowns next week.
Minnesota will pay half of Phillips’ salary in 2025 and experience the salary perks in 2026 and beyond.
You must be logged in to post a comment.