ESPN Radio Proposes Really Wacky Vikings Trade
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett upended the NFL on Monday — six days before the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles play in the Super Bowl — requesting a trade away from the organization that drafted him.
ESPN Radio Proposes Really Wacky Vikings Trade
“As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl-and that goal fuels me today more than ever. My love for the community of Northeast Ohio and the incredible fanbase of the Cleveland Browns has made this one of the toughest decisions of my life. These past eight years have shaped me into the man that I am today,” Garrett said in a statement.
If the Browns don’t play hardball with Garrett, his trade price will be otherworldly. Even at age 29, some team will pay at least a 1st-Round pick for Garrett and probably a lot more.
Garrett then got to the point, “While I’ve loved calling this city my home, my desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won’t allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton, it has always been to compete for and win a Super Bowl. With that in mind, I have requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns.”
Predictably, NFL fans flocked to social media, attaching their favorite team to the budding Garrett Sweepstakes. The Vikings fanbase was right there, too.
Then, however, ESPN Radio sweetened the speculation pot, insinuating Minnesota could trade quarterback J.J. McCarthy to Cleveland for Garrett. “Myles Garrett for J.J. McCarthy. Who says no?” ESPN’s Paul Hembekides questioned Monday.
The Vikings are severely unlikely to trade their quarterback of the future for an EDGE defender who will turn 30 during the 2025 regular season.
A co-host chimed in, “I don’t think anybody says no because J.J. McCarthy is so unknown. Nobody knows what he’s going to be as a quarterback, but the Browns need one.”
Hembekides added, “What if the Minnesota Vikings are able or willing to take on the Deshaun Watson contract as well? You get out from under Deshaun, you trade away a franchise quarterback and you make it a two for one instead. How badly do you want to get rid of the Deshaun Watson anchor?”
So, yes, Deshaun Watson also wiggled his way into hypothetical trade talks, which could inspire a collective groan from the team’s fans that could be heard around the entire Midwest.
Such trade theories — Garrett for McCarthy — are now evidently fair game after the Dallas Mavericks (NBA) shipped Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for a bizarre haul that included Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 1st-Rounder. If a Dončić were in play in the first place, most onlookers would’ve envisioned at least four to five 1st-Rounders in the deal.
So, per the national media, any trade is in play, even McCarthy for Garrett.
J.J. McCarthy Puts on His Recruiter Hat
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 Vikings 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.
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