SI.com Proposes Bold Trade for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings, under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, have never been scared to send off trades in all directions, and according to SI.com, the purple team should acquire New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Trevor Penning sometime in the next month.
The NFL’s trade deadline is about one month away, and because the Minnesota Vikings usually fire off one deal, some have theories for improvement.
NFL teams have less than 30 days to conduct trades, as the deadline is November 4th. Minnesota may get in on the fun, and an offensive lineman for depth purposes could check some boxes.
SI.com Says OT Trevor Penning of the Saints for Vikings via Trade
Penning could be obtained for cheap, or so goes the working theory.
Vikings Should Swing a Deal for Saints OT Trevor Penning, According to SI.com
Think the Vikings need some extra offensive line juice in light of the injury parade? SI.com has you covered.
Assessing one trade each NFL team should ponder before the deadline, SI.com‘s Matt Vederame and Gilberto Manzano recommended Penning from the Saints.
The duo explained, “Proposed trade: Sixth-round pick to Saints for OL Trevor Penning. It hasn’t worked out in New Orleans for Penning, the 2022 first-round pick who has struggled to find a starting position. On the bright side, Penning offers versatility as a lineman with starting experience playing tackle and guard.”
“Right now, the Vikings need all the help they can get. Not only has the offensive line disappointed, but three of the five starters are currently dealing with injuries. It’s usually a red flag when teams are willing to shop an offensive lineman because the good ones are rarely available. But it never hurts to add versatility and depth to a critical area.”
Brian O’Neill Out Indefinitely with Sprained MCL
Why would Minnesota need Penning or any other offensive tackle via trade or free agency? The team lost right tackle Brian O’Neill last week to a sprained MCL, which turned out to be “good news,” because many feared an MCL tear after Minnesota’s Week 4 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Vikings have a bye in Week 6 and did not put O’Neill on injured reserve, suggesting he’ll return by the end of October.
Still, with no O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw still working into full game shape after a 2024 ACL tear, the OT situation is dicey. SI.com believes Penning could be just what the doctor ordered for depth.
And a 6th-Rounder in a trade for any notable player is negligible.
Confidence in Justin Skule + Walter Rouse?
Otherwise, if Minnesota does nothing before the trade deadline or signs no prominent veteran free agents, it will rely on veteran Justin Skule, who’s seen ample action due to Darrisaw + O’Neill injuries. The team drafted Walter Rouse in Round 6 a year and a half ago, and he’s begun to sniff snaps, too, because the world learned in Week 5 that Darrisaw was on a pitch count.
In fairness to the current plan, the purple offensive line mostly held up in London against the Cleveland Browns, though Kevin O’Connell schemed the offense to get rid of the ball quickly.
Without Penning, O’Connell would continue to rely on Skule and Rouse until O’Neill returns — probably a few weeks from now.
Trevor Penning’s Resume
So, is Penning any good? No, not really.
Penning is serviceable. The former 1st-Rounder (2022) played tackle in his first few seasons, only recently shifted to guard down in New Orleans. Here’s his Pro Football Focus resume through four seasons:
- 2025: 54.3
- 2024: 60.2
- 2023: 53.6
- 2022: 73.6
And the pass-blocking marks:
- 2025: 60.5
- 2024: 51.6
- 2023: 60.8
- 2022: 38.7
Run-blocking, too:
- 2025: 51.5
- 2024: 70.1
- 2023: 49.0
- 2022: 80.2
The rookie numbers from 2022 look impressive, but it’s worth noting that Penning hardly played that season: 124 snaps, or about 10% of the time.
More Trades from SI
Vederame and Manzano also claimed that Green Bay should obtain Chris Olave from the Saints: “Proposed trade: Second-round pick to Saints for WR Chris Olave. Yes, the Packers put up 40 points on the Cowboys, but that same defense also allowed 37 points to the Giants in Week 2 and 31 points to the Bears in Week 4. Green Bay’s offensive concerns didn’t just go away because it gained a tie against Dallas’s bad defense.”
“Jordan Love needs another reliable playmaker, especially with Jayden Reed sidelined due to injury and rookie Matthew Golden still finding his footing in the NFL. A trade for Olave would stretch the field for Love and extend the playbook for coach Matt LaFleur. Olave has 26 catches for 184 yards and one touchdown this season.”
And Tennessee Titans DT Jeffery Simmons for the Chicago Bears: “Proposed trade: Second-round pick to Titans for DT Jeffery Simmons. The Bears are all in with Caleb Williams and coach Ben Johnson. There’s no turning back, so they might as well make a splash move like this one.”
“The arrival of Simmons would immediately improve the Bears’ defense, which needs pass rushers and run stoppers. Simmons excels in both areas and could form a dominant duo with edge rusher Montez Sweat. For years, the Bears’ defense has done the heavy lifting. Now that the offense is showing signs of improvement, the defense has regressed. Simmons can help balance out Chicago’s problems this season.”
Last year, Minnesota grabbed running back Cam Akers via trade. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs got the call in 2023, and tight end T.J. Hockenson in 2022.
Penning turned 26 during the offseason.
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