A Few New Players Spark Vikings Trade Buzz
Right before the annual NFL draft, the league’s trade rumor mill heats up because the event is prime territory for a few players to find new teams via trade.
A Few New Players Spark Vikings Trade Buzz
Franchises exchange draft picks left and right, while veteran players become the subject of deals or assets to balance trade calculators.
And thanks to the recent rumor mill, the Minnesota Vikings have a few new combatants to keep an eye on, men who could join the team if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah sees fit.
These are those men, listed alphabetically.
1. Sam Howell (QB)
Last week, the Seattle Seahawks signed quarterback Drew Lock, and he’ll slide onto Mike Macdonald’s depth chart as an undisputed QB2 behind Sam Darnold, who played for the Vikings last season.
Before the Lock deal, many considered Howell a fine backup, so Lock’s return to Seattle for a second stint raised eyebrows.
And because Howell is now quasi-expendable, he’s transformed into a Vikings’ trade target, as Kevin O’Connell’s roster has no viable QB2 outside of Brett Rypien. As the depth chart stands just three days before the draft, it’s J.J. McCarthy and Brett Rypien.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Brady Henderson wrote late last week, “The Seahawks are open to trading Sam Howell and have received inquiries from teams interested in acquiring their backup quarterback, sources have told ESPN.
“General manager John Schneider told Seattle Sports 710-AM on Thursday that the Seahawks are prepared to have Howell and Lock compete for the backup job. The team long kept only two quarterbacks on its 53-man roster under former coach Pete Carroll, but it had three by season’s end last year under Mike Macdonald after promoting Jaren Hall from the practice squad. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak kept three during his previous OC stints with the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints.”
The Vikings are one of the only teams without a tried-and-true QB2, rocketing them into the rumor mill for the Howell trade.
Fowler and Henderson added: “Seattle acquired Howell in a trade last March with the Washington Commanders, giving up third- and fifth-round selections in exchange for Howell and picks in the fourth and sixth rounds. The Seahawks beat out three other teams who were also negotiating with Washington, a source told ESPN at the time.”
Howell accrued nearly 4,000 passing yards and 26 touchdowns two seasons ago as the Washington Commanders’ full-time starter. He takes too many sacks, but perhaps with a Vikings trade, O’Connell could whisper him into efficiency.
2. Aidan O’Connell (QB)
Howell isn’t the only quarterback reportedly on Adofo-Mensah’s radar.
The Las Vegas Raiders traded for Geno Smith this offseason, fully stripping the QB1 job away from Aidan O’Connell — no relation to Kevin — and the Raiders could even draft a signal-caller like Shedeur Sanders, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe, or Quinn Ewers on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday.
Like Howell, O’Connell is obtainable via trade, probably for a 7th-Round pick.
VikingsTerritory‘s Ted Schwerzler opined a few days ago: “Las Vegas brought in Geno Smith this offseason, and it’s obvious that new head coach Pete Carroll will roll with him as the starter. O’Connell has been developed under a different staff, and his place on the roster could be in jeopardy. If Vegas is open to moving him for a little more than a late-round draft pick, Minnesota might find some intrigue.”
“O’Connell wouldn’t be brought to Minnesota with the idea that he’ll play. The hope is that McCarthy hits the ground running and never looks back. There’s no guarantee that it works out that way, and having someone with at least shown flashes to come on in relief makes sense.”
The soon-to-be former Raider is a pocket passer, and the Vikings’ version of an O’Connell generally covets that trait.
3. Jalen Ramsey (CB)
Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier told reporters last Thursday that superstar cornerback Jalen Ramsey is available to the highest bidder.
He wasn’t mysterious about it.
Ramsey is a seven-time Pro Bowler and will turn 31 in October. That’s a bit old by Adofo-Mensah’s roster-building standards, but there’s a world where he’s enticed by Ramsey’s stellar NFL resume. What’s more, Ramsey and Kevin O’Connell won a Super Bowl together with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. So, if the Vikings want Ramsey, O’Connell should have the man on speed dial.
CBS Sports‘ John Breech weighed in on Ramsey’s trade availability: “If a team makes a trade for Ramsey, they’d be on the hook for $21.1 million in guaranteed money for 2025, but he doesn’t have any guarantees left after that, so it would be easy to move on. On the other hand, if he plays well, he’s currently under contract through 2028, so it would be easy to keep him.”
“However, this won’t be an easy deal for the Dolphins, because they’d take a $25.2 million dead cap charge if they trade him before June 1. Of course, they’d also save some money because they wouldn’t have to pay him in 2025, so in the end, they’d end up experiencing a $12.5 million cap loss if they do deal Ramsey away, according to Spotrac.”
If one believes Ramsey has a few productive years left in the tank, pairing him with Brian Flores, along with existing Vikings corners Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and Mekhi Blackmon, could bring legitimacy to the Vikings’ CB room for the foreseeable future.
4. Wyatt Teller (G)
Blake Brandel would start at left guard if Minnesota’s regular season kicked off this week, which might do the trick. Brandel notched an up-and-down season in 2024.
But if the Vikings want to upgrade, finagling a trade for Wyatt Teller would check some boxes. The three-time Pro Bowler may or may not be on the trade block, but Pro Football Network wrote last week that the Browns could offload his services.
PFN’s Sterling Xie explained, “Any move wouldn’t come until after the draft when teams see how their starting offensive line shakes out. The Browns wouldn’t save cap room unless they trade Teller after June 1 anyway (at which point they’d save $7 million in cap room this year while taking on $19.2 million in dead money through 2028).”
“The Seahawks and Vikings both ranked in the bottom five in pressures allowed from guards last year and could immediately plug Teller in as a starter. The Cowboys were among the best teams in pass protection from guards but lost future Hall of Famer Zack Martin to retirement. Teller could immediately step in as Martin’s successor at right guard.”
Here’s the 30-year-old Pro Football Focus resume:
- 2024: 62.6
- 2023: 72.7
- 2022: 70.3
- 2021: 84.9
- 2020: 92.2
- 2019: 56.7
- 2018: 60.2
It’s worth noting that Teller usually plays right guard, and the Vikings’ would-be opening is at the left spot.
Teller would likely cost the Vikings a 3rd-Round pick or so, with possibly a late-rounder coming back to the Vikings’ way. His cap number is $14.1 million in 2025.
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