Vikings’ GM Trader Kwesi Makes Moves Up to Cutdown Day
Vikings Territory Breakdown
The biggest player movement day of the year in the NFL happens on cutdown day as the 32 teams pare their 90-man (or so) rosters down to 53 players. The players then resign to practice squads, go to another team or vow to try it again next season. The Vikings GM Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah, however, took the deadline a step further by trading away several players and signing a free agent veteran quarterback as a backup to starter J.J. McCarthy. Kwesi was moving and shaking up in the lineup in a busy week for the team.
The Vikings first traded defensive lineman Harrison Phillips to the New York Jets for some draft capital, then traded QB Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles for more picks, signed Carson Wentz to take Howell’s spot in the quarterback room and then shipped CB Mekhi Blackmon off to Indianapolis to play for the Colts for yet another draft pick next offseason. All of these trades, some have speculated, were done to line up the capital to trade for Carolina Panther (and former Viking) wideout Adam Thielen—or perhaps some other wide receiver to backfill the position that has seen its share of injuries and absences this offseason.
And speculation, analysis and discussion are what the co-hosts of Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast (Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com) are all about. We will be on hand to break down all the trades, rosters cuts, signings and, perhaps, the next moves to come. Tune in and check it out. Skol!
