The Jonathan Greenard Trade Still Needs a Follow-Up
The Minnesota Vikings now have the NFL Draft in their rearview mirror. They made nine selections across the seven rounds and then added another 19 players as undrafted free agents. Arguably, the most notable change to the roster in that time came in the form of trading Jonathan Greenard.
Unfortunately, moving Greenard wasn’t a secret; it was something the Vikings had been flirting with for weeks. The Philadelphia Eagles were a rumored destination, and they ultimately wound up as the landing spot.
The Vikings Haven’t Made the Next Move Just Yet
Minnesota acquired the 98th overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft, along with a third-round selection next year, in exchange for Greenard. They also cleared cap space and avoided paying him $100 million on an extension.
The 98th overall pick became Miami Safety Jakobe Thomas. He is a potential talent to start on Day 1 for Brian Flores should Harrison Smith not return to the secondary. Obviously, the additional third-round pick has yet to be cashed, and more notably, the money hasn’t been reallocated either.
Now with more than $16 million in cap space, the Vikings have some room to maneuver. Unfortunately, free agency has already had its frenzy, so there aren’t a ton of options left. The Vikings could (and should) go sign a WR3 with some notoriety. Pairing another option behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison to help Kyler Murray makes sense. They’ll also have to pay the class, and potentially Smith if he returns.
At any rate, fans aren’t going to want to see a team quarterbacked by Murray drop Greenard in a salary dump. Thomas was a nice addition, but the financial considerations must be reallocated as well. This is a cap space, and it’s not an ownership group run by the Pohlad’s.
Moving Greenard, and at that value, was defensible. Doing nothing in the wake of it is not.
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