Lately, the Vikings trade targets haven’t been in short supply. Not, at least, if the criteria is the purple dot connecting that takes place online.
The point here, folks, is to put together a more formal exploration of the purple dot connecting. Put differently, there’s some players below who appear to make sense for the Minnesota Vikings due to playing a position of need, not being too pricey, and playing for a team that’s terrible. Let me know on Twitter if you agree, disagree, or arrive at some odd mixture of both.
Player #1 — Left Guard Ben Bredeson
Seeing Joe Huber continue playing well (while maintaining good health) creates some confidence in the current cluster of talent.
In Ben Bredeson — brother to Vikings fullback Max — the Vikings could get a left guard who has experience at center and right guard. He’s a veteran playing on a 2-5 Buccaneers team. A good portion of his $7.5 million in base pay would come over to Minnesota, possibly creating a need to shuffle money around either in Tampa or in the Twin Cities.
Player #2 — Running Back Tony Pollard Currently, the running back depth isn’t good enough. Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are reasonably impressive runners but neither are bulletproof.
The Titans have already signalled a willingness to sell due to moving off DT Jeffery Simmons. Pollard can run, catch, and is playing on the final year of his contract. Looks like a good fit, folks, and at fraction of the price for a Saquon Barkley or Jonathan Taylor.
Player #3 — Quarterback Kirk Cousins
Put simply, Kyler Murray hasn’t been very good. He has been a super athletic, accurate game manager. Not good enough, especially since Kevin O’Connell can scheme open pass catchers (which is say nothing of playing alongside that Justin Jefferson guy).
Losing to the Lions in Week 8 would turn up the heat a lot, especially if Murray doesn’t shine. The Vikings would be feeling the pressure.
The Raiders are a losing football team with a young No. 1 overall quarterback waiting to take over. Cousins is a placeholder; Fernando Mendoza is the future. Per Over the Cap, Kirk Cousins demands just $1.3 million on the cap. Better yet, Cousins is playing strong football, knows the Kevin O’Connell scheme, and has chemistry with Jefferson.
Player #4 — Safety Camryn Bynum
The safety talent has been getting better but is far from perfect. Indianapolis has already sold Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner. Why not Bynum? The Colts are going nowhere.
To be sure, there’d be some need to massage the finances, but Bynum is similar to Cousins insofar as he established himself with the Vikings. He knows the Brian Flores scheme and would be an improvement at shutting down the skies. Much to like in this possibility. No. 5 — Running Back Alvin Kamara
The Vikings need help at running back (see: Pollard, Tony). Do the Vikings call their good friends, the New Orleans Saints, to see about veteran runner Alvin Kamara? At 2-5, the Saints are yet again a tire fire.
Kamara’s stats show 41 carries for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns. More promising is that Kamara has 22 catches for 133 yards and 1 touchdown. The Vikings could use his versatility. He’d push the Vikings up a notch by rounding out that running back depth, allowing the Vikings to better weather any injury storms.
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Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.
5 Vikings Trade Targets Ahead of NFL Deadline
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