Vikings GM on trade deadline: 'You're trying to find win-wins for everybody'

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has never been shy about making trades that he thinks will improve the team.

Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks on before the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is always a busy man, but that's especially true this time of year, as the NFL trade deadline — which is on November 5 — approaches.

Adofo-Mensah is frequently talking to other GMs around the league, floating ideas, receiving ideas that others float, and then discussing those possibilities with his front office staff.

"As I get names, I gotta fire them to my staff and (say) 'Hey, is this somebody we should consider?' What would be their role? What would their responsibility, compensation, all those things," Adofo-Mensah told KFAN's Paul Allen. "Those are quickly-evolving conversations that I throw with them."

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Adofo-Mensah has been one of the more trade-happy GMs in the league since being hired back in 2022, whether that's during the draft, before the season, or up to the deadline. That year, he made a big splash by trading for T.J. Hockenson on deadline day. Last year, he traded for Josh Dobbs and sent Ezra Cleveland to the Jaguars on deadline day. The 5-1 Vikings have already made one minor move this month, acquiring Cam Akers, but you'd imagine at least one more deal is coming.

It'll just depend on how those conversations with the other GMs unfold.

"We talk to each other," Adofo-Mensah said. "Certain (GMs) are cagier than others, certain people have open, honest conversations about — look, it's never that you want to move a certain player, but sometimes there are opportunities that work for both sides. You try and be collaborative, I know every decision we've made here, I speak with the agents of the player that may be involved, and you're trying to find win-wins for everybody involved.

"We think we have a great place here, so we try to keep the most players we can here, and then we'll see on the margins, can we find places to upgrade."