Matthew Coller: Vikings should have plenty of trade deadline options

At 5-0 and with a weak NFC, the Vikings could go all-in or look for a rental soon.

Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah / Minnesota Vikings

The NFL trade deadline is November 5. That doesn’t mean the Minnesota Vikings have to wait for November 5 to make a move so let’s talk about it now.

The Vikings’ potential trade situation is a little complicated. On one hand, they are 5-0 and all the statistical indicators like point differential and DVOA (both No. 1) that tell us about actual team strength suggest they are every bit as good as their W-L record. The complicating factor is that the Vikings do not have much draft capital to move. They are expected to get some comp picks for free agents who exited last spring but the Vikings only have a first-rounder and two fifth-round picks in 2025 to deal. Every other pick was used in other trades.

The Vikings’ chances of being in the race for home-field in the postseason presently appear to be high. They have already faced the most difficult part of their schedule (outside of this week vs. Detroit) and have a chance to get rolling in the second half of the season. The NFC North is a beast, but the rest of the conference is highly questionable, especially with previously great teams like the Eagles and 49ers fading. The entire race might come down to the Vikings, Lions and Packers. Guess who the Vikings play in the final two weeks of the season?

As we have seen from numerous seasons in Vikings history, sometimes the best chances come out of nowhere. Nobody expected the 2024 Vikings to be the top team in the NFL at this point but nobody expected the 2017 Vikings to go to the NFC Championship or the 1998 Vikings to go 15-1. Every team builds for years trying to have one season like this where they have legitimate chances to represent their conference in the Super Bowl and just because the Vikings looked like they were a year away from that when they formed this roster in March/April doesn’t mean they should still view it that way now. So what if it happened quicker than expected?

Any time you get a chance to win in the NFL, you have to give it the best possible shot because you never know when things are going to fall your way again. Certainly the presence of JJ McCarthy matters in this equation — this isn’t a Last Dance — but every time in Vikings history that they had a run at the NFC Championship and were expected to return the following season, they ended up falling short of expectations.

Making a big trade at the deadline wouldn’t have to mean throwing up the white flag on the future considering the Vikings have most of their core pieces under contract going forward. Players like… Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, TJ Hockenson, Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman, Harrison Phillips, Josh Metellus, Ivan Pace Jr. etc.

The Vikings are also projected to have $76 million in cap space heading into 2025, per OTC. Because JJ McCarthy will be under his rookie contract for 2025, 2026 and 2027, the Vikings have a window to spend at will around him while many opposing teams attempt to work around $50-$60 million QB contracts.

Furthermore, Minnesota has become a destination under Kevin O’Connell. The culture, winning record, facilities and leadership group were clearly attracting factors when they signed multiple Day 1 free agents last March. Plus the coaching staff and front office seem to have a knack for identifying players from free agency who will fit. They nailed nearly every free agent signing this offseason.

One thing we can say for certain is that the Vikings should consider all options.

What are those options? Well, after scouring the internet for every player that has been rumored to be potentially traded (and adding a few more ideas to the list), here are some possible targets and how the Vikings could make it happen…

2025 first-round pick for player to extend

The shortness of this list shows how unique the situation was two years ago with Hockenson. It’s not easy to find difference-making players that are worth giving up a first-round pick who would also be candidates for a big extension.

CAR — CB, Jaycee Horn

ARZ — DB, Budda Baker

NYJ — CB, DJ Reed

2025 first-round pick for a big-time player under contract

It’s unlikely that opposing teams will trade their stars that are under contract but these few in particular might be worth making a phone call. If their teams were willing to completely hit the reset button and clear all possible cap space in exchange for a top draft pick, then the Vikings would have to strongly consider pulling the trigger.

NYG — DT, Dexter Lawrence

TEN — DT, Jeffrey Simmons

TEN — RB, Tony Pollard

MIA — CB, Jalen Ramsey

CLE — CB, Denzel Ward

CLE — RG, Wyatt Teller

With this type of move, the Vikings can only be looking at plug-and-play multi-year starters at key positions. The tough call would be a player like Pollard because RBs are generally considered replaceable but a combo of Pollard and Aaron Jones could be really difficult to stop and give the Vikings a valuable future running back for the next few years.

2025 first-round pick for an expiring contract

If the Vikings were feeling extremely confident that one extra player could push them over the top, they could look at sending a first-round pick for a player who isn’t under contract going forward and very likely won’t be extended.

CLE — WR, Amari Cooper

CIN — WR, Tee Higgins

Certainly it doesn’t seem like the Vikings have any need at wide receiver but bumping Jordan Addison to WR3 feels like it would be adding rocket fuel to the Vikings offense.

2025 fifth-round pick(s) for a role player

The easiest and most likely move to make would be trading for a less valuable player that another team is looking to dump for anything that they can get. Other teams might be able to make better offers than the Vikings but deadline deals rarely net massive returns.

NYG — RB, Devin Singletary

NYG — ED, Azeez Ojulari

CAR — RB, Miles Sanders

CAR — DT, Jadeveon Clowney

JAX — RB, Travis Etienne

JAX — RG, Brandon Schreff

NO — OLB, Chase Young

NO — RB Alvin Kamara

NE — OLB, Josh Uche

NE — CB, Jonathan Jones

DEN — DT, DJ Jones

HOU — RB, Dameon Pierce

MIA — DT, Calais Campbell

MIA — CB, Kendall Fuller

LV — DT, Adam Butler

TEN — DT, Sebastian Joseph-Day

The options here are plentiful in terms of running backs and rotational defensive linemen. If the Vikings are looking for a starting RG, there aren’t many players that could make an argument as any significant upgrade.

While all the players named might not be available or available at the Vikings’ price, the lists do demonstrate the different potential options that they could have at their fingertips if the front office elects to improve a roster that is in line to battle for the NFC crown.