EAGAN, Minn. — When Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah ponders potential additions, he always reminds himself of two distinct factors: options and opportunities. That essentially means you can improve a team in multiple ways, and even if you don’t act now, there will be chances to make moves in the future.
He hopes that the mindset prevents rash decision-making — or choices made without the bigger picture in mind. This is relevant now with the NFL trade deadline fast approaching.
Minnesota has already acquired two players via trade during this cycle: running back Cam Akers and left tackle Cam Robinson. Both moves displayed this front office’s willingness to act creatively both in its swiftness in securing these players and the pick structures utilized to acquire them. Each trade involved draft picks accompanied by conditions to provide further insurance if neither player panned out.
Do the 6-2 Vikings have more in store before 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday?
“We’re having constant dialogue right now,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday. “I try to just be there (for Adofo-Mensah), and if he gets a call or he has an idea, we’re in constant communication.”
Always looking to improve and work hard pic.twitter.com/w0BGRMg4Cq
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 4, 2024
In one respect, the Vikings are satisfied with their roster. They underwent an offseason of transition, removing aging veterans (Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter) from the books and preparing for a new roster-building world thanks to J.J. McCarthy’s rookie quarterback contract. Oddsmakers projected Minnesota to win just 6 1/2 games this season, yet the Vikings already have six with nine games still to play.
The team’s success is born out of sharp coaching and a tight-knit locker room which has been welded together by intentionality, selflessness and the tragic circumstances of Khyree Jackson’s death. Adding any player to this group would affect the chemistry, and O’Connell seemed to hint at that Monday.
“We’re very cognizant and aware of our team and what’s been built here,” he said.
At the same time, O’Connell added, “If there’s an opportunity to improve our team or improve our ability to build the team in the future, that’s something we’ll consider, for sure.”
The Vikings only have eight draft picks available over the next two seasons. A projected third-round compensatory selection could bring that number to nine. McCarthy’s rookie contract provides Minnesota with ample money to supplement the roster, but the best teams marry the rookie quarterback contract with more high-impact players on rookie deals (see: Chiefs, Kansas City).
In any event, the franchise’s potential $75 million in cap space for 2025 should allow the Vikings to explore different options and opportunities, especially relating to key needs at cornerback, on the interior of the offensive line and the interior of the defensive line. That said, here are six players who it would make sense for them to pursue ahead of Tuesday’s deadline:
Odighizuwa fits so many of the themes that Adofo-Mensah has targeted over the years. He’s still young. His advanced data is impressive. And he might be extendable, depending on how large a contract he’s seeking.
It’s easy for Cowboys pass rushers to get overshadowed by Micah Parsons, but Odighizuwa has one of the best pass-rush win rates among interior defensive linemen. His pressure rate is better than Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones may not be ready to pull the plug on the 2024 team, even in the aftermath of Dak Prescott’s injury news Monday, but Odighizuwa is set to become a free agent after the season.
He was drafted in the second round in 2021 and is still just 26 years old. He would likely align both for this season and beyond.
For more than a decade now, Minnesota has struggled with the cornerbacks it has drafted. So why not try to land a young and controllable corner via trade? Horn would come at a steep cost, but the Vikings aren’t going to find 24-year-olds like him in free agency. Not only is he a former first-round pick with pedigree, but he played at South Carolina. How beneficial would it be to have him learning alongside another former Gamecock in Stephon Gilmore?
Three-plus years ago, when The Athletic’s Dane Brugler evaluated Horn before the 2021 draft, he wrote, “He is a long, agile athlete with outstanding instincts, bloodlines and competitive mentality. He projects as an NFL starting press-man corner in the Aqib Talib mold.” It’s hard to imagine a better fit with defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
The Panthers might not be willing to part with a core player, but they remain far from contention and in need of draft capital. This resides on the far aggressive end of the what-the-Vikings-could-do-at-the-deadline spectrum. But it would be an understandable move for a general manager who covets youth.
The INT to set it all up 💪#ProBowlVote @jayceehorn_10 pic.twitter.com/tDuFnBWXj5
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 11, 2022
How invested are the Vikings in this season? That’s the question as it relates to Campbell. If the front office wants to give Flores another piece and it thinks Campbell’s pass-rushing prowess on the interior exponentially lifts the team’s hopes for 2024, then the 38-year-old would fit.
His pressure rate has dipped in the last couple of games, but his pass-rush win rate is comparable to Dexter Lawrence II and Vita Vea. Campbell is a 6-foot-7, 300-pound mover on the interior whose desire to win would fit in alongside vets like Gilmore and safety Harrison Smith.
Miami is financially committed enough to 2024 that it might keep a player who has been a force on its front. But if the Dolphins decide a fifth- or sixth-round pick is more valuable to their long-term plans, Campbell could add a nice early-down change of pace.
Tomlinson is an option if the Vikings want to supplement the interior of the defensive line with a pass-rushing presence. The 30-year-old has familiarity with Adofo-Mensah, O’Connell and defensive tackles Harrison Phillips and Jonathan Bullard. Adofo-Mensah’s relationship with Browns general manager Andrew Berry also increases the likelihood that a call like this could be made.
This season, Tomlinson has four sacks, which is tied for sixth among NFL defensive tackles. His pressure rate and pass-rush win rate both top Jerry Tillery’s, but not by much, potentially decreasing Minnesota’s willingness to part with draft capital for his services.
Tomlinson’s contract is another factor. He signed a hefty deal with the Browns in the spring of 2023, but that contract was essentially guaranteed only through 2024. Acquiring him could require a reworked contract, but again, familiarity with Tominson’s representation might help in that regard.
.@DalvinTomlinson LEVELS him 😤#DALvsCLE on @NFLonFOX and NFL+ pic.twitter.com/iCQQKPJ9WB
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 8, 2024
The Vikings have yet to bench right guard Ed Ingram, but whether it’s during this trade deadline cycle, free agency or the 2025 draft, the Vikings must plug this hole. One way to fix the problem would be to swing for a low-cost starter in Parham, who, ironically, was in the same 2022 draft class as Ingram.
Parham, 25, has played seven games at right guard this season for the Raiders. And while he has not been perfect, he has allowed 13 fewer pressures than Ingram. He is under contract through the end of next season, meaning the Vikings would likely have to extend him at some point. But he would likely cost much less than free agent-to-be guards Trey Smith and Aaron Banks.
Fuller’s availability is similar to Campbell’s in that it is dependent on the Dolphins’ willingness to sell. He is much older than Horn, limiting his intrigue far into the future. But the 29-year-old is under contract through next season with a workable base salary.
Snagging him could remove a potential free-agent need down the road, considering current Viking Byron Murphy Jr. is destined to become a free agent this offseason.
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(Photo of Osa Odighizuwa: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
