The Minnesota Vikings took a step back in 2023 but according to a longtime Minnesota columnist, they should take another step back by trading Justin Jefferson this offseason.
Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press believes that the Vikings could trade Jefferson instead of giving him a new contract this spring. While Jefferson will look to become the highest-paid receiver and potentially the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, Walters believes that trading Jefferson could be the move that helps the Vikings become a true contender in the future.
“There could be a better chance of Jefferson getting traded than anybody’s saying,” Walters wrote. “That’s because it doesn’t make sense to pay the NFL’s best receiver the money he wants (expected to be at least $150 million over five years) on a team that’s not expected to be seriously competitive for several more years.”
Walters goes on to cite the glaring holes on the roster that could take years to properly fill. With needs on the offensive and defensive lines and several free agents including Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter, Jefferson’s trade value could bring back a large haul that could help the Vikings build “from the ground up” in the same way the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions have in recent seasons.
Walters’s assumption is correct that Jefferson could bring back a huge return if he is traded. Although he missed eight games with a hamstring injury, Jefferson still caught 68 passes for 1,074 yards and five touchdowns this season and became the fifth player in NFL history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first four seasons, joining Randy Moss, Michael Thomas, A.J. Green and Mike Evans.
But while Jefferson could bring back plenty of draft picks, trading star receivers hasn’t worked out for other teams in recent seasons.
The Tennessee Titans traded A.J. Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 18th and 101st picks in the 2022 NFL Draft and have gone 13-21 over the past two seasons while Brown led the Eagles to the Super Bowl last season.
The Titans also fired general manager Jon Robinson at the end of the 2022 season and head coach Mike Vrabel earlier this month in the aftermath of the Brown trade.
The Kansas City Chiefs also traded Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins for the 29th overall and 50th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft as well as two fourth-rounders and a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Chiefs won the Super Bowl without Hill in 2022 but have struggled to replace him as tight end Travis Kelce and the rest of the Chiefs receivers have had issues with drops this season.
This makes the idea of trading Jefferson dangerous as Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell are heading into the third year of four-year contracts that were signed when they were hired in February 2022.
But even if trading Jefferson is the right move, Adofo-Mensah believes that the Vikings could sign Jefferson, Cousins and offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw while still having resources to bolster the defense and be competitive in 2024.
“We have a lot of talented people in the salary cap department,” Adofo-Mensah said during his end-of-season press conference on Wednesday. “It’s really just being thoughtful about those contracts, the risks, we’re still those contracts, the money out in the future, and all those different things. … I believe we do have the ability to both address those, those offensive players you’re talking about, but also provide resources for the defense.”
While the Lions and Bears have used full-scale teardowns to rebuild their rosters, the Vikings have opted for what Adofo-Mensah has called a “competitive rebuild.” Two years into his tenure, the Vikings have had mixed results, winning 13 games and a division title in 2022 but falling to 7-10 this season.
Although there are many holes to fill, Adofo-Mensah seems confident that his approach can work and looked forward to a big offseason.
“Right now, and in the competitive rebuild, we want to get to a place where there’s, there’s no rebuild,” Adofo-Mensah said. “It’s just competitive in a window. And I think we’re close to that it’s going to take a big offseason. That’s why we’re gonna be here a lot. And I think it’s important and it’s key. And, you know, I’m excited for the challenge.”
