All this time Vikings Nation has been focused on Kirk Cousins and his future replacement coming out of the 2021 NFL Draft, but a report from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has definitely changed the focus.
Per Breer, if the Broncos take a quarterback with the No. 9 pick in the NFL Draft, they could put Drew Lock on the trade block, and Minnesota could come calling.
“If the Broncos land Fields or Lance, there’s a strong perception that Drew Lock will be on the block starting Friday. One potential destination I’ve heard for Lock is Minnesota, a team that could use an affordable backup with upside.”
Lock, 24, was a second-round pick (42nd overall) in the 2019 draft. He’s started 18 games for a couple of bad Broncos teams (2019 and 2020) and thrown for 3,953 yards with 23 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.
The knock on Lock is his accuracy. He completed just 57.3% of his passes last season and was picked off a league-high 15 times in only 13 games.
Mark Kizsla of the Denver Post believes the Broncos will go with Teddy Bridgewater as the starting quarterback in 2021, then hand the reins to Trey Lance or Justin Fields. But doing that will require Lance or Fields slipping to the Broncos at No. 9, or Denver trading up to get one of them.
The GM in Denver is George Paton, who just so happens to be the former assistant general manager alongside Rick Spielman in Minnesota.
Spielman is staring at a 2021 with Cousins undoubtedly under center, then will have a big decision to make in 2022 because Cousins carries a $45 million cap hit. Will the Vikings ride out his contract, extend him or hand the ball off to Lock or someone else?
