Trade Diggs?

Sometimes, the best-laid plans don’t work out. The Vikings will go into this offseason likely needing to make additions to their secondary, defensive line and needing a massive upgrade to their offensive line, especially if they are going to want to run the ball into aggressive, physical front sevens like San Francisco, Chicago and Green Bay.

The draft will be key, and Spielman and Zimmer have a strong history of grabbing players and developing them, with Diggs being Exhibit A. There will be some contracts restructured, and a Cousins extension could also provide short-term cap relief.

But another way to address needs is to use surpluses to fill deficits. The Vikings have a surplus of talent at the top of their receiver depth chart and an offense that doesn’t maximize the position. Dangling Diggs, a young, dynamic receiver in his prime, to a league that is emphasizing the passing game more than ever before could bring back quite a haul, either in established players in areas of need or in draft picks to help them bolster their roster. Or both.

Why Diggs?
So why would Diggs be the receiver to part with over Thielen?

Diggs is three years younger than Thielen, for starters, which would likely mean a greater package being offered in return. And if a team decides to part with a star, and Diggs and Thielen both qualify as such, you better get some bang for your buck.

And while Thielen certainly has been no shrinking violet when it comes to expressing frustration when things are not going well, Diggs has been dropping hints of discontent ever since last summer. While most of the team attended the “voluntary” optional team activities, Diggs skipped several of them.

When the Vikings were flattened by the Bears in September, Diggs didn’t show up for consecutive practices the following week. He has been fined $200,000 by the team for his conduct and when asked in the aftermath of the Bears game if he had requested a trade, Diggs said, “there’s truth to all rumors.”

Receiver is a diva position and Diggs has displayed some diva-like qualities from time to time. On a team with a no-nonsense head coach, it makes for an interesting mix.

So the question becomes, just how much patience do the Vikings have when it comes to tolerating Diggs’ antics? If there is potential for further AWOL periods, when will fines no longer suffice?

Later in his postgame interview after the 49ers loss, Diggs was asked if he had confidence that this offense could take another step if most everyone comes back.

“It’s just going to be another opportunity for us to get better,” he said. “Just take it one day at a time, whenever we do get back to work. We’ll talk about it when we get there, I guess.”

The case for keeping him
Yes, Diggs can try the patience of a coach. Sure, he makes a lot of money that could be reallocated elsewhere. But damn if he can’t ball.

Diggs is one of the few players who didn’t seem overwhelmed physically by the 49ers in the playoffs. When the Vikings were in danger of a season-crippling loss to the Broncos at home, it was Diggs who took the game, and the whole stadium, over.

When that megawatt smile is beaming, Diggs is as charming as can be. Teammates rave about his competitiveness and work ethic. In so many ways, he is an engine for this team, and he has repaid them for taking a chance on him in the draft over and over again.

Could the Vikings get by with Thielen as the main receiver, Bisi Johnson on the other side and maybe a rookie added to the mix with tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr.? Sure. But with Diggs and Thielen in the same huddle, they are truly elite at that position.

He makes catches in traffic, ties cornerbacks in knots with his route running and blows their doors off when they bite on the play-action fake.

He is a weapon, with plenty of prime years left in him. So the Vikings should think long and hard before they decide to part with him.

You can bet they are doing just that right now.