Trade Deadline - Intrigued by anyone out there?

I wouldn't call Claypool a Reagor-type. He's 6' 4" 240 while Reagor is 5' 11" 197, and while both were billed as downfield threats, Claypooll's main strength is his size and Reagor's is his long speed. Claypool is super fast for a guy his size, and he's also been effective in the intermediate area where Reagor hasn't.


I'd absolutely take Claypool as our #2, but I think it's going to be too expensive to acquire and extend him. I'd rather draft a WR in 2023 to groom into that spot... and Thielen is likely back since we lose $13.6M cap space if we axe him.


There were a lot of us who were open to going WR last year, I was super high on Drake London and I think any of the top 4 WRs were worth the 12th pick. Many fans thought a WR would have been a waste since it wasn't a 'need', but here we are... Thielen has regressed more than expected, Osborn has not been productive, and ISM couldn't even crack the roster. Making bad assumptions like that is how teams pass on really good prospects.

The Wilfs are proven to be football idiots over 18 years.   If they are making more of their brilliant football decisions we are screwed.  I was hoping they hired Kwesi specifically to make the decisions for them but they've never really been hands-off, despite the fact that it would benefit them to be that way.

The problem with Kwesi for me is that horrible draft day trade with Detroit.  Not getting their 2023 first back for that deal is going to bite this team in the ass HARD if it turns into a top 5 pick next year (which is looking likely), giving them a real chance to draft the qb of the future.  Instead it will be more $ for Kirk and the continued good not great philosophy that marks Wilf's ownership tenure.  Color me bored to tears.

I'm more on the "don't make a move" side of the fence.  If they manage to swing a trade for a guy like Claypool, Jeudy, Chubb, etc. awesome, but my guess is those guys cost more than the Vikings will be willing to pay - they would cost a pick from Kwesi's "sweet spot" in the draft.  

The mid tier guys are kind of a shrug from me.  If they need a speed guy, how much better will a guy like Brandin Cooks be than the combo of Osborn (if used correctly) and Reagor (likewise)?  slightly, but not a significant change.  There likely aren't giant game wrecking D-Linemen to be had and any new LB would face the same learning curve as Kendricks / Hicks / Asamoah.  I like Irv Smith more than a guy like Gesicki at TE.

My mood won't decline if the Vikings sit pat.  I'd rather see growth from Osborn, Reagor, Asamoad, Booth Jr. and Cine (ohhhhh.... nevermind now I'm sad).

You have to think about the future, IMO. Yes, Minnesota can do damage in the Playoffs because of how poor the NFC. But even if they add a WR and a CB that are both impactful Players they can still easily lose in the 1st Round of the Playoffs. To anyone. As in the Bucs or even the Hags could come to Minnesota and beat the Vikings.

That's just the reality of this Team. Our eyes aren't deceiving us. This Team is only marginally better than the Teams they've beaten. And there's a chasm in between their talent and what the Eagles have on their Roster. Let alone the Bills or the Chiefs.

Kwesi needs to draft the QBOTF in the next 2 Drafts. And find a Slot CB, WR, TE1 or TE2 (or both), an Edge, a DE and another ILB. That's 6 Players. And that's only IF Bymun, Cene, Booth (or Evans), Asamoah, Ingram and Chandler pan out. And not all of them will.

Damn near a third of the Starters will need replacing by the time Minnesota has a QB on a Rookie deal that is ready to lead a good Roster. Free Agency next year won't be of much help with the Vikings cap situation. You need to hit on Draft Picks. And you have too many needs to spend premium ones in pursuit of a Ring.

Let this Team finds their sealegs in the Playoffs with who they've got. If the Eagles stub their toes Minnesota should be OK against anyone else. Adding a WR who's old (Cooks), a bit of a head case (Claypool) or will cost a lot of capital and eventually money (Jeudy) isn't going to move the needle enough to beat Philly or win the Superbowl.

Trading later Rounds lottery tickets for a Slot CB that could stay for a while or a young TE like the kid in Denver makes a lot more sense to me.

I whole heartedly agree. They need to be honest about themselves. This team has a ceiling this year. I came into the year with zero expectations. They've done pretty good, but what I have seen on the field has not once made me think this is a true Championship team. It's been fun to see, but I haven't once thought this is our year. There would need to be major improvements at many areas to change my mind. Too many to be a fair expectation.

This team needs more quality young talent at many positions. That's on top of, or combined with some hard decisions coming up that need to be made. Cook, Theilen, Kendricks, Harrison Smith, all these guys will be gone in the next 2 years for age and cap reasons.

Then there are also decisions on Kirk and Hunter that need to be made too.

Given the Wilf's pants soiling fear of being uncompetitive or turning into a bad team I'd be shocked if they were pushing a go for broke path when they live in abject terror of what would happen if they crap out.

I don't get it. He is owed 18m next year