Vikings fans, who expected that their club would acquire a new player ahead of the trade deadline for the fourth consecutive year under the watch of GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, were disappointed to see a lack of action. While various other teams made moves, Minnesota didn’t.
Vikings Apparently Have a Trade Deadline Loser
Now, at 4-4, the Vikings aren’t particularly a sure-fire Super Bowl contender, which is why no significant investments were made. Furthermore, draft capital is valuable, given the aging roster. It’s also noteworthy that the Vikings have an expensive roster and spent a ton of money in March. There’s only so much a GM can do.
Still, there are a couple of problem areas — like cornerback — on the roster that could’ve been addressed on Tuesday.
Therefore, Bleacher Report decided to name defensive coordinator Brian Flores Minnesota’s deadline loser.
They explained, “The Vikings were in the market for a cornerback well ahead of the deadline, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. It turns out that a truly elite option was available. The Jets decided to deal standout corner Sauce Gardner, and the Colts swooped in to snag him for a pair of first-round picks.”
Gardner, the former fourth overall pick of the New York Jets, arrived in the NFL as an instant difference-maker. He was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2022 and 2023 and went to the Pro Bowl in both years. Last season was surely a slow one for the lengthy corner, given the elevated expectations.
That explains why some are critical of the Colts for giving up a pair of first-round picks and a player for the shutdown defender.
“To be fair, that’s a hefty price for a defensive back who hasn’t played up to his usual standard this season. However, defensive coordinator Brian Flores would have loved having a player like Gardner to help boost Minnesota’s 20th-ranked scoring defense,” the Bleacher Report crew concluded.
The Vikings undoubtedly could’ve used another coverage player in their secondary. Starters Byron Murphy and Isaiah Rodgers have been solid but perhaps a little inconsistent. Yet, they have mostly gotten the job done.
Behind them, however, Flores has to pick between Jeff Okudah, Dwight McGlothern, and Fabian Moreau.
Okudah, a former high draft pick, has been his reclamation project, but the defender hasn’t taken the next step in his development that the decision-makers had hoped for when they added him in free agency. He’s currently recovering from his second concussion of the season, and his play has been poor.
The problem is that Flores lacks a replacement. McGlothern has shown flashes in August, but for some reason, he isn’t trusted with real regular-season defensive snaps. Practice squad veteran Moreau got the nod over him on Sunday, and he’s 31 and failed to find a different team in the offseason.
Gardner was (perhaps too) expensive, but he would’ve demoted each corner one spot. It needs to be said, though, that the former Jet wasn’t the only cornerback the Vikings could’ve traded for. Saints defender Alontae Taylor has been rumored to be a potential trade target for other teams, and Seattle’s Riq Woolen has drawn some interest from Vikings fans.
Flores will have to deal with the underwhelming cornerback depth for the remainder of the season, and undoubtedly hopes for a healthy group that he doesn’t have to test his backups too much.
An alternative route could be to take a look at free agent Asante Samuel Jr., who is set to visit the purple squad.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
