4 trades the Vikings must make to keep up with the powerful Lions

What was once a beautiful beginning Minnesota Vikings While they were atop the NFC North on the season, their conference standings suddenly took a turn for the worse at 5-0. After their first loss of the year against the rival Lions, which gave Detroit the league lead, they fell to the Rams with the short week behind them. not without some controversy.

At 5-2 on the season, the Vikings are still in playoff contention, but a league loss could happen. Detroit appears to be a juggernaut, with the win over Minnesota sandwiched between 38-point victories over the Cowboys and Titans, respectively. With just over a week until the NFL Trade Deadline, the Vikings need to be receptive and make the right moves.

They almost certainly won’t be able to make every move on their wish list, but that’s what the Vikings’ trade targets should look like as they aim to recapture the NFC North and make a run in the playoffs. If Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can get them to Minnesota despite the organization’s relatively limited draft capital, these players will certainly help that cause.

Losing Christian Darrisow for the season cannot be taken lightly considering what a critical blow it was for the Vikings. He is one of the best attackers in the league and one of the strongest players in his position group in the league. David Quessenberry is a talented and experienced bench player, but addressing the line must be extremely important for Minnesota now.

And someone like Carolina Panthers lineman Brady Christensen would make perfect sense given the Vikings’ situation. Carolina is going nowhere fast this season and is expected to make a big sellout at the deadline. A player like Christensen, 28, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, could be the right marriage of low cost and efficiency for the Vikings.

Christensen’s best asset is his versatility, having spent time at tackle, guard and center during his tenure with the Panthers. If Kevin O’Connell and the staff are confident that Quessenberry can step in from left wing to replace Darrisow, Christensen could serve as an extremely valuable depth piece that can be shuffled around as needed; Which is exactly what the Vikings could use. following the injury.

Over the last few offseasons, Minnesota management has used Stephon Gilmore, Byron Murphy Jr. to improve the secondary. and we even saw him put in intense effort with experienced names like Shaq Griffin. And the cornerback room under Brian Flores had one of its best years. But against the Rams, we saw how much a lack of depth could hurt the Vikings’ defense.

Therefore, acquiring a player like Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II on the cheap would be an excellent move for this organization. Newsome is in the fourth year of his rookie contract and Cleveland had previously picked up the fifth-year option of the 26th overall pick. But despite the win in Week 8, the Browns need to remain in sell mode to reset the franchise after the Deshaun Watson debacle. Trading Newsome could be part of that.

His 2025 cap hit would make him an interesting trade item, as the Browns could either aim to get a lower price in draft capital if the Vikings take his money, or they could opt to eat some of that salary. Either way, Adofo-Mensah will have the flexibility to negotiate and add a player who, despite being in the middle of a poor year, has performed at a high enough level overall and can be considered a valuable addition to a better and better-coached season. Defense in Minnesota.

The masterful construction of the Vikings defensive line has been a genius move from a budget perspective this season. Jerry Tillery, Harrison Phillips and Jonathan Bullard aren’t the type of players we’ll tell our grandchildren about after years of being brought to our knees, but they have been a solid force up front.

As with the secondary, problems arise when you look at Minnesota’s depth on the roster. Seventh-round rookie Levi Drake Rodriguez and UDFA Taki Taimani are the only depth pieces on the defensive line right now, so targeting veteran Calais Campbell even at 38 would be quite beneficial.

Despite his age, Campbell still provides a monstrous presence on the defensive front. Entering Week 8, he is the league’s fourth-leading inside linebacker according to PFF and continues to generate pressure as a pass rusher and stop the run. With the Dolphins season currently looking like it’s going down the drain, the Vikings could take advantage of a team that doesn’t really need the veteran and find an elite rotation piece at a reasonable trade price.

Especially considering the potential unhappiness of Jordan Addison (who knows what the cryptic social media post of “Free 3” actually means), the Vikings may need another running mate for their star pass-catcher Justin Jefferson. The impending return of TJ Hockenson will of course help this greatly, and Addison’s concerns will almost certainly be assuaged. But even so, another secondary option for Sam Darnold could help elevate the offense.

So why not check out a reunion with the master Adam Thielen? The 34-year-old is currently wasted on the Panthers roster like Christensen, spending the twilight of his career on a team that will keep losing. Carolina could reportedly sell pieces quite aggressively, and Thielen is one of the most logical options to move based on his age.

However, he is coming off a 2023 season in which he caught 103 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. He still has a lot left in the tank and could be quite affordable in any trade, especially after being out with a hamstring injury in Week 8. But having previously spent nine seasons with the Vikings, he could step in and instantly diversify the passing game in a way that would have Kevin O’Connell drooling over the avenues it could open up.