The Minnesota Vikings got their bye in Week 6, and it came at a good time. After racing out to a 5-0 start, they had a chance to get bodies right before Week 7 sends them straight into a matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.
That game also arrives at an awkward moment for Indianapolis. The Colts dropped a game to the previously winless Tennessee Titans, and Monday brought a major change when long-time general manager Chris Ballard was fired. At 2-4, the season is far from over, but the Colts could easily be 2-7 by the Sunday before the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
That matters for Minnesota. The Vikings are clearly in buy mode, and the Colts’ situation makes them a natural team to monitor.
With Indianapolis visiting U.S. Bank Stadium just days after the front office shakeup, the Vikings can do some advance scouting in plain sight.
There are a few Colts players Minnesota should have on the radar right away.
Jonathan Taylor is the biggest name on the board. A trade would be hard to picture at first glance, especially after Indianapolis just gave him a contract extension before the season. But Taylor is 27 now, and he turns 28 right after this season, which doesn’t exactly line up with a reset or rebuild.
Anyone who traded for Taylor would be taking on the prorated portions of his $6.98 million base salary and $1.02 million in per-game roster bonuses for this year. Depending on when a deal happened, that price tag would be manageable for a back of his caliber.
Beyond this season, though, Taylor has no guaranteed salary left. His remaining cap hits are $16.02 million in 2027 and $17.98 million in 2028, with a big chunk of that 2028 figure tied to a $7.5 million roster bonus due on the fifth day of the league year. Indianapolis built in protection against decline, and any team that acquires him would get those same terms.
The Vikings may not need a running back in the most urgent sense, especially with Jordan Mason expected back this week to pair with Aaron Jones. But if a team like Minnesota has the chance to chase an upgrade at the position, Taylor is the kind of player that gets attention fast.
Mo Alie-Cox also fits. He’s been around Indianapolis long enough to have played with Andrew Luck, and while his role has never been massive, he’s been productive when called on. This season, he’s a top-15 overall-graded tight end by PFF and has four catches, one of them a touchdown.
Minnesota has some moving parts at tight end. Josh Oliver is out indefinitely, and when T.J.
Hockenson left Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints very early with a concussion, the Vikings turned to young tight ends Ben Yurosek and Gavin Bartholomew. They held up well, but the question is whether that setup can last behind Hockenson, who likely used the bye week to recover.
Alie-Cox would give the Vikings a veteran answer there, and because he is on an expiring contract, he makes sense as a trade candidate for a Colts team heading in a new direction.
Another name to watch is DeForest Buckner. He wasted no time showing his frustration after the loss to Tennessee, and with Ballard gone, that only adds to the idea that he could be dealt. Buckner is 32 and in the final year of his contract, which makes him look even more like a player who’d want to land with a contender.
Minnesota has already committed to a youth movement at defensive tackle this season, with two rookies and Jalen Redmond forming the core there. Still, Buckner’s resume is hard to ignore. He has four sacks this season and remains one of the best pass rushers at his position, period.
A team trading for Buckner would take on the prorated remainder of his $13 million base salary for this year, with no future commitment attached. As of the end of Week 6, that figure would be $8.67 million.
Josh Downs rounds out the list. Minnesota is still sorting out its wide receiver situation, and Jauan Jennings appears to be on the outs as the No. 3 option. Sunday’s game against Indianapolis gives Jennings a chance to change that, but it also gives the Vikings a chance to see a possible replacement on the other sideline.
The Colts have never really given Downs a fully developed role, which is strange enough on its own. Recently, with Alex Pierce out, the shell of Keenan Allen has had a higher target rate in games he and Downs have played together.
Like the others here, Downs is in the final year of his contract. The prorated portion of his $3.924 million base salary would be easy enough for any team that wants help at receiver, and the Vikings are in that market right now.
In Other News...
Vikings Undefeated Start Could Force A Huge Backfield Decision
The Vikings undefeated start has given them room to think bigger, even with a defense doing the heavy lifting and the offense still searching for more pop. If Minnesota decides to make a real push to upgrade its backfield, the discussion naturally turns to two of the biggest names available: Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor. Both would instantly change the look of a unit that has not fully matched the teams record, and both would come with the kind of price tag and complexity that make this more than a simple fit question.
Jonathan Taylor looms as the more intriguing possibility because of what he could mean for Minnesotas offense if the Vikings decide to go all in. Barkley remains part of the conversation too, but the bigger issue is whether the front office wants to make a meaningful swing now, with an undefeated team already showing it can win and still leaving plenty of room for improvement. The challenge is finding the right balance between chasing immediate offense and protecting the roster structure that helped get the Vikings here in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Jauan Jennings Has Become A Real Vikings Roster Debate
Jauan Jennings has settled into the Vikings WR3 spot, but the fit has not produced the kind of return Minnesota expected when the offense started sorting out its passing-game hierarchy. His receiving production has lagged, and his run-blocking grades have also fallen short this season, which has made him a more complicated player to value as Kevin OConnell and the staff sort through the bye-week reset.
OConnell has already said he wants to get Jennings more involved, and that alone tells you this is no ordinary depth-chart note. The next stretch of games will go a long way toward determining whether Jennings can carve out a bigger role in Minnesotas offense or whether the Vikings have to keep listening if another team shows interest before the roster picture tightens again. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Trade Deadline Pressure Is Rising After Minnesotas Perfect Start
Minnesotas perfect start has only sharpened the focus on what comes next, and the chatter around the trade deadline is already building. Vikings insider Alec Lewis reported that general manager Nolan Teasley is expected to be busy as Nov. 10 approaches, with the team looking at ways to improve a roster that has played well enough to keep expectations high.
The challenge is fitting a move into a cap picture that is tight while also deciding how much draft capital the Vikings are willing to spend. Even so, the club has multiple picks to work with, and the most obvious areas drawing attention are tight end, running back, safety and guard after injuries and uneven play created some real pressure spots. [Read more 🡒]