The Vikings’ trade deadline chatter keeps circling the same place: the backfield.
With Minnesota sitting at 6-1 and trying to keep pace in the NFL’s toughest division, the most credible buzz ahead of Nov. 10 has centered on running back help, along with interior offensive line, blocking tight end and defensive tackle. That’s the board Alec Lewis has been watching closely.
“Running back, interior of the offensive line, blocking tight end and defensive tackle. Those are really the four positions that I’ve had my eyes trained on now for multiple weeks,” Lewis said on his podcast, The Alec Lewis Show, which dropped a new episode Tuesday morning.
Jonathan Taylor has emerged as the biggest name in the running back market, and the Vikings are being mentioned as one of the teams pushing hardest. The Colts are reportedly open to moving the 27-year-old, and NFL insider Jordan Schultz said Minnesota is among the clubs making a real run at him.
“I would say this on JT: my understanding is that five to six teams have been aggressively pursuing him: Giants, Packers, Broncos, Seahawks, Bengals, Vikings,” Schultz said Monday on The Pivot with Ryan Clark. “I believe he also would be open to a fresh start.
And I think it will take at least a second-round-plus, call it plus additional compensation, to get it done. And I actually do expect that to happen.”
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer backed up the idea that Minnesota is deep in the mix, reporting Monday that “the Giants and Vikings have been most aggressive in looking for running backs on the trade market the last couple weeks.”
Lewis didn’t shut the door on Taylor, either.
“I can’t rule out that as a possibility, knowing the amount of impact he could make on an offense that needs some kind of gasoline thrown on the fire to jump-start this thing,” Lewis said about the Taylor possibility.
If Taylor doesn’t happen, Breece Hall could be the next name to watch. ESPN’s Adam Schefter raised that possibility Monday and repeated it Tuesday during an ESPN Radio interview.
“Does Breece Hall become the next running back trade target for the teams that were checking in on a running back like Taylor?” Schefter speculated on Monday, only to reiterate that same point on Tuesday during an ESPN Radio interview.
Schefter also put Minnesota first when discussing Taylor on The Pat McAfee Show. Whether that means anything is unclear, but it does show where the Vikings are showing up in the conversation.
The other headline-grabbing possibility was a long shot at best: Justin Herbert. Breer was asked Tuesday whether the Chargers quarterback could realistically become available for Minnesota, and he poured cold water on the idea.
“I would say it’s not likely you’re going to trade for Justin Herbert. I don’t see a scenario where the Chargers make him available over the next week,” Breer said Tuesday.
“But I wouldn’t mind the Vikings taking a swing on this. I think the idea of trading for a player like this is similar to the idea of trading for Jeffrey Simmons, where Jeffrey Simmons wasn’t necessarily available.”
Schefter was even more direct during the same ESPN Radio appearance.
“That would really surprise me. They’ve shown no willingness or interest in doing that.”
So the Vikings are left where they’ve been for weeks: hunting for help, with running back at the front of the line and a few other spots in the mix. The deadline is Nov. 10, and with Minnesota already 6-1, the next move could matter.
In Other News...
Vikings Are Wasting A Defense That Should Change Everything
The Vikings keep showing the same frustrating split: a defense good enough to change the shape of the season, and an offense that keeps making that harder than it should be. In Week 8, Minnesotas defense again did its part against Detroit, limiting a quality opponent and reinforcing the idea that this unit has become one of the leagues best at squeezing out possessions and forcing teams into uncomfortable football.
What makes it sting is how little help the defense is getting from the other side of the ball. Minnesotas offense has struggled to stay on schedule and finish drives, leaving the Vikings stuck in a familiar place where elite defensive play is being asked to cover for too much. For a team with a defense this strong, thats the kind of imbalance that can define a season if it doesnt get corrected soon. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings May Be Mishandling Ivan Pace Jr At The Worst Time
Ivan Pace Jr. has remained a familiar part of the Vikings' game-day mix this season, but mostly on special teams, even as the defense has settled into its current linebacker rotation. Through seven games, his role on defense has been limited, which stands out for a player who flashed enough as a rookie to make you wonder whether Minnesota should be doing more with him right now.
The timing matters because Pace is on a one-year contract, and the Vikings do not appear set up to make a long-term commitment at linebacker with other options already entrenched in starting spots. If Minnesota is going to consider moving him, giving him a bigger defensive platform would help clarify what kind of value he might have around the league, and the next stretch of games could determine whether he stays buried in a depth role or gets a real chance to raise his stock. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings History Still Turns On One Franchise Defining In-Season Trade
The Vikings are still sitting at 6-1 and on top of the NFC North even after a recent loss to the Lions, but the franchises history keeps circling back to one move that helped define its identity. In ESPNs look at the biggest in-season trade in team history, Jim Marshalls arrival in 1961 stands out as the kind of transaction that shaped far more than a roster spot.
Marshall went on to become one of the most durable and respected players in franchise history, setting an NFL record for consecutive games played and serving as a longtime captain. His number is retired by the Vikings, a reminder that some trades are remembered less for the moment they happened than for the standard they helped establish. [Read more 🡒]