The Minnesota Vikings are sitting atop the NFC North at 4-0 after winning the first intradivisional game of the season against the Green Bay Packers 31-29. The win has them ranked as high as first in the National Football League in the latest power rankings.
The success the Vikings have had this season comes as somewhat of a surprise. Their preseason win total was set at 6.5 wins and this kind of success puts them in rare territory.
If the Vikings are serious about making a run at the Super Bowl this season, a trade before the trade deadline might become an option and a top player in the NFL just became available.
Could the Vikings trade for Davante Adams?
On Tuesday afternoon, news broke that the Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams would prefer to be traded. This stems from multiple factors, including his head coach Antonio Pierce liking a post on Instagram of all places.
ESPN's Paul Guttierez and Adam Schefter reported that the package for Adams would need to be a second round pick plus additional compensation. Adams has two years remaining on his contract with base salaries of $35,640,000 and $36,640,000.
Could the Vikings end up being intersted in a player like Adams? Who wouldn't be interested in Adams? He might be in his age 32 season but Adams is still one of the best players at the wide receiver position and would fit extremely well into the offense that head coach Kevin O'Connell runs.
Do the Vikings even need to trade for a receiver who is likely going to be released after the season? That is the element that makes a move unlikely. They can maneuver with salary cap space to create room with ease, but it wouldn't be a great move for their salary cap health long-term. In 2025, the Vikings are projected to have $76,007,788 per Over The Cap before anything rolls over from 2024.
The other issue with trading for Adams is the compensation. They only have three guaranteed picks next year with a first round and two fifth round picks. They are expecting a third round compensatory selection but that won't come until February or March and can't be traded until then.
The Vikings do have their second round pick in 2026 at their disposal if they so choose, but they would have to be incredibly certain that Adams would put them over the top for a Super Bowl.
Is it a smart move? Well, pretty much every move is smart if it nets you a Super Bowl. However, a major trade for a wide receiver when you have Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor in the room doesn't make a ton of sense. I would much prefer a move for a defensive tackle that can be impactful in the middle.
Even with that said, don't rule anything out with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
