The Minnesota Vikings have finished their preseason against the Philadelphia Eagles with a 26-3 win.
One of the things that is intriguing with General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is the aspect of trades. He loves to make moves across the board and tries to bring in players that could give him surplus value.
Adofo-Mensah has tried that with wide receiver Jalen Reagor and defensive tackle Ross Blacklock. Neither of them worked out but taking a chance with a player that had a high pedigree coming out is a good strategy.
Over the last week, we have seen multiple players changing teams, including the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks being involved in multiple trades. The Vikings could make trades to acquire a player, but what if they want to accrue more draft picks? These four players could be on the move.
TE Robert Tonyan
Tonyan is a tough one to parse out. He was signed back in May and the Vikings hoped he would be the guy to step up and fill in for T.J. Hockenson while he is still rehabbing a torn ACL. Unfortunately, Tonyan went down during practice with back spasms and didn't play in the preseason.
With Tonyan out, the emergence of Nick Muse has made it easier to part ways with Tonyan. If a team needs an experienced tight end that has played well in practice, Tonyan could be on the move.
OLB Pat Jones II
The Vikings selected Jones in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Since he was selected, Jones has made an impact as a rotational pass rusher and especially one who can set the edge.
The reason why Jones might be on the trade block is two-fold: he is in the final year of his contract and the depth the Vikings have with young players could have the front office try to shop Jones for some draft capital. He also becomes more expendable with the emergence of Jihad Ward.
ILB Brian Asamoah II
Linebacker has been a tough position for the Vikings over the last few years. When they selected Asamoah, they hoped it would make an impact. His speed and explosiveness was really intriguing. Ultimately, it hasn't worked out.
Asamoah was initially drafted for a Vic Fangio-style defense, as tackling isn't his forte. In that defense, gang-tackling is the approach but with Brian Flores, you need to be able to consistently make a tackle in space. A defense that uses that approach could be intrigued by Asamoah.
S Lewis Cine
This is the one that is incredibly intriguing for the Vikings. Cine was a first-round pick in 2022 who's career was stunted hard by a compound fracture of his lower leg in week four of his rookie season. That has been a major factor in limiting Cine to just 10 defensive snaps over his first two seasons.
Against the Cleveland Browns, Cine played the entire game and balled out with 10 tackles, a sack and interception. However, that is the only good performance that he's had so far. Will that be enough for the Vikings or another team to keep him? That will be the big question going into cut down day.
S Jay Ward
If the Vikings keep Cine, Ward is the player who could be on the block. A versatile player, Ward was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was drafted as a safety but had extensive experience at cornerback.
The Vikings gave Ward extensive run at outside cornerback during training camp and it did not go very well. He struggled in multiple facets and that allowed Cine to get even more playing time. Ward could be expendable and be a player that a team values highly on the market with his versatility.
