The Minnesota Vikings are in search of a new franchise quarterback following Kirk Cousins’ departure to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency. Cousins led the Vikings for six seasons, resulting in two playoff appearances and one postseason victory during his tenure.
Recently, there has been a resurgence of a potential trade partner for the Vikings. Nine days ago, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah took significant trade actions to fill the quarterback void left by Cousins. This included trading two 2nd-Round picks to the Houston Texans in exchange for the Texans’ 2024 1st-Round pick (Pick No. 23) and a late-round pick swap. It appears that another trade is on the horizon for Minnesota as they aim to secure a premium rookie quarterback prospect in the draft’s Top 5.
Many Minnesota Vikings fans have identified the New England Patriots (Pick No. 3), Arizona Cardinals (Pick No. 4), and Los Angeles Chargers (Pick No. 5) as potential trade partners, largely discounting the Chicago Bears (Pick No. 1) and Washington Commanders (Pick No. 2) as trade options. The prevailing belief is that the Bears and Commanders will opt to keep their draft positions and select Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, respectively.
However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler suggests that assumptions about Washington may be premature. He recently mentioned on SportsCenter that Washington remains open to various possibilities and is undergoing a thorough evaluation process. According to Fowler, a team source indicated that Washington has not definitively decided on their course of action. While the expectation is for the Bears to select Caleb Williams at No. 1, Washington is planning to send representatives to the Pro Days of both Jayden Daniels at LSU and Drake Maye at UNC to assess their options before making a final decision.
The potential cost of a trade with the Washington Commanders would likely be very high, possibly involving three 1st-Round picks or more. However, Minnesota Vikings fans are primarily focused on the long-term success of the franchise, so they may not be overly concerned about the trade price if the drafted quarterback proves to be a franchise cornerstone for a decade or more.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, there is considerable interest in the No. 2 pick from teams looking to move up in the draft. However, despite the inquiries and discussions, the prevailing sentiment in the league is that Washington will ultimately select one of the highly coveted quarterbacks available at No. 2, considering it’s a rare opportunity to acquire such talent at that position in the draft.
While the Washington Commanders have signaled their openness to trade discussions, it doesn’t necessarily mean that other potential trade partners, like the New England Patriots, have been ruled out. The Patriots could still engage in negotiations with the Minnesota Vikings or any other team in need of a quarterback in the draft.
Despite this, many Vikings fans have seemingly overlooked the Commanders as a potential trade partner, which may not be justified based on Jeremy Fowler’s reporting. Fowler’s insights suggest that Washington is actively considering their options and could indeed be a viable trade partner for the Vikings or other teams seeking to move up in the draft.
It’s worth noting that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the general manager of the Minnesota Vikings, has a history of working alongside Adam Peters, the general manager of the Washington Commanders, during their time together in San Francisco for three years. This existing relationship between the two should facilitate communication and negotiations if the Vikings were to engage in a trade with Washington.
A potential trade with the Commanders would position the Vikings in an advantageous spot to draft prospects like Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye, as mentioned by Jeremy Fowler. This strategic move could significantly impact the team’s future quarterback situation and overall roster development.
