This is a make-it or break-it season for the Minnesota Vikings. That might even be putting it mildly depending on how things play out in 2022.
The Vikings haven’t made the playoffs in the last two seasons. A third absence from the end-of-the-season dance might prompt the front office to smash the roster to pieces and start from scratch.
However, Bleacher Report’s Ian Wharton suggested two trades that would kick in before the start of the season. The first trade would be the Denver Broncos sending a 2023 second-round draft pick to the Vikings in exchange for former First Team All-Pro linebacker Eric Kendricks.
Along with moving Kendricks, Wharton also included a trade for legendary cornerback Patrick Peterson in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round draft pick.
Both trades would make sense if the Vikings weren’t in a win-now scenario. It’s tough to believe they would have worked as hard as they did restructuring contracts, including getting fleeced again by quarterback Kirk Cousins at the negotiating table, to then turn around and trade away two key veteran players for future assets.
Unless the Vikings completely implode before the trade deadline, they’re likely going to keep their core intact and see if they can make a playoff run this season.
If they fail to do so, then things could definitely get interesting in 2023. That could be the year where they become sellers instead of buyers.
