Vikings Open To Trading Several Notable Veterans?

According to Jason La Canfora, there’s a sense from conversations with league sources and executives that the Vikings are open to trading a few of their veteran players. 

La Canfora lists WR Adam Thielen, LB Eric Kendricks, DT Michael Pierce and even RB Dalvin Cook as players who Minnesota is open to listening to offers for. 

He explains people around the league believe the new regime, led by GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and HC Kevin O’Connell, understands it needs to reset its cap situation and add draft picks. 

There’s also a sense the Vikings are realistic about the return they’re looking at for any of these players, which would probably be minimal given their salaries for 2022. La Canfora adds he’d be surprised if Minnesota didn’t make multiple transactions in this area. 

Thielen, 31, wound up signing on with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State-Mankato back in 2013. He spent his rookie season on the Vikings’ practice squad before returning to the team on a future/reserve contract the following year.

Minnesota brought Thielen back for the 2015 season on a one-year exclusive rights deal before signing him to a four-year, $19.240 million contract that included $11 million guaranteed in 2017. 

Thielen was set to make base salaries of $5.85 million and $5.35 million before agreeing to a four-year extension in 2019 worth as much as $73 million.

He’s set to make base salaries of $12 million and $13 million the next two seasons. 

In 2021, Thielen appeared in 13 games and caught 67 passes for 726 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns.

Cook, 26, is a former second-round pick of the Vikings back in 2017. He was in the third year of his four-year, $6.35 million rookie contract and set to make a base salary of $1.13 million for the 2020 season when the Vikings signed him to a five-year, $63 million extension through 2025. 

He’s set to make base salaries of $8.3 million and $10.4 million the next two seasons. 

In 2021, Cook appeared in 13 games and recorded 249 rushing attempts for 1,159 yards (4.7 YPC) and six touchdowns, to go along with 34 receptions for 224 yards (7.4 YPC). 

Kendricks, 30, is a former second-round pick of the Vikings back in 2015. He signed a four-year, $5.155 million contract and was set to make a base salary of $705,000 for the 2018 season before signing a five-year, $50 million extension in 2018. 

He’s set to make a base salary of $9.15 million in each of the final two years remaining on his deal. 

In 2021, Kendricks appeared in 15 games for the Vikings and recorded 143 tackles, five sacks, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and four pass deflections.

We’ll have more on the Vikings as the new is available.