The Minnesota Vikings are at a crossroads, and one report suggests the franchise could be on the verge of blowing things all the way up.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports wrote Monday that coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman “are perceived by the peers to be on the hot seat and it’s going to be impossible for Minnesota to keep this roster together in 2020.”
He also wrote that “teams will be sniffing around for trades, sensing some blood in the water, and it will go way beyond just receiver Stefon Diggs, the most talked about trade candidate.”
Among the players listed as potential trade targets, tight end Kyle Rudolph and defensive tackle Linval Joseph are notable, and La Canfora also wrote that he expects defensive end Everson Griffin to opt out of his deal as well. La Canfora concluded by writing, “a purge of one degree or another is inevitable.”
At the crux of all this is quarterback Kirk Cousins, who’ll make $31 million fully guaranteed this year and will be a free agent in 2021 if the Vikings don’t extend him. Cousins was signed a few years ago with the expectation he’d propel this team to the next level. Instead, both he and the Vikings have disappointed both years he’s been the starter.
Without a top quarterback, Minnesota’s been stuck in between the elite teams and mediocrity. It’s going to be fascinating to see what the Vikings do this offseason as they attempt to navigate a tricky situation with their roster and the cap.