The Minnesota Vikings ended the regular season at 7-9 and missed out on making the playoffs this year. While this was not the season Vikings fans were hoping for, there are plenty of promising pieces in place for next year.

Offensively, the tandem of Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson should be able to guide the team to be competitive in every game they play. Cap space issues are going to be the defining storyline this offseason for many teams, but Minnesota will be hurting more than others. With free agency likely not going to happen this year, Minnesota will need to look to trades to improve their team.

Here are three trades the Vikings should look at making.

Trade For Extra Picks

The Vikings have several players that have higher salary hits and are not making the impact that they were hoping for. Players like Kyle Rudolph on offense or Anthony Barr on defense seem to have their replacements already on the roster.

Rather than keep an expensive backup in a year where every dollar is going to count even more than normal, Minnesota is likely going to look to trade them. The Vikings would love to add additional draft capital if any team is willing to take on the large contracts.

This could be a huge ask for any team, since all teams are going to be looking for ways to cut money, but a team could get a steal from what a player like Rudolph or Barr would normally cost.

Stephon Gilmore

The New England Patriots tried to find a trade partner for Gilmore at the trade deadline, but were unable to find anyone to make a deal. The Vikings could take a player that was one of the best cornerbacks just two years ago when Gilmore won Defensive Players of the Year.

The Vikings would love to see some improvement in their secondary and while it is not the biggest need, it is an area that they could look to improve. Adding one of the players who could end up being a cap casualty plus a pick or two might be enough to get this deal done.

Trading Harrison Smith

Harrison Smith has been a stalwart member of the Vikings for many years now and has put up impressive numbers from the safety position. With his age starting to catch up, the Vikings will need to take a hard look in the mirror to determine when their championship window is and if Smith fits into the future plans.

If not, he is a player that could yield a high return to allow the Vikings to find a replacement through the draft.