The New England Patriots are in desperate need of a wide receiver, and Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd thinks that Minnesota Vikings superstar Justin Jefferson is not out of the question for them.
Jefferson just played out his fourth season with the Vikings and has not yet landed a long-term deal with the club. Minnesota has already exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, so he is still under team control through the end of 2024.
After that, however, Jefferson will be slated to hit free agency unless the Vikings can strike a new contract with him sometime soon.
Cowherd spoke with Michael Felger of NBC Sports Boston this week and proposed that the Patriots could send the No. 3 overall pick to the Vikes in exchange for Jefferson. This comes on the heels of ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reporting that some are expecting Minnesota to move up from No. 11 in order to draft a quarterback.
The question is, why would the Vikings do this?
If Minnesota wants to trade up, it probably would not have to give up Jefferson. It can include the No. 11 pick plus some other draft assets in order to slide up the order to take a signal-caller.
On top of that, the Vikings probably don’t even have to move all the way up to No. 3 to do this, as LSU’s Jayden Daniels may be available a few picks later.
Let’s say Minnesota trades Jefferson to New England for the third overall selection and takes a quarterback. Then what?
Well, it almost certainly won’t be landing USC’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye, as they are both expected to go one and two. That leaves Daniels, who, again, may still very well be on the table a few picks later, and he wouldn’t even have Jefferson to throw to.
The idea of the Vikings moving Jefferson just does not make too much sense at the moment. There has been no indication they are thinking about trading him, and he seems perfectly content for the time being.
Maybe if contract negotiations go awry, then, and only then, should Minnesota consider a trade. But up until that point, the Vikings should plan for Justin Jefferson to be on the roster in 2024.
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