The Minnesota Vikings made a difficult, albeit necessary, move earlier this offseason with their roster. Hometown kid and long-time wide receiver Adam Thielen was released as the team sought out ways to get under the salary cap.
With a cap hit of nearly $20 million, Minnesota really had no choice but to move on from Thielen, who had been with the team since going undrafted out of Minnesota State in 2014. He had some big seasons with the Vikings, but his production no longer matched the price. He hasn’t recorded a 1,000-yard season since 2018, which was also the last time Thielen made a Pro Bowl.
With Thielen now on the Carolina Panthers, the Vikings have a hole to fill on their offense. Justin Jefferson is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL, but the team is lacking in depth behind him.
K.J. Osborn could be asked to take on a larger role after catching 60 passes for 650 yards and five touchdowns last season. However, without Thielen in the mix, the next most productive wide receiver on the roster is Jalen Nailor, who caught nine passes for 179 yards in 15 games last season.
In need of another weapon in the passing game, the Vikings could turn to the trade market to make a deal. One player who would be a nice fit for their offense is Jerry Jeudy of the Denver Broncos.
Jeudy was the only bright spot in what was a brutal Broncos passing defense last season. He was able to stay healthy, appearing in 15 games while catching a career-high 67 passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns.
The Broncos reportedly don’t have much interest in trading Jeudy or Courtland Sutton and the asking price is reportedly very high. If the Vikings are going to acquire him, they will have to make an aggressive offer as teams have been calling about their availability since before the trade deadline in November.
If Minnesota believes adding another pass catcher of Jeudy’s caliber to complement Jefferson will get them over the hump, they can offer the No. 23 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. If they want to hold onto that selection, they can try and offer their third-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and see if Denver bites.
Given their lack of draft capital, the Broncos may value two Day 2 picks in the next two drafts. As for the Vikings, they would be getting a wide receiver only scratching the surface of his potential that could really break out playing opposite of Jefferson.
