The Minnesota Vikings have taken full advantage of the opportunities that have been given to them. While some advanced stats don’t believe they are playing as well as their record would suggest, at 6-1, they are in a great position. Despite that fact, they are still looking to improve the roster and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool could be a target.
They are currently holding the No. 2 seed in the NFC behind only the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles, who delivered the Vikings their only loss of the season in Week 2. Minnesota also has a stranglehold on the NFC North division right now, leading by 3.5 games over the 3-5 Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers.
Their strength of schedule does get a little tougher over the next month, so they will have to keep playing at a high level to sustain their success. Could they be on the hunt for some upgrades to make for the stretch run?
According to NFL Rumors on Twitter, the Vikings are seeking out some help on the trade market. It is being reported that they have shown some interest in Chase Claypool of the Pittsburgh Steelers and have checked in on his availability.
The Vikings already have two excellent wide receivers in star Justin Jefferson and productive veteran Adam Thielen. K.J. Osborn has been a solid No. 3 option behind them, so, interestingly, they have shown interest in Claypool.
One of the reasons could be that the team knows they need a long-term answer across from Jefferson. Thielen could be a post-June 1st cut for Minnesota next year as it would save the team $13,417,647 against the salary cap. That is a significant amount of money and would enable the Vikings to spend elsewhere to shore up other areas of the team.
Acquiring Claypool ahead of the trade deadline will not come cheap. The Steelers have a high asking price and as the tweet states, there are respected former players in Ben Roethlisberger and Charlie Batch that are advising the team not to make a move involving Claypool.
That could be why the asking price is so high. Pittsburgh reportedly wants a package similar to what the Carolina Panthers received in exchange for Christian McCaffrey, which was a second, third and fourth-round pick in 2023 and a fifth-round pick in 2024.
It would be hard to imagine Minnesota ponying up that kind of price for Claypool, but if they feel that he would help get them over the edge as contenders, they could seriously consider it as Minnesota is in a position to contend this season.
