Although the Minnesota Vikings finished 14-3 in 2024, they enter the 2025 offseason with roster needs. Josh Metellus is the only secondary player under contract in 2025, meaning the Vikings will have to address cornerback and safety through free agency and, likely, the draft.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report suggested that the Vikings aggressively address the secondary. He wrote about six trade ideas for the upcoming offseason, including the Vikings trading for Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward.
The trade would have the Vikings give the Browns the 24th overall pick in this year’s draft. Minnesota would receive Ward and a 2025 sixth-round pick.
Davenport explained the trade:
Ward has long been one of the NFL’s better players at a premium position. He’s headed to his fourth Pro Bowl and is in the prime of the career. But if Minnesota offers the 24th overall pick for Ward, Cleveland should pull the trigger.
It would be a truly “all-in” move for the Vikings, who are already short on draft picks this year. But with $57.9 million in cap space, the Vikings could make this splash trade and still have enough money to bring back Sam Darnold.
The Browns will likely be sellers this offseason, with star Myles Garrett stating on Monday that he wants to be traded. Cleveland is trying to get out of the Deshaun Watson mess, so getting rid of players for draft capital makes sense.
This trade doesn’t make much sense for the Vikings, though. Minnesota currently has three selections in the draft. Even if they were to get an additional compensatory pick, would Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wish to send away a first-round pick for a cornerback who will be 28 when the season starts? The financial aspect and more limited period for him to be a high-level option isn’t as appealing as a potential 21- or 22-year-old rookie on a smaller contract.
Ward’s ability is undeniable, though. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft, and Adofo-Mensah was somewhat familiar with him during his two-year stint in Cleveland from 2020 to 21.
But does that mean Adofo-Mensah pulls the trigger to bring Ward in while trading away a premium draft pick? It doesn’t feel like a move that aligns with what the regime has done up to this point.