PurplePTSD: Questions Answered: Realism Of A Kendricks Trade, The Russell Wilson Chatter, Impatience In Free Agency

Press release from the PurplePTSD:

Dustin Baker

2022-03-08

The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by PurplePTSD. Today is the March 8th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to DustinBakerNFL@gmail.com.

Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.

Q: I’ve seen trade rumor stuff about Eric Kendricks. Would the Vikings really trade their best linebacker?

A: Yes, it is a possibility.

Kendricks is coming off a down year by his mammoth standards, grading a puny 59.6 score. He’s usually in the 80s or 90s for PFF grade.

Also, he’s 30 years old — not a great future-scaling age for a middle linebacker. To top it off, his cap hit in 2021 is north of $13 million. Oddly, his name hasn’t been mentioned much by Kwesi Adofo-Mensah or Kevin O’Connell during the opening weeks with the team. They went out of their way to compliment Anthony Barr and Harrison Smith — but not Kendricks.

A Kendricks trade is probably a longshot, generally speaking. But you shouldn’t be stunned at all if it happens. It’s all about the money in March.

Q: I don’t know why the Vikings are linked to Russell Wilson rumors. What’s the deal with that?

A: A website called Bookies.com announced Wilson with +550 odds to join the Vikings in 2021. He was the second-most-likely quarterback to lead the team. Behind, of course, Kirk Cousins.

Sportsbooks typically don’t get whimsical with their odds, so anytime a prop or future bet like this surfaces, it has to be given a smidgen of credence.

The Seahawks already reportedly turned down a big offer from the Washington Commanders for Wilson. He probably won’t be the Vikings quarterback in 2022, but it is cool to think about.

Q: Impatience is setting in. The Vikings have to clear cap space! When will it start?

A: We feel you.

The moves will start this week. So, like, any moment. You are correct that Minnesota must restructure deals and extend players — and maybe even trade a few — to get under the cap. That part is mandatory.

Adofo-Mensah must be cap compliant by March 16th. He’s got one week and change. Transactions are on the horizon; they’re just a few days later than normal compared to 2020 or 2021.

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. His YouTube Channel, VikesNow, debuts in March 2022. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).

This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.