How Will the Vikings Handle A Seller’s Market in the Draft?

The mystery of the Minnesota Vikings matchup remains a consuming black hole at the center of my sports mind. I try to understand again before this uncertainty runs through my brain like an illitid parasite. I’ve been writing about Minnesota’s quarterback situation for the past few weeks. Two weeks ago I wrote an article exploring a potential organizational draft to acquire and develop a young QB. CJ Stroud and Jordan Love have been cited as examples of first-year starters who became playoff QBs. Last week, we entered the bridge quarterback market and evaluated those who could help bring a potential rookie QB on board.

Both plays worked on the assumption that the Vikings could land a young quarterback worth the wait. But in a quarterback market where supply and demand can be out of balance, how realistic and expensive is a potential quarterback move?

February is just around the corner. There’s still a long way to go between now and draft day. I haven’t experienced the roller coaster of ups and downs that is the NFL draft industrial complex. We’re still not impressed with the player’s S2 score or his tiny baby hands. I’m sure things will get messy in the coming months. They do this all the time. NFL draft experts include the top three QBs: Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels. Then the trio of Bo Nix, J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penis. But we all know how that goes. Between now and April, all three will receive the same first-round buzzer as Hendon Hooker. The main reason this is happening is because the market is…so desperate.

More than any other time in recent memory, half the league seems to be looking for a new young quarterback this year. Minnesota is one of many teams eager to secure a legitimate future signal caller for development. And with more teams needing a QB, the asking price will be higher for teams looking to move up the rankings. It’s a seller’s market at the forefront of the concept, with no shortage of buyers.

The top three teams in this draft are all candidates to select one of the top three quarterbacks. The Chicago Bears have the first overall pick from the Carolina Panthers thanks to the Bryce Young trade and are currently favored for quarterback Justin Fields. The Bears could make a trade on draft weekend, but Fields would likely be sent to the next franchise. The only good thing for Minnesota is that trading Fields would keep the team out of the trade lottery.

The Washington Commanders have a new head coach and general manager, and Sam Howell wasn’t optimistic enough not to take a quarterback with the No. 2. Of the top three teams, Washington answers the fewest calls on draft day.

Finally, the New England Patriots are also interested in the quarterback. After the disappointing rollercoaster ride of the post-Tom Brady era, it’s doubtful that Robert Kraft would like the idea of Jarod Mayo starting under center with either Mac Jones or Bailey Jaffe as the head coach.

The first three could be gone in the blink of an eye. But New England feels like an outlier. With so much talent on the roster, the team could have an undisputed top three finish. While Chicago seems ready to move on from Fields, if they decide to keep Fields and trade him with the no. 1 for the second year in a row, could secure a new Kings dividend.

So who will the competitors be if a trade war breaks out? The New York Giants are one year removed from the disastrous Daniel Jones extension, and the No. 6 could be a top spot for a team looking to trade up again and secure top talent in the draft. If buyer’s remorse was strong enough for the Jones family, they would be a major competitor. The Atlanta Falcons are another team with a No. 7 pick whose offseason also hinges on its quarterback. Their offense is just as talented and under new head coach Raheem Morris, they could be one quarterback away from something special. Atlanta feels like the perfect landing spot for Kirk Cousins if he leaves Minnesota. Or, if the Bears part ways with him, maybe they’ll court Justin Fields. If you fall in love with a young QB, can you sell the farm and move on?

The Denver Broncos are in quarterback hell after losing Russell Wilson and are looking to rebuild the position. It would be a huge threat if they can’t raise capital after the disastrous Wilson deal.

The Las Vegas Raiders have collapsed due to terrible quarterback play and are unlikely to bring back Jimmy Garoppolo or Aidan O’Connell for another year. It won’t be as reckless as Las Vegas, and a young player might have a chance to change his destiny.

And there are teams that are on the edge of trade talks despite their need for a quarterback. Derek Carr has been a huge disappointment for the New Orleans Saints. But with big money, they will be able to survive next season. No. 16 The Seattle Seahawks appear to have had enough of Geno Smith and may be interested in a trade. However, they lacked extra ammunition in a potential trade and fell out of the second round after trading away Leonard Williams. Ultimately, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers felt destined to be a quarterback last season, but they won too many games to be a real contender.

But as you can see from this exercise, there is a huge supply and demand problem here. By my humble estimate, there are 11 teams still in need of a starting quarterback: Chicago, Washington, New England, New York, Atlanta, Minnesota, Denver, Vegas, Seattle, New Orleans and Tampa Bay. This corresponds to a third of the entire league. There are about three to six players that can fill this need, and you’ll only be comfortable with the top three.

If you’re feeling a growing sense of dread about the possibility of meeting that guy from Minnesota you like, welcome to my hell. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why some would want to re-sign Cousinsand not break the bank for another year. But others agree that the franchise can’t afford to continue to ignore this location at the risk of losing its future. Once Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell have identified who they want to be the future of this franchise, they can’t let him go again. It’s a stressful situation where it’s up to them to close the deal and pay big bucks.