4 operations the Vikings must make to keep up with the mighty Lions

What was once a picturesque beginning Minnesota Vikings a season in which they were in first place in the NFC North and a 5-0 conference record has now suddenly taken a turn for the worse. After their first loss of the year in a heartbreaker to the rival Lions that gave Detroit the division lead, they ended a short week and fell to the Rams, though not without controversy.

Now 5-2 on the season, the Vikings are still within playoff contention, but the division may be slipping away. Detroit looks like a juggernaut, with the win over Minnesota sandwiched between a pair of 38-point victories over the Cowboys and Titans, respectively. With the NFL trade deadline just over a week away, the Vikings need to be buyers and make the right moves.

They almost certainly won’t be able to make every move on their wish list, but the Vikings’ trade targets should look something like this as they look to reclaim the NFC North and make a playoff run. Those players would certainly help the cause if Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can get them to Minnesota despite the organization’s relatively limited draft capital.

The loss of Christian Darriso for the season is hard to understate as a critical blow to the Vikings. He was one of the best hitters in the league and one of the true leaders in his position group in the league. David Quessenberry is a capable veteran backup, but turning to the line now should be extremely important for Minnesota.

And someone like Carolina Panthers lineman Brady Christensen would make perfect sense given the situation with the Vikings. Carolina is in no rush this season and is expected to be a massive seller before the deadline. A player like Christensen, who is coming off his rookie deal at age 28, could be the right marriage of low cost and efficiency for the Vikings.

Christensen’s best trait is his versatility, having spent time at tackle, guard and center during his time with the Panthers. If Kevin O’Connell and his staff are confident that Quessenberry will come in at left tackle to replace Darrisow, Christensen could be an extremely valuable depth piece that can be shuffled around as needed, which is exactly what the Vikings could use in the wake of the injury.

Over the past few offseasons, we’ve seen Minnesota’s front office make a concerted effort to improve the secondary with veterans like Stephon Gilmore, Byron Murphy Jr. and even Shaq Griffin. And the corner room under Brian Flores had one of its best years. However, against the Rams, we saw just how much a lack of depth can hurt the Vikings’ defense in that stretch.

So being willing to buy a player like Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II on the cheap would be the perfect type of move for this organization. Newsome is in the fourth year of his rookie contract, and Cleveland has already picked up the former 26th overall pick’s fifth-year option. But even with a win in Week 8, the Browns must remain in sell mode to try to rebuild the franchise after the Deshaun Watson fiasco. Trading Newsome could be part of it.

His 2025 cap hit would make him an interesting trade commodity, as the Browns could either look to get a lower value in draft capital if the Vikings take his money, or they could eat some of that salary. Either way, Adofo-Mensah will have the opportunity to negotiate and add a player who, while in the midst of a down year, has generally performed at a high enough level to be considered a valuable addition to a better and better-coached defense in Minnesota.

Building a veteran Vikings defensive line was a budget stroke of genius this season. Jerry Tillery, Harrison Phillips, and Jonathan Bullard aren’t the players we’ll be telling our grandkids about when we drop them in our laps years from now, but they were a reliable force up front.

Similar to the secondary, the problems arise when you look at Minnesota’s depth on the roster. Rookie seventh-round pick Levi Drake Rodriguez and UDFA Taki Taimani are the only deep pieces on the defensive line right now, so targeting veteran Calais Campbell, even at age 38, would be well worth it.

Despite his age, Campbell was still a fearsome presence on the defensive front. He’s the fourth-ranked inside linebacker in the league according to PFF entering Week 8, still creates pressure as a pass rusher and still stops the run. With the Dolphins’ season seemingly winding down, the Vikings could take advantage of a veteran-starved squad and find an elite rotation piece at a reasonable price.

In particular, given the potential unhappiness of Jordan Addison (who knows what his cryptic “Free 3” social media post really meant), the Vikings could use another running mate for their star pass catcher, Justin Jefferson. The impending return of TJ Hockenson will help greatly in that regard, and Addison will almost certainly allay his fears. But even with that, another secondary option for Sam Darnold could help lift the offense.

So why not take a look at meeting veteran Adam Thielen? The 34-year-old is currently languishing, like Christensen, on the Panthers’ roster and spending the tail end of his career on a team that looks to continue to pile up the losses. It’s been reported that Carolina can sell off parts quite aggressively, and Thielen is one of the smartest options to move given his age.

With that said, he is coming off a 2023 season in which he caught 103 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. He still has a lot left in the tank and could be quite valuable in any trade, especially after being held back in Week 8 with a hamstring injury. But after nine seasons with the Vikings, he could come in and immediately diversify the passing game in a way that would have Kevin O’Connell drooling over the possibilities it could open up.