Huge Deal: Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell Lands With Another Elite Strong Player

Could the Vikings potentially get a deal done sometime before next Thursday evening?

If the Vikings do end up trading up for a quarterback in next week’s NFL draft, when will that deal be finalized? Will it happen right when a team in the top five is on the clock, or might it get done earlier than that? ESPN’s Kimberley A. Martin, speaking on Get Up on Thursday, said the Vikings would love to move up prior to the draft.

“They’ve been on the phone, trying to actively move up,” Martin said. “Here’s the thing: It’s not a done deal. I think in a perfect world, the Vikings would start (next) Thursday with that top-five pick already in hand, they would have that spot. But it’s not guaranteed yet. And their GM has to decide if they’re going to give up the kind of compensation that they’d need to get into the top five.”

While it’s certainly possible that a deal gets done prior to next Thursday, it would be a little surprising. It’s been over a month since the Vikings swung the deal with the Texans to acquire an additional first-round pick, and there hasn’t been a subsequent trade yet. If it was going to happen before the draft, wouldn’t it have already happened? Then again, you never know. Maybe as things get closer, teams finalize their boards, and negotiations continue, the Vikings will reach an agreement with a team like the Patriots or Cardinals.

The benefit to getting a trade done soon is that the Vikings would have the pick secured, so they wouldn’t have to risk taking negotiations down to the last minute. The benefit to waiting is that you get to see how the board unfolds. If the Vikings were to trade up to No. 3 soon, they’d have to be extremely fond of both Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels. If they only deem one of those two as worthy of trading up for, it makes more sense to discuss the parameters of a trade with the Patriots but wait to see who the Commanders take with the second pick.

The same goes with trading up to No. 4 ahead of time. If the Vikings are big fans of J.J. McCarthy, that could make sense, considering he’s probably going to be available in that spot. But who knows what could happen? Maybe McCarthy goes in the top three, dropping Maye or Daniels to the 4 spot. In theory, the Vikings would have to be big fans of all three quarterbacks to justify moving up to 4 before the draft begins.

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According to a report from Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, the Cleveland Browns have an agreement to sign free agent offensive lineman Hakeem Adeniji to a one-year deal.

Adeniji comes to the Browns after a year with the Minnesota Vikings. He started his career as a 2020 sixth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals. He was an offensive tackle at the University of Kansas that shined when it came to generating explosive power. He jumped well, but didn’t have a great 40 at 6’4 3/8″ 300 pounds. He tested his agility at Pro Day, which was poor and a reason that it made sense for him to be move inside to guard.

The Bengals needed Adeniji to step in at both tackle spots due to injury in a trial by fire. He understandably struggled. In his second season, he played 555 snaps at right guard but didn’t fare much better. In his final season with the Bengals, he played some right tackle. He never found his footing with the Bengals and signed with the Vikings when he was a free agent.

Adeniji didn’t end up playing a snap for the Vikings this past year. And there’s the potential that is exactly what he needed. That might have allowed him to just focus on his development and improve at the position. That could be a reason for the Browns to be interested in the 26-year old offensive lineman.

Cabot lists him as a tackle in her report. Whether the Browns intend to have him operate there or might look at him as a guard remains to be seen. The fact he has played three different positions in his career is another reason to take a look at him. Capable depth that can play multiple positions is valuable. Between Adeniji and the Browns coaching staff to get him to a point where he’s good enough to earn that responsibility. Adeniji does seem to be a better fit for a heavy gap scheme, which appears to be the direction the Browns offense is headed.

The Browns need bodies to work with in the next few months with so many guys coming off of injuries. They are likely going to have players like Jack Conklin just focus on getting healthy during minicamps. That could open up opportunities for a player like Adeniji to get reps and be evaluated.

The Browns are still likely to be interested in the offensive line in the upcoming draft. But in what is likely to be a flyer type contract, Adeniji gets an opportunity to prove his value to the Browns and this new offensive coaching staff.