The Vikings have made various win-now transactions this offseason, particularly signing aging veterans like Ryan Kelly, Javon Hargrave, and Jonathan Allen, and even re-signing Aaron Jones, surely aren’t aimed at having success at some point in the late 2020s. The team is built to win in 2025.
Vikings Could Make a Serious Win-Now Move
Kevin O’Connell, Vikings head coach since 2022, experienced the ultimate win-now team in 2021 prior to his tenure in the NFC North.
The then-offensive coordinator of the Rams saw his team spend draft capital to trade for veteran players rather than using them in the draft. The result? A Super Bowl.
One of those guys cost the Rams a pair of first-rounders and a fourth. Jalen Ramsey, a seven-time Pro Bowler, is no longer worth that much, but he’s once again available. Ian Rapoport used social media to report Tuesday morning:
“The #Dolphins and seven-time Pro Bowl CB Jalen Ramsey are mutually set to explore trade options and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he played elsewhere in 2025, per me and @TomPelissero. Miami and Ramsey, due $25.1M fully guaranteed this season, could be parting ways.”
The former fifth overall pick was considered the league’s best corner for a while, proven by his Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro nominations. He spent the first three years and change in Jacksonville until the Jaguars shipped him to Los Angeles during the 2019 campaign. Following the 2023 season, the Rams sent him to Miami.
At 30 years of age, Ramsey might no longer be as explosive as he was a few years ago when he competed against O’Connell’s offense in training camp, but he still played fairly well last season. Ramsey produced a PFF grade of 76.9, ranking him 10th among 116 eligible cornerbacks.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton listed the Vikings as one of five teams that could trade for the cornerback. He suggests the trade of Ramsey for the 97th overall pick, adding that the Vikings would have to restructure some deals to afford the move, something they could easily do. Ramsey would come with a price tag of $21.1 million in the upcoming season.
“Minnesota re-signed Byron Murphy Jr., a versatile cornerback capable of lining up on the boundary and in the slot. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores can mix and match him with Ramsey while the team figures out who can fill in the gaps alongside them.”
Pairing Murphy Jr. with Ramsey would immediately give the Vikings one of the top cornerback duos in the NFL, and an argument could be made that it’s, in fact, the best in the business.
“The Vikings haven’t re-signed Stephon Gilmore, leaving a glaring need in the secondary. They signed a couple of placeholder veterans, Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah, to fill the void ahead of the draft. Last July, Mekhi Blackmon tore his ACL, and he only started in three games during his rookie campaign.”
Moton pointed at the concerns in the cornerback room. Rodgers is a guy Brian Flores is excited about, but he has never been a full-time starter in his career, which is concerning. Blackmon is coming off a lost season, and who knows how he’ll look in September? Okudah has never lived up to his draft status, and it should be doubted that he ever will.
PurplePTSD’s Kyle Joudry emphasized the corner’s versatility, something that is vital in a Brian Flores-led defense, “Consider that Ramsey has proven to be a versatile player over the course of his career. For the most part, the corner has played along the outside, soaking up 6,387 snaps in the spot. However, he has also moved into the slot with some regularity, picking up 1,235 snaps in that spot. The cherry on top is his 660 snaps in the box (again, he has good size), his 125 snaps as a free safety, and his 124 snaps along the d-line.”
Moton concluded, “Minnesota can target a cornerback early in the draft, though in a win-now mode, Ramsey makes sense as a quick-fix option to help a pass defense that finished 28th in total yards last season.”
It would be a serious win-now mode. Suddenly, putting more resources (the 24th overall pick) at the defensive line, the safety room, or the offensive line could make the Vikings dangerous entering the 2025 season.
Ramsey has played in 135 career games, collecting 534 tackles, three sacks, and 24 interceptions over the years. He still has some gas left in the tank, and a third career trade seems likely.
As with all trades, this one is unlikely to happen for the Vikings, but it makes sense on paper, and considering this offseason’s action to assemble a competitive team in 2025, it can’t be dismissed entirely.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
