Teasley Keeping Trade Conversations Going

The more wins that come early for Minnesota, the more chances for a trade or two before November 10th. The trade of JJ freed up what, almost $5 million?

The Vikings’ GM doesn’t say very much. What he did say, though, is that his front office will continue working the phones as the leadership searches for a competitive advantage.

Nolan Teasley spoke to the media for roughly ten minutes yesterday. Doing so came in response to the news of J.J. McCarthy being sent eastward toward The Big Apple. At least part of the rationale for the McCarthy move, per Teasley, is that there’s now another draft pick in the coffers. Quite possibly, that added 5th will end up being used in an upcoming deal.

The Vikings’ GM is Looking to Keep Trade Chatter Going

Part of what makes the McCarthy move a poor decision (in my mind, at least) is that a 5th isn’t a good enough return.

Teasley disagrees.

He spoke about some in-house analysis having been done to gauge the value that McCarthy could demand on the trade market. Some of the calculus involved looking into past trades for some comps, Teasley explained. The GM didn’t specifically mention any examples, but the Trey Lance deal for a 4th comes to mind as a recent trade that helps to add context to what the Vikings have decided.

More fascinating, perhaps, is how Teasley went on to discuss how he understands that 5th Rounder.

Teasley’s description of that shiny new 5th: “We got to the point where the return made sense for us now. To get an asset that, in all honesty, is going to help us in the future or it could help us this season. We don’t know, y’know?”

To translate, Nolan Teasley is saying that the 5th offers some flexibility. Minnesota can sit on that pick, opting to use it on a player in the 2027 NFL Draft. That’s obviously the standard way to use a pick: cash it in for a young lad next April.

But then there’s the other possibility that Teasley refers to when he says the 5th could help in 2026. To do so, the 5th will be used as currency to bring in a player to graft onto the roster. Does that possibility that Teasley mentions end up looking prophetic?

Check out how the Vikings’ GM answered a concluding question about his openness to trading: “We’re going to try to be involved. And we’ve said this from the beginning: we’re going to try to be involved in everything as much as possible to improve this roster for the present and for the future. So, we’ll be active, you just won’t always know about it.”

Note that Mr. Teasley offered that final answer with a cheeky grin on his face, so there’s a bit of personality in his acknowledgement of Minnesota’s front office preferring to keep its cards close to its chest.

Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; April 25, 2025; A wide shot captures the stage video board displaying “The Pick Is In” for the Minnesota Vikings during the third round of the NFL Draft, as fans and team personnel await the announcement inside the draft theater in Green Bay. Mandatory Credit: Perry Knotts-Getty Images

At this point, the position that most needs help is at running back. Recent weeks have involved several moves to improve the depth (DeeJay Dallas, Jerome Ford, Jaret Patterson) but the possibility exists that another runner is the move at the trade deadline.

Or, perhaps, the Josh Oliver ailment means adding a tight end makes sense. What about a depth passer? Kevin O’Connell and Nolan Teasley professed confidence in the remaining trio, but it’s hard to take that seriously. Max Brosmer isn’t a very good QB3.

Another point that Teasley made is that the future is unpredictable. Nobody truly knows how things will unfold. As a result, Teasley preferred to have a 5th since that gives the Vikings a bit more ammo for a future deal.

At the very least, the Vikings have signalled a desire to keep conversations going. The NFL’s trade deadline arrives on Tuesday, November 10th, so we’re talking about a seemingly far off date that’s closer than many realize.

Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) and head coach Kevin O’Connell hug before the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Next up for the Vikings is a Week 4 game against the Miami Dolphins. In theory, the Dolphins are a team to monitor around the deadline since they’re fully embracing a rebuild.

...but, how do we trade Teasley?

Kyler is going to have to look legit goodish, for an in-season trade to make sense.

No point in trading for someone if we don't have a QB that can compete in the playoffs.

Like, if we're still a bottom half offense after another 3 weeks, is a stud RB going to change the math enough to be worth it?