Rumor Mill Suggests 5x Pro Bowl WR for Vikings Trade

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When a team is 5-0, it receives all the sweet trade theories in the buyer’s direction.

Rumor Mill Suggests 5x Pro Bowl WR for Vikings Trade

That’s the case this week for the Minnesota Vikings, one of two undefeated teams in the NFL, a shortlist that includes the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs.

Cleveland Browns backup quarterback Jameis Winston, right, welcomes quarterback Deshaun Watson (4), wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) and wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) off the field during the first half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. © Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK.

And according to the rumor mill, the purple team could or should explore the trade services of Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper. Courtesy of Good Morning Football show host Akbar Gbajabiamila, the idea checks out.

“How about the Minnesota Vikings? They have T.J. Hockenson coming back. You start thinking, ‘What could they do? They could add some depth’. Think about what the Kansas City Chiefs have done,” Gbajabiamila said when sizing up landing spots for Cooper.

“They continuously add depth. Someone gets hurt, they get someone else in there. How about going out and maybe looking for an Amari Cooper, who’s on a struggling Browns team? Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was in Cleveland already, has familiarity with Amari Cooper. Now, all of a sudden, you have depth at the wide receiver position.”

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Regrettably, the Vikings don’t have much trade capital to obtain Cooper’s services, as most of the 2025 picks were spent on the draft selection that landed pass rusher Dallas Turner six months ago. For now, Minnesota has a 1st-Rounder and two 5th-Round picks on the docket for next April. It will also gain a compensatory 3rd-Rounder in 2025, but that cannot be spent via trade this season.

Gbajabiamila added, “You’ve got Justin Jefferson, Addison, Amari Cooper, TJ Hockenson. Now, all of a sudden, you’ve got guys who can, when homefield advantage comes around, they’re making it deep, deep, deep and potentially winning a Super Bowl.”

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Cooper is a five-time Pro Bowler and would fit brilliantly in the Vikings’ usually-pass-happy offense. He’s 32 and has tabulated 9,964 receiving yards in his career, plus 62 touchdowns. In 2023, he banked 1,250 receiving yards, so it’s not like Minnesota would be getting a past-his-prime dud. The guy is still the real deal.

It’s worth noting that Cooper joined the Browns in 2022 via trade with the Dallas Cowboys — for the price of a 5th-Round pick. The trade compensation shocked onlookers as too low at the time. Perhaps the Vikings could reasonably enter the sweepstakes if the price were that low again.

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Otherwise, Minnesota will welcome the aforementioned Hockenson back into the lineup within the next two weeks. He’s a target hog — in a good way — and Minnesota may not need Cooper in that vein.

But the idea is supremely intriguing, no matter what, especially if the Browns actively shop veteran wideout.

Minnesota has also been linked to superstars Dexter Lawrence (DT, New York Giants) and Travis Etienne (RB, Jacksonville Jaguars) in the rumor mill, though much of that is fan-driven.

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.