The Minnesota Vikings are 5-0 and could be looking at 6-0 if they can get a win over an Indianapolis Colts team that’s 2-4, fired its general manager, and is coming off a loss to the Tennessee Titans, who were 0-5.
As a result, if the Vikings do move to 6-0, could that give general manager Nolan Teasley the confidence to make a move that boosts the team’s chances of reaching the Super Bowl this season?
One potential trade target that would make sense for the Vikings is Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. Minnesota will get to see him up close, and former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber gave his verdict on whether Taylor would fit head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
“[Taylor] is fundamentally going to change what we do offensively,” Leber said on the Oct. 23 edition of “Sound the Horn.” “We know that he’s fast. We know that he can run between the tackles, around the edge, and he’s a pass catcher, dude. He’s seventh in the NFL in scrimmage yards. Both run and pass, he’s seventh. He’s second in actual rushing yards. The guy’s a beast.
“He’s a legitimate player. Some of the numbers for him: He’s signed through 2028 right now with the Colts. The Colts will take on $10 million next year as part of his dead money in the contract. He has a $21 million cap hit next year, and almost a $23 million cap hit the following year.
“If that’s something that you feel like you can take on and possibly extend and smooth out some of those numbers to make it work, it would be an amazing trade. It might piss off a guy like Jordan Mason, but he absolutely could change this offense.”
Could Vikings Include Jordan Mason In Potential Trade?
While the Vikings have Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr., Minnesota could include someone like Mason as part of a trade to give him a better opportunity so he doesn’t have to potentially be RB3.
“It’s quite possible that a deal includes Jordan Mason if the Colts want him,” Leber added. “That’s the other part of it. We’ve seen trades all the time that don’t have to involve draft picks.
“It can be draft picks, player swaps, or whatever you want the deal to be. So, if you’re looking at a Jonathan Taylor trade, which I would be excited about, I don’t know if I’d put it at priority number one.”
Vikings Make Sense for Jonathan Taylor Before Deadline
Meanwhile, CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan also says the Vikings make sense for Taylor, as the Colts need to restock their draft assets after former general manager Chris Ballard made some questionable trades.
“It feels like this team is about to hit that full reset button,” Sullivan said in an Oct. 21 video from CBS Sports. “Remember, they don’t have their first-round pick for 2027. That belongs to the New York Jets, who we were talking about earlier because they acquired Sauce Gardner. So, they need to kind of fill that cupboard back up. If you have an asset like Jonathan Taylor, it does feel like now could be the opportunity for this team to move off of him.
“He does not have any guaranteed money at the end of, really, it’s just after this season. There is no guaranteed money left after his contract is signed through 2028. You might have to invest a little bit more in him if you keep him. I think there’s a possibility they move on, and if they do, I look at a team like the Minnesota Vikings. That would make a lot of sense for Jonathan Taylor.”
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