Sportsnaut
The Minnesota Vikings entered the offseason, knowing they would need some additional depth at wide receiver, stemming from Jordan Addison’s DUI charge from last offseason. Addison has been suspended for three games at the start of the season.
Still, the Vikings thought they had prepared for this moment. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed 5-foot-7 speedster Rondale Moore, but he suffered a season-ending knee injury. They also selected receiver Tai Felton in the third round, but expecting a rookie to be an immediate contributor for the first three weeks of the season is asking a lot.
The Vikings also have Jalen Nailor, who’s expected to fill in during Addison’s suspension, but he recently banged up his hand and could be a bit roughed up by the start of the season. Thus, the Vikings are looking for other receivers via trade.
Yet, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Vikings have already inquired with the Carolina Panthers about trading for Adam Thielen again.
The Panthers have worked hard to build depth at the receiver position, including selecting pass-catchers in the first round of each of the past two drafts.
With Tetairoa McMillan, Xavier Legette, Hunter Renfrow, and Jalen Coker, the Panthers have built a respectable receiving corps, and that could help them view the 35-year-old Thielen as expendable.
As a Minnesota native, if there’s a place Thielen could play in instead of Carolina, it would likely be back home. Plus, the Detroit Lakes native already knows head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense, so he’d be a perfect fit to get reacclimated very quickly. Thielen has even spent part of his offseason working out and catching passes from J.J. McCarthy.
According to Thielen, McCarthy’s “got it.” If the Vikings’ plans come to fruition, we could see these two pair up again, only this time for a regular season game instead of on the practice field.
Thielen may be aging, but he’s still been highly productive. Last year, when with the Panthers, he recorded 48 receptions for 615 yards and five touchdowns. The Vikings would be very happy with that production as a No. 3 receiver behind Justin Jefferson and Addison.
Related: 6 WRs Minnesota Vikings Should Trade for Before Week 1
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