Credit: Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are 5-0 after Sunday’s 23-13 win in New Orleans. That doesn’t mean the front office gets the week off, though.
With the NFL trade deadline closing in on Nov. 10, the phones in Eagan have been ringing for weeks now, as evidenced by the trade of JJ McCarthy a couple of weeks ago. The loudest name in trade rumors recently is wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
The free-agent signing from San Francisco has just two catches for 9 yards on five targets, Darren Wolfson reported earlier this week on unseen video of Jennings blowing up at KOC on the sideline in New Orleans, and national insiders have been split on whether he’s actually going anywhere.
On Friday, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis joined KFAN’s 9 to Noon and gave us maybe the clearest picture yet of how general manager Nolan Teasley will handle Jennings, and the deadline as a whole. Spoiler: don’t expect a quiet few weeks.
Alec Lewis expects MN Vikings to be “really, really active” at the trade deadline
Asked directly about Jennings, Lewis said that, while the 29-year-old has had moments on film where he looks all the bit like the blocker he was signed in Minnesota to be, there are also reps where Jauan seems to be “needs more physicality” when blocking in the run game.
As far as whether or not Jauan Jennings will be traded, the MN Vikings beat writer made it clear general manager Nolan Teasley would be open to the idea… but only if the price is right. Asked if a 5th round pick would be the right price, Lewis said he’d make that deal in four seconds.
“Obviously the production from a pass-catching standpoint hasn’t been there. I’ve also thought, like, when you go back and watch the tape, there are instances where you can see the blocking prowess that he provides, but also other snaps and examples where it just feels like you need a little more physicality. So to answer your question directly, I think it’s really going to come down to whether or not there is another team that is willing to offer the Vikings something of value.
And it’s similar for me to, like, the J.J. McCarthy conversation in that, yes, if the value does reach a certain point, the Vikings will listen, but they’re not trying to just push a player like that out the door… So we’ll see what happens over the next week or so. But I do think, I mean, we’re going to talk a lot, I’m sure, on 9 to Noon, you guys are, in The Athletic we are, about the trade deadline and what’s possible, and I just expect Nolan Teasley and this front office to be really, really active, whether that produces a bunch of moves or not. I do expect that to be the case over the next three weeks”
Alec Lewis – KFAN 9 to Noon (audio above)
Related: Should Vikings Consider Trading for Saquon Barkley?
The 9 to Noon host — radio voice of the Vikings Paul Allen — and show producer Eric Nordquist were not on board for that asking price. Nordo gets anxiety thinking about Jennings going back to “his security blanket” in San Francisco.
Multiple insiders have reported the Niners as a possible landing spot, especially since his former team hails from the NFC and is currently undefeated, just like the Vikings.
Nolan Teasley’s Seattle roots point to an aggressive MN Vikings GM
This is Teasley’s first year as GM, so there isn’t much of a track record to go on. However, Lewis says the best “Teasley tells” come from his time in Seattle, where he played a major role in landing Rashid Shaheed before the 2025 trade deadline.
And since he’s arrived, Teasley has been on a weekly hunt to add talent, whether it be at linebacker, running back, wide receiver or any other position that might need depth help. Some have contributed, others have not.
“I just don’t think he’s ever going to pass up any opportunity that could go down the road of making this team better. And that’s very cliché, and that’s probably very general to hear, but I really think their actions kind of behind the scenes, and their willingness to answer calls on a lot of different players, kind of prove that, from what I’ve kind of gathered so far.”
Alec Lewis – The Athletic, via KFAN’s 9 to Noon
Seattle sent New Orleans 2026 fourth- and fifth-round picks for Shaheed this time last year, a move that proved consequential to the Seahawks Super Bowl run a few months later. If a Shaheed-type trade is out there and Teasley thinks it can help the Minnesota Vikings, he’s going to make it.
MN Vikings could target a block-first tight end before the deadline
So what positions are the Vikings front office on the hunt for? According to Lewis, a blocking tight end is at the top of their trade deadline list, after Josh Oliver and multiple offensive linemen have gone out with injuries.
Oliver tore his biceps in Week 3 at Tampa Bay, and Lewis called it “one of the most low-key impactful injuries” the Vikings have had to navigate, because of what they lost in the run block game.
“So if they can find a block-first tight end that dictates personnel to the defense in the run phase, like, I totally expect them to pursue that as a market over the next few weeks. And if you can do that, I don’t think that says anything about where the trajectory of Gavin Bartholomew or Ben Yurosek is.”
Alec Lewis – The Athletic, via KFAN’s 9 to Noon
Trading for a blocking tight end might not be the sexiest move Teasley could make, but the need is undeniable. When the Minnesota Vikings return from their bye week Oct. 25 against the Colt.
That leaves a little more than two weeks until the deadline for Teasley to show us what kind of GM he really is.
Mentioned in this article:Jauan Jennings NFL Trade Deadline Nolan Teasley
More About:Minnesota Vikings
Add MinnesotaSportsFan as a preferred source on Google.