Vikings-Texans draft trade fuels speculation about possible follow-up move involving Patriots

Minnesota is setting itself up to aggressively target a quarterback, maybe in the Patriots’ current draft slot?

Much like the New England Patriots’, the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback cupboard is also looking rather bare at the moment. After losing Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, the most important position on the Vikings’ roster is currently manned by the likes of Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall.

The goal for the organization is therefore obvious: select a quarterback, and preferably early, in this year’s draft. For Minnesota, however, there is one problem.

Finishing the 2023 season with a 7-10 record, the team is currently slated to pick 11th overall in late April. Considering that up to four QBs might come off the board within the first six selections, that is a problem for the team.

As a consequence, the Vikings got active on the trade market. On Friday, Minnesota swung a deal with the Houston Texans to acquire No. 23 (plus a seventh-rounder) in return for second-round picks in 2024 and 2025, and another sixth-rounder this year.

The move does not bring the Vikings closer to the top of the draft board— and the quarterback sweet spot — yet, but it gives the team considerable ammunition to work with. Which brings us back to the equally QB-needy Patriots, who currently are the owners of the No. 3 pick after their disappointing 4-13 campaign.

The Patriots, whose own room currently consists of Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke, are in that sweet spot to select one of the consensus top four passers available. While it seems unlikely projected No. 1 pick Caleb Williams will be there, and there are rumors tying the Washington Commanders to Jayden Daniels at No. 2, New England could have its choice of Drake Maye or, less likely in that spot, J.J. McCarthy.

Minnesota likely would welcome both Maye and McCarthy to the mix, even though the former has some ties to the team through his ex-high school coach, Vikings QB Josh McCown. Regardless, the club cannot stay put at No. 11 and hope one of those two — McCarthy, most likely — is still around.

And if the Vikings do move up, and all indications are they will, why not try to move up for the certainty that you will get at No. 3?

Of course, it always takes two to tango. And the Patriots will be asking for a king’s ransom to move out of their current spot and therefore likely lose out on both Maye and McCarthy. A king’s ransom like, for example, both of Minnesota’s current first-round picks as well as additional capital such as a 2025 first-rounder, and possibly more.

For a team in need of upgrades all over the board, accumulating additional high-value selections in exchange for No. 3 could make some sense. Having two first-round picks in back-to-back years, plus other potential assets, would go a long way toward transforming the offense.

Then again, so would having a franchise-caliber quarterback.

Fact is, after all, that the NFL is a QB-driven league and you don’t want to be stuck in quarterback purgatory any longer than necessary. Unless the Patriots have serious doubts about whoever is available at quarterback at No. 3 — Maye, McCarthy, or Daniels if he is still on the board against expectation — a trade down might be too risky a gamble if you want to also decisively address the position long-term.

It all comes back to the fundamental question about whether to build top down or bottom up; do you start with a quarterback and then add the pieces around him, or vice versa? For the Vikings, whose overall offensive talent exceeds the Patriots’, the answer to that question seems obvious following Friday’s trade with the Texans.

For the Patriots, meanwhile, there still seem to be plenty of unknowns. Whether there actually are will be decided in the coming weeks, and with the Vikings sure to come knocking at the door.