Justin Jefferson trade: 3 reasons why Vikings need to retain their star WR
The Minnesota Vikings might find it difficult to reach an agreement with Justin Jefferson, prompting trade rumors. Can Minnesota afford to give Jefferson what he's worth? If they can't, loads of teams would pursue him in free agency, and the Vikings might have to consider a trade to avoid leaving with nothing.
Here's why they should avoid that scenario and ensure they retain their star wideout.
Why the Vikings shouldn't trade Justin Jefferson
3) Assets are not guaranteed
Right now, it is a guarantee that Justin Jefferson is a proven talent and anyone they draft in the future is not. Even though they've done well with drafting wide receivers, there is no guarantee they will pan out.
Teams should generally avoid trading star guarantees for unknowns, especially if they want to build a winner sooner rather than later. Additionally, what the Vikings would be doing is trading a superstar for the chance to later draft someone they hope can be a superstar. That may not work out well.
2) There's almost no one better
There are only a handful of wide receivers who have a legitimate claim to be called the best wide receiver in the NFL. Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase are among those. That's the kind of talent that teams need to pay to keep around, not shop to try and hoard assets.
The Vikings shouldn't even be considering a trade at this point. It is a lot of money, but there just aren't many players better than Jefferson. He's still in his prime.
1) Foolproof offense
The Vikings are opting to go the route of the San Francisco 49ers on offense. They've built a roster of exceptional weapons that will make life easy for any quarterback. Building a QB-proof offense is easier said than done, but it's what a few teams have tried to do.
The Vikings are one of them, but that all comes crashing down if Jefferson isn't part of it. The core of Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson is good, but pretty much any quarterback can thrive with Jefferson out wide. That makes it imperative for them to retain Jefferson and allow either Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy to excel.