The Minnesota Vikings made a major move on Monday morning when they traded quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the New York Giants. In return, they received a fifth-round pick, which doesn’t feel like a ton of value overall, especially since he was the 10th overall pick just two years ago.

Where things are complicated is with McCarthy’s future. The Vikings showed with their actions that they didn’t believe in McCarthy’s future with the franchise, which in turn, tanked his trade value. It’s one of those things that is what it is, but now we can focus on the future, which general manager Nolan Teasley hinted at.

J.J. McCarthy trade capital could be used quickly

Within hours of the trade being made, Teasley made himself available to the media, and faced questions about the decision to trade McCarthy. The question he was asked about what changed with McCarthy, and the answer is fascinating.

“Nothing’s changed. I still believe that he has ability, and that he’s going to have an opportunity to go to New York [Giants] and make a difference,” said Teasley. “We got to the point where the return made sense for us now to get an asset that, in all honesty, is going to help us in the future or it could help us this season. We don’t know. So, to have another asset that can help us continue to build because this season and the roster is going to constantly evolve, and today’s another example of that.”

The words “it could help us this season” sends a strong signal that they could be using this or other capital to strengthen the team for the stretch run. Teasley was with the Seattle Seahawks last season when they traded fourth and fifth-round picks to the New Orleans Saints for wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, who was a key contributor to their Super Bowl win.

Right now, the Vikings have multiple holes on the roster that need to be addressed, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Josh Oliver suffered a torn bicep, which will cause him to miss potentially the rest of the season. Plus, the running back position is one play away from being a dire spot, as Aaron Jones continues to be banged up and Jordan Mason is on injured reserve.

A fifth-round pick could easily get you a solid role player who could be a contributor, and the Vikings have three of them right now: their own, Carolina Panthers’, and the one from the Giants. They also have two sixth-round picks at their disposal to make moves to fortify the roster.

The question is if and when they will make a move to fortify the roster. That could come quickly or wait until the trade deadline right after Halloween. Either way, Teasley hinting at being aggressive shows how much he understands what trades can do, and there is a real belief in this team.