The Minnesota Vikings literally cannot trade for Dexter Lawrence right now. Here’s how they can make it happen
Going into the NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings have been linked to a trade for New York Giants DT Dexter Lawrence. Despite the roadblock, they have multiple paths forward to making it happen.
Monday morning brought big news in the NFL when New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence requested a trade. Immediately, Minnesota Vikings fans connected the team to a potential trade due to the team’s needs on the defensive line.
Not only do the Vikings need two additions to the defensive line, those players need to be good at rushing the passer. Lawrence provides that and then some, and does at 340 pounds as a nose tackle.
It’s as rare a profile as you’ll find in the NFL at defensive tackle, and one that I wrote about in October of 2024. As things sit, it’s very unlikely to happen.
Here’s how the Vikings can make a Dexter Lawrence trade happen
The reality is simple: the Vikings literally cannot execute a Dexter Lawrence trade. They only have $4.8 million in salary cap space going into the NFL Draft. In order execute a trade, they have to take on all $20 million in cash Lawrence is owed before signing him to an extension or performing a restructure.
That is a major roadblock for making a trade. Even so, it’s not one that the Vikings can’t work through. If they were to make a trade for Lawrence, which could cost a first-round pick and then some, adjustments have to be made.
First thing they need to do is figure out the future of right tackle Brian O’Neill. Trading him would save the Vikings $19.41 million on the salary cap, but it would create a massive hole at right tackle. This isn’t the article for that discussion, but it would immediately get the Vikings in position to make a trade happen. They can also extend him, which would save closer to $15 million on the salary cap.
If they extend O’Neill or do nothing with him, they can still get there, but it will be a little bit harder. Thanks to seeing a $4 million guarantee vest eariler in March, Greenard will only save $8.25 million on the salary cap if he is cut. However, he will still save $12.25 million if he’s traded. Now, the best thing to do would be to extend him, as you could drop that number down closer to $13-14 million in savings.
The wild card in the entire discussion is edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel. He has a cash flow of $16.5 million this season with four void years. The Vikings could perform a simple restructure to save around $12 million, or even choose to extend him. Van Ginkel is entering his age 31 season, and the Vikings might not want to do that. However, it’s an option they have available to them.
The only other realistic way the Vikings have to create salary cap space is to wait until after June 1st. They will be getting $12.3 million in salary cap space from the post-June 1st releases of defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and safety Harrison Smith.
There is one unrealistic way the Vikings can make it work, but the Giants would need to eat a lot of cash with a signing bonus. It would cost the Vikings more draft capital, but it creates an easier path toward getting a deal done.
It’s a lot of moving parts for the Vikings just to be eligible to trade for Lawrence. If they did, he would immediately transform their defense.
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