The Minnesota Vikings are 4-0, but the roster carries plenty of questions, and most of them stem from injuries. That puts general manager Nolan Teasley in a key spot as the NFL trade deadline approaches.

Teasley remains a relative unknown. He didn’t get to go through free agency or the NFL draft with Minnesota, so we don’t know how aggressive he’ll be, how much he wants to reshape the roster, or which areas he plans to attack. One thing is clear so far: he’s willing to churn the practice squad and bring in talent to see what it can provide. Sometimes a team needs a player in the building for a week to understand his real value, and he hasn’t been afraid to shake things up.

That’s where a potential trade comes into play. What could they end up doing from that perspective and beyond? A look into a unique situation in Minnesota.

Odell Beckham Jr. is a low-cost bet for the Vikings

That’s where Odell Beckham Jr. comes in. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spent the 2021 season with Beckham on the Los Angeles Rams. Beckham was a huge factor in that Super Bowl run, even though he tore his ACL in the game and Cooper Kupp carried the Rams over the edge. That history raises fair questions about what Beckham can still provide physically. The good news is that he’s already played in this offense, and he played well in it.

Depth at wide receiver has been a problem for most of O’Connell’s tenure. In 2022, Adam Thielen was starting to decline, and K.J. Osborn was a solid No. 3 who never gave you much to write home about. Justin Jefferson needed running mates, which is why Jordan Addison arrived as a first-round pick in 2023. By 2024, both Addison and Jalen Nailor had emerged. Minnesota rode that same trio in 2025. When one of them goes down, though, depth becomes a real issue for a team that wants to live in 11 personnel.

Beckham looked closer to his old self with the New York Giants than he has in years during the preseason. His last full season came in 2023, when he caught 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns as the Baltimore Ravens’ third receiver.

The bigger factor might be what he brings off the field. Beckham is basically Jefferson’s uncle after playing at LSU with Jefferson’s older brother. He addressed that bond when he spoke to the media on Wednesday.

“The reason I picked nine is Justin got half his game from me,” Beckham said to reporters on Wednesday.

Keeping your star receiver happy is never a bad idea. A practice squad spot costs roughly $20,000 to $25,000 a week. If Beckham produces something like 30 catches for 400 yards and a couple of touchdowns, which might be optimistic, that would be a huge win for a minimal investment.

Saquon Barkley would be a massive swing for Minnesota

The bigger idea is a trade for Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. It would also send a message to the fanbase about how seriously they are taking the running game. With Jordan Mason out, the Vikings only have Aaron Jones, and Jones’ body hasn’t been able to hold up to the contact the position demands. Barkley is dealing with a minor hamstring injury himself, but a trade now would give him the bye week and the following week to get healthy.

Why would the Eagles move him? Philadelphia already traded A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots for a 2028 first-round pick and shipped center Cam Jurgens to Baltimore for a 2028 second-round pick. Lane Johnson also retired suddenly after four games, raising even more questions. It certainly feels like Howie Roseman is stockpiling 2028 capital to swing for a quarterback, because things aren’t going well with Jalen Hurts.

The Eagles would eat about $26 million in dead cap next season, but Barkley will carry a cap hit of around $13 million no matter what.

As for the price, the Christian McCaffrey trade offers a baseline for a trade. McCaffrey fetched second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-round picks at age 26. Barkley is 29 with more tread on the tires, so I’d expect something like a 2027 third (from the Jonathan Greenard trade), a 2027 fifth (from the J.J. McCarthy trade), and Minnesota’s 2028 second.

That’s a hefty price, but how much will it matter if it brings a Super Bowl? That being said, Barkley ran for 2,000 yards in 2024, creates explosives in both the run and pass games, and holds up in pass protection. If defenses load eight in the box to stop him, Jefferson and Addison see one-on-ones. That changes everything about the offense.

Cody Mauch is the less flashy call worth making

A less glamorous option is Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Cody Mauch, the fourth-year player from North Dakota State whom the Bucs selected 49th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Mauch has been up and down, but he’s gritty, physical, and athletic enough to pull on concepts like counter.

He’s also in the final year of his rookie deal, and with Donovan Jackson’s injury, this is a call the Vikings should make. Tampa Bay did just improve to 1-4 on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys. However, if the losses keep piling up, selling pieces who may not be around next year makes sense. It could mirror the Ezra Cleveland trade in 2023, which returned the first pick of the sixth round.

Even with Joe Huber playing well against the Miami Dolphins, Mauch would add flexibility. Either player could be the first lineman off the bench, or replace Will Fries if Fries keeps struggling.

I expect Teasley to make a trade or two given the issues at guard, running back, and tight end. Mason’s return after the bye could stabilize the backfield, but DeeJay Dallas is a special teamer you don’t want handling the ball much. If the Vikings sit at 6-1 or 7-0, how aggressive will Teasley get?