Vikings make surprising trade with defensive starter that highlights how they feel about their depth
It’s a wild trade that proves how good the Vikings depth is
The Minnesota Vikings shocked the football world on Wednesday afternoon when they traded starting nose tackle Harrison Phillips to the New York Jets in a pick swap, where the Vikings get two sixth-round picks in exchange for Phillips and a seventh-round pick.
Vikings trade Harrison Phillips to Jets
It’s an interesting move for the Vikings, as Phillips was the starting nose tackle for the team and has proven himself to be an elite run defender in his three years with the team, and was also a reliable player, as he started all 51 regular season games he was eligible to play in.
The Vikings also ate $3.7 million of his base salary this year, so they will have approximately $5.4 million in dead cap for 2025 with a savings of about $4.3 million, and next season, they will save approximately $7.5 million by having him off the roster with just approximately $1.7 million in dead cap.
There is a bigger meaning to this move than what might appear to be on the surface. This is less about Phillips, who is a very good run defender, and more about the rest of the roster. The Vikings believe that they have a great roster to thrive on the defensive line.
Last year, Jalen Redmond and Taki Taimani were so good during the preseason that the Vikings had to keep them, and it allowed them to essentially redshirt Levi Drake Rodriguez. He is now likely to take over at nose tackle for the Vikings. It also makes it much easier to roster the likes of Elijah Williams, who has been having an elite training camp and preseason. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins also looks the part for the Vikings, and they are going to be in a good spot with the defensive line.
This also could end up leading to another trade down the line, especially with the extra draft capital the Vikings now have in the sixth round.
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