Vikings Rumor Tracker: Justin Jefferson Trade, Harrison Smith, The Caleb Banks Pick

Rumor: Mike Florio wanted the Vikings to explore trading Justin Jefferson to the Arizona Cardinals for running back Jeremiyah Love.

Florio rolled out the take on NBC Sports airwaves, stating, “One of the things that Kevin O’Connell told us in Arizona a couple of weeks ago, the Vikings learned down the stretch how to win without a passing game. And he’s been so wired to pass, pass, pass, pass, pass. Great way, great way to take pressure off your quarterback if you bring in your next Adrian Peterson.”

“And that’s one thing my son’s been saying for a couple of years now, the Vikings desperately need a great running back. I mean, Aaron Jones is good, not great. Jordan Mason, is that his name? Yeah, the guy with the 49ers. The guy they traded with the 49ers for.”

Mason and Jones are in line to share the RB1 duties this season.

Florio continued, “A lot of high hopes, but it did not go well. They need somebody great. That may be too high to come up, and who knows what you’d have to give up to get him? Maybe you have to send Justin Jefferson to Arizona to get him.”

“But you know what? At this point, I love Justin Jefferson. This feels even more blasphemous than making an AI version of myself as Jesus and claiming it was a doctor later. But I would do Justin Jefferson for Jeremiah Love.”

Worth noting: the trade idea came from Florio, and that’s where it remained. There isn’t any active chatter about a Jefferson trade. Trading Jefferson before June 1st would involve a $70 million dead cap hit. Sheer lunacy.

Rumor: Harrison Smith’s return remains 50/50.

When asked if he’d been in contact with Smith recently, who turned 37 in February, Vikings skipper Kevin O’Connell said this week, “It’s been a few days, but now that you remind me, I’ll probably bug him today. It’s something where we’re still trying to give Harrison as much space as possible, and I think he’s earned that. If it’s anything at this point, it’s seeing how he’s doing, seeing how his family is, seeing how his golf game is.”

Smith’s offseason has taken an unexpected turn, with his unusual silence becoming a real story. Unlike previous years, and contrary to what Vikings fans have come to expect, he has neither announced his plans nor offered any hints about his future.

Typically, Smith would commit to returning by February or March, providing the Vikings with crucial clarity for their defensive planning. This year, however, that traditional faux deadline passed without any word from him.

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) goes through pregame warmups at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Dec 24, 2022, preparing for a matchup against the New York Giants while taking the field ahead of kickoff during a late-season home game. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

The last significant moment involving Smith was the Vikings’ Week 18 victory over the Packers in January. That game carried the air of a perfect farewell, leading many to anticipate a swift retirement announcement. Yet, none ever materialized.

Since then, Smith has remained conspicuously silent, even as other players made their plans public. Adam Thielen and C.J. Ham, for instance, officially announced their retirements, adhering to the typical offseason timeline. Smith, however, has not followed suit.

Without a retirement declaration, speculation has now shifted toward him playing at least one more season. Eventually, however, Smith will need to make his intentions official. For now, it’s a coin flip. O’Connell will have to bug him for some more.

Rumor: NFL teams’ draftboards had defensive tackle Caleb Banks much higher on their draftboards than the media.

VikesInsider, a Twitter (X) account with nearly 40,000 followers, tweeted Friday, “Multiple teams picking in the 20s had interest in DT Caleb Banks, according to The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis. The Vikings didn’t want to get overly creative by trading back and risk the possibility of missing out on their top prospect.”

Florida defensive lineman Caleb Banks (88) interacts with fans during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Florida, on Nov 16, 2024, reaching toward the crowd following a play as the Gators close out a 27-16 win against LSU. Mandatory Credit: Doug Engle-Imagn Images.

This is the same take that followed the Vikings’ draft pick last year: Donovan Jackson. Minnesota knew that the Houston Texans would pick him one selection later, and to get its man, the Vikings had to “reach” by the standards of media-driven draftboards.

The Vikings really, really wanted Banks. They evidently didn’t care that the mock-draft community believed he could be scooped from Round 2.