Vikings’ next move is painfully obvious with trade deadline looming

Here are 3 cornerbacks GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah should be calling on asap.

As injuries piled up on the Minnesota Vikings over the first month of the season, the team could at least lean on a defense that was making it hard on opponents to move the football through the air and score points.

After two woeful performances in five days, that typically sturdy crutch is clearly broken.

Brian Flores’ defense got torched for the second straight week during Thursday night’s brutal, 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

The Vikings were bad in last week’s loss at home to the Philadelphia Eagles, surrendering 14.2 yards per pass attempt, including 45- and 79-yard back-breakers. They weren’t any better on Thursday, giving up over 9 yards per attempt to Justin Herbert while getting gashed on the ground for 207 net yards.

Minnesota’s decimated offense and subpar quarterback play definitely isn’t helping the cause, but the Vikings had their full starting defense available for the Chargers game, sans edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel.

There’s a clear elephant in the room entering Week 9, and Minnesota could have to go bold at the NFL’s upcoming trade deadline to fix it.

The Minnesota Vikings need to trade for a cornerback before this year’s trade deadline

The Vikings’ Jeff Okudah experiment has gone from intriguing in the summer to untenable entering the second half of the season.

He only played 11 snaps Thursday before exiting early in the second half via the NFL’s concussion protocol. Before the injury, he got cooked for 42 yards on three targets, per Pro Football Focus, including a rough rep in coverage on Ladd McConkey’s 27-yard touchdown reception in the final minute of the first half.

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) October 24, 2025

The Vikings were down to starters Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers, and second-year pro Dwight McGlothern at cornerback against the Chargers. They haven’t gotten great returns from that group as a whole in 2025; through seven games, only Rodgers has intercepted a pass, and it came off the now-benched Jake Browning.

Minnesota will have one of the best front sevens in football once it gets Van Ginkel back healthy. But the explosive plays are beginning to pile up on the back end at an alarming rate, and the Vikings will need to make a move to stop the bleeding.

3 cornerbacks general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Minnesota Vikings should trade for now

Roger McCreary, Tennessee Titans

McCreary was the No. 35 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and has developed into a solid nickel for the Titans; he doesn’t have a contract for 2026, though, making him a potential rental for GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings.

Minnesota mostly covers the slot with Murphy and safety Josh Metellus. McCreary would provide another option. He's also a solid tackler in run support, which is an area of need.

Alontae Taylor, New Orleans Saints

If the Vikings simply want to find an upgrade at CB3 for Okudah, Taylor would be a fine option with the Saints slumping at 1-6.

Similar to Murphy, Taylor can play both on the boundary and in the slot. He’s flashed some improvement in coverage this season and hasn’t missed a tackle in four straight games, per PFF.

The 26-year-old could be a commodity for CB-needy teams at the deadline, and the Vikings should be among those calling.

Tariq Woolen, Seattle Seahawks

Woolen’s play has taken a step back this year, but he was excellent for Seattle over his first two years in the league and could benefit from an elite defensive mind like Flores.

The Seahawks are rolling, but they have some depth at the position. If Woolen, another pending 2026 free agent, isn’t in their long-term plans, swapping him for draft capital could be in play at the deadline; Woolen was a fifth-round pick in 2025.

Playmaking has been sorely missing from Minnesota’s secondary this year, and Woolen has 11 career interceptions through four-plus seasons.

One analyst is fo*lishly doubting that Maxx Crosby is committed to Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders have been so bad during the 2025 NFL season that, once again, superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby has popped up in trade rumors. Yes, the same Maxx Crosby that the new regime in Las Vegas committed $106.5 million to this offseason.

Luckily, NFL Network's Jane Slater and Tom Pelissero reported that the two-time All-Pro won't be moved. They added that neither the Raiders nor the player that they once made the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league had any interest in a deal.

The announcement allowed Raiders fans to relax a bit after initially believing that their best player could be shipped out. A known critic of the franchise, however, recently claimed that he doesn't believe Crosby is as happy in Las Vegas as the aforementioned report indicated.

NFL analyst suggests Maxx Crosby may want a trade from Raiders

While the extension that Crosby signed in the offseason would theoretically be tradeable, the Raiders clearly have no plans to deal the four-time Pro Bowler. Pro Football Talk's

Mike Florio believes that the superstar isn't as committed to the franchise as reports claimed.

"The great Raiders defensive end, who is mired in yet another horrible season, where his talents, his prime, is being wasted. NFL media reported last night that the Raiders told Crosby, 'We're not shopping you, and we won't be trading you.' And also, they reported that Crosby wants to stay," Florio said. "I don't know that I believe the last part. I think he's stuck, and he got paid, and if they're not going to trade him, it's not useful for him to start making it known he doesn't want to be there. ... I still don't believe that Crosby falls into that category of untouchable players, and I think a sufficient offer would potentially get their attention."

Chris Simms, Florio's co-host on the show and a known Raider hater himself, actually disagreed with Florio's thoughts. He said that, while he would hope Crosby wants to play for a better franchise, he just doesn't see how a trade makes sense for either side.

Florio added that a team announcing that they are willing to move a player will diminish the return that they could receive. While he is correct in that assessment, it is unlikely the Raiders are planning to move Crosby, who has served as the face and heart of the franchise for several years.

Additionally, his claim that the star isn't committed to Las Vegas couldn't be further from the truth. Crosby has openly voiced that he hopes to spend his entire career with the Raiders, and his offseason contract extension proved his commitment to the franchise.

He had two years left on his previous deal before signing the extension, and if he truly wanted out, he could've pressured the organization to make a move. Instead, he added three years to his deal and is tied to the franchise through the 2029 season.

It is also important to mention that the Raiders told Crosby he wasn't being moved, not the media that they weren't trading Crosby. While it is certainly possible that he doesn't retire as a Raider, Florio's speculation that he isn't committed to the organization is currently baseless.

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