Minnesota Vikings: Big-name targets ahead of 2018 NFL trade deadline

Rodger Saffold, G, Los Angeles Rams

Now here’s an exciting option, although an unlikely one. I didn’t say these were all realistic targets.

The Vikings need help along the front five in the biggest way. None of their starting offensive linemen inspire much confidence, and that needs to change if Kirk Cousins is going to maintain his current level of play. Could a trade for Rodger Saffold fix that?

Now there are a few things to keep in mind here. The first is that, seeing as they’re rolling right now, the Los Angeles Rams likely aren’t too eager to shake things up. Moving one of the NFL’s best guards in the middle of a potential Super Bowl run makes little sense.

The next is that trading for Saffold won’t come cheap. Chances are the Vikings would need to part with a top talent as well as some draft compensation to pry him away from Los Angeles. The only logical options I see are Anthony Barr or Trae Waynes, and even those are stretches. An early-round pick would likely need to be thrown in to sweeten the deal.

So why would the Rams do it? The compensation plays a big part, but do they have the pieces in place to replace Saffold in the starting lineup? I would say potentially, which opens the door just a sliver. Players like Joseph Notebloom, Jamon Brown and Brian Allen could all compete for the right to step in at left guard. On top of everything else, Saffold is a free agent next offseason and may be too expensive for the Rams to keep.

It’s very unlikely Los Angeles is willing to move Todd Gurley’s road-grading guard in the middle of an outstanding season. With that said, it wouldn’t hurt Spielman to at least see if there’s any potential interest.