Minnesota Vikings: 3 Players to trade away at 2020 NFL trade deadline

1. Kyle Rudolph, TE

Kyle Rudolph has been a staple both in the organization and in the community in Minnesota throughout his lengthy 10-year NFL career, all of which has come in a Vikings uniform. But it might be time for Rudolph and the organization to part ways moving forward while the team will likely be having its eye on the future.

Rudolph could still help an offense in the league both this season and beyond, as he is still a solid red-zone target and a decent run-blocking tight end that could attract some teams throughout the NFL.

Since Minnesota acquired Rudolph, the two-time Pro Bowler hasn’t really been as potent or helpful within the offense as we saw earlier in his career and he might be eying a larger role within an offense elsewhere.

If the Vikings were to find a trade partner willing to take on the soon-to-be 31-year-old tight end, it might result in the team moving on from one of the top personalities to ever enter the organization in its history.

Another aspect that makes this move likely either this year or eventually is that the team drafted Irv Smith Jr. prior to the 2019 season in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The team will try to incorporate him more and more within the offense and giving him more opportunities in the starting spot at tight end.

That could end up pushing Rudolph back on the depth chart and limiting his role in Minnesota, which makes a trade of Rudolph prior to the Nov. 3 trade deadline that more likely.